Heart of Racing team principal Ian James wants to see Dudu Barrichello drive the Aston Martin Valkyrie in top-tier prototype racing, but next year will come too soon for the rising Brazilian driver. James confirmed the team’s long-term intention to promote Barrichello, while noting that an immediate move to Hypercar or GTP competition is not yet on the immediate horizon.
“No, I think his end goal is to do prototype racing and get in the Valkyrie,” James told Motorsport.com. “I think next year is probably a year too soon on the trajectory, but as a team we’re really keen on promoting from within and giving people the opportunity that otherwise wouldn’t necessarily get it. So definitely my goal is one day to see him racing in the Valkyrie.”
While the squad competes under its primary Heart of Racing banner in the GT ranks, it operates the Valkyrie AMR hypercar program in both the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP category under the Aston Martin THOR Team banner. Across its operations, the organization has built a clear pathway for internal promotion, having previously elevated drivers such as Roman De Angelis, Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas, Marco Sorensen, and Tom Gamble.
The decision to hold off on an immediate step up comes despite a standout 2026 campaign for the 25-year-old in GT machinery.
In his first full season with Heart of Racing and just his second year overall in GT racing, Barrichello co-drove the #27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo to strong results in both major series. In IMSA GTD competition, he secured three podiums (including two runner-up finishes), six top-five finishes, and two pole positions over 10 races, finishing third in the driver standings after leading the championship for roughly half the season. In WEC, he added two podium finishes across four starts.
#27 Heart of Racing Team: Dudu Barrichello, Tom Gamble
Photo by: Art Fleischmann
For Barrichello, the patience required for a prototype seat aligns with his own realistic assessment of his development.
“It would be great to be in the GTP. My dream has always been to drive a hypercar,” Barrichello told Motorsport.com. “And hopefully someday, if the team thinks I did a good enough job, maybe I’ll get a ride.
“For now, I’m really focused on the GT stuff. I still think I need to get better. I need to still be a better professional. There’s still a lot of room for improvement. So that’s what I’m really focused on at the minute. And hopefully, if I ever do a good enough job, they’ll give me a test or something.”
Barrichello noted that adapting to multi-driver endurance racing remains a key area where he is actively working to refine his approach.
“There’s a lot of stuff. It’s only my second year of endurance racing,” Barrichello said. “My whole career before I was the only guy in the car. You get to create a relationship with the others. And you’re the only driver. I think it really changes when you have to share the car with other people and you have to spend that much time with other people. You just have to get used to it. It’s just a different way to go about racing.
“And the races are so long. Sometimes you just have to do what the team expects of you. Not more, not less. Sometimes in the middle of the race, you just go out and cruise a bit. You’re just trying to save the car for the guy who’s finishing the race. It’s just a different way to go about it.
“I still need to improve a lot on it. Sometimes I start creating expectations. And to be honest, it’s not great. There’s a lot of room for improvement, especially on my side. So eventually, when I get it figured out, hopefully I’ll get a shot at the GTP.”
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