Gounon “Even Stronger” in Winning Comeback from Injury

Photo: SRO

Jules Gounon said his forced break from driving has made him “even stronger” as he looks to add the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli title to his list of accolades to an already “fantastic” year of racing with Mercedes-AMG.

Gounon sustained fractures to his D4 and D5 vertebrae from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Virginia International Raceway in August that sidelined the Frenchman from GT racing action for most of September.

He made a successful comeback in ADAC GT Masters competition at the Sachsenring two weeks ago, winning Race 1 of the weekend, prior to clinching the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup title last weekend, and now heads into this weekend’s Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS with the possibility of locking up the IGTC drivers’ championship one race early.

“I had three weeks of off-track and it was very difficult because I wanted to race in British GT, I wanted to race in GT World Challenge Sprint. But at the end you need to think about your health,” Gounon told Sportscar365.

“When you break a bone there it’s quite difficult to recover. So I had to stay calm, but I think it gave me some extra motivation.

“When I came back at the Sachsenring, we were really quick so I think it was also part of… when you’re out, you realize how much you enjoy your job.

“When something gets taken away from you, you’re like, ‘Wow. I’m really in love even more than what I thought about what I do.’ I think that’s made me even stronger.”

Gounon’s most recent triumph came in Barcelona when he and fellow Mercedes-AMG factory drivers Dani Juncadella and Raffaele Marciello won the Endurance Cup title with Team Akkodis ASP.

The 27-year-old, driving for Winward Racing this weekend, is now pitted up against Juncadella and Marciello, who are co-drivers in Team Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo with Daniel Morad.

Juncadella currently sits second in the IGTC drivers’ championship, seven points behind Gounon, who won both the season-opening Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour and TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, the latter with the Spaniard and Marciello.

“I have an amazing relationship with both of them so I don’t feel like we’re rivals,” Gounon said.

Gounon said he’s settled in nicely at Winward, in his first time working with the Texas-based squad, which has achieved wins in both Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and the WeatherTech Championship with Russell Ward and Philip Ellis.

“I was really looking forward to driving with them because I’ve never raced with Winward,” Gounon said. “At the moment, I’m really impressed and really happy to be with them.

“Russell is really, really impressive for a Silver and also a team owner, let’s say. He has the double hat. He has really impressed me this weekend. Philip is a top factory driver as we all know, so I think we have a very strong lineup.

“Last year the race was a bit strange with the rules. This year the rule has changed on strategy so I think it will be a different race.

“There’s no GT4 anymore so that’s a new thing to take into considerations. But I think we have all of the ingredients to make a good meal. So hopefully we can cook a good meal for Saturday night.”

Gounon said he isn’t thinking about the possibility of clinching the IGTC title one race early, should he and co-drivers Ward and Ellis come out victorious but has set the globe-trotting GT3 series firmly in his sight, even if it means the championship wouldn’t be decided until December’s season-ending Gulf 12 Hours.

“This year has been fantastic,” Gounon said. “We started with a P3 in Dubai, then we won in Kyalami, then we did third in the Twelve Hours of Sebring in GTD Pro. Then we won in British GT, ADAC [GT Masters], then we won Bathurst, third in 24 Hours of Nürburgring, then we won Spa, then we won the [Endurance Cup] title… It’s crazy.

“Let’s try to finish the year on a high. I would really like to have this IGTC champions trophy at home. I will give everything and also to help Russell and Philip and this team to have a good result here is something I want.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John