Ross Gunn from Heart of Racing emphasizes that it’s “business as usual” after the unexpected exit of his IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD Pro competitor, Seb Priaulx, from the leading AO Racing Porsche team.
Recently, AO announced that the 23-year-old Priaulx would be stepping back from his partnership with Laurens Heinrich “to manage his increasing commitments with Multimatic.”
The team mentioned in a statement that they have brought in Porsche-contracted Julien Andlauer to step in at Road America this weekend, stating: “Growing obligations and scheduling conflicts have made this transition necessary sooner than anticipated.”
Priaulx and Heinrich recently achieved consecutive GTD Pro victories at Laguna Seca and Detroit, holding a 98-point advantage over Gunn, who has also partnered with Mario Farnbacher and Alex Riberas this year in the #23 HoR Aston Martin Vantage.
When asked by Autosport about Priaulx’s departure from the competitor he’s vying for the title against, Gunn stated: “For us, I think it doesn’t change much. The AO team has been very competitive all year, and I believe Andlauer participated in some IMSA races last year, so there shouldn’t be any significant downtime for him.”
“He’s obviously a very skilled Porsche driver and quite fast. Honestly, I don’t foresee any major changes on that front for us. It’s crucial for us to focus on our tasks and ensure we execute as effectively as possible.
“They’ve been incredibly quick this season and have also done a great job at consistently securing podium finishes, and I believe they will remain our primary competition moving forward.”
#23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo: Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
While Gunn indicated it would be “business as usual” on his end, he did caution that mid-season driver changes with non-regular IMSA participants could pose certain challenges.
He noted: “Naturally, there are aspects that a driver must adapt to, and with only two practice sessions available to familiarize with team communication, racing style, and the rules, that can be a significant adjustment compared to Europe and the WEC.”
“I’ve raced against Andlauer numerous times, and Heinrich is a very fast driver as well, so I’m confident they will be the teams to contend with. They still maintain a substantial lead and have been fast in recent races, so it’s up to us to perform to the best of our abilities, which could potentially open doors for us.”
Gunn referred to recent achievements for Heart of Racing in both IMSA and WEC events, noting Aston Martin’s victory at the Spa 24 Hours, where he finished fourth with Walkenhorst Motorsport.
He believes this momentum could be advantageous in his effort to catch AO in IMSA GTD Pro.
“The past few months have been extremely positive for Heart of Racing and Aston Martin,” he remarked. “We’ve secured several wins in the WeatherTech Championship, achieved a podium finish in WEC, and Aston claimed the Spa 24 Hours, so it’s been an incredible time for us.
“The atmosphere is very optimistic right now, and everyone is feeling it. We’re in a solid position in the championship—not exactly where we want to be, but we’ve been steadily improving throughout the year. We started fourth, then moved to third, and now we are in second place.
“There is a gap to the Porsche in front, but we’re prepared to give it everything we have. We have some really encouraging momentum at the moment.”
