How an IMSA homecoming has been years within the making

A lot has modified since Seb Priaulx final raced a Ford Mustang, the mannequin he’ll contest as a member of the works GTD Professional squad in subsequent 12 months’s IMSA SportsCar Championship. Rewind again to 2020, and a 19-year-old Priaulx was embarking on his first 12 months of racing within the US and simply his second in sportscars, after a breakout British GT marketing campaign in 2019 nearly netted the title within the Mustang GT4’s maiden season.

Within the COVID-affected 2020 Michelin Pilot Problem, the GT4 undercard to IMSA’s top-tier sequence, his Multimatic Motorsports-run entry had a revolving door of co-drivers that included future Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric, his 2019 accomplice Scott Maxwell, Hailie Deegan and Marco Signoretti. Maybe unsurprisingly given the circumstances, outcomes had been unremarkable.

Priaulx has largely raced Porsches within the years since, whereas remaining contracted to Multimatic, and his status has solely grown. After successful the 2021 Carrera Cup North America title, the Guernseyman collected two GTE Am class victories within the 2022 World Endurance Championship with Dempsey-Proton Racing.

A return to vehicles with ABS got here for 2023, once more in Porsches, coming into IMSA with AO Racing within the pro-am GTD class earlier than stepping as much as GTD Professional in 2024. There have additionally been outings in LMP3 equipment and in a McLaren 720S GT3, which have allowed Priaulx to broaden his horizons.

Requested to evaluate how he has developed as a driver since these early days racing a Mustang, as a graduate from the British Components 4 class of 2018 that features soon-to-be Alpine Components 1 driver Jack Doohan, Priaulx says he has matured such that he feels “like rather a lot completely different [as a] particular person now”.

“Multimatic has lent me out to fairly just a few groups through the years, and I’ve realized a lot [on] simply how completely different vehicles have their completely different capabilities,” he tells Motorsport.com. “It is actually good expertise for me, as a result of I can return to the staff and say, ‘hey, this automobile was just a little bit higher right here, possibly we are able to work on refining this’ or no matter.

“You by no means cease studying, however now I really feel like I am a correct manufacturing unit driver and I do know what I am speaking about. I am assured in myself to say what I would like for my automobile, and you’ll direct your staff in the way in which that you really want with out second-guessing your self.”

In addition to being considerably extra skilled, he now has the chance to match his stature. He’ll hyperlink up with Mike Rockenfeller in a new-look GTD Professional line-up for Ford, with Joey Hand and Dirk Muller being changed by Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch, to ink a brand new chapter within the Blue Oval-Priaulx story. His three-time World Touring Automobile champion father Andy was a vital cog within the Ford GT programme that spanned 2016 to 2019, and now 23-year-old Priaulx Jr is eager to turn out to be a lynchpin for the Mustang GT3 programme because it enters its second season.

Priaulx regards Multimatic as “my dwelling, it has been since I used to be just about 18”. As such, the change from AO to the Ford Multimatic Motorsports manufacturing unit effort represents one thing of a homecoming and was logically “the step I wished to take”.

“To be successful in GTD Professional is towards manufacturing unit drivers, it simply actually reveals what I can do”
Seb Priaulx

“Sadly, I have not been capable of drive a Ford on this time, nevertheless it’s good to have the household again, it is form of like dwelling from dwelling,” he enthuses. “The deal that I’ve now could be precisely what I dreamed about, it could not have been any higher.”

That feeling is underlined as a result of Priaulx already is aware of “many of the guys” engaged on the Ford programme. Multimatic has offered employees to assist numerous programmes in recent times, together with his Dempsey-Proton WEC effort in 2022. “A pair individuals really had been on the Mustang GT4 with me,” Priaulx provides, amongst them his engineer from 2019 in British GT, Craig Duncan.

The acquainted personnel ought to solely assist his transition to the Mustang GT3. Priaulx joined up with Ford for a current official take a look at at Daytona, which adopted a run at Indianapolis which he says “went very well”. He reckons that getting a lap time from the Mustang “takes a unique method” to a 911, though the driving fashion it requires is extra “pure” by comparability.

