Ian James, the Heart of Racing team principal, described the recent track session for potential updates to the Aston Martin Valkyrie as more of a fact-finding exercise, with more comprehensive testing planned to follow later this year.
The LMH-classified prototype was on track at Silverstone for a single-day test earlier this month, with Ross Gunn and Harry Tincknell handling driving duties of the V12-powered machine.
Although specifics about the upgrades weren’t disclosed, Aston Martin stated that a broad range of technical items was examined to gauge the car’s future performance direction.
“It was essentially a fact-finding exercise,” James told Sportscar365. “We weren’t chasing anything in particular, just gathering data. There were bits and pieces we aimed to test.”
“It was a positive step in that respect, as we learned what we needed to learn but full-scale running won’t occur until later in the year.”
“We’re aiming to correlate track data with CFD and wind-tunnel aero work on certain components, while continuing to assess many other parts.”
“What finally makes it onto the car for homologation is still to be decided.”
Asked which areas they intend to improve—like aero, weight, and power delivery—James suggested the updates are geared toward producing a more balanced, more drivable car.
“All of those domains are clearly defined,” he said. “It’s about how efficiently you deliver them, when you implement them, and the drivability, among other things.”
“Many talk about drivability, but it is really the key to unlocking the speed in these cars—making the car more user-friendly for the drivers so they can extract more performance.”
James noted the initial correlation test for the updates will take place next week at Circuit of The Americas, after Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans FIA World Endurance Championship race, enabling a direct side-by-side comparison.
The identical test car that ran at Silverstone will carry out the COTA test, set for next Wednesday.
That will be followed by a two-day trial at Motorland Aragon on September 14-15.
Sportscar365 understands there are at least three wind-tunnel sessions planned at Windshear, with dates in early October, late October and mid-November.
Meanwhile, the Valkyrie will remain non-hybrid for the moment, since a hybrid system—which is required for new LMH homologations—was not considered because of weight constraints.
“Adding that much weight would rule it out for this cycle,” James said. “We’d be forced to drop the V12, and then it wouldn’t be a Valkyrie.”
