Aston Martin Valkyrie begins second season of racing with historic Rolex 24 at Daytona quest

• Aston Martin returns to the top class of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona for the first time in more than 40 years
• Aston Martin Valkyrie makes debut in world famous US endurance classic
• Aston Martin THOR Team aims to carry momentum after brilliant climax to 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
• Marco Sørensen and Alex Riberas join IMSA regulars Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn for Rolex 24 at Daytona
• Valkyrie the only road-derived hypercar to contest the world's two premier sportscar series, IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship

19 January, 2026, Daytona, USA: Aston Martin's stunning Valkyrie Hypercar embarks on an exciting new chapter in its groundbreaking motorsport story this weekend, when it makes its debut in the world-famous Rolex 24 at Daytona; the opening round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA).

The Aston Martin THOR Team-run Valkyrie's participation in the 64th running of the event marks the first occasion in more than 40 years that the British ultra-luxury performance brand will have challenged for overall honours with a works car in the top GTP class.

The competition variant of Valkyrie - the pure racing expression of the world's ultimate road-going hypercar - begins its second season of competition after an encouraging debut year in 2025. The racecar is developed from its production sibling by Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing (THOR) and blends a race-optimised carbon fibre chassis with a modified 6.5-litre V12 powerplant that revs to 11,000rpm and produces over 1000bhp in standard form, while adhering to a strict 500kw (680bhp) power limit under hypercar and GTP regulations.

The solitary V12-powered car entered in the Rolex 24 at Daytona is also the only entry derived from a road-going hypercar competing in either IMSA or the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). When it takes the green flag at 1340 EST on Saturday, it will become the first car of its kind to do so at Daytona.

Full-season IMSA drivers and GT champions Roman De Angelis (CAN) and Ross Gunn (GBR) will be joined by FIA World Endurance Championship Valkyrie racers Alex Riberas (ESP) and Marco Sørensen (DEN). All four drivers will make their Rolex 24 at Daytona GTP class debut.

Valkyrie embarks on its second season of international motorsport after a maiden campaign that culminated in a second-place overall finish at the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. This added to strong WEC performances, including fifth place at Fuji and a race-leading showing in Bahrain.

The Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie exceeded expectations in IMSA, completing more than 4,600 racing miles across eight iconic North American circuits. Valkyrie finished inside the top 10 seven times from eight starts.

Alex Riberas said: “It's a privilege to be back at Daytona, this time racing in the top class. The debut of Valkyrie in the Rolex 24 is a big challenge, especially as the first event of the season, but we have a lot to look forward to and a lot to learn.”

Ross Gunn added: “It's awesome to start the year at Daytona with Valkyrie. We are focused on understanding the race flow in GTP and continuing the development work we've done over the winter.”

Roman De Angelis said: “The debut of Valkyrie in the Rolex 24 is a huge milestone. Daytona is one of the highlights of the season and the perfect way to start 2026.”

Marco Sørensen said: “The Rolex 24 is one of the toughest races in motorsport. We're fully focused and ready to deliver the best possible result.”

Ian James, Team Principal, Aston Martin THOR Team, said: “We are not coming in unprepared. Our focus will be on execution, strategy, and extracting maximum performance over the full 24 hours.”

Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, said: “The Rolex 24 at Daytona represents a key milestone for the Valkyrie programme and provides another opportunity to build knowledge and momentum.”

• Vantage lines up powerful three-car assault on Rolex 24
• The Heart of Racing, Magnus Racing and Van der Steur Racing field Aston Martin Vantage GT3 entries
• All-star GTD line-ups feature works drivers and IMSA champions

Three Aston Martin Vantage GT3s will contest the Rolex 24 at Daytona as the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship begins.

The Heart of Racing, Magnus Racing and Van der Steur Racing bring strong driver line-ups to Aston Martin's GTD class challenge, aiming to add another Rolex 24 victory to Vantage's growing list of accolades.

Sharing the mechanical architecture of the Vantage road car, the Vantage GT3 is built around Aston Martin's bonded aluminium chassis and powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine.

How to follow: The Rolex 24 at Daytona begins at 13:40 local time on Saturday, 24 January 2026. The race will be broadcast live globally on IMSA TV, the IMSA YouTube channel, and selected national broadcasters.

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