Heart of Racing Names Adam and Barrichello for WEC 2026
Aston Martin partner The Heart of Racing [THOR] has confirmed that Jonny Adam (GBR) and Dudu Barrichello (BRA) will complete its driver line-up in the #23 Vantage GT3. They will race alongside American rookie Gray Newell in the LMGT3 class of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC].
These additions strengthen an already formidable Aston Martin driver squad in WEC’s GT class. They give THOR its strongest bid yet to secure Vantage’s first GT3 world title. THOR will run its first two-car WEC LMGT3 programme, with the #23 Vantage joining the returning #27 crew. Team principal Ian James (GBR) leads the #27 entry and lines up with 2022 IMSA GTD champion Zacharie Robichon (CAN) and works driver Mattia Drudi (ITA), a former winner of the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa and last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans polewinner.
Adam, a two-time Le Mans GT class winner, also holds four British GT titles and a GT World Challenge Europe class win. He returns to WEC for the first time since 2020. The 41-year-old Scot has started 36 WEC events and raced the works Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE from 2015 to 2019. During that spell, he secured the British ultra-luxury sportscar brand’s first GTE Pro victory with Vantage at Le Mans in 2017 alongside Aston Martin’s longest-serving works driver, Darren Turner (GBR).
From 2019, Adam raced with GTE Am partner team TF Sport and claimed four more class victories. He took his second Le Mans class win during the Covid-affected WEC 2019-2020 super-season.
“I am super excited to be joining The Heart of Racing in 2026 and returning to WEC,” said Adam. “Teaming up with Dudu, who had some awesome performances last season in LMGT3, alongside supporting Gray’s first year in WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours is something that I’m really getting fully involved in. The goal is to gain experience along the way and, hopefully, achieve some successful results for the team with the Aston Martin Vantage. I believe that’s entirely possible with this line-up.”
Barrichello impressed on his WEC debut with the Racing Spirit of Léman team in 2025 and emerged as one of the LMGT3 standouts. He secured two pole positions and reached the podium at his home event, the 6 Hours of São Paulo. He then opened his debut IMSA season with a strong result at this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. He raced alongside Drudi and Robichon, and worked with Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie driver Tom Gamble (GBR), and finished on the podium after fighting for victory throughout.
“It’s such a pleasure to be returning to WEC this year with such a special group of people,” said Barrichello. “I’m really excited to get going, and I’m beyond grateful for The Heart of Racing for the opportunity they have given me both in WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.”
Both drivers will race alongside Newell, who steps up to WEC after several successful seasons in US-based SRO championships. Newell has won races in Vantage GT4 machinery and scored three class podiums in GT World Challenge America in 2025. He achieved those results in his first season in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 alongside Turner.
Ian James, THOR team principal, said: “We know that Gray has the potential to shine in WEC, based on his performances in other categories and because he’s grown up as a driver within the THOR family. The best chance we can give Gray is to pair him with someone super-fast and renowned for his ability to nurture less experienced co-drivers to get the best out of them. There is no one in the business more suited to this role than Jonny. Meanwhile, with Dudu, his performances in WEC last year were outstanding, and he has already proved himself a vital part of our 2026 IMSA GTD programme. This is a very strong line-up, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve with our two Vantages in 2026.”
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, said: “The Heart of Racing sets a high standard with its approach to GT racing both in WEC and its North American programmes. Aston Martin is delighted to see and fully supports its expansion to two cars for this year’s LMGT3 assault. We are also pleased to see Jonny Adam return to WEC. His record speaks for itself, and he sets an outstanding example for new drivers to learn from. Dudu Barrichello, meanwhile, has earned his place in the team following his performances in 2025. We’re excited to see what these two Vantages can achieve on the most prestigious stage of all.”
