Heart of Racing confirms 2026 WEC line-ups

Aston Martin partner team The Heart of Racing has set its two LMGT3 line-ups for the 2026 World Endurance Championship season, with factory driver Jonny Adam and Dudu Barrichello confirmed as the two notable additions to the team.

In 2026, the team is expanding to a two-car LMGT3 effort to match its Hypercar operation with the Valkyrie. The No. 27 Vantage will have an unchanged line-up of Ian James, Zach Robichon and Mattia Drudi return, while the new sister No. 23 car will welcome Adam and Barrichello to compete alongside American WEC rookie Gray Newell, who was previously confirmed when the full-season entry was published.

For Jonny Adam, this drive marks his return to the WEC for the first time since 2020. The 41-year-old Scot is a veteran of 36 WEC races and a two-time Le Mans GT class winner, having raced the factory Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE from 2015 to 2019. During that period, he helped secure the brand’s first GTE Pro victory at Le Mans in 2017 alongside Darren Turner.

Adam is returning to WEC for the first time since 2020. Aston Martin photo

From 2019, Adam competed with GTE Am partner team TF Sport, claiming four further class victories, including his second Le Mans victory, during the Covid-affected 2019–20 WEC super-season.

“I am super excited to be joining The Heart of Racing in 2026 and returning to WEC,” said Adam. “Teaming up with Dudu, who had some awesome performances last season in LMGT3, alongside supporting Gray’s first year in WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours is something that I’m really getting fully involved in. The goal is to gain experience along the way and hopefully have some successful results for the team with the Aston Martin Vantage. I believe that’s entirely possible with this line-up.”

Barrichello joins THOR following a standout rookie WEC campaign in 2025 with AMR customer team Racing Spirit of Léman, where he claimed two LMGT3 pole positions and a podium finish at his home event, the 6 Hours of São Paulo. He also impressed on his IMSA debut at this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, finishing on the podium alongside Mattia Drudi, Zacharie Robichon and THOR Valkyrie driver Tom Gamble after being a victory contender throughout the race.

“It’s such a pleasure to be returning to WEC this year with such a special group of people,” said Barrichello. “I’m really excited to get going, and I’m beyond grateful for The Heart of Racing for the opportunity they have given me both in WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.”

Gray Newell is moving from U.S. racing to the world championship. Aston Martin photo

Adam and Barrichello will race alongside Gray Newell (son of Heart of Racing co-owner Gabe, pictured above), who steps up to world championship competition after several successful seasons in SRO-run series in the United States. A race winner in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, Newell finished on the class podium three times in GT World Challenge America during his first GT3 season in 2025, racing alongside Turner.

“We know that Gray has the potential to shine in WEC, based on his performances in other categories and because he’s grown up as a driver within the THOR family,” says THOR team principal/driver Ian James. “The best chance we can give Gray is to pair him with someone super-fast and renowned for his ability to nurture less experienced co-drivers to get the best out of them.

"There is no one in the business more suited to this role than Jonny. Meanwhile, with Dudu, his performances in WEC last year were outstanding, and he has already proved himself a vital part of our 2026 IMSA GTD program. This is a very strong line-up and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve with our two Vantages in 2026.”