The Heart of Racing Finalizes 2024 FIA WEC Lineup
UNITED KINGDOM (6 February 2024) - Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli, and Alex Riberas will team up for the Heart of Racing Team’s 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign. The 2024 WEC season will feature a new class with LMGT3 as the team will look forward to competing with the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage.
The Heart of Racing Team will look to build on its first partial season of WEC competition in 2023 with a full-season 2024 effort. The team closed the 2023 season with a run to third in the Bahrain finale.
James, the Team Principal for the Heart of Racing Team, will compete in all eight WEC events in 2024 in addition to his role driving in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship endurance events with the team.
“We're going to continue the way we finished off last season,” said James. “Alex, Dani and myself, I think we make a good team together. We learned a lot last year in WEC and we look forward to continuing that this season and with the introduction of the GT3 class see what we can achieve.”
Mancinelli joined the Heart of Racing Team last season driving the Aston Martin Vantage starting at Spa-Francorchamps. The Italian brought an extensive background in GT racing from five years in the Italian GT Championship as well as a limited run of SRO races in North America.
“I’m super happy and proud to be back in WEC with the Aston Martin Vantage LMGT3.” said Manncinelli. “I had a great time last year with my mates Alex and Ian. Our bond both in and outside the car has been phenomenal, which reflects the successful spirit of HORT as being more than just a team, it’s a family. This year all of us already have some experience with all the procedures and race management, which will be even better. The last race in Bahrain we got a podium finish, ending in a great way the GTE era and HORT debut in the WEC. I’m very excited for the first race in Qatar in March.”
Riberas, who first drove with The Heart of Racing in 2014 and has been one of the full-time drivers in its IMSA GTD PRO car the past two seasons in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
In addition to his WEC driving duties, Riberas will also compete in all non-conflicting IMSA races, with Mario Farnbacher slated to join Ross Gunn on board the GTD PRO entry in place of Riberas for the conflicting events as well as serve as the third driver during the IMSA endurance races.
“Competing in WEC is a dream come true,” said Riberas. “I always wanted to race in the full WEC championship season, and this will be my first time so it's an honor and a privilege to be part of it. I think with Dani and Ian it's a dream lineup. I cannot wait for Qatar to see how everything develops in the new class. It's really hard to see and to expect where we're going to be against the competition, but regardless, it's a phenomenal project and really exciting for this new adventure.”
The WEC season will kick off on February 23rd with a prologue weekend in Qatar before the race weekend March 1st and 2nd.
