Barrichello Joins Heart of Racing for Full Season GTD Effort

Eduardo Barrichello will make his Rolex 24 at Daytona debut next month, joining Heart of Racing Team’s GTD effort ahead of a full season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign for the Brazilian racer.

Barrichello will join Tom Gamble, Zach Robichon and Mattia Drudi aboard the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, although the team has not yet stated who will contest the remainder of the WeatherTech Championship season alongside the 24-year-old.

This past season, Casper Stevenson contested the full season aboard the No. 27 car alongside a rotating roster of co-drivers that included Gamble, Robichon, Drudi, Roman De Angelis and Darren Turner.

However, Stevenson was recently confirmed to have moved to DragonSpeed for a Michelin Endurance Cup role with the team’s Corvette GTD effort.

Barrichello, for his part, will make his first start for Heart of Racing at Daytona, which will be his debut appearance at the Florida endurance classic after a season of mainly racing Aston Martin GT3 machinery in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

He has one previous WeatherTech Championship start to his name, which came with Van der Steur Racing at this year’s Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 24-year-old also follows in the footsteps of his father Rubens, who contested the Rolex 24 numerous times and most notably finished second overall with Wayne Taylor Racing in 2016.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to race in IMSA,” said Barrichello.

“I’ve seen my dad compete in the series on multiple occasions, and since then, it has become a personal goal.

“To get to do it with such an iconic team is something I never thought possible. I’m extremely happy and grateful to be doing it with the great group at The Heart of Racing, and I can’t wait to get started. Bring on 2026!”

Team Confirms Unchanged Aston Martin Valkyrie GTP Lineup

Additionally, Heart of Racing has confirmed that it is set to head into the second season for its Valkyrie GTP effort with an unchanged driver lineup.

Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis form the full season driver pairing aboard the No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie, with Alex Riberas joining at Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans.

Marco Sorensen has been named as the fourth driver for next month’s Daytona opener, which will be the first time that the V12-powered prototype has contested the event.

“I’m very happy and excited to rejoin The Heart of Racing and Aston Martin for 2026,” said Gunn. “2025 was a year of learning, growth, and relentless improvement with the Valkyrie.

“I think 2026 is an opportunity to keep pushing forward and enjoy what we’re building together.

“I’m really looking forward to Daytona — it’s a race we missed in the Valkyrie last year, and I’m determined to get back there.

“Hopefully, we can continue the form we showed at the end of 2025 and fight for a win.”