Verstappen And Ricciardo May Help In Developing Aston Martin’s Valkyrie Hypercar

Red Bull Racing drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo could play a role in the development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar.

Daniel Ricciardo confirmed last year that he had ordered an example of the highly-desirable hypercar and helped unveil the car in concept form back in 2016.

Auto Express reports that the British manufacturer has commenced simulator work on the Valkyrie and is aiming to commence real-world testing by October. Understandably so, Aston Martin believes Verstappen and Ricciardo will be among the only drivers it has access to that can explore the limits of the car and help to fine-tune it.

“If it works out I’d love to do the testing. “All I know is I’m definitely keen to be one of the first ones to try it,” Ricciardo said.

If Verstappen and Ricciardo are to get behind the wheel of the Valkyrie in the coming months, it will likely come during a gap in the Formula One season, potentially in September or October. The duo could also get further seat time in the off-season.

In the meantime, much of the development work will be handled by Chris Goodwin, the former McLaren Chief Test Driver who was hired by Aston Martin late last year. Not only does Goodwin have enviable skills behind the wheel, he also has intimate knowledge of McLaren’s current and future portfolio, including the BP23 hyper-GT.

Powering the Aston Martin Valkyrie will be a 6.5-liter naturally-aspirated V12 engine from Cosworth. This engine will be mated to a hybrid system from Rimac and coupled with a seven-speed transmission manufactured by Ricardo. The car is expected to weigh around 900 kg and deliver roughly 900 hp.