Verstappen and Albon speed the Valkyrie around Silverstone!

As a warm-up to pre-season testing, Max Verstappen and Alex Albon were entrusted with an Aston Martin Valkyrie for a series of hot laps around Silverstone.

The exclusive Valkyrie hypercar - a product of a collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing - was first revealed in 2017.

The car's 6.5 litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine, tailored by Cosworth and with an estimated output of 1,000 hp, is the most powerful unit ever to be fitted to a production road car.

• Nostalgic for a glorious 90s F1 sound? Listen to the Valkyrie's V12 engine

Eight-time Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen came away elated by his first laps in the Valkyrie.

"I was here at Silverstone to watch the first runs of the Aston Martin Valkyrie at the British Grand Prix last year but of course it’s always better to be behind the wheel yourself, and to be one of the first guys to drive an insane car like this was really exciting.

"It was amazing to get a first taste of it," added Max. "Of course, it’s still in the development phase but you can already feel the pace, which compared to a normal car is… pretty different!

"The Aston Martin Valkyrie and its levels of downforce are incredible, and it looks super aggressive. It was a lot of fun out there."

Verstappen's RBR teammate Alex Albon was equally impressed with his Valkyrie ride.

"It was incredibly exciting to have this opportunity to drive the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the first thing that struck me was the visual aspect – it looks awesome!" commented the Anglo-Thai racer.

"It also really feels like a racing car. Max had a go before me, so the anticipation was building, and to get a chance to drive it was really special.

"Obviously there’s still some development to do, but already it feels very good, especially the balance between the corners.

"It’s light; it feels sharp. Sure, compared to an F1 car, you’re missing the outright downforce, but you still feel the Gs in the corners and it definitely reacts closer to an F1 car than a normal road car.

"It’s pretty special. I just need to get my hands on one!"

That'll be $3.2 million Alex, plus tax!

Check out the sights and sounds of the Valkyrie with max and Alex in the following video.

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