Detroit, USA / Monza, Italy – 2 June 2025
Aston Martin’s relentless push across the global endurance racing stage continued this weekend with a strong dual performance on both sides of the Atlantic. The Valkyrie AMR-LMH secured its fourth consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship top-ten finish with an encouraging eighth place at the Detroit Sports Car Classic, while the Vantage GT3 clinched a hard-earned Pro Class podium in Round 2 of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Monza.
Valkyrie Proves Its Street Racing Credentials in Detroit
Contesting its fourth IMSA race of 2025, the Aston Martin Valkyrie delivered another points-scoring run, underscoring its growing competitiveness on North American soil. Piloted by the formidable duo of Ross Gunn (GBR) and Roman De Angelis (CDN) under the Aston Martin THOR Team banner, the car crossed the line eighth on the tight and unforgiving 1.7-mile downtown Detroit street circuit — matching its best finish to date.
Having qualified 11th — just two-tenths shy of the top ten — the pair executed a clean, strategically sound 100-minute race, further validating Valkyrie’s remarkable adaptability. The result mirrored their finish at Long Beach, the other street course on the IMSA calendar, cementing the hypercar’s growing status as a contender in urban racing conditions.
“This was another tricky circuit for us,” said De Angelis. “It’s like nothing we’ve experienced with Valkyrie before. But we stayed clean, stayed smart, and came away with another strong result. That’s all part of building momentum.”
Ross Gunn added, “This weekend is a big confidence boost. The car felt increasingly strong, and this sets a good foundation heading into Watkins Glen and Le Mans later this month.”
What makes the Valkyrie’s IMSA journey particularly notable is that it remains the only hypercar competing in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) — a testament to Aston Martin’s uncompromising commitment to global motorsport. As the first Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) derived from a road-legal model to enter IMSA’s GTP category, the Valkyrie is rapidly proving its worth against some of the most advanced racing machinery in the world.
Powered by a modified, naturally aspirated 6.5-litre Cosworth V12, capped at 500kW per regulations, the Valkyrie’s relentless development continues to pay dividends. With a debut at Le Mans just weeks away, the team’s ability to gather and refine data in such varied environments is proving invaluable.
Podium Glory for Vantage GT3 at Monza
Meanwhile in Italy, Aston Martin’s most successful customer racing car — the Vantage GT3 — added another prestigious result to its already glittering record. The Comtoyou Racing trio of Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen and Mattia Drudi took a well-earned third place in the Pro Class during a chaotic and safety car-heavy race at Monza, Round 2 of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
After a solid fifth-place finish at Paul Ricard, the Monza podium marks a key milestone as the team builds momentum ahead of the iconic 24 Hours of Spa later this month. “We may not have had the ultimate pace today,” said Thiim, “but we executed to perfection — and that’s what earned us the silverware.”
Adding depth to Aston Martin’s showing, Walkenhorst Motorsport staged a remarkable comeback drive, surging from 27th on the grid to seventh at the flag — only to be classified 12th after a post-race penalty. Verstappen.com Racing, run by 2Seas Motorsport, continued their standout Gold Cup form, finishing second in class and maintaining a 100% podium record in the category.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, expressed satisfaction with both sides of the Atlantic effort:
“Detroit was a real test of adaptability for Valkyrie, and the THOR Team delivered. Meanwhile, the results in Monza show Vantage remains a fierce competitor across multiple classes. With Spa, Le Mans, and the Nürburgring 24 Hours all on the horizon, this weekend proves we’re in the fight on every front.”
Looking Ahead
With the 24 Hours of Le Mans looming, followed by endurance racing’s crown jewel at Spa and the Nürburgring 24 Hours, June promises to be a defining month for Aston Martin in both prototype and GT racing. If recent form is anything to go by, the marque is poised to turn competitive consistency into championship contention — one race at a time.
