Dudu Barrichello Criticizes Penalty After Late-Race Clash at VIR

Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Barrichello expressed disappointment following the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway, where a late-race drive-through penalty impacted his team's performance. The penalty was issued to co-driver Tom Gamble after contact during a battle for the lead in the GTD class.

With only six minutes left in the race, Gamble was involved in a collision with Philip Ellis while competing for first place. Although Gamble relinquished the position to Ellis shortly after, IMSA Race Control penalized the #27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with a drive-through penalty. Barrichello described the penalty as excessive, noting that Gamble attempted to play fair by giving up the position.

The penalty resulted in a fourth-place finish for Barrichello and Gamble, significantly affecting their championship standings. Barrichello, who was leading the GTD points before the race, now finds himself in third place, trailing the new leaders by 56 points. The Heart of Racing team has struggled to regain momentum, having not reached the podium in the last five races.