“You form of simply must let the automobile do its factor,” he explains, “whereas the Porsche is a bit distinctive, it takes a bit extra to drive it quick. It is a very fast automobile, however tough to drive on the sting. The Ford is a good automobile, and it is bought its advantages of being a front-engine automobile; it’s extremely straightforward to get the entrance tyres as much as temperature and it’s bought that pretty V8 as nicely.”

Priaulx says the driving fashion wanted for the Mustang GT3 is extra standard than was the case in a 911

Photograph by: Wes Duenkel

Given Multimatic boss Larry Holt has helped to steer his profession since 2019 and is the driving pressure behind the manufacturing unit Mustang programme in IMSA, Priaulx’s involvement ought to come as no shock. However it needs to be stated that he earned his place by the energy of his performances in 2024 alongside eventual GTD Professional champion Laurin Heinrich.

Pole and a robust run to second on the Daytona 24 Hours was the muse of a robust season in IMSA, highlighted by back-to-back wins at Laguna Seca and Detroit. Though Priaulx didn’t see it via to the tip, with Julien Andlauer and Michael Christensen alternating for the rest of the season alongside Heinrich, each drivers finally enhanced their reputations.

“It is clearly not what I wished,” Priaulx concedes when Motorsport.com asks about leaving Gunnar Jeanette’s AO outfit mid-season, “however I am a Multimatic driver and I do what Larry Holt tells me to do. I would have love to complete the 12 months with AO, however I had different commitments that I wanted to do.

“It was actually good for me [to race with AO] and I did a variety of time with them, nevertheless it’s now time for me to be a manufacturing unit driver and I am actually joyful I’m.”

Priaulx admits he feels as if he did proceed with AO, since he was emotionally invested in seeing Heinrich topped champion. He charges the German, born eight days and eight months later in 2001, as one among sportscar racing’s prime rising skills.

“I look again on this 12 months as an outstanding 12 months on my aspect,” he displays. “It was good to be successful in entrance of all people and in entrance of Ford; I really feel prefer it’s helped me out. To be successful in GTD Professional is towards manufacturing unit drivers, it simply actually reveals what I can do.”

With Mies and Vervisch within the different automobile, each with a 12 months of racing the Mustang in GT World Problem Europe beneath their belts, Priaulx says he and Rockenfeller can be saved on their toes. In pairing up with alongside the German, the one driver to stay a part of the 2024 roster, Priaulx is changing Harry Tincknell – a driver he spent 2022 racing alongside and who beforehand partnered his father within the Ford GT programme.

However whereas Tincknell is sure for the Coronary heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar programme within the WEC, Priaulx is assured he has sufficiently big ft to fill the vacant boots. He maintains there’s just one purpose: “Me and Mike have been saying it; championship is the intention.”

Priaulx received twice in IMSA GTD Professional class this season alongside eventual champion Heinrich aboard AO Racing Porsche

Photograph by: Artwork Fleischmann

Priaulx’s pleasure to enter the fold is just amplified by the identification of his co-driver, who along with Tincknell achieved Ford’s greatest IMSA end result with second within the 6 Hours of Indianapolis spherical received by Heinrich and Christensen. Priaulx admits that he by no means thought he would get the possibility to race alongside Rockenfeller, who received the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2010 with Audi earlier than claiming the 2013 DTM title for the model when racing towards Priaulx Sr.

“He is a completely wonderful driver and somebody that I look as much as,” displays Priaulx. “It is actually nice to have him with me as a team-mate, he is just about a legend within the sport.

“As a child after I was watching my father racing in DTM, he was a man that I used to be like, ‘yeah, he is a legend’. I did not imagine I might be racing with somebody like Mike in in my lifetime. It is wonderful, I bear in mind watching him successful Le Mans. It is gonna be an actual good staff.

“We have rather a lot to sit up for. I actually just like the surroundings in Multimatic and the staff. It is a very, superb bunch of men and simply excited to get began with them now.”

Priaulx is elated to be teaming up with Rockenfeller and has excessive hopes of competing for the title

Photograph by: Griffith Bean