The only Hypercar or GTP entry without a hybrid system and derived from a road car; the only LMH registered in the IMSA SportsCar Championship; and the product of a programme partially funded by an external investor. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is anything but conventional.
After its first seven races (three in the World Endurance Championship and four in IMSA), how should we assess its debut in competition?
Before its first appearance in a double round-the-clock race at the 93rd edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours, it's time for a first review.
At the time of writing, the Aston Martin Valkyrie - run by The Heart of Racing - has competed in seven races. So far, its best WEC result remains a 13th-place finish in the Spa 6 Hours. In IMSA, where the field is smaller, the car can boast an eighth place in Long Beach, which was matched last weekend in Detroit.
These results are not due to reliability issues, but rather to a performance level clearly below that of its rivals, as the table below illustrates:
While the Valkyrie has yet to score a standout result, it already shows strong mechanical reliability, a fact that's not particularly surprising. Without a hybrid system, it's powered by a detuned version of the Cosworth V12 used in the road-going Valkyrie, already thoroughly tested on dynos, public roads, and tracks.
"We operate the engine slower than it's capable of because we require less power," Aston Martin’s head of endurance motorsport Adam Carter explained a few months ago. "The lower power limit within the regulations creates an opportunity for us to revisit the torque curve and reduce frictional losses by reducing engine speed to increase fuel efficiency."
The Valkyrie's promising reliability was highlighted by the Valkyrie's trouble-free run to the chequered flag at the notoriously demanding Sebring 12 Hours. 'A car that lasts 12 hours at Sebring can last 24 at Le Mans', as the saying goes. We're talking mechanical endurance here, not engine stress, which is harsher at Le Mans than in Florida.
"Sebring is well renowned for being a tough test for any race car," said Carter at the finish. "But we were confident in the car's ability to go the distance, and the fact that it did it so well is a huge testament to everybody working on the programme and a good indicator of the inherent potential of the car."
First and foremost, it's important to mention how difficult it is for a newcomer to enter the Hypercar class. The Balance of Performance cannot compensate for a lack of reference data. How can you calculate manufacturer compensation for a car that hasn't yet raced?
"We consider the best in the class for the last three races," explained ACO international technical delegate Thierry Bouvet. "And for good reason - we have no data. And then gradually this car will come into the process."
That means the worst possible BoP to start with. For its first race in Qatar, the Valkyrie's manufacturer compensation was based on the best-performing cars from the Lone Star Le Mans, Fuji 6 Hours, and Bahrain 8 Hours at the end of the 2024 WEC season.
And since race officials considered the Valkyrie had not completed enough significant laps in Qatar, it wasn't until Spa last month that one of its own races (Imola) was included in the equation.
However, the method for calculating manufacturer compensation has changed since Spa: only the best two of the last three races are considered, instead of all three. This accelerated the adjustment process by 50%.
As a result, Spa's BoP reflected Valkyrie's Imola data and Ferrari's Qatar data. That explains the major BoP boost given to the Valkyrie, which was 16kg lighter than at Imola and a 15kW increase in power.
Given the above, it's no surprise the Valkyrie has lagged early in the season. As Le Mans is a separate case (see below), it won't be until the Sao Paulo 6 Hours in July where a Valkyrie whose manufacturer compensation is calculated solely on the basis of its own data, namely that from Imola and Spa, is seen. Clearly, after a major boost at Spa, the Valkyrie should receive another, albeit smaller, one for Sao Paulo.
"We should move closer," Tom Gamble confirmed to The Race after finishing 13th at Spa. "We had a nice step this weekend and obviously we'll see what happens in the future, but I think the ACO knows exactly what's happening and they do a good job of managing it, so fingers crossed we can get a bit of help to moving closer."
But this championship doesn't reward the quest for outright power, top speed, or downforce-to-drag ratios. It emphasises vehicle dynamics and power management.
The target: to drive as close as possible to the power level allowed by the regulations, which, as a reminder, is controlled by torque meters. Article 5.1.2 of the technical regulations states: The powertrain performance must not exceed, at any time, the power curve described in Appendix 4b (subject to BoP adjustment).
Bumps or kerbs can trigger an 'overshoot' and lead to penalties. This largely explains why newcomers struggle so much at Imola, where riding the kerbs is crucial for laptime. It's less of an issue on tracks such as Lusail or Le Mans.
"That was tricky for us because of the kerbs," confirmed Gamble. "The car was struggling a little bit with the bumps, and Spa is a little bit smoother, so it suited us a little bit more."
Competitors must therefore keep a safety margin to avoid power overshoots, but it has to be as small as possible. Some manufacturers needed months - or more than a year - to fully optimise this, with the most cautions at times running 10kW below the limit, which is a massive deficit.
