Four Aston Martins all set for the Rolex 24 this weekend

Aston Martin’s 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; the opening round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.

The Aston Martin THOR Team-run Valkyrie’s participation in the 64th running of the event, which takes place at Daytona International Speedway in Florida is the first running of the car at this event having missed the opening round last season due to ongoing developmental works.

The competition variant of Valkyrie – the pure racing expression of the world’s ultimate road-going hypercar – begins its second season of competition this weekend after an encouraging debut year in 2025. The race car is developed from its production sibling by Aston Martin with The Heart of Racing 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, but adheres to a strict (680bhp) power limit as per hypercar and GTP regulations.

Full-season works IMSA drivers and IMSA GT champions Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn, will be joined in the driver line-up by works FIA World Endurance Championship Valkyrie racers Alex Riberas and Marco Sørensen. 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 brilliant second place overall in the IMSA finale, the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. This added to strong points finishes in WEC, including fifth place at Fuji and a race-leading performance at the Bahrain finale that ultimately netted seventh position.

Three Aston Martin Vantage GT3s will also fight for victory in North America’s most famous endurance race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, as the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship begins in earnest at the world-famous Florida venue this weekend.

Partner teams The Heart of Racing, Magnus Racing and Van der Steur Racing all bring strong driver line-ups to Aston Martin’s three-car GTD Class assault, as the British performance brand looks to add the Rolex 24 at Daytona victory trophy to the mounting accolades accrued by the latest version of Aston Martin’s most successful ever racing car.

Having fought hard for the IMSA GTD class title throughout 2025, former champion The Heart of Racing returns to North America’s most prestigious endurance series with a line-up of works FIA World Endurance Championship Valkyrie driver Tom Gamble joining both Zacharie Robichon, Mattia Drudi alongside team newcomer, Eduardo Barrichello.

VDSR, which will contest the full IMSA season in 2026, returns to the fray with a refreshed driver line-up. Promising young American Rory Van der Steur will again be partnered by works driver Valentin Hasse Clot in the regular season, while both will be joined by new signings Sébastien Baud and Carl Bennett in their Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Returning again for the Rolex 24 is Aston Martin partner team Magnus Racing with a new signing in its driver line-up. Joining the squad that has twice finished on the Rolex 24 podium during its Aston Martin era and which comprises team owner John Potter, Spencer Pumpelly and works driver Nicki Thiim, will be twice IMSA GTD class champion Madison Snow.

Source Material – Aston Martin

Photo credits - Aston Martin and Teams