Aston Martin at Le Mans – when the brand announced the Valkyrie would be competing at the top flight of endurance racing it was hard not to get a little excited.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is an engineering marvel, and when it launched the pairing of race and road seemed destined to be. While it took a bit of time to get to La Sarthe, at the tail end of 2023 Aston announced the Valkyrie’s return, and the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class at the 2025 race was the target. Magneto had a front-row seat to Aston’s grand return to the top tier of endurance racing.
The big race has been and gone, with Kubica taking Ferrari to a third Le Mans victory on the bounce, and with Aston’s Valkyries… in the mix, but not near the top step. This, says Adam Carter, head of endurance, is to be expected: “The Valkyrie was there in original discussions around when this format of championship [Hypercar] was discussed and introduced. Many things have happened [since], and obviously you also learn by observation. People have been in the championship running things, and also the regulatory bodies have evolved as well… They didn’t, they didn’t start on day one and go, that’s ‘perfect!’”
Carter notes that while Aston is a newcomer, others out there have had time to learn the regulations, and the various endurance championships’ quirks. That sort of thing takes time that Aston simply hasn’t had yet. “Everybody’s been on that learning curve – it’s just some people are further along,” adds Carter, “It’ll start to flatten out, and everybody will come closer together. We’re looking forward to that next phase for us.” The project itself, Carter revealed, kicked off at the beginning of 2023, the same year Ferrari took its first win with the 499P. It takes time to cook…
What needs to change? With top-tier suppliers (Cosworth building your motor isn’t a small thing at all) on board, Carter is confident that there’s more to be had from the cars: “There’s a base level of performance. Do I think everything’s been extracted? Absolutely not, because that’s that learning curve we’re on. The other part of this is also: there’s new organisations working together as well. Bringing together cars and racing team.” It’s easy to forget that there’s a whole team behind each car – it’s not just a pointy, noisy car going in circles, but suppliers, engineers, organisers… everything behind the scenes trying to work together. Part of year one seems to be getting everyone on the same page with a new car in a new place each round.
On track, it’s hard to miss the Valkyrie duo courtesy of the factory-backed Aston Martin The Heart of Racing Team (THOR) team. Partly because they’re the new kids on the block – the Ferrari 499P, Porsche 963, Peugeot 9X8 and more have been around for a while, and seeing the Aston’s new silhouette in the mix is a treat for experienced eyes. Also because the V12 in the middle sounds truly awesome. Aston Martin could have shrunk its motor, added hybridisation and other tricks to keep it in line with the others, but that wouldn’t be in the spirit of the Valkyrie would it? “The real representation that’s really important to us is that we’ve got a V12 in the car, because that is the heart of Valkyrie. It’s part of Valkyrie. If it didn’t have that, it wouldn’t be Valkyrie, as simple as that.”
Away from the asphalt, Aston Martin at Le Mans 2025 was a hot topic. Admittedly some of that was because of its less-than-ideal position, but also because of what it is. The decision to go a different way from the rest – the angles, noise and style of the things – made it the star of the show. On the grid walk, busier than ever in 2025, the pair were covered in fans all trying to get a glimpse of this year’s newcomer, and to see for themselves how dramatic the car truly is.
Of course, La Sarthe away from the track was as bustling and intense as ever. Before the sun set the sight of a stumbling, glassy-eyed Brit (it’s always the Brits) wasn’t unfamiliar. Afterwards… it was a regular occurrence. Chats scored by engines booming with nary a break thanks to the mix of classes thundering around at different speeds were the norm, as was a mix of sweaty people lugging bags full of cameras, water bottles and as much merch as the owners could bear to pick up. Le Mans is always a place of love – everyone is there for a reason, and that reason is a motor race. Well, a motor race and thousands of people wanting to party next to it. While it’s a niche within a niche, those who love it… love it. And this year’s race came with a new V12 hypercar – its allure appealed to many.
When the car was mooted to join, there was speculation that it would be a modified take on the Valkyrie AMR Pro – the firm’s track only special seemed an ideal candidate for the job. Except… it isn’t, because of regulations. “They’re very different creations,” says Carter. Regulations allow for some things, and not for others, which mean that while the road and race cars look similar, they’re not too closely related.
Shortly before the race, Aston Martin announced that ten people would be able to buy their own version of the racer to have their own Le Mans competitor at home. Just how close is it to the real thing?
“It’s the race car. It is as much as the regulations will allow… The driver interface and experience is more suited to track day. The guys out there now are competing, and have a lot of information coming through on the dash, which is very specific to racing. They’ve also got a whole team of people there watching. We’ll tailor the car more towards a track day.” Carter noted that owners could, if they wanted to, have the full-fat info suite put back into the car. Although how many training wheels you want taken off in something like that depends on how brave you’re feeling…
Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin’s CEO, is keenly aware of what being at Le Mans can do for Aston Martin, and to the value of its cars: “It’s all about the technological achievement, all about that brand, building longer term, and really proving that we can operate at that level in the most demanding sport in a car. That’s the real strategic value [of being at Le Mans].” He’s aware that while Le Mans isn’t for everyone, it’s ‘self selecting’, but for those who are there, or who are watching on TV at home, it’s magic.
Much is said about Aston’s 1959 overall win – something it’s keen to repeat – but this year it wasn’t to be. The car’s still new, as is the team, but both made it over the line after 24 hours of intense racing. There’s more of the season to go, too, which will give Carter and team more time to learn, grow and evolve. Aston Martin is committing to a multi-year programme, so there’s more pointy V12 action to come. Perhaps 2026 will be Aston’s year, perhaps not – but the race is better off for having it there.
For more information on Aston Martin’s racing efforts, head here.