It also seems managing 'illegal power' is easier with hybrid systems, especially those connected to the rear axle, like in LMDh cars. Is this a problem for Aston Martin?
"Hybrid cars have benefits of their torque delivery, and if a manufacturer can get good synchronisation with that, it has a great opportunity and has great authority over the powertrain," Carter explained.
"The V12 power unit, as for history, delivers certain torque which can also be a benefit. So ultimately there's pros and cons, and it's about who optimises the best within their boundary conditions."
He added: "We know the amount of effort and development our competitors have put in.
"Some of them have made big gains by learning to optimise their powertrain. We're happy with how we're developing the car around its race pace, but there's still work to do. In terms of strengths and weaknesses compared to other cars, we'll have to wait until we're more competitive in racing conditions to start looking at it."
At the finish of the Spa 6 Hours, there were smiles in the Aston Martin The Heart of Racing camp. Yes, race interruptions played a role, and it was only a modest 13th place, but the #007 finished on the lead lap.
"You've got to remember we've come into this championship when it's at the highest level it's ever been," Gamble rightly pointed out.
"Three or four years ago, we would've been on the podium. Fingers crossed, by the end of the year, we'll be consistently running in the top 10 and fighting with the others."
"Step by step, things are improving," Harry Tincknell added. "From Qatar to Imola and now here, we've made huge steps. We also got help from the BoP. The important thing is to keep progressing."
Progress has been visible each time out, even if expectations were higher in terms of pure pace given the big BoP boost, especially in qualifying, where the gap remains far too big.
"We're closer on long-run pace than we are on a single lap," admitted Carter. "The programme has been focused on long-run pace because it's race day that counts. And our experience of running the car with low fuel and new cold tyres is very limited."
But with a car designed and run by a company like Multimatic, with a reputation that speaks for itself, there's no reason to believe the Valkyrie should be a failure.
Whether it can compete with the big names remains to be seen. Another question is whether a non-hybrid car winning would be welcomed by the governing bodies and rivals. But we're clearly not there yet, not even close.
"It was a lot better than Imola," said Marco Sørensen after Spa. "We're moving into the right direction, and I'm confident we'll make enough progress to really be in the fight at Sao Paulo or Austin. We are getting closer and I believe we will make it."
As noted, Brazil should be the first real opportunity to gauge the Valkyrie's full potential. Beyond better understanding of the car, BoP will help too, but not by much more, since the values given at Spa were already close to those of Peugeot, which the governing bodies clearly cannot help any further.
Le Mans BoP is a special case, as The Race has previously explained.
First, data from Le Mans isn't used in calculating future manufacturer compensation. And given the race's unique importance and layout, there isn't really a manufacturer compensation system for it. According to the ACO and FIA, the BoP at Le Mans - like last year - is based solely on homologation parameters and simulations.
On Tuesday, we gave you the Le Mans 24 Hours BoP, hoping that they will not change between the test day (June 9) and the race (June 14-15). And the good news for Aston Martin is that the Valkyrie will be running with the highest possible power output (520kW) and the lowest possible minimum weight (1030kg). All the factors are therefore in place for the British LMH to shine.
"The target? To be competitive," replied Carter. "Everybody knows it's a very gruelling event. It's a tough event for the car and the team. It's a lot of work, a lot of hours for everybody. And everybody knows it's a 24-hour sprint race now."
Last year, despite being 1.508 seconds off pole in qualifying, Lamborghini finished 10th and was the first car not to finish on the lead lap. With 19 other Hypercar entries this year, all of which have already raced at Le Mans, finishing on the lead lap would be a great achievement for Aston Martin and provide a wealth of invaluable data.
"The regulations are formatted to allow that," confirmed Carter. "They created that situation last year, so there's no reason we shouldn't have the same this year. [Safety cars], but also the pace of the cars [thanks to the BoP].
"You always need a certain level of pace, but the way the regulations are set, the way it manifested last year, allowed several cars to stay on the lead lap. So I see no reason why that shouldn't be our target.
"We want to be competitive, but we also respect the level of competition and the fact it's our first year, whereas some are going into their third with the same cars."
Having 15.5 hours of track time before the race start will undoubtedly help a newcomer.
"We've got a lot more running there," Gamble admitted. "A bit like Qatar, where we had the prologue, which really helped us. Every single session we're making changes and improvements, so track time will be key.
"We'll be doing lots of simulator work and prep to be ready. I'm sure the team will work very hard between now and then to get the right package. Fingers crossed we can come out strong and keep making progress."
Aston Martin's last appearance in the Le Mans top class dates back to 2011. And it was a fiasco.
The best of the two AMR-Ones was 20 seconds off pole in qualifying and managed only four laps in the race, which is still twice as many as its sister car.
The Valkyrie certainly doesn't have what it takes to win, but it has the potential to restore a tarnished legacy.