Tincknell Explains Rationale Behind Full-Season LMP2 Return

Harry Tincknell has explained his motivation behind his return to full-time LMP2 competition in this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which will mark his first in the series at the wheel of a prototype in five years.

Tincknell is taking on six of this year’s seven LMP2 rounds this year with Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen, starting with this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, alongside his existing FIA World Endurance Championship duties in Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin Valkyrie.

The only race the British driver will miss is July’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Round, which clashes with WEC’s 6 Hours of Sao Paulo.

Tincknell last raced in the LMP2 class in the WeatherTech Championship in the 2022 Rolex 24, and also raced the Oreca 07 Gibson in the Asian Le Mans Series in 2023-24.

However, his full season with BHA/PR1 will mark his first in the prototype ranks of the series since the Mazda DPi program came to an end following the 2021 campaign.

“It’s nice to be back in LMP2,” Tincknell told Sportscar365. “I have a good relationship with Bobby [Oergel, team principal], and doing another six races helps keep you sharp.

“Having the big races that you want to do well in and win also helps keep you motivated, and it complements the WEC season quite nicely.

“I drove for the team once at Daytona in 2022, it was a lot of fun, and I’ve kept in contact with them ever since. I’ve messaged Bobby when they’ve done well.

“It was a bit last-minute this time, but it’s really nice to be back with the team.

“It’s my first full season in LMP2 [since] 2016, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s super competitive: you look at the grid, everyone is so close, and there are a lot of Hypercar drivers as well. It doesn’t feel like a step down, more like a step sideways.”

Tincknell’s most recent engagements in the WeatherTech Championship have involved him driving the Ford Mustang GT3, initially as a full-time driver in the Blue Oval’s GTD Pro class assault, and then for Gradient Racing in GTD at Daytona last year.

The 34-year-old clarified there are no plans for him to drive the Mustang in 2026.

“It made sense last year to drive the Ford [at Daytona], and I was planning to do that again this year, but then I had an offer to do a full-season program,” he said.

“It made more sense, especially being a prototype, which complements the Valkyrie well.”

Tincknell shares the No. 52 Oreca with Misha Goikberg for the full season, with Parker Thompson joining the pair for the five Michelin Endurance Cup races, while Ben Keating completes the lineup for the Daytona opener.

On the No. 52 car’s prospects of class success at Daytona this week, Tincknell added: “Our race pace [in the Roar] looks strong. Maybe we’re lacking a bit of overall speed, but we are happy with our averages, and we have focused on that.”

While the BHA side of the operation has been heavily linked to operating the planned Genesis GTP effort in the WeatherTech Championship in the future, Tincknell denied having any awareness of BHA’s future plans when asked by Sportscar365.

“I know PR1 and BHA are working together, I met all the BHA guys as well as Bryan himself this weekend, but really the link came from Bobby,” he clarified.