Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Alex Albon got their first taste of the Aston Martin Valkyrie as the Formula One drivers got behind the wheel of the revolutionary hypercar at Silverstone Circuit.
Powered by a 6.5 litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine with an additional power boost from a unique hybrid system, both Max and Alex tested the VP1 prototype liveried in a striking Red Bull-inspired design.
Eight-time Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen came away elated by his first laps in the Valkyrie.
“I was here at Silverstone to watch the first runs of the Aston Martin Valkyrie at the British Grand Prix last year but of course it’s always better to be behind the wheel yourself, and to be one of the first guys to drive an insane car like this was really exciting. It was amazing to get a first taste of it,” said Max.
“Of course it’s still in the development phase but you can already feel the pace, which compared to a normal car is… pretty different! The Aston Martin Valkyrie and its levels of downforce are incredible, and it looks super aggressive. It was a lot of fun out there.”
For Alex Albon, the Silverstone outing was a first opportunity to see the hypercar in the flesh, and the young star wasn’t disappointed.
“It was incredibly exciting to have this opportunity to drive the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the first thing that struck me was the visual aspect – it looks awesome! It also really feels like a racing car,” said the Thai driver.
“Max had a go before me, so the anticipation was building, and to get a chance to drive it was really special. Obviously there’s still some development to do, but already it feels very good, especially the balance between the corners. It’s light; it feels sharp. Sure, compared to an F1 car, you’re missing the outright downforce, but you still feel the Gs in the corners and it definitely reacts closer to an F1 car than a normal road car. It’s pretty special. I just need to get my hands on one!”
The VP1 wasn’t the only Valkyrie out on track as the VP2 and VP3 models also took to the circuit at the hands of Aston Martin test drivers Chris Goodwin, Darren Turner and Alex Lynn.
Looking back on the day, Alex Albon summarised “It’s a big achievement for Red Bull Advanced Technologies. Aston Martin have been very welcoming to the idea of a Formula One team working with a car manufacturer, and with Adrian’s help it’s very exciting to take the technology we have at the race track and bring it to the road.”
A total of 150 road-going Aston Martin Valkyries will be built including eight verification prototypes. These early models will be subjected to a variety of specific test programmes designed to develop and validate specific attributes that contribute to the performance of the world’s fastest ever road-going vehicle.
Development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie will continue throughout 2020 with an intensive programme focused on supporting first customer deliveries in H2 2020.
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