Autosport Top 50 of 2024: #45 Laurin Heinrich

Winning IMSA’s closely fought GTD Pro class enhanced Laurin Heinrich’s reputation as a leading light of Porsche’s GT ranks.

The 23-year-old AO Racing driver, in his first season Stateside, was not put off his stride by a mid-year team-mate change as Seb Priaulx stepped away, and only this duo won more than once all season: Indianapolis glory with Michael Christensen followed back-to-back victories at Laguna Seca and Detroit with Priaulx.

Pole at Petit Le Mans increased his points buffer before steering problems almost allowed Ross Gunn to capitalise in the race. Also won in a GT World Challenge Asia part-season. 

Porsche’s next rising star

The conveyor belt of talent at Porsche shows no sign of slowing down. With its 2022 IMSA GTD Pro champions Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet firmly established as members of its GTP roster, it would not be too big a surprise to see Laurin Heinrich become the latest Porsche-contracted driver to get a 963 LMDh run out. 

The 2022 German Carrera Cup champion ascended the podium just twice in his maiden DTM campaign last season, but certainly wasn’t overawed in IMSA. It mattered little that Gunnar Jeanette’s AO Racing squad was also new to the GTD Pro division and in just its second season, having tested the waters in the pro-am GTD category last term. Heinrich was more than a match for his vastly more experienced competition.  

The German’s first victory alongside Seb Priaulx at Laguna Seca, which gave him a points lead he kept for the remainder of the campaign, was earned with key passes on Tommy Milner and Oliver Jarvis, while Heinrich kept a cool head amid mayhem in Detroit – where Nicky Catsburg and Ben Barnicoat’s tangle opened the door.  

After Multimatic-contracted Priaulx stepped down to focus on testing commitments, Heinrich and Michael Christensen’s Indianapolis victory showed a propensity to be methodical. After losing his pole time to a ride height infraction and being dumped to the back of the grid, Heinrich had to pick his way through the pack in mixed conditions en-route to victory over the improving Ford Mustang. 

But most importantly, he had impressive pace too. Had it not been for his pole position at Road Atlanta, which extended Heinrich’s pre-event advantage by five points, the faulty cable connection on the steering wheel that limited AO to 11th in the finale would likely have cost Heinrich the crown he won by just four points over Heart of Racing Aston Martin driver Ross Gunn. 

Priaulx heralds Heinrich as “a phenomenal driver” and recalls a telling comment from early in the season that reveals his maturity too. 

“He said to me, ‘It doesn’t matter how we win’ and that’s how we went about it really,” remembers Priaulx. “I didn’t think the car was always the fastest and we won.  

“I put him as one of the top, top sportscar drivers out there at the moment. It was a pleasure to drive with him and I hope we do drive together again one day in the future. It was a perfect pairing really.” 

Heinrich’s first entry into the Top 50 comes after a year of glory in IMSA’s GTD Pro class

Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images