Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella Named Full-Season Drivers of the No. 79 Mercedes, with Maro Engel and Cooper MacNeil Filling out the Endurance Roster
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – WeatherTech Racing plans a return to the GTD PRO class for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
The team announced Tuesday that Proton Competition will again operate the program for the No. 79 Mercedes-AMG GT3. Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella will be the full-season drivers, with fellow Mercedes factory driver Maro Engel joining for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races.
Cooper MacNeil will round out the lineup for the Rolex 24 At Daytona that opens the season Jan. 28-29, as the American scales back his driving responsibilities to focus on a team management role.
While Gounon and Juncadella have limited past WeatherTech Championship experience – neither has more than eight starts in the series – both have achieved extensive success around the globe driving for Mercedes.
“I consider them to be among the best Mercedes-AMG GT drivers in the world,” MacNeil said of the full-season duo. “Last year we had a parade of drivers through the car and couldn’t really compete for the championship. Maro will join us for the longer races and adds a wealth of knowledge to the team. With our strong support from Mercedes-AMG, those three guys driving the car and WeatherTech/Proton Racing spearheading the operation, I like our chances every weekend in the GTD PRO class.”
Gounon, whose 2022 endurance race wins included those in Spa, Bathurst and Kyalami, likes the makeup of the No. 79 Mercedes’ driver lineup.
“I think the lineup we have with Dani and Maro is very strong, and we will be very good with Cooper at the Rolex 24 as well,” the Frenchman said. “We all complete each other in different areas. We really make a great team. I really enjoy their company and am looking forward to a great year.”
Juncadella also won at Spa this year and last weekend the Spaniard wrapped up the Intercontinental GT World Challenge championship.
“I am super excited; next year is shaping up to be one of the most exciting chapters of my career,” said Juncadella, who drove in four races for WeatherTech Racing in 2022. “It was a last-minute call for Daytona last year and then it turned into a couple more races with Cooper in the WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3, which was fun.
“It was surprising to me. I discovered IMSA is one of the most exciting championships happening around the globe right now. It is great that we have managed to get our deal together to run the whole season with Jules for 2023 and WeatherTech Racing. On top of that, having Maro in the car for the endurance races and Cooper for the Rolex 24 puts the cherry on top.”