Aston Martin Valkyrie's Petit Le Mans podium is a "testament to the hard work everybody's put in" — Ian James
- Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah
- Oct 15
- 4 min read
After roaring to life during the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)'s Qatar 1812 km season opener, Aston Martin's Valkyrie AMR-LMH finally achieved its maiden podium during last weekend's IMSA SportsCar Championship's Petit Le Mans season finale by finishing second.
Aston Martin THOR's push for the podium in Petit Le Mans
The Valkyrie has been on an upward trajectory since its IMSA debut in Sebring, where it finished ninth. The V12 fan-favourite continues to score points regularly in the States. The car has achieved a 100% finishing record, without a single retirement in all eight races it has competed in.
The No.23 Valkyrie immediately made headlines during Thursday's Petit Le Mans free practice session, with Roman De Angelis going fastest in FP3. Co-driver Ross Gunn put the Valkyrie in fifth during qualifying, its best starting position in IMSA.
De Angelis and Gunn were joined by Alex Riberas, who piloted the car in the WEC as part of the No.23's roster for the 10-hour race. The Spaniard had plenty of IMSA experience under his belt with many GTD class wins to his name.
The No.23 car performed admirably throughout the race. Combined with the solid pace and excellent strategy calls from the pit crew, the Valkyrie was able to push its way towards the podium places with two hours left on the clock.
The Heart of Racing (THOR) made the game-changing call with 50 minutes left in the race. De Angelis pitted rather than waiting for a speculative Full-Course Yellow (FCY), which allowed the Canadian to run full attack mode until the chequered flag.
The 24-year-old emerged from the pit lane in seventh, 50 seconds behind the leader. He gained positions as the track remained green and his GTP rivals made their final pit stops. The gamble paid off, and he finished the race in second place, six seconds behind the race-winning No.31 Cadillac.
Reflecting on the Petit Le Mans podium
Riberas claimed he almost had no words to describe the feeling when he learned that the car finally took its maiden podium. The 31-year-old claimed it was a huge result for everybody involved.
"I almost have no words to describe the feeling.
"What a way to finish the season in IMSA. It means so much for Aston Martin, for The Heart of Racing and for everybody that's supported the Valkyrie project in the US and in the UK-based WEC programme.
"This is a huge result, and it's for everybody involved. Today we made a strategy call that was risky, but that was well thought-out by some of the best engineers I've ever worked with, and it paid off. I'm so proud right now."
Gunn said: "This is a huge result for everybody, especially when you consider this was a brand-new project and a new car concept for 2025.
"We started the year super-focused on reliability, and it was only after the double-finish at Le Mans that we put some attention on performance. It's been a privilege to be a part of a programme that's continuously improved.
"We targeted fighting for more than just a top-five finish by the end of the year, and we're very proud to have achieved it."
De Angelis felt proud to finish on the podium alongside his co-drivers in GTP, as Riberas and Gunn were also part of the same lineup that took third in the GTD Pro class during last year's Petit Le Mans.
"I have so many emotions today.
"I finished on the GTD [Pro] podium last year with this team, Ross and Alex, so to upgrade that to a GTP podium with Valkyrie is fantastic and something I'm very proud to be a part of.
"It's been a tough first year with the car, and we've had ups and downs, but this is a great way to finish that puts us in a good position to head into the winter and look towards 2026. A huge thank you to everybody that's made this possible."
THOR Team Principal Ian James was in a jubilant mood. He described the podium as a testament to the hard work that every single team member put into this project.
"What a day!
"To score the first podium for Valkyrie and finish second at Petit Le Mans is a testament to the hard work everybody's put in, not just this year, but across the whole project from the group in the UK and the Aston Martin THOR Team here on the ground.
"The execution was pretty much perfect, and the drivers excelled. It's been a great year in IMSA for Valkyrie, and I can't wait for the new season to start at Daytona in January."
The No.23 Valkyrie finished the IMSA season in 11th in the GTP Teams' Championship with 2049 points. The Cosworth-powered car will return to action one more time this year for the WEC finale, the 8 Hours of Bahrain.
Comments