Heart of Racing Team carried out an initial evaluation using a development variant of the Aston Martin Valkyrie, ahead of planned Evo joker updates earmarked for the forthcoming year.
Ross Gunn and Harry Tincknell took the wheel on Wednesday at Silverstone, in what was presented as a thorough assessment of the 6.5-liter V12-powered LMH-based prototype.
Although exact details of the potential upgrades were not released, the British marque noted that a broad spectrum of technical items were examined to gauge the car’s future performance trajectory.
“This marked a significant milestone for Valkyrie,” commented Ian James, the team principal of Heart of Racing.
“Some of the developments we explored today will inform the direction we take next with Valkyrie.
“We were able to evaluate a wide range of performance aspects on the car, so Silverstone proved to be a fascinating venue for testing new ideas.”
As Sportscar365 first reported in June, the vehicle—which has yet to deploy any of the five available joker updates that expire at the end of the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship seasons—will be undergoing updates for the coming year.
Images released by Aston Martin reveal notable aerodynamic changes, especially toward the rear of the car, including a lengthened rear wing endplate and reworked bodywork.
The updates would precede the machine’s third season in top-level prototype competition.
“We’ve been pleased with Valkyrie’s performance characteristics over the first two seasons of competition,” stated Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport.
“We have repeatedly acknowledged that we entered an arena where formidable rivals are also several years ahead in development.
“So we are now beginning to explore new areas of performance that we might gain by developing the base car, now that we have a clearer understanding of its characteristics after 18 months of racing it.
“We’re just at the outset of that journey, and today’s session represented a useful and informative kickoff to that development process.”
The test also gave the squad and the company valuable mileage at Silverstone ahead of the World Endurance Championship’s return to the historic circuit next April.
“We very much welcome Silverstone back onto the calendar,” Carter added.
“It’s not only the home of Aston Martin and British motorsport, but also the perfect stage for some of the world’s best fans to witness the raw, visceral thrill that is the Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar.
“They have waited a long time to see Valkyrie competing at the highest level on British soil, and they deserve to be entertained. We will do our utmost to contribute to that experience.”
Aston Martin is the latest manufacturer to trial proposed updates to its prototype machinery for the coming year, joining Ferrari and Peugeot, which both unveiled changes late last month.
It is understood that both BMW and Cadillac are also likely to pursue updates for the next season.
