Why the stars have aligned to bring Aston Martin back to the top class at Le Mans

Having shelved its plans to enter the top class of the World Endurance Championship three years ago, Aston Martin has performed a welcome u-turn that will see its Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar race in both the WEC and IMSA SportsCar Championship from 2025, with the successful convergence of the LMH and LMDh platforms providing an opportunity too good to miss.

Published Oct 6, 2023, 3:10 PM

It may seem strange that a programme revealed way back in the summer of 2019 is finally going to make it into competition in 2025. Three years after Aston Martin pushed its Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar onto the back-burner, the gas has been whacked back up to 11. Yet it’s perhaps not so strange when you understand how the stars have aligned to make this the right time for it to revitalise a project that will take it back to the Le Mans 24 Hours in pursuit of a repeat of its 1959 victory with the DBR1.

Aston Martin's intent to bid for outright honours at Le Mans as part of a World Endurance Championship campaign with the Adrian Newey-inspired Valkyrie was announced on the eve of the French enduro four years ago. It was put on hold - the term used by the marque - seven months later in February 2020. But development of the car didn’t really stop.

Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 32nd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 75 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Autoweek, Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.