What's all this about?

Aston Martin, aiming to win Le Mans.

Ah, you mean win its class this year to celebrate 60 years since it won overall?

You know your motorsport and its history, that's for sure. But no, not quite. Aston has already made a 2019 class victory announcement, but this is something else. You see, changes in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) - of which Le Mans is a part - rules by the ACO governing body mean that, for the 2021/21 season, racing versions of hypercars can be entered. Thus, enter the works Valkyrie. Or rather, two works Valkyries, to be more accurate.

SERIOUSLY?!

Indeed. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing will enter a pair of the beasts into the 2020/21 WEC season and the aim is that one of them will take the overall victory at Le Mans in 2021, rather than (as worthy as this is) simply scooping class honours at the 24-hour race. So while 2019 is Aston's 60th anniversary of winning Le Mans with the DBR1 of 1959, 2021 is actually the 100th anniversary of an Aston appearing at the French endurance event for the first-ever time. It would therefore be a most fitting victory.

Do we know more about the racing version?

Not really, beyond the fact that it will draw upon learnings from both the 'regular' Valkyrie and its AMR Pro relation, while it will have a 'race-prepared' example of the 6.5-litre NA V12 that can be found in the road-going versions. Slobber. Anyway, don't forget that no less of a motorsport luminary that Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing's chief technical officer, is involved in the Valkyrie project. It therefore has a very good chance of not only winning Le Mans 2021, but also the WEC title over the course of the full season it will compete in.

Presumably, Aston is cock-a-hoop about these regs changes?

Oh, indeed. David King, vice-president and chief special operations officer for Aston Martin, said: "The FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans represent the ultimate challenge for the Aston Martin Valkyrie - the world's most extreme hypercar. Designed and built with the purpose of pushing boundaries on the road, it's natural to conclude that the next stage in its development would be to measure its capabilities on the track. I can think of no better way to do that than to compete in a world championship, and the most prestigious and famous race of all."

And is Andy Palmer also pleased?

Of course he is. Aston Martin's president and CEO added: "We have always said that we would one day bring Aston Martin back to Le Mans with the intention of going for the outright win when the time was right - now is that time. David Brown came here in 1959, with a car and a team of drivers capable of winning. We intend to do the same in 2021. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is primed for such a challenge and sits perfectly within the ACO's new 'hypercar' rule framework. Bringing to bear all of our previous experience and knowledge of competing at the top levels of motorsport, we embark on this most ambitious project with the necessary ingredients for success. What could be more evocative than the wail of an Aston Martin V12 leading the charge into the night on the Mulsanne Straight?"

Aston's enjoying Le Mans 2019, isn't it?

Most certainly. Not only is it the 60th anniversary of the win of 1959, meaning Aston has a heavy presence in this year's race, and not only is the brand looking forward to stepping it up a notch in 2021 with the Valkyries, but it also showed off the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation in its VIP hospitality area. Celebrations all round, eh?!

Matt Robinson - 14 Jun 2019