Riberas and Tincknell first Valkyrie drivers named

WECHyperCar

Nov 22

FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship class race-winner Alex Riberas as well as former Aston Martin 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner Harry Tincknell join Aston Martin THOR Team for next FIA WEC season driving the Aston Martin Valkyrie in Hypercars.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie — 📷 © Courtesy of Aston Martin.

Tincknell returns to Aston Martin.

Harry Tincknell returns to the Aston Martin fold after four years. Indeed, the last time the Englishman raced for the brand was when he won the LMGTE Pro class of the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, alongside Alex Lynn (GBR) and Maxime Martin (BEL), in an Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE. The 2016 European Le Mans Series champion and 2020 12 Hours of Sebring overall winner will carry the honour of driving the #007 Valkyrie.

“It’s an absolute honour to return to Aston Martin for the Valkyrie programme,” said Tincknell. “I believe the car will be a firm fan favourite with its amazing looks and the incredible sound of the V12 engine. It’s been exciting to be a part of the initial development testing, and the DNA of the car feels strong. I’m very proud of the hard work everyone has put in so far as we build towards the first race. Everyone at Aston Martin THOR Team has made me feel very welcome and I know I’m joining a professional outfit.”

Tincknell added: “Aston Martin has an incredible history in sportscar racing and this is really a ‘pinch myself moment’. Of course, I have great memories of Le Mans in 2020, and the aim is to repeat that feat with Valkyrie. It’s a dream come true.” Source: Aston Martin

Riberas steps up from the GT category to Hypercar.

Alex Riberas, an established pillar of The Heart of Racing team, steps up from the GT category to form part of the line-up in the #009 Valkyrie. The Spaniard has earned his place in the top class after a stellar season in The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage, where he recorded victories in both WEC in LMGT3 and IMSA’s GTD Pro category.

“It is a great honour to be chosen as a driver for such an exciting project,” said Riberas. “I have been a part of The Heart of Racing for the past 10 years and to be able to continue my journey with them, now at the pinnacle of endurance racing, is simply a dream come true. On top of this, to be given the opportunity to represent such an iconic brand as Aston Martin, which has such a remarkable history both in sportscar racing and at Le Mans is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is the most spectacular car I have ever driven, and it sounds amazing, so to be able to share it with the fans of motorsport all over the world is something I am very much looking forward to. ” Source: Aston Martin

Valkyrie FIA WEC debut in Qatar and IMSA in the 12 Hours of Sebring

The breathtaking Aston Martin Valkyrie, set to make its world championship debut in the Qatar 1812km on 28 February 2025, will be the only race car built to the FIA’s Hypercar regulations to simultaneously contest both the WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship [IMSA] in 2025.

Reviving the famous #007 and #009 Aston Martin race numbers for 2025, two of these 6.5- litre, naturally aspirated V12 powered Valkyries, featuring race-optimised carbon fibre chassis, will be entered in WEC’s top Hypercar class. Valkyrie will make its IMSA debut in the GTP category at the world famous 12 Hours of Sebring (12-14 March).

Close to end of test and development program.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie is nearing the end of its test and development programme and has covered more than 12,500km’s to date, including the recent Michelin test after the WEC Bahrain finale at the beginning of November, and last weekend’s IMSA Sanction test at Daytona. The focus for the Aston Martin THOR Team is now very much on honing the Valkyrie’s performance window ahead of homologation for the 2025 season.

Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport said: “We are reaching a critical juncture in the development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and to this point the car has passed all of the objectives and benchmarks we have set for it. Testing is one thing however, going racing quite another and we do not underestimate the formidable line-up of world class competition in the WEC Hypercar class and in IMSA’s GTP category. Harry and Alex both fully deserve their place in the 2025 line-up and we’re excited to see how they progress next season. It’s also great to see the return of the famous #007 and #009 race numbers , which have been so synonymous with previous success at Le Mans for the brand.”

The #009 was the race number emblazoned on the Aston Martin DBR9 that scored back- to-back GT1 class victories for the brand in the 2007 and 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans.