Sportscar365’s GT Drivers of the Year

Sportscar365 is recognizing the top performers and moments from 2023. Next up is our first of three Drivers of the Year segments, this time covering the GT categories.

GT3 – Jules Gounon

It was another banner year for Jules Gounon, who took home significant wins and titles across numerous GT3 series, all while in Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo machinery.

From kicking off his year with a GTD Pro class win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona to becoming a three-time Bathurst 12 Hour overall winner, the Andorran’s season rolled on with numerous other accolades, including winning the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup championship and Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli title, as well as taking top class honors at Motul Petit Le Mans.

The Mercedes-AMG factory driver, who in addition to his title-winning IGTC and GTWC Europe Endurance Cup campaigns, finished runner-up in the WeatherTech Championship GTD Pro standings (winning the Michelin Endurance Cup) and came home sixth in the Intelligent Money British GT Championship.

Gounon was certainly one of the most versatile drivers in the GT3 world, having contested 37 race weekends that produced nine wins and 16 podium finishes with teams including WeatherTech Racing, SunEnergy1 Racing, Akkodis ASP Team, 2 Seas Motorsport and others.

Having shared Mercedes-AMGs with numerous fellow works drivers, pros and gentlemen racers, Gounon was the one constant who nearly achieved it all in 2023.

Honorable mentions: Raffaele Marciello (strong runner-up courtesy of GTWC Europe overall, Endurance Cup titles and FIA GT World Cup winner), Ricardo Feller (GTWC Europe Sprint Cup champion, 3rd in DTM), Jack Hawksworth (IMSA GTD Pro champion), Thomas Preining (DTM champion with three wins), Madison Snow (IMSA GTD champion), Marco Wittmann (24H Spa winner, second in Nürburgring 24)

GTE – Nicky Catsburg & Nico Varrone

The final year for the GTE platform saw one of the most impressive performances ever from a single team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, with Corvette Racing dominating the GTE-Am class with its driving trio of Nicky Catsburg, Nico Varrone and Ben Keating.

The No. 33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R scored three class wins, including Corvette Racing’s ninth victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and remarkably clinched the championship with two rounds to spare.

Having finished off the podium only twice, Catsburg and Varrone put in equally impressive drives throughout the season, with the Silver-rated Argentinean often tasked with longer stint times than the Dutchman by virtue of the team’s strategy to complete Keating’s minimum drive time in one go.

While Keating was an instrumental part of the team’s success by being the quickest Bronze-rated driver, Catsburg and Varrone also outshone the competition on nearly every occasion, making them the standout drivers of the class.

Despite the demise of the class, both drivers will continue behind the wheel of Corvette machinery next year, in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with Catsburg part of the factory-supported Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports GTD Pro squad and Varrone awarded with a factory drive supporting customer squad AWA.

While Catsburg has been a long-standing works driver, Varrone’s 2023 season undoubtedly put the 23-year-old into his new dream role with the Detroit manufacturer.

Honorable mentions: Alessio Picariello (ELMS GTE champion), Matteo Cairoli (standout drives in both WEC and ELMS), Michelle Gatting (Silver-rated driver punching above her class)

GT4 – Robin Liddell

While the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season ended in controversy, one driver stood above the rest in the pecking order despite not taking home the GS drivers’ title.

Robin Liddell and co-driver Frank DePew were credited with only two wins on the season but Liddell’s impressive comeback drives, on numerous occasions over the course of the ten-round season, put the 49-year-old Scot ahead of the rest in the hotly contested series.

Liddell’s drive from third to the win in the closing moments of August’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway was notable. However, it came after contact with Scott Andrews’ No. 27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, an incident that resulted in no further action by race control, although ultimately came back to haunt the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R team in the title-deciding two months later.

That’s because Andrews parked his Mercedes-AMG, in protest of Rebel Rock, in the final laps of the Fox Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, which gave Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley and Vin Barletta the crown by a mere ten points over Liddell and DePew.

The messy conclusion to the Pilot Challenge season may have seen an external factor in helping decide the title, but Liddell could arguably be considered the ‘people’s champion’ after memorable drives throughout the action-packed season.

Honorable mentions: Gabriele Piana and Michael Schrey (GT4 European Silver Cup champions), John Capestro Dubets (Pirelli GT4 America standout), Mike David Ortmann and Hugo Sasse (ADAC GT4 Germany champions)

GT500 – Ritomo Miyata

Toyota driver Miyata showed why the Japanese manufacturer selected him to be its next homegrown driver to represent it on the world stage with his performances in Super Formula and SUPER GT, becoming the youngest ever driver to win both titles in the same year at the age of just 24.

In his second season at TOM’S in SUPER GT, Miyata was paired with 2021 champion Sho Tsuboi in the No. 36 Toyota GR Supra, and the pair quickly established themselves as title contenders with victory in the second round at Fuji. But it was later in the season, when the No. 36 was heavy on success ballast, when Miyata really showed what he is made of.

At Sugo, he impressively overcame 90kg of success weight in the final stint to finish seventh and score four valuable points. Then at Autopolis, he shrugged off his 49kg handicap to charge from fifth to win in the last stint, setting himself and Tsuboi up for the title.

Miyata’s success in Japan coincided with his addition to Toyota’s WEC Challenge program. After joining the Toyota Gazoo Racing as a keen observer for the FIA World Endurance Championship rounds at Le Mans and Monza, he finally got the chance to get behind the wheel himself at Fuji with the Kessel Racing Ferrari team in the GTE Am class.

Plans for him to contest a full season in the WEC with the ASP Lexus team were changed late in the day when Miyata received an unexpected offer to contest Formula 2 in 2024, but he will still remain involved in sportscar racing with a campaign in the European Le Mans Series the Cool Racing LMP2 squad.

Whether that will lead to a chance with Toyota’s Hypercar team remains to be seen, but after 2023, it seems more likely than not.

Honorable mentions: Sho Tsuboi (Important contributor to TOM’S title success alongside Miyata), Nirei Fukuzumi (Impressive first season as lead driver for ARTA’s No. 16 crew), Katsumasa Chiyo (Nissan’s de facto leading GT500 star)

Best Bronze – Ben Keating

Reigning GTE-Am champion Keating arrived into this year’s WEC campaign as the Bronze driver to beat.

However, it quickly became clear that it would be very hard to catch the 52-year-old Texan in the factory-run Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, as he romped to the title with two rounds to spare alongside Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone.

As was the case last year with TF Sport, Keating was instrumental in the GTE-Am championship bid as his strong opening stints teed up his co-drivers to complete the job.

Victories came at Sebring, Portimao and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Keating dominated Hyperpole qualifying, beating his nearest Bronze competitor by 1.5 seconds.

In the race, the Corvette team bounced back from three laps down after a damper change to take a commanding win, in part thanks to Keating’s consistent driving.

Throughout the season, Keating battled with Sarah Bovy and Ahmad Al Harthy for the fastest average stint times despite the Corvette carrying the most success ballast.

A popular figure in the WEC paddock, it would be a shame for Keating to not return based on the GTE platform going away, but he has no doubt left a lasting impression.

Honorable mentions: Memo Gidley (GT America powered by AWS champion), Henry Hassid (Fanatec GT2 European champion after winning the Am category last year), Sarah Bovy (second in WEC GTE-Am with three poles), Ahmad Al Harthy (third in WEC), Jonathan Hui (Fanatec GT Europe Endurance Cup Bronze champion), Ryan Hardwick (ELMS GTE champion)