WEC Season Preview: Aston Martin LMGT3

Credit: Aston Martin

Heart of Racing Team will field a pair of Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evos in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) after taking over the British marque’s second slot in the LMGT3 class from Racing Spirit of Léman.

The American team – which also serves as a charity organisation, raising money for the Seattle Children's Cardiology Research Fund – will contest their third full season in the WEC, having taken over the NorthWest AMR LMGTE Am entry in April 2023.

The line-up of the No.27 entry – which placed fourth in last year’s LMGT3 standings, taking their season’s best finishing position of third at the Eight Hours of Bahrain – remains unchanged, helmed by Mattia Drudi, Ian James and Zacharie Robichon.

Drudi made his Heart of Racing debut last year at the Daytona 24 Hours – placing third in the GTD class – before embarking on his first full-season WEC campaign, during which he claimed pole position on debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

James – Heart of Racing Team principal and the No.27’s bronze driver – will also commence his third full season in the WEC, having made his debut in the series along with his race team at Spa in 2023.

So far, James has racked up five class podiums in the WEC, including a class victory at Circuit of the Americas in 2024.

Robichon completes the No.27 crew. The Canadian driver first drove for Heart of Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2024, racing on a part-time schedule before contesting the WEC season with the team the following year.

Heart of Racing Team’s new entry, the No.23 car, will be driven by Jonny Adam, Gray Newell and Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Barrichello this season.

Barrichello – son of ex-Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello – moves over to Heart of Racing from the departing Racing Spirit of Léman effort.

He made his debut in the WEC last year, most notably achieving pole positions at São Paulo and at Fuji and finishing third in class at the former.

Barrichello made his Heart of Racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona this year, finishing third in the GTD class.

Barrichello said in a press release: “It’s such a pleasure to be returning to WEC this year with such a special group of people.

“I’m really excited to get going, and I’m beyond grateful for Heart of Racing for the opportunity they have given me in both WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.”

Credit: The Heart of Racing

Newell – son of team owner and creator of the Valve Corporation, Gabe Newell – makes his WEC debut in 2026.

Newell competed in the GT World Challenge America championship last year, finishing fourth in the Pro-Am standings and taking three class podiums. He also participated in the WEC Rookie Test in November last year.

Newell said in a media release from the team in December 2025: “I was very surprised but honoured to be driving for the Heart of Racing team in the 2026 World Endurance Championship.

“When I was given the chance to drive in the Rookie Test, I had a sense that this might be the long-term goal, but I was not anticipating being moved up to WEC so fast. I feel a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. For the team to be placing this level of trust in me is an immense honour, and I’m ready to meet the moment.”

Four-time British GT champion Jonny Adam has also joined the line-up, making his return to the WEC for the first time since his 2019-20 LMGTE Am season campaign with TF Sport, during which he also drove an Aston Martin. That season, he took the GTE Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Adam lands in the No.23 Heart of Racing seat fresh off the back of an Asian Le Mans Series campaign with Écurie Écosse Blackthorn – also fielding a Vantage AMR GT3 Evo – which yielded him eighth place in the GT Driver’s Championship and a class victory at the Abu Dhabi season finale.

Adam said in a media release: “I am super excited to be joining Heart of Racing in 2026 and returning to WEC.

“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 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season commences with the Prologue test on 14th April 2026 at the Imola Circuit ahead of the season-opening Six Hours of Imola on 17th-19th April 2026.