When you’re reaching speeds of over 300km/h on a normal Formula One race weekend, driving and owning some of the fastest road-legal cars in existence is almost a rite of passage.
According to global auction house Broad Arrow Auctions, Ricciardo’s special-commission Valkyrie is estimated to fetch anywhere between £2.4 million and £2.8 million, which equates to approximately $AU4.91-$AU5.7 million.
However, the hypercar’s limited production run, coupled with Ricciardo’s unique specification, somewhat justifies the extremely high price tag.
Broad Arrow Auction said Ricciardo’s soon-to-be auctioned example is the 89th car to roll off the production line, and comes equipped with £141,500 ($AU289,854) in “total bespoke options” from Aston Martin’s ‘Q’ division, the brand’s customisation arm.
The eight-time Grand Prix winner spared no expense in building his hypercar, with Ricciardo’s Valkyrie sitting on Magnesium Performance Wheels, which cost a staggering £40,000 ($AU81,952).
Further adding to its exclusivity is the fact that Ricciardo’s personal Valkyrie has only clocked 160km on the odometer, with the limited-edition supercar recently serviced, and also retains a warranty period that's set to expire in August 2027.
Among Ricciardo’s unique requests is a special colour finish dubbed ‘Dichroic Dawn’, nicknamed ‘Badger Blue’, which added £30,000 ($AU61,468) to the former F1 driver’s bill. The Perth local also opted for twill satin carbon-fibre hardware in the cockpit, adding a further £10,000 ($AU20,489).
The Valkyrie hypercar was the result of the marriage between Aston Martin and the Red Bull Racing F1 team, with the two automotive giants announcing their ‘innovation partnership’ in 2016. The aim of the joint project was simple: build the fastest road-legal car in existence.
The development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie was spearheaded by legendary F1 engineer Adrian Newey, who has designed a total of 25 championship-winning cars – 12 Constructors' and 13 drivers – across his heralded F1 career with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull Racing.
In true Newey fashion, the Valkyrie is a true engineering marvel, with the car utilising an F1-derived hybrid powertrain that combines a hand-built naturally aspirated V12 Cosworth petrol engine mated to a single electric motor.
As reported by Drive in 2023, the Valkyrie hypercar’s combined power output stands at a blistering 850kW/900Nm, capable of a 0 to 100km/h sprint in under 2.5 seconds. It can reportedly reach a top speed of 355km/h.
According to Aston Martin, only 150 Valkyrie coupes went into production, with each example reportedly “taking over 2000 man hours to create”. An additional 25 track-only specials were also built by the British legacy brand.
While it may be tantalising to add this to your garage if you're in the tax bracket to buy one, it's worth noting that the Valkyrie isn't road-legal in Australia, as the road-going Valkyries have not been homologated to ADR specifications.
Despite the Australian F1 legend adding numerous exotic and luxury cars to his garage, the Honey Badger is trading speed for utility, with the WA native joining Ford as a global ambassador.
In a media statement, Ricciardo admitted he has a "deep love" for American trucks and shared his personal connection with the flagship Ford Ranger Raptor dual-cab ute.
"Some of my favourite memories are road tripping behind the wheel of my Raptor, and I can't wait to add to my existing Raptor ownership. Ford has built a proper business around motorsport and is using it to bring new technologies to your road cars. Nothing brings that to life better than the beloved Raptor," he said.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
