zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
It's Happening: Aston Martin Will Take the Valkyrie to Le Mans' Reborn GT1-Style Class in 2021
It's Happening: Aston Martin Will Take the Valkyrie to Le Mans' Reborn GT1-Style Class in 2021-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:08

Image for article titled It's Happening: Aston Martin Will Take the Valkyrie to Le Mans' Reborn GT1-Style Class in 2021

The top class of the , which has gotten rather over the years, will be a little less bleak for the 2020/2021 season. That’s because it’ll include a hardcore race version of the , also known as that supercar you don’t even dream of affording because it will never happen.

Of course, “hardcore race version” is slightly misleading. The road version of this thing, which was built alongside racing programs, makes —you know, to get up to highway speeds. The race versionwe can expect will be de-tuned, but that’s getting ahead of things.

Aston Martin Friday that it’s heading back the big race in 2021, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and also running the full 2020 through 2021 WEC season as the start of a multi-year program. The addition of the Valkyrie is thanks to WEC’s new rules for its top class, which, starting with the 2020 through 2021 season, will open it up to more than just the prototypes we see right now.

The rules, which Motorsport.com has more on , basically allow hypercars into the top WEC class that we currently know as Le Mans Prototype 1. The new “Hypercar” category is for vehicles derived from road-going “hypercars”—a meaning a supercar that is extra super—and will give companies freedom of body and underbody design.

It’ll also give the top class more competition, since it’s been kind of jumbled and desolate up there since and left. From Motorsport.com:

The highlights of the technical details include a revised weight, lowered slightly to 1100kg and a changed power output of 750bhp in order for the LMP1 replacement category to reach 3m30s laps in race trim at Le Mans.

The hybrid systems will not be mandatory, but those who choose to head down this route must not exceed 270bhp, with a GTE-based BoP system set to be applied in-season to keep the hybrid and non-hybrid machines close in performance.

There are also containment measures on the hybrid power front to help peg back the advantage of a four-wheel drive system compared to the two-wheel drive entries.

With the new rules, Aston said it will enter “at least two” works Valkyries in WEC that season, going for both the overall Le Mans win and the title.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Jul 13, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Jul 13, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Jul 13, 2025
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Jul 13, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Jul 13, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Jul 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved