Jules Gounon

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Jules Gounon
Nationality France French
Born (1994-12-31) 31 December 1994 (age 29)
Aubenas, France
Related to Jean-Marc Gounon (father)
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup career
Debut season 2017
Current team Mercedes-AMG AKKodis ASP
Car no. 88
Starts 33 (33 entries)
Wins 4
Poles 5
Fastest laps 4
Best finish 1st in 2022
Previous series
2016–17
2015
2014
2014
2013		 ADAC GT Masters
Porsche Carrera Cup France
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
French F4 Championship
Championship titles
2017, 2022
2017		 24 Hours of Spa
ADAC GT Masters

Jules Jean-Louis Gounon (born 31 December 1994 in Aubenas) is an Andorran-based French professional racing driver. He is best known for his victories in the 24 Hours of Spa in 2017 and 2022, and the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2020, 2022 and 2023.[1][2]

Career

1994-2015: Youth in karting, single-seaters and Porsche Carrera Cup

Jules Gounon is the son of the former racing driver Jean-Marc Gounon, who finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997.[3] He started karting in 2010 at the age of 15. He was crowned Rotax National French Champion in 2011.[4] In the year after, he clinched the X30 world title.[5] He was promoted to single-seaters, joining the French F4 Championship for the 2013 season and finished second with six wins.[6] He competed one year in Formula Renault 2.0, but failed to impress as he "could not get on well with the team". As his career seemed to be in a deadlock after a difficult 2014 season, he was selected "Espoir Porsche Carrera Cup France 2015" to take part in Porsche Carrera Cup France for the next season with a grant of €30,000.[7] He scored his maiden win in the championship in Val de Vienne[8] and finished sixth in the final standings.

2016-2017: Success in German GT and win in the 24 Hours of Spa

In 2016, he joined Callaway Competition in ADAC GT Masters, the German championship of GT.[9] He drove a brand new Corvette C7 GT3-R with his teammate Daniel Keilwitz.[9] Callaway ran three Corvette for this season. He won three times and put himself in title contention for the last event. However, Jules Gounon suffered a big crash at Hockenheim, staying conscious and alert, but with an injured (although not broken) left leg.[10] Finally he stood third in the final standings while developing his new car during the year. Callaway Competition decided to run only the car of Gounon and Keilwitz for the 2017 season.[11] He scored his first win of the season in Red Bull Ring.[12] After this round, his teammate Keilwitz got injured and was replaced by Renger van der Zande who won with Gounon in Zandvoort, letting the Frenchman take alone the championship's lead.[13] He then had two difficult weekends without podium with Albert Costa and van der Zende. However, he won his third race of the season in Hockenheim after the return of Keilwitz to competition.[14] This last win let him seal the title in the last event.[14] He also clinched the Junior title for drivers under 25.[15]

Also engaged with Jean-Luc Beaubelique and Nico Bastian in Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup (Pro-Am Cup), he took two podiums. He was recruited by Audi Sport Team Saintéloc for the 2017 24 Hours of Spa, the greatest race of GT, teaming up with Christopher Haase and Markus Winkelhock.[16] Despite running one lap down in the first half of the race because of a mis-threaded wheel, Gounon and his teammates came back in front. He battled with a Bentley in the last hours and created an 11-second gap with it to win the biggest victory in his career.[17][18] This 2017 edition was very tight as six cars arrived in the same lap as the leader.

2018-2020: Official factory driver for Bentley

File:7BENTLEYGT324HSPA2023.jpg
Bentley Continental GT3 during the 2018 24 Hours of Spa

In 2018, Jules Gounon at the age of 23, was signed by Bentley M-Sport as an official factory driver for Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and Intercontinental GT Challenge, replacing Oliver Jarvis.[19] With Steven Kane and Guy Smith, the Frenchman had to develop the new Bentley Continental GT3 which replaced the former generation.[19] In Paul Ricard, he scored his maiden podium with Bentley finishing second.[20] He missed the win because of a bonnet problem.[21] For the 2018 24 Hours of Spa, he had to leave the race after some braking problems. He also did a one-off in Super GT for the Fuji 500-mile race.[22] He finished thirteenth which represented the best result of the team that season in the Japanese championship. Jules Gounon said about that 2018 season: "I have progressed and learnt a lot. [...] I had to get used with a new car. The target was to have a good car at the end of the season. Unfortunately, we had a lack of speed in straight lines. With this new Continental GT3, Bentley started again from the beginning. 2018 was a season of development. After more than two years of work with German people, I discovered another vision of motorsport with a different way of working. The Bentley Continental GT3 will have a say in 2019".[23]

For the centenary of Bentley in 2019, Jules Gounon was engaged in Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and Intercontinental GT Challenge with Steven Kane and Jordan Pepper. After two complicated races, the Frenchman set the fastest time of the qualifying session in Paul Ricard, faster than his teammates and than his rivals.[24] Battling with the Ferrari 488 GT3 of Miguel Molina, Jules Gounon and Bentley won their first race of the year and also their first win since the introduction of their new car back in 2018.[25] Two weeks later, Jules Gounon participated in his first 24 Hours of Le Mans with Risi Competizione, teaming up with Oliver Jarvis and Pipo Derani on a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo.[26] Qualified 17th in the category LMGTE Pro, they finished 11th in this category and 40th overall, despite a mechanical problem in the last hours of the race.[27]

Since 2021: GT World Challenge success with Mercedes

2021

2021 would see Gounon become a works driver for the Mercedes team, as he took part in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Daniel Juncadella and Raffaele Marciello.[28] A strong start with a podium in Monza and a sixth place in Le Castellet was followed by disappointment at Spa, where the outfit was forced to retire, having previously taken pole position. The team ended their campaign positively, appearing on the rostrum in the final two races, which included a win at the season finale, ultimately putting Gounon second overall.

2022

File:88MERCERDESAMGGT3AKKODIS.jpg
Gounon's Mercedes AMG GT3 during the 2023 24 Hours of Spa

Gounon teamed up with Juncadella and Marciello once more at the rebranded AKKodis ASP Team for the 2022 season of the Endurance Cup.[29] Having taken the overall victory at the 24 Hours of Spa, the Frenchman and his teammates ended up winning the championship at the end of the year, beating out Antonio Fuoco by a mere two points.[30][31][32]

During the same year, Gounon raced in the ADAC GT Masters alongside junior driver Fabian Schiller.[33] The pair finished third in the standings, amassing four wins and a further podium.[34]

2023

Having switched to an Andorran racing license at the start of 2023,[35] Gounon began the campaign in fine style, grabbing a class victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona and following that up by winning the Bathurst 12 Hour race outright for a record-breaking third year in a row,[36] despite racing alongside an amateur driver in the form of Kenny Habul.[37][38][39] Gounon later apologised to fellow Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel, with whom he had collided merely half an hour before the finish.[40]

Racing record

Racing career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2013 French F4 Championship Auto Sport Academy 20 6 0 1 9 236.5 2nd
2014 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 KTR 2 0 0 0 0 0 30th
AVF 2 0 0 0 0
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC KTR 2 0 0 0 0 54 23rd
AVF 8 0 0 0 0
2015 Porsche Carrera Cup France Martinet by Alméras 11 1 1 1 4 125 6th
2016 ADAC GT Masters Callaway Competition 14 3 1 0 4 152 3rd
Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Konrad Motorsport 4 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2017 ADAC GT Masters Callaway Competition 14 3 3 2 6 174 1st
Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup AKKA ASP 4 0 0 0 0 28 11th
Audi Sport Team Saintéloc 1 1 0 1 1
Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup AKKA ASP 8 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Blancpain GT Series Asia Craft-Bamboo Racing 2 0 0 0 0 12 26th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Montaplast by Land-Motorsport 2 0 0 0 1 40 6th
Intercontinental GT Challenge Audi Sport Team Saintéloc 1 1 0 1 1 25 6th
RealTime Racing 1 0 0 0 0
2018 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Bentley Team M-Sport 5 0 0 0 1 29 14th
Intercontinental GT Challenge 4 0 0 1 0 4 23rd
Super GT Series - GT300 EIcars Bentley 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Bentley Team M-Sport 5 1 1 0 2 49 4th
Intercontinental GT Challenge 5 0 0 0 0 10 25th
International GT Open Petri Corse 1 0 0 0 0 0 39th
24 Hours of Le Mans - GTE Pro Risi Competizione 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 11th
2020 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Bentley K-PAX Racing 4 0 0 0 0 6 23rd
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup CMR 8 0 0 1 1 22.5 13th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian 1 0 0 0 0 21 49th
Intercontinental GT Challenge Bentley Team M-Sport 2 1 0 0 1 28 7th
K-PAX Racing 2 0 0 0 0
24 Hours of Le Mans - GTE Pro Risi Competizione 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 4th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Phoenix Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
2021 ADAC GT Masters Team Zakspeed Mobil Krankenkasse Racing 14 2 2 2 2 136 6th
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup AKKA ASP Team 5 1 1 0 3 79 2nd
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup 10 0 0 0 2 35.5 7th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTLM Risi Competizione 2 0 0 1 0 308 13th
Intercontinental GT Challenge Mercedes-AMG Team AKKA ASP 1 1 1 0 0 25 10th
Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing 1 0 0 0 0
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 7th
2022 ADAC GT Masters Drago Racing Team zvo 14 4 0 0 5 153 3rd
British GT Championship - GT3 Ram Racing 4 1 1 0 4 92.5 5th
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup AKKodis ASP Team 5 1 1 1 3 89 1st
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup 6 0 0 1 2 41.5 7th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro WeatherTech Racing 2 0 0 1 1 542 19th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD 2 0 0 1 0 533 39th
Intercontinental GT Challenge SunEnergy1 Racing by Triple Eight 1 1 0 0 1 65 2nd
Mercedes-AMG Team AKKodis ASP 1 1 1 0 1
Winward Racing 1 0 1 0 1
Mercedes-AMG GruppeM Racing 1 0 0 0 0
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed BWT 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 3rd
2023 Asian Le Mans Series - GT HubAuto Racing 4 0 2 0 0 12 12th
British GT Championship - GT3 D2 Privat with 2 Seas Motorsport 2 1 1 0 1 * *
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup AKKodis ASP Team
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro WeatherTech Racing 1 1 1 1 1 385* 1st*
Intercontinental GT Challenge SunEnergy1 Racing 1 1 0 0 1 25 1st*
AKKodis ASP Team
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF

* Season still in progress.

Complete French F4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 DC Points
2013 LMS
1
6		 LMS
2
Ret		 LMS
3
2		 PAU
1
8		 PAU
2
1		 PAU
3
9		 SPA
1
5		 SPA
2
17†		 SPA
3
DNS		 VDV
1
8		 VDV
2
4		 VDV
3
11		 MAG
1
1		 MAG
2
1		 MAG
3
1		 LÉD
1
1		 LÉD
2
14		 LÉD
3
1		 LEC
1
3		 LEC
2
2		 LEC
3
7		 2nd 236.5

Complete ADAC GT Masters results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points
2016 Callaway Competition Corvette C7 GT3-R OSC
1
7		 OSC
2
Ret		 SAC
1
4		 SAC
2
1		 LAU
1
4		 LAU
2
1		 RBR
1
3		 RBR
2
1		 NÜR
1
5		 NÜR
2
Ret		 ZAN
1
8		 ZAN
2
5		 HOC
1
6		 HOC
2
Ret		 3rd 152
2017 Callaway Competition Corvette C7 GT3-R OSC
1
Ret		 OSC
2
2		 LAU
1
5		 LAU
2
4		 RBR
1
1		 RBR
2
3		 ZAN
1
1		 ZAN
2
6		 NÜR
1
5		 NÜR
2
8		 SAC
1
8		 SAC
2
Ret		 HOC
1
1		 HOC
2
2		 1st 174
2021 Team Zakspeed Mobil Krankenkasse Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo OSC
1
15		 OSC
2
4		 RBR
1
13		 RBR
2
8		 ZAN
1
8		 ZAN
2
5		 LAU
1
Ret		 LAU
2
1		 SAC
1
9		 SAC
2
1		 HOC
1
10		 HOC
2
5		 NÜR
1
19		 NÜR
2
6		 6th 136
2022 Drago Racing Team zvo Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo OSC
1
13		 OSC
2
12		 RBR
1
12		 RBR
2
12		 ZAN
1
Ret		 ZAN
2
7		 NÜR
1
32		 NÜR
2
13		 LAU
1
17		 LAU
2
10		 SAC
1
12		 SAC
2
Ret		 HOC
1
163		 HOC
2
13		 3rd 153

* Season still in progress.

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pos. Points
2016 Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Pro MNZ
Ret		 SIL
24		 LEC NC 0
Pro-Am SPA
6H
28		 SPA
12H
29		 SPA
24H
30		 NÜR
27		 37th 6
2017 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3 Pro-Am MNZ
17		 SIL
22		 LEC
15		 CAT
36		 9th 46
Audi Sport Team Saintéloc Audi R8 LMS Pro SPA
6H
7		 SPA
12H
13		 SPA
24H
1		 11th 28
2018 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 Pro MNZ
24		 SIL
21		 LEC
2		 SPA
6H
11		 SPA
12H
5		 SPA
24H
25		 CAT
21		 14th 29
2019 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 Pro MNZ
12		 SIL
12		 LEC
1		 SPA
6H
16		 SPA
12H
28		 SPA
24H
49		 CAT
3		 4th 49
2020 Bentley K-PAX Racing Bentley Continental GT3 Pro IMO
30		 NÜR
Ret		 SPA
6H
10		 SPA
12H
5		 SPA
24H
10		 LEC
Ret		 23rd 6
2021 AKKA ASP Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Pro MNZ
2		 LEC
6		 SPA
6H
8		 SPA
12H
4		 SPA
24H
Ret		 NÜR
2		 CAT
1		 2nd 79
2022 AKKodis ASP Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Pro IMO
2		 LEC
3		 SPA
6H
3		 SPA
12H
3		 SPA
24H
1		 HOC
40†		 CAT
5		 1st 89

*Season still in progress.

Complete Super GT results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; small number denotes the finishing position)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DC Points
2018 EIcars Bentley Bentley Continental GT3 GT300 OKA FUJ SUZ CHA FUJ
13		 SUG AUT MOT NC 0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2019 United States Risi Competizione United Kingdom Oliver Jarvis
Brazil Pipo Derani		 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo GTE
Pro		 329 40th 11th
2020 United States Risi Competizione France Sébastien Bourdais
France Olivier Pla		 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo GTE
Pro		 339 23rd 4th

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos. Points
2017 Montaplast by Land-Motorsport GTD Audi R8 LMS Audi 5.2 L V10 DAY
2		 SEB
4		 LBH
 AUS
 BEL
 WGL
 MOS
 LIM
 ELK
 VIR
 LGA
 PET
 41st 60
2020 Michael Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian GTD Acura NSX GT3 Acura 3.5 L Turbo V6 DAY
10		 DAY
 SEB
 ELK
 VIR
 ATL
 MDO
 CLT
 PET
 LGA
 SEB
 51st 21
2021 Risi Competizione GTLM Ferrari 488 GTE Ferrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V8 DAY
4		 SEB
 DET
 WGL
 WGL
 LIM
 ELK
 LGA
 LBH
 VIR
 PET
 13th 308
2022 WeatherTech Racing GTD Pro Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 DAY
11		 SEB
3		 LBH LGA WGL MOS
 LIM
 ELK
 VIR
 PET
 19th 542
GTD DAY SEB LBH LGA
 MID DET WGL
 MOS
 LIM
7		 ELK
 VIR
6		 PET
 39th 533
2023 WeatherTech Racing GTD Pro Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 DAY
1		 SEB
3		 LBH
5		 MON
 WGL
 MOS
 LIM
 ELK
 VIR
 IMS
 PET
 2nd* 994*

Complete British GT Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2022 RAM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo GT3 OUL
1
2		 OUL
2
3		 SIL
1		 DON
1		 SNE
1		 SNE
2		 SPA
1
3		 BRH
1		 DON
1
2		 5th 92.5
2023 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo GT3 OUL
1
4		 OUL
2
1		 SIL
1
7		 DON
1
3		 SNE
1
7		 SNE
2
3		 ALG
1
 BRH
1
 DON
1
 3rd* 89.5*

† Driver did not finish, but was classified as he completed 90% race distance.
* Season still in progress.

References

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  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[permanent dead link]
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by ADAC GT Masters
Champion
2017		 Succeeded by
Mathieu Jaminet
Robert Renauer (de)
Preceded by Winner of the Bathurst 12 Hour
2020, 2022
With: Jordan Pepper & Maxime Soulet (2020)
Kenny Habul, Luca Stolz & Martin Konrad (2022)		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
Champion
2022
With: Raffaele Marciello & Daniel Juncadella		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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