Heart of Racing by SPS back on the grid in Bathurst
The joint venture between SPS automotive performance and The Heart of Racing will once again line up at the legendary Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour from 13 to 15 February. Ian James (GBR), Roman de Angelis (CAN) and Eduardo Barrichello (BRA) will race the #27 Mercedes-AMG GT3 on the Mount Panorama Circuit.
SPS automotive performance competed alongside The Heart of Racing 2024 for the first time in the demanding endurance classic in Bathurst, Australia, and immediately claimed a podium finish in its class. In the previous edition, the German-American joint venture crowned its involvement in Australia to date and celebrated a class victory on this iconic track with the #27 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The blue Mercedes-AMG GT3 will once again be on the starting grid for the next edition of the Bathurst 12 Hour from 13 to 15 February 2026. Ian James, Roman de Angelis and Eduardo Alcide Barrichello will share the wheel of the #27 car. Veterans Ian James and Roman de Angelis have already competed in previous races at the Mount Panorama Circuit. New to the line-up is Brazilian Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello, who will be making his Bathurst debut here. The son of former Formula 1 driver Rubens Barrichello has been active in various formula and touring car series in recent years. Last season, the 24-year-old competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMGT3 category and celebrated a podium finish at his home race.
With this driver line-up, Heart of Racing by SPS is once again entering the battle for class victory in the Bronze category. The demanding track in New South Wales, with its challenging up-and-down passages, runs entirely on public roads and is a real challenge for both man and machine. The start time is also unique. Early in the morning at 5:45 a.m. local time, the grid sets off in the dark and experiences the sunrise during the first hours of the race, which provides distinctive images and a unique atmosphere.
Through its motorsport programmes, Heart of Racing continuously raises funds for paediatric research. One of the largest organisations of its kind, Seattle Children's Hospital in the United States, is one of the beneficiaries of this charitable project. Through its joint venture with Heart of Racing, SPS automotive performance is also able to be part of this project, which the Obersulm-based team is happy to support.
Stephan Sohn, team principal SPS automotive performance: “First of all, we are very pleased to be working with Heart of Racing again. The collaboration has always been very successful. The Bathurst 12 Hour is a very special race. We have always finished on the podium in our previous races in Australia. Of course, we are aiming for the same result this time. It will be hard work, but we are well prepared and heading to Mount Panorama Circuit with optimism.”
