The Aston Martin Valkyrie marked a significant milestone in its racing journey last weekend with its best finish and qualifying result to date in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, placing eighth in the prestigious Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Building on momentum from a groundbreaking ninth-place result at the 12 Hours of Sebring—where it became the first hypercar-spec vehicle to earn IMSA points—the Aston Martin THOR-run Valkyrie continued its steady ascent. With drivers Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis behind the wheel, the team improved throughout the weekend, culminating in a clean and competitive performance in IMSA’s shortest race of the season.
Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions posed challenges, but the team responded with resolve. Valkyrie qualified 11th, narrowly missing the top 10 by a tenth of a second. In the race, the car showed excellent pace and reliability, completing the 100-minute contest without incident and finishing eighth.
As the first Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) developed by Aston Martin—and the only one racing in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship—the Valkyrie continues to break new ground. Developed in collaboration with THOR, the racing version draws on the engineering DNA of the road-going Valkyrie, featuring a high-revving, 6.5-litre V12 power unit governed by the hypercar class limit of 500 kW (680 bhp).
With two strong results already in its debut season, the Valkyrie project is showing clear signs of progress on some of the world’s most technically challenging circuits.
Driver Reflections
Ross Gunn: “Eighth at Long Beach is a fantastic step forward. We worked through some early issues, improved consistently, and came away with another clean, strong finish.”
Roman De Angelis: “With minimal time in the car before the race, I’m pleased with how it performed. This result sets the tone for more progress as we head to Laguna Seca.”
Leadership Perspective
Ian James, Team Principal: “We’re very proud of what we accomplished this weekend. Competing on pace with established GTP manufacturers proves the Valkyrie programme is moving in the right direction.”
Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport: “Long Beach posed a fresh set of challenges, but the Valkyrie passed the test. Every race adds to our learning, and the gains we’ve made so far reinforce our confidence in the car’s potential.”
