Aston Martin Begins Valkyrie LMH Development for 2027
Aston Martin and its Hypercar programme are officially entering a new era. The British manufacturer has begun another evolutionary stage in the development of its Valkyrie LMH prototype. Aston Martin wants to further improve the car ahead of 2027 through so-called “evo jokers”, which allow manufacturers to make a limited number of significant technical modifications during the homologation cycle of a vehicle.
The first test of the new specification took place over three days in the United Kingdom. Aston Martin, together with its partner racing team The Heart of Racing, spent the first two days testing at Hinton Airfield, where the car ran on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, they moved to the legendary Silverstone circuit.
Silverstone was certainly not chosen at random. The circuit, which hosts the British Grand Prix and is known for its deep historical heritage, is located close to Aston Martin’s AMR Technology Campus. The track is also set to return to the WEC calendar in 2027, having last hosted the championship in 2019.
Aston Martin first put the Valkyrie prototype on track in 2025, with the car making its World Endurance Championship debut before later joining IMSA. After more than 18 months of racing, the time has now come for some changes.
Factory drivers Harry Tincknell and Ross Gunn shared driving duties during the test. The two British drivers were therefore able to gather a significant amount of valuable data and, hopefully, help push the development of the car forward.
The car was partially camouflaged during testing, with its livery featuring a combination of green, black and several shades of blue. Although Aston Martin officially released several photographs from the test, the exact technical changes remain unknown.
The British team had already announced in the past that it intended to use the aforementioned “evo jokers” in the future, mainly to improve the aerodynamics and other areas where the racing program has revealed room for improvement. The large amount of data collected over previous seasons should be crucial to the development process. Thanks to this data, Aston Martin has a much clearer understanding of where the Valkyrie is losing time compared with its competitors and which areas of the car have the greatest potential for improvement.
One of the car’s most distinctive features remains its power unit. The prototype is powered by a naturally aspirated V12 engine, whose distinctive sound has become one of the defining characteristics of the entire project and has won over many fans.
Aston Martin does not have much time for development, however, and the team will have to move quickly. The testing program will therefore continue over the coming weeks. Aston Martin’s next opportunity to gather valuable data will come on September 9 in Austin, USA. Ferrari and Genesis are also expected to appear at the circuit during the same testing period. A few days later, on September 15, the Valkyrie will be tested at MotorLand Aragón.
In the autumn, the car will then enter another important stage of development at the Windshear wind tunnel. Further three-day testing sessions are planned for October and November, with their results expected to be crucial for the car’s final specification and its homologation for 2027.
Aston Martin has so far had a fairly difficult journey in the top class of endurance racing. The manufacturer is currently sixth in the WEC manufacturers’ standings, but trails fifth-placed Alpine by just one point.
The situation is even more difficult in the American IMSA Championship. Aston Martin currently sits last in the GTP class while competing with just one car. In 2027, the competition in the WEC will become even tougher, with Ford and McLaren set to join the championship. In IMSA, however, the situation will be somewhat different, as the field is expected to become smaller. Following Acura’s departure, only four manufacturers are expected to remain in the GTP class.
The first test of the upgraded Valkyrie is therefore only the beginning of several months of development that still lie ahead for Aston Martin. The ultimate goal is undoubtedly to produce a car that will be faster, more reliable and more competitive for the 2027 season.