Thursday, 21 November, 2024, Gaydon, UK: The Aston Martin THOR Team that will take the British ultra-luxury performance brand back into the fight to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright for the first time since 1959, has named the first two drivers in its line-up for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC]; Alex Riberas (ESP) and Harry Tincknell (GBR).
Both drivers have extensive experience of racing Aston Martins during their glittering careers and have played key roles in the development and preparation of the stunning new Valkyrie hypercar challenger through this summer’s testing programme.
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).
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.”
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. ”
Aston Martin THOR Team principal Ian James, said: “Both drivers have shown the relevant blend of patience, speed and dedication to the team through the testing phase of the Aston Martin Valkyrie programme and have earned the right to the race seat in 2025. We’re all very excited heading into next season, particularly given all the hard work that has gone into it so far. There is still a long road ahead, and I think I speak for all of us when I say we can’t wait to go racing with this incredible car. It’s a special honour to run a team with this iconic brand and to be able to take the Aston Martin wings back to where they belong, at the very pinnacle of endurance racing.”
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.
The full driver line-up for Aston Martin THOR Team’s 2025 WEC and IMSA campaigns will be revealed in due course.