Running under the banner of Aston Martin THOR Racing, the two Valkyrie cars racked up 549 laps combined, equal to 1835 miles, providing the British squad with crucial data to fine-tune their Hypercar for the upcoming season. This was a defining moment for Aston Martin, as it marked the first time both of its cars were in action simultaneously at an official test session.

In terms of speed, the #007 driven by  Harry Tincknell, Tom Gamble and Ross Gunn logged the 15th fastest time (1:41.089), 2.1 seconds off the pace set by the #20 BMW, which topped the timesheets. The #009, piloted by Alex Riberas, Marco Sørensen and Roman De Angelis came in 17th with a time of 1:41.353. While these results reflect the team’s ongoing learning curve, they highlight the Valkyrie’s significant potential and the progress already made.

Building momentum

“Two days of solid testing here in Qatar with the Valkyrie for the @fiawec_official prologue in the books… Big steps forward, and now it’s time to gear up for FP1 on Wednesday! Let’s keep learning and pushing forward,” said Tom Gamble on social media following the Prologue. Ross Gunn, too, expressed his excitement to be back behind the wheel of the Valkyrie, emphasising the team’s pride in the car’s progress.

Aston Martin THOR Racing’s long-term goal is clear: to see the Valkyrie fighting for victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA WEC. For now, however, the learning process continues. On Friday 28 February, the British team will face its first true competitive test at the 1,812 km Qatar race, the 2025 FIA WEC season opener. In the days leading up to the event, the team will be tweaking its settings in the practice and qualifying sessions.

A huge challenge lies ahead, but Aston Martin’s ambitions are a worthy match for the legend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.