Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro gets dynamic debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix

The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro has taken to the track for the first time, wowing crowds at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Before Ferrari took a dramatic one-two in the first Formula 1 race of the 2022 season, Aston Martin’s new track-only hypercar made its dynamic debut.

The ‘regular’ Valkyrie is already an incredible piece of machinery, having been built by the British firm in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies and engineering firm Multimatic.

With 1,140bhp and a stunning body formed from carbon-fibre, its unique silhouette was built with aerodynamic efficiency at its heart.

The car was originally conceived as a base for an Aston Martin entry into the new Le Mans Hypercar motorsport regulations, but the project was abandoned.

As such, Aston Martin decided not to let its race car development go to waste, instead building a more hardcore, track-only version of the Valkyrie called AMR Pro.

Unshackled from the need to meet the racing series regulations, Aston Martin pushed the envelope to create an extreme version of what is already quite an extreme car. The AMR Pro is longer and wider, with a new aerodynamic package that creates twice the downforce of the road car.

It keeps the same 6.5-litre V12 Cosworth V12 engine, but the hybrid system has been removed to reduce weight. As such it’s slightly down on power, though with 1,000bhp it’s hardly struggling.

Dirk Müller, the development driver behind the wheel of the AMR Pro’s Bahraini excursion, said: “That was unbelievable. I know everyone says that about cars all the time but seriously, this car is something else. It’s closer to an F1 car in terms of performance than anything else I have ever driven. The power, the handling, the grip, everything is perfect.”

The car was given a run before both qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday, giving those in attendance a special treat – just 40 AMR Pros will be made.

Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers said: “This car is performance engineering at its best. All of our test drivers, all extremely successful racing drivers, are in awe of this car and it is easy to understand why. Valkyrie AMR Pro is approaching F1 performance levels, and we are very proud of the most extreme Aston Martin yet.”