Every so often, a car emerges that blurs the line between track and road so convincingly it feels less like transportation and more like a statement of what engineering can achieve. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is such a car. And in October, one of the most significant examples, personally commissioned by Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, will cross the block at Broad Arrow’s inaugural Zoute Concours Auction in Belgium.
Ricciardo’s Valkyrie, finished in a striking shade known as Dichroic Dawn, or informally “Badger Blue,” was built in 2023 and has barely been driven, with just 160 kilometers on its odometer. The nickname of course nods to Ricciardo’s “Honey Badger” moniker in Formula 1, but he insists the choice was more about how the color accentuates the car’s dramatic sculpted form. It is one of only 150 Valkyries ever built and carries an estimate of €2.4 to €2.8 million.
The Valkyrie project began as a collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing under Adrian Newey, whose influence is unmistakable in the car’s extreme aerodynamics. At its heart lies a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, paired with a hybrid KERS system. Together, they deliver 1,000 horsepower and an 11,100 rpm redline, numbers that sound more suited to Ricciardo’s day job than a public road.
Ricciardo himself was among the earliest to experience the concept during his Red Bull years. As he later remarked, “It feels like a race car and it looks like a race car. I’m not used to having a roof over my head, but otherwise, it’s a pretty straight-up race car.”
His personal specification goes beyond the color. Exposed carbon weave covers the “clam veins” and suspension shrouds. The magnesium wheels are finished in matte black with contrasting Badger Blue centers. Inside, the Valkyrie carries Pure Black Alcantara with silver stitching, removable carbon bucket seats, and a detachable steering wheel with silver-anodized switches. It is an uncompromising specification for an uncompromising car.
Provenance plays a decisive role in the world of collectible cars, and Ricciardo’s ownership adds weight to an already rare machine. As production ceased in December 2024, opportunities to acquire a Valkyrie are increasingly limited, let alone one tied so closely to a Formula 1 driver who was involved with the project from its early days.
The Zoute Concours Auction, set for October 10 at Approach Golf in Knokke-Heist, will feature around 70 collectible cars, but Ricciardo’s Valkyrie is expected to be among the headline lots. Broad Arrow will also present a 2022 Aston Martin x Brough Superior AMB 001 motorcycle, another rare collaboration bearing Aston’s winged badge.
Whether Ricciardo’s Valkyrie will remain in Europe or find its way into another global collection is anyone’s guess. What is certain is that this sale offers collectors more than a car. It offers a moment, a chance to own a hypercar that sits at the pinnacle of modern road-legal performance, with a direct link back to the world of Formula 1.
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