Tincknell Expecting ‘Very Similar’ Relationship With Seb Priaulx

Photo: Porsche

Harry Tincknell believes working with Seb Priaulx will be a “very similar” relationship that he had with his father Andy during their four-year run in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Ford.

Tincknell and 21-year-old rising star Priaulx — both Multimatic-contracted drivers — have teamed up to tackle this year’s WEC season in the GTE-Am class No. 77 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19 alongside team co-owner Christian Ried.

While a new partnership, Tincknell and Andy Priaulx were co-drivers in 26 WEC races between 2016-2019, scoring four GTE-Pro class wins in a Multimatic-run Ford GT.

“It’s great. We’re continuing the Tincknell-Priaulx partnership just slightly different with Jr. instead of Sr,” Tincknell told Sportscar365.

“It was no secret that Andy and I had a great relationship. We thrived off each other in certain aspects. 

“It will be very similar in this relationship now.

“The actual driving side in the car, we’ll both be keeping each other super sharp because we’re both been pushing each other to get to the front of the grid.

“What I lacked when I first came to Ford was that experience working with manufacturers, working with big teams and being very relatable with the engineer in terms of setup and being eloquent with that feedback. 

“A lot of time I would sit there at the start and I’d listen to Andy speaking to the engineers and I’d be feeling it out because I’d just driven that car as well. 

“I’d be like, ‘That’s absolutely perfect what he’s saying.’

“Over those four years he really helped me to just become more eloquent with that feedback and become more detailed.”

Seb Priaulx, who steps into his first WEC season after winning last year’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship, said he’s relishing the opportunity of driving alongside Tincknell.

“I didn’t realize this was going to happen until late last year,” he told Sportscar365.

“This is awesome. To be with Harry, like my father was with Harry in the Ford GT, it’s kind of back to that with me.

“It’s great to do this and I can’t thank everyone enough.

“You need to be good in and out of the car, really. Harry is going to help me out. He’s had a lot of experience in WEC and has won many big races.

“It’s going to be great to team up with him and Christian. We’ve got a great lineup and team in Proton. 

“It’s just now about getting the job done on track and see what happens.”

While Priaulx got his first laps of the GTE-spec Porsche during a two-day test prior to last weekend’s Prologue at Sebring, Tincknell already has a race under his belt with the car and team from last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“I had a little taste of the team and car at Le Mans last year and it was tough,” Tincknell said.

“The [Le Mans] Test Day went well and we were quickest but in the race we had an issue early on.

“It’s nice to come back and have a proper crack at it this year.

“Being in the 77 [car] with Seb and the team owner Christian Ried, I think we’ve got a really good shot.

“We’re both Multimatic-contracted drivers. There’s a Multimatic presence in the team and we were put there this year.”

After being guided by Andy in his first years as a GT driver with the Ford program, Tincknell admits he’s in a bit of a role reversal with now helping Seb come to grips with his new environment.

“Seb is obviously 21,” Tincknell said. “It’s his first time in WEC and it will be his first time at Le Mans. It’s all these experiences that I’ve actually done seven or eight times. 

“I think there will be a lot of that. 

“On the driving side, we’ll always be, ‘This corner you can improve or that corner you can improve or whatever.’ 

“That’s all going to be pretty close because Seb is already at a very high level. But it’s going to be all that off-track stuff that I can really help with.

“That’s what makes you a complete driver for a manufacturer, whether it’s media, whether it’s feedback, whatever it may be. 

“I’m really hopeful we have one of the strongest lineups.”

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