If you're a fan of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), then you might be sad to hear that Aston Martin has for the time being stopped all development on its Valkyrie racing car that was destined to run in the sport's soon-to-be-launched Hypercar class.
On course to make its WEC debut at Silverstone in August 2020 and compete for overall honours at the 2021 24-Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin's call to put the Valkyrie on ice comes after both the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the International Motor Sport Association (IMSA) decided to harmonise the Hypercar class with the so-called LMDh prototype category in the WEC from 2021 and the US-based WeatherTech Sportscar Championship from 2022.
However, many surmise that this shock announcement also has something to do with the Gaydon-based firm's currently questionable financial health.
“The decision announced by Aston Martin is very regrettable,” the ACO said in a media statement on Wednesday, “but perhaps not unexpected in light of the persistent rumours over the last six months concerning the fragility of the brand’s exposure in the rapidly evolving automotive market, together with its decision to enter Formula 1 as a works team in 2021.
“It is, however, the hope of the ACO, FIA and WEC that both Multimatic and Red Bull Advanced Technologies will find a solution to bring this programme to fruition and the Aston Martin Valkyrie to the racetrack.
“In the meantime, the strategy concerning Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh remains unchanged. The next phase in the positive development of the future top class of competition for the WEC (and IMSA) will be revealed during the SuperSebring event in Florida between 18-21 March,” the ACO concluded.
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