As reported by RACER.com’s Marshall Pruett, Aston Martin looks set to cancel its FIA WEC Hypercar programme which was set to be based on the Valkyrie road car.

Industry sources have indicated to DSC too that the programme will be cancelled, with the announcement set to be made imminently.

This comes in the wake of the news that Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll has made a major investment into Aston Martin, which in turn will lead to his Racing Point Formula 1 team becoming an Aston Martin works team in F1 from 2021.

Since announcing its programme last June ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Aston Martin has been virtually silent on the progress made behind the scenes, the only public statement made since coming after the ACO-IMSA convergence press conference last month at Daytona:

“Aston Martin Racing is pleased to note that the future of sportscar racing’s top class has been secured and that the FIA, the ACO and IMSA have been able to work together to find a common path,” it read.

“We await further details of the new Hypercar/LMDh class with interest and look forward to working closely with all parties to ensure that the Hypercar vision retains its proper position within global sportscar competition.”

Aston Martin pulling the plug on its programme will come as a huge blow for the ACO and FIA WEC, which is in the midst of preparing for the 2020/21 season which will feature the Hypercar top class for the first time. If Aston Martin terminates its Hypercar effort, as expected, it will mean that just Toyota and Glickenhaus are committed to the formula for Year 1, with Peugeot set to join in 2022.

This news also comes as the dust settles on Rebellion Racing revealing that it will walk away from motorsport after Le Mans this year, and therefore play no part in Peugeot’s WEC programme, as originally intended.

It now remains to be seen what the introduction of the new LMDh regulations, which will allow IMSA and FIA WEC teams to race in the top class as part of a common platform, will do to the landscape going forward.

We now await official confirmation from Aston Martin. Pruett’s story on RACER can be read HERE.