Ellis: “The Way We Secured Title” Makes GTD Hat-Trick Special

Photo: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA

Philip Ellis believes the “way we secured the title” has made Winward Racing’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hat-trick all the more special.

The Mercedes-AMG factory drive and team owner/driver Russell Ward walked away with their third consecutive GTD class title following this year’s season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans, in what had been one of the most competitive championships out of the four classes.

While having scored a season-high five class victories out of ten races, the team bounced back from misfortune in the two Michelin Endurance Cup rounds following the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where they racked up their third class win in six years.

When asked what makes the hat-trick so special, Ellis said: “Above all, it’s the way we secured this third title.

“In the previous two years, we went into the season finale with a comfortable lead and essentially just had to get the race finished without any major problems.

“This time, things were completely different. We had two retirements through no fault of our own, while our direct rivals scored points.

“That could easily have knocked us off course mentally, but as a team, we never threw in the towel. We kept working hard.

Ellis credited Winward’s consistency as being a “key factor” to its success.

“Many of the people who were there when I started are still part of the team today,” he said.

“In IMSA, I even have the same mechanic looking after my Mercedes-AMG GT3 as I did in 2021.

“By now, we know each other inside out, trust one another and know exactly what it takes.

“Winning our third consecutive title is fantastic and the result of an outstanding team effort. There is an incredible amount of potential in this team.”

Ellis, who has driven in more than 200 races worldwide for Mercedes-AMG since his factory signing in 2021, although a large majority of them have come in North America, both in the WeatherTech Championship and GT World Challenge America powered by AWS.

“I love the way racing is done in America,” he said. “The circuits are often very old-school, and almost every one of them feels a little like a mini Nürburgring Nordschleife. That really suits me.

“Then there’s the constant traffic, the prototypes and the many strategic options.

“In IMSA, we have an open tire and fuel strategy, which gives drivers and teams much more influence over how a race unfolds.

“One team might not change any tires at all, while another changes just two. Another might make what’s known as a short fill and then have to save fuel afterwards. This creates very different strategies.

“Even if you don’t have the best pace over a race weekend, you can still make up a lot of ground with smart traffic management and the right strategy.

“By now, I also feel very much at home in the USA away from the race track, and I spend around half the year there.

“Colleagues have become genuine friends. That’s reflected in the fact that my team-mates Indy Dontje and Russell Ward will be my best men at my wedding next weekend.

“I actually met my future wife at the race track, too – which, of course, is hardly surprising!”

When asked other goals he still has in motorsports, the 34-year-old said wants to take home even more hardware.

“I’d take a fourth IMSA title in a heartbeat.” said Ellis. “I’d also absolutely love to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport one day.

“And an overall victory at the Nürburgring 24 is also right at the top of my list. So, there are still plenty of goals to aim for.”

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