Aston Martin THOR tests Valkyrie Hypercar at Silverstone with new developments ahead of 2027 WEC return
Aston Martin's Valkyrie Hypercar ran on Silverstone's Grand Prix circuit for the first time as the THOR team trials new developments ahead of WEC's 2027 British round.
- 3.66 miles
- 6.5 litres
- 11,000 rpm
- 500 kW (680 bhp)
What Happened
Aston Martin THOR Team, which runs the Valkyrie Hypercar in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP programme, has completed a comprehensive test of a development version of the car on Silverstone's Grand Prix circuit – its first running on that circuit. Factory drivers Ross Gunn (GBR) and Harry Tincknell (GBR) shared driving duties in the 6.5-litre V12-powered hypercar on the 3.66-mile track on Wednesday (19 April). The team evaluated a wide range of technical items under development as it assesses the future performance direction of the Valkyrie programme. Silverstone is described as the sporting home of the 'Wings' and the AMR Technology Campus.
Development Valkyrie Hypercar runs on Silverstone Grand Prix circuit for the first time, with Ross Gunn and Harry Tincknell sharing driving duties.
6 Hours of Silverstone – the British round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the series' first round in Britain since 2019.
““This was a significant day for Valkyrie. Some of the developments we tried today will fuel our thinking as we consider the technical direction we go next with Valkyrie. We have been able to evaluate lots of areas of performance on the car, so Silverstone has proved an interesting place to challenge ideas. There's more to come, and I think it gives us reasons to be excited about what might be next”
Valkyrie has shown significant performance gains through 2026 in both WEC and IMSA. It is the first Le Mans Hypercar produced by Aston Martin and the only car in the top category of WEC or IMSA derived from a road-legal hypercar. The car claimed its first double-points finish in WEC's 6 Hours of São Paulo last month, placing sixth and ninth. In IMSA, Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis were classified fifth, having finished second on the road – Valkyrie's sixth top ten finish from seven starts in North America's premier endurance series.
““We've been happy with Valkyrie's performance characteristics in the first two seasons of competition. We've repeatedly said that we've entered an arena with a high level of formidable adversaries that are also several years further down the development track than us. So, we are now beginning to explore new areas of performance that we may gain through developing the base car, now that we understa”
The test also gave Aston Martin THOR valuable experience with Michelin and Silverstone's circuit characteristics ahead of WEC's return to the 'Home of British Motorsport' in 2027, which will be the series' first British round since 2019. Carter welcomed Silverstone back, saying it is “not only the home of Aston Martin and British motorsport, but also the perfect opportunity for some of the best fans in the world to experience the raw and visceral joy that is the Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar.” The current competition car, developed from the Valkyrie production car by Aston Martin and THOR, blends a race-optimised carbon fibre chassis with a modified 6.5-litre V12 that revs to 11,000rpm and produces over 1000bhp in standard form, but adheres to a strict 500kW (680bhp) power limit as per hypercar regulations.
Previously from Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc
In its most recent IMSA round, the Valkyrie Hypercar claimed its best IMSA finish of 2026 with fifth overall at Road America, while the Vantage GT3 secured a third straight GTD podium. Those results underline the Valkyrie's progress in North America's premier endurance series.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc's official releases.
Why this matters
Aston Martin is actively developing its Valkyrie Hypercar rather than only racing it, exploring new performance areas after 18 months of competition. The Silverstone test also prepares the team for the first FIA WEC round in Britain since 2019, giving British fans a home chance to see the car in 2027. With the team admitting rivals are further along in development, these changes could help close the gap in WEC and IMSA.
Terms in This Story
- WEC
- FIA World Endurance Championship – a global series for sports prototype and GT racing.
- IMSA
- IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – a North American endurance racing series.
- LMH
- Le Mans Hypercar – a top-level race car regulation class in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
- Hypercar
- The top class of endurance racing cars, used in series such as WEC and IMSA.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.