How Jules Gounon Schooled the GT Class in 2023
Image: IMSA MEDIA
January 3rd, 2024
Jules Gounon’s 2023 rewrote the peaks of a GT calendar with victories in a variety of championships and victories across the globe. Gounon was in a class of his own and only challenged by Dutchman Nicky Catsburg and Raffaele Marciello for feats during the year.
After changing to an Andorran Racing Licence, Gounon in 2023 managed to finish on the podium in over half of the GT races he started, including the exclusive accomplishment of five straight top-three finishes across the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) at world-class tracks like Spa-Francorchamps, Indianapolis and Mount Panorama, a feat not achieved in the series’ history.
Image: MDC Media
His consistency alongside his array of nine teammates, Gounon secured the IGTC Title over fellow factory Mercedes driver Luca Stolz and BMW’s Phillip Eng which went to the finale in Abu Dhabi. Stolz and Gounon began their IGTC Championship campaign with triumph alongside Kenny Habul at the Bathurst 12 Hour, Gounon’s third in as many years at the Mountain, but the pair would race against each other for the remainder of the series.
“I raced with four different teams and nine different teammates, which is just something very nice. I think for sure today I got the luck to get this trophy but it’s also a trophy from all of us delivering an insane season,” Said Gounon.
image: SRO
Gounon’s feats in the North American IMSA GTD PRO category with Weathertech Racing saw the 29-year-old fall one step short of the championship. After victory at the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours, Gounon and Co-driver Daniel Juncadella claimed three further wins but were ultimately 112 points short of title winner Vasser Sullivan in the Lexus RC F GT3.
“[This year] 2023 we won Daytona, Bathurst again, Petit Le Mans, IMSA Endurance Cup, GT World Challenge, IGTC… it’s just crazy,” Gounon Told Sportscar365.
Gounon only took part in eight of the nine races in the British GT Championship with Ian Loggie, but the pair were able to secure victory at Oulton Park guiding them to fifth and sixth in the championship respectively after Gounon missed the seventh round at Portimao. Furthermore, Gounon lined up alongside Raffaele Marciello and Timur Boguslavskiy for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup as the trio triumphed with three podiums and two victories at Paul Ricard and Nurburgring to secure the championship crown.
Jules Gounon’s accomplishments during the 2023 season are nothing short of phenomenal, and his strike rate to stay consistently at the top of the tree in all the races he starts is what every GT and Prototype Driver dreams over a championship season, let alone the variety of tracks, teammates and conditions Gounon faced.
