LE MANS, France — Aston Martin and Heart Of Racing will enter two AMR-LMH Valkyries in the Hypercar class at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The British marque, which hasn’t won the French endurance classic since 1959, is keen to make its presence felt from the outset.
Its decision follows a rule change by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and the FIA WEC requiring a minimum of two cars per manufacturer in the Hypercar class from 2025.
Aston Martin has therefore confirmed a two-car entry for the FIA World Endurance Championship next season, pending acceptance of its application.
“The Valkyrie AMR-LMH program is on schedule with a significant amount of development taking place behind the scenes and ahead of the car’s track début later this summer,” said Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsports. “We then anticipate an intensive period of testing to put miles on the car and learn all we can ahead of its planned homologation in the autumn.”
The AMR-LMH Valkyrie will feature a carbon-fiber chassis fitted with a modified version of Cosworth’s naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine originally produced for the road-going model.
The engine is currently being adjusted to align with the requirements of the Hypercar class and endurance racing. The car’s development program is already at an advanced stage, with recent on-track testing of its various systems at Silverstone and Portimão.
American team Heart Of Racing has also set up operations in the UK, close to where the cars are built in partnership with Aston Martin Performance Technologies. This unit oversees the design and development of the Valkyrie AMR-LMH.
Besides the WEC, Aston Martin and Heart of Racing also intend to compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.