Aston Martin Valkyrie Shines with Best-Ever IMSA Finish at Long Beach Grand Prix
The remarkable new Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar achieved its best race finish and qualifying result with a commanding weekend performance at the world-renowned Grand Prix of Long Beach, the latest round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Fresh from an impressive ninth-place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring last month—the first points finish ever recorded by a hypercar in IMSA history—the British ultra-luxury performance marque’s innovative Valkyrie went one better by placing eighth, following a competitive display throughout the event.
Aston Martin THOR Team, with drivers Ross Gunn (GBR)—a past IMSA GTD Pro class winner at Long Beach—and Roman De Angelis (CDN), the 2022 IMSA GTD champion, made steady gains during Friday practice before securing a best-ever 11th position in qualifying, a mere tenth of a second shy of the top 10. In only Valkyrie’s third race start and second in IMSA’s GTP division, the team’s efficient strategy and impeccable reliability were duly rewarded with an eighth-place finish in the short-but-demanding 100-minute sprint.
Notably, the Valkyrie is the first Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) produced by Aston Martin and the only car in IMSA’s premier GTP class derived from a road-legal hypercar. It also holds the distinction of being the first LMH to compete in IMSA and the only one racing in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) simultaneously, having made its global debut at the Qatar 1812km in February.
Under the guidance of the Aston Martin THOR team, Valkyrie’s debut season on US soil has already delivered two top-10 finishes on some of motorsport’s most unforgiving circuits.
Developed from the Valkyrie production model by Aston Martin and THOR, the competition version incorporates a race-optimised carbon fibre chassis and a specially adapted 6.5-litre V12 engine. Capable of spinning at 11,000 rpm and producing more than 1,000 bhp in standard guise, this power unit is restricted to a strict 500 kw (680 bhp) limit in compliance with hypercar regulations.
Ross Gunn, driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “I’m extremely pleased with our eighth-place finish at Long Beach. Friday posed a few challenges, but that’s completely normal at this programme stage. Everyone worked incredibly hard to resolve the issues. Crucially, we improved throughout the weekend, bettered our Sebring result, and avoided mishaps, ticking off more milestones in Valkyrie’s development.”
Roman De Angelis, driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “It was a tough race, but we kept the car unscathed. Despite some difficulties in practice that limited me to around 10 laps, I’m satisfied we finished cleanly. I’m keen to see what progress we can make at Laguna Seca.”
Ian James, Team Principal, Aston Martin THOR Team: “This was a very positive weekend for Valkyrie. Our strategy was excellent, and we were genuinely racing amongst the other manufacturers. We’re still learning, but this weekend marks a significant step forward. We’re confident the Valkyrie programme will be stronger at Laguna Seca.”
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport: “Long Beach presented an entirely different challenge for Valkyrie—a street circuit with unique demands compared to Sebring or its WEC debut in Qatar. Despite this, the car performed brilliantly, allowing Aston Martin THOR to secure its best result. Each outing brings substantial progress, and this achievement inspires us to push even harder as we continue developing Valkyrie.”
