Daytona Beach, Florida, 19 January 2026 – Aston Martin marks a triumphant return to the top tier of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, bringing its breathtaking Valkyrie Hypercar to the legendary endurance event for the first time in over 40 years. The Aston Martin THOR Team-run Valkyrie makes its debut in the GTP class, kicking off the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with an audacious bid for overall honours.
The competition version of the Valkyrie – a pure racing evolution of the world’s ultimate road-going hypercar – blends an ultra-lightweight, race-optimised carbon fibre chassis with a 6.5-litre V12 engine that revs to 11,000rpm. While capable of over 1,000bhp in its road specification, IMSA and Hypercar regulations cap the power at 500kw (680bhp). The Daytona entry is unique: it is the only road-derived hypercar competing in either North America’s premier endurance series or the FIA World Endurance Championship. When the green flag drops at 1340 EST on Saturday, Valkyrie will make history as the first car of its kind to contest the Rolex 24.
The driver line-up pairs IMSA regulars Roman De Angelis (CAN) and Ross Gunn (GBR) with FIA WEC Valkyrie racers Alex Riberas (ESP) and Marco Sørensen (DEN), all four making their GTP-class debut at Daytona. The team embarks on the new campaign fresh from an impressive inaugural season. Valkyrie finished second overall in the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and scored top-five results in WEC rounds at Fuji and Bahrain. Across eight IMSA races, the hypercar completed over 4,600 miles, finishing in the top ten seven times.
Alex Riberas reflects on the milestone: “It’s a privilege to be back at Daytona, racing in the top class for the first time. This will be Valkyrie’s Rolex 24 debut. It’s a tough challenge, especially as the first race of the season. There’s a lot to learn, and being back with Marco, Roman and Ross feels like the first day of school.”
Ross Gunn adds, “Starting the year at Daytona is awesome. We want to understand how the race flows in GTP and see our winter development come to fruition. Daytona sets the tone for the rest of the season.”
Roman De Angelis says, “Daytona is one of the highlights of the season. We’re excited to continue Valkyrie’s progress in IMSA and look forward to keeping the momentum from last year.”
Marco Sørensen emphasizes the challenge: “The Rolex 24 is one of the toughest endurance races in the world. We know what’s ahead, but we’re ready and fully focused on delivering the best possible result.”
Team Principal Ian James highlights the strategic approach: “This is our first Rolex 24 with Valkyrie, but we’re not unprepared. Daytona testing has been comprehensive, and The Heart of Racing has a strong track record. In a 24-hour race, success often comes down to error-free execution, pitwork, driver focus, agile strategy, and extracting maximum performance.”
Adam Carter, Head of Aston Martin Endurance Motorsport, adds perspective on the programme’s growth: “A year into the Valkyrie programme, we’ve seen huge technical and cultural development. The Rolex 24 is another key milestone, offering valuable data to continue improving the car’s performance and the programme overall.”
A Three-Car Aston Martin Vantage Assault in GTD
Alongside the Valkyrie, Aston Martin enters a formidable three-car attack in the GTD class with the Vantage GT3, competing for class victory in North America’s most famous endurance race. Partner teams THOR, Magnus Racing, and Van der Steur Racing (VDSR) bring strong driver line-ups to Daytona, including IMSA and FIA WEC champions.
THOR’s #27 Vantage pairs works FIA WEC Valkyrie driver Tom Gamble (GBR) and Brazilian GT star Dudu Barrichello (BRA) with IMSA veterans Zacharie Robichon (CDN) and Mattia Drudi (ITA). VDSR refreshes its line-up with American Rory van der Steur and works driver Valentin Hasse Clot (FRA), joined by Sébastien Baud (FRA) and Carl Bennett (USA). Magnus Racing reunites podium-winning driver Nicki Thiim (DEN) with John Potter, Spencer Pumpelly, and IMSA GTD champion Madison Snow (USA).
The Vantage GT3, sharing architecture with Aston Martin’s road-going Vantage, combines a bonded aluminium chassis with a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, the same car that triumphed at the 24 Hours of Spa in 2024. With proven performance and driver depth across all three entries, Aston Martin targets both a strong GTD showing and a historic overall challenge with the Valkyrie.
As the 64th Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona commences, Aston Martin fans and motorsport enthusiasts alike will watch with anticipation. For the Valkyrie and the Vantage, the race represents not just a challenge, but a statement: British engineering, precision teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence remain at the heart of Aston Martin’s endurance racing vision.
