The Heart of Racing finishes third at Motul Petit Le Mans
Braselton, Ga. (October 13, 2024) - The Heart of Racing Team crossed the finish line in third and fourth in IMSA’s Motul Petit Le Mans season finale race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday. The No. 23 Heart of Racing entry came up four points shy of the GTD PRO championship with a third-place finish.
Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas, and Roman De Angelis were onboard the No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for the Motul Petit Le Mans ten hour enduro. Gunn qualified for the trio where he scored a starting position of third leaving a 104 point gap in championship points heading into the day to night race.
The three drivers maintained a top three position for a majority of the race and led 21 laps. Gunn, Riberas and De Angelis each took their turn behind the wheel for a stint during a caution-filled first half of the race. De Angelis handed the Aston Martin to Riberas on lap 277 while in second. Riberas was able to keep the No. 23 in podium contention through his final stints.
Gunn finished the final three hours of the race for the No. 23 team and needed a second-place finish to win the championship, but the Brit came up short, finishing just 1.845 seconds behind the second-place Ferrari. This earned the No. 23 Heart of Racing team its fifth podium of the season.
Mario Farnbacher, Zacharie Robichon, and Marco Sorensen teamed up in the No. 027 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, the trio earned a fourth-place finish after Sorensen qualified eighth for the freshly upgraded GTD PRO team.
The No. 027 Heart of Racing team steadily worked its way through the GTD PRO field on Saturday with great strategy calls, flawless driving and impeccable pit stops. Sorensen drove the first 50 laps, before the team strategist called the Danish driver down pit lane, beating a caution that closed the pits and placing the team towards the front of the field. From there the trio made great pace to finish in fourth.
The Heart of Racing Team’s racing season isn’t quite over yet, the team heads to Bahrain November 2nd for the FIA World Endurance Championship season finale.
Quoteboard:
Ross Gunn: “It's been an emotional roller coaster of a day. I would say, we got a nice present early on in the race. We knew that we needed some luck on our side to win the championship, and we definitely got that early on. But as Petit Le Mans proves, it's one of the most challenging races in the world and we threw everything at it. I’m so proud to be a part of this team. It's the end of my fourth year now and to see where the team was four years ago to now is just incredible.”
Alex Riberas: “Definitely a bittersweet feeling today. We gave it our all out there, and as a team, I have to say, I couldn't be any prouder of every single member on the strategy side, on the pit stops, the drivers, my teammates, they did a phenomenal job. Ross did one of the best stints I've ever seen. Unfortunately we came up just short of the championship, but we finished the year on a high with another podium and a season that we can be very proud of as a team. I think our worst result was sixth place in the entire year. I think that's a showcase of the consistency and the level of the team that has been outstanding all year long. I can only say thank you to the Heart of Racing and Aston Martin Racing.
Roman De Angelis: “I think the race went really well. Honestly, we did everything that we could have as a team and as a group of drivers to try to win the championship. Unfortunately, we fell short by one position. I’m really, really proud of everyone at the Heart of Racing, and honestly, really proud of Ross as well. The last stint he did was super impressive. Obviously, we know how great he is, but that was just awesome to see. We can all go home proud, thinking we basically did everything we could. I’m super fortunate to be given the chance to drive the No. 23 this weekend.”
Zacharie Robichon: “Our goal this weekend for the No. 027 was to see the No. 23 win the championship and we just came up so short, but not from a lack of effort from the team. Everybody did such a great job. Ross at the end of the race was just fantastic. I think the timing of the last caution didn't help them. From our side, it was a very average race, I would say. For me there was lots to learn, but it was fun sharing the car with Mario and Marco. This was a nice opportunity to be able to race in the GTD PRO class, but definitely an eye opening experience for me.”
Marco Sorensen: “I really feel for both Ross and the whole team, they actually deserve to get the championship. The No. 027 Aston Martin had a decent pace. I would say throughout the whole race, it was nice to be able to fight with the other cars. The race, for some reason, this year compared to last year was actually very clean, and it made it a more enjoyable Petit Le Mans. I think we can be happy about the race. We gained a few positions in the race with good strategy, and pit stops. I’m quite happy that we managed to actually be P4.”
Mario Farnbacher: “I would say we did everything we could to help the 23 today. First of all, it was a shame, it didn't work out, but I think the No. 23 and the No. 77 had a really good fight for the championship in the end. As far as the No. 027 our goal was to keep the car clean and to be in a good position at the end. I tried to learn each time I was in the car. I think P4 is a good result.”
