Ross Gunn from Heart of Racing asserts that it’s “business as usual” after the surprising exit of his IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD Pro title competitor, Seb Priaulx, from the leading AO Racing Porsche team.
Last week, AO announced that 23-year-old Priaulx would be stepping back from his partnership with Laurens Heinrich “to concentrate on his expanding commitments with Multimatic.”
The team revealed that they have signed Porsche-contracted Julien Andlauer to take Priaulx’s place at Road America this weekend, stating: “Growing obligations and scheduling conflicts have forced us to make this transition sooner than anticipated.”
Priaulx and Heinrich achieved consecutive GTD Pro victories at Laguna Seca and Detroit, leading them with a 98-point advantage over Gunn, who has partnered with Mario Farnbacher and Alex Riberas this year in the #23 HoR Aston Martin Vantage.
When asked by Motorsport.com about Priaulx’s departure from the car he is vying for the title with, Gunn remarked: “For us, I don’t think it changes much. The AO team has been exceptionally strong all year, and I believe Andlauer participated in some IMSA races last year, so he shouldn’t take long to get up to speed.
“Clearly, he is a very seasoned Porsche driver and quite fast. Hence, I don’t foresee any change in that regard for us. It’s simply about concentrating on our performance and ensuring we execute the best we can.
“They have been tremendously quick this season and have done an excellent job consistently claiming podiums, so I think they will remain the ones to beat moving forward.”
#23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo: Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
While Gunn mentioned it would be “business as usual” for him, he acknowledged that mid-season changes involving non-regular IMSA drivers could present challenges.
He stated: “Naturally, there are adjustments a driver must make, and there are only two practice sessions to acclimate to communicating with the team, adapting to the racing style, and mastering the pit stops and regulations. This presents a significant shift compared to Europe and the WEC.
“I’ve raced against (Andlauer) multiple times, and Heinrich is a very quick driver as well, so I’m confident they’ll be strong competitors. They have a significant cushion and have shown rapid pace in recent races, so it’s up to us to do our absolute best and that could create opportunities.”
#23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo: Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas, Ian James
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Gunn highlighted the recent achievements of Heart of Racing in both IMSA and WEC events, along with Aston Martin’s success at the Spa 24 Hours with Comtoyou Racing, a race in which he secured a fourth-place finish with Walkenhorst Motorsport.
He believes this momentum will aid his efforts to close the gap with AO in the IMSA GTD Pro standings.
“The last few months have been incredibly positive for Heart of Racing and Aston Martin,” said Gunn. “We’ve had several victories in the WeatherTech Championship, a podium in WEC, and Aston won the Spa 24 Hours, so it’s been a remarkable time.
“The energy is very upbeat at the moment, and it’s palpable. We find ourselves in a sturdy position within the championship—not where we ideally want to be, but we’ve been steadily improving throughout the year. Starting from fourth, we progressed to third, and now we’re in second.
“While there’s still a gap to the leading Porsche, we’re committed to giving it our all. The momentum we have right now is really encouraging.”
