Imola, Italy – 15 April 2025
This weekend marks a major milestone in Aston Martin’s motorsport renaissance, as the sensational Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) prepares to make its European race debut at the 6 Hours of Imola – the second round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The event promises to add another thrilling chapter to the marque’s rich endurance racing legacy, as Valkyrie continues its dual-championship campaign in both the WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Developed from the awe-inspiring Valkyrie production car, the LMH racer is the only hypercar on the grid derived from a road-going model – a rare fusion of cutting-edge engineering and design. Engineered by Aston Martin in collaboration with THOR (The Heart of Racing), the Valkyrie features a race-honed carbon fibre chassis and a modified 6.5-litre V12 engine capable of revving to 11,000rpm. Though restricted to the WEC’s mandated 500kW (680bhp) output, its unmistakable wail and blistering performance have already captured global attention.
Following its competitive debut at the Qatar 1812km in February and a top-10 finish at the notoriously punishing 12 Hours of Sebring in March, Imola offers the Valkyrie a new kind of test – a shorter, six-hour sprint over a technical, unforgiving layout steeped in motorsport history.
Racing Royalty Returns to Imola
Aston Martin fields two Valkyries in Imola: the #007 and #009 entries. The #007 features an all-British line-up of endurance racing ace Harry Tincknell and rising star Tom Gamble. Tincknell, no stranger to Italian success, claimed his first sportscar victory at Imola in 2014 and is eager to return to familiar ground.
“It’s an iconic track,” Tincknell reflects. “Testing since Qatar has helped us unlock a lot of potential in the car. Sebring proved that we’re heading in the right direction, and Imola is the perfect place to continue building towards Le Mans.”
Teammate Gamble shares that optimism.
“We took away so many positives from the opening round,” he says. “Imola’s going to be a big opportunity for us to show what the Valkyrie can really do in Europe.”
The sister #009 car brings together Danish veteran and three-time FIA WEC GT champion Marco Sørensen with Alex Riberas – a stalwart of the THOR programme and part of last year’s winning crew at the Circuit of the Americas.
“The circuit’s layout is a great test for both car and driver,” Sørensen notes. “Our goal is to build on what we learned in Qatar and take another step forward.”
Riberas adds:
“Imola means a lot in motorsport. I’m confident we’ve made progress since Qatar, but with its unpredictable weather and tight corners, we’ll need to stay sharp.”
Building Towards Le Mans
Imola marks the fourth race outing for the Valkyrie LMH, with every session providing invaluable data as Aston Martin targets its first overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1959 – when Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori took victory in the legendary DBR1.
“Each lap we complete adds to our understanding,” says Ian James, Team Principal of the Aston Martin THOR Team. “Imola will challenge us in new ways, and that’s what we need at this stage of the programme.”
Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, reinforces the broader ambition:
“Valkyrie has already made an incredible impact. With its road-car roots and V12 soundtrack, it’s reigniting global excitement around endurance racing. Every race sharpens our approach ahead of Le Mans in June.”
Vantage GT3 Joins the Fight in LMGT3
While the Valkyrie grabs headlines, Aston Martin’s charge extends to the fiercely competitive LMGT3 class, where the latest-generation Vantage GT3 continues its campaign. Fielded by The Heart of Racing and Racing Spirit of Leman, the Vantage GT3 is built on the same bonded aluminium architecture as the brand’s acclaimed road cars and powered by a formidable twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8.
After a promising sixth-place finish at Qatar, THOR returns to Imola with a revised line-up: Ian James is joined by Zacharie Robichon, 2021 IMSA GTD champion, and Italian Aston Martin works driver Mattia Drudi – who will race on home soil in a WEC event for the first time.
“Imola holds a special place in my heart – it’s where I won my first car race,” Drudi shares. “Racing there with Aston Martin is something truly special.”
Also flying the Aston Martin flag is Racing Spirit of Leman. The Swiss team enters the fray with a strong trio: works driver Valentin Hasse Clot, American Derek DeBoer, and Eduardo Barrichello of Brazil. Hasse Clot and DeBoer bring momentum from last year’s ELMS campaign, where they secured a podium at Imola in the LMGT3 category.
“Vantage is Aston Martin’s most successful racer,” says Carter. “Imola’s narrow layout and unpredictable weather make it a demanding battleground, but with experienced teams and drivers, we’re poised for a strong showing.”
A Glorious Future on Historic Ground
As Aston Martin continues its pursuit of endurance racing supremacy, the 6 Hours of Imola promises not only a showcase of performance but also a glimpse into the future of sportscar competition. With the Valkyrie at the forefront and the Vantage GT3 delivering proven firepower, the British marque is writing a bold new chapter – one lap at a time.
The 6 Hours of Imola begins at 13:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday, 20 April 2025.
