Barrichello to run IMSA whilst Pauwels gets FIA WEC debut offer after next weeks series diary clash

Tuesday, April 07, 2026

Last year’s Aston Martin Racing Drivers Academy winner Kobe Pauwels gets another chance of a lifetime next weekend as he steps up to the World Endurance Championship for the opening round with the Heart of Racing team.

With the American based team this year fielding both AMR Vantage LMGT3 entries within the FIA WEC series in parallel to its IMSA programme, occasionally diary clashes come about forcing the team to make choices which in turn give others opportunities.

Next weeks (revised) start to the FIA WEC season from Imola, Italy as well as its preceding Prologue Test still clashes with the third round to the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship which will be running this time from Long Beach, California and that has forced the Heart of Racing’s hand into its driver allocation per event.

With the IMSA #27 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GTD having started so well to the season with podium finishes at both the Rolex 24 and 12Hours of Sebring, the team have elected to continue to run Eduardo Barrichello within IMSA next weekend as opposed to his originally intended alignment within their #23 LMGT3 entry in the FIA WEC.

As a result, Kobe Pauwels has been drafted into the #23 WEC car alongside its other full season drivers in Jonny Adam and fellow WEC debutant Gray Newell for next week’s Prologue Test and subsequent six hour opening race to the season in Italy with what will be his WEC debut after his recent Asian Le Mans Series experiences with the Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR team last winter.

That leaves Barrichello running alongside ‘super sub’ Spencer Pumpelly at Long Beach as all other HoRT rostered drivers being effectively ‘cup tied’ already to either the WEC or IMSA rounds that weekend.

What a difference a year makes!!

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media