ST. CHARLES, Ill., (November 13, 2023) – Following an exciting and fun-filled first season in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, AO Racing has officially confirmed the team will return for another season in the series, expanding to a two-car full-season effort. The newest entry to the program will be the full-season Oreca LMP2 07 driven by PJ Hyett and Paul-Loup Chatin, joined by a GTD Pro class Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Sebastian Priaulx and Laurin Heinrich.
Eager for more competition against his fellow bronze drivers, Team Principal PJ Hyett moves to the LMP2 class, racing an Oreca LMP2 07 with 2021 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner and 2023 IMSA WeatherTech champion Paul-Loup Chatin. The 32-year-old Frenchman will race alongside Hyett in the seven-race championship, five of which will be endurance events.
“I am really excited to join AO Racing for the 2024 IMSA season and I’d like to thank PJ & Gunnar for their trust,” said Chatin. “I am impressed by the professionalism and performance the team has achieved in such a short time. It is a great pride for me to support them in this turning point towards LMP2. The challenge is huge, but I know that AO Racing has the right people to make it possible. I’m really looking forward to being at the Roar to start this new season.”
The 2024 season will mark Priaulx’s second season racing the AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. The 22-year-old British driver drove a strong season with co-driver and team principal PJ Hyett, racing Rexy, the Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr. The young Brit will move up to the Pro class, ready to build on the team’s first season of progress.
“I’m really excited to be joining AO Racing again for next year,” said Priaulx. “Going off of what I learned this year, this is going to be great. It’s lovely to play on the same team that I was on this year and keep building on that. Stepping up to GTD Pro is a good step and we can definitely win some big races. Having Laurin as a teammate is great as well. I’m very excited for the start of the year. This is a big opportunity to go out there and fight for some massive victories. I’m excited.”
This year, Priaulx will be joined by 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland champion and Porsche-selected driver Laurin Heinrich as the pair steps up to the GTD Pro class. Also 22 years of age, the young German brings with him strong promise as he steps into his first season in the IMSA WeatherTech championship.
“After a few guest appearances in the US the last two years I’m over the moon to join AO Racing for the 2024 IMSA GTD Pro season full-time,” said Heinrich. “This program has always been a dream of mine and achieving that already now in my young career together with AO Racing makes it even more special. After my GT3 debut season in 2023 I could learn a lot, so now I feel more than ready to take up this challenge together with Sebastian Priaulx.”
The livery reveals, endurance lineups, and 2024 partners will be announced at a later date. The 2024 season will begin with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 27-28.
