Wickens Eager for Racing Return

By Dennis Krause

For Robert Wickens, the offseason has felt like an eternity. But there is light at the end of the tunnel as he will make his season debut at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 17-18.

The last time Wickens was the behind the wheel of the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was in early August of last year at Virginia International Raceway.

“Yeah, so for 2026, we’re continuing with DXDT Racing, Corvette and General Motors in the same calendar as we did in 2025,” Wickens announced. “I am going to be doing all five of the sprint rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship alongside a former teammate, a good friend of mine, Mason Filippi. So it’s going to be an exciting season. I am hoping to continue the momentum that we started to create in 2025, although it feels like a lifetime ago now since I last drove the car in VIR. But really just excited to continue with DXDT Racing and Corvette and most importantly, with Bosch with my electronic braking system and my hand controls that help make the whole thing possible.

“I’s not going to be easy. In a way, I almost felt more prepared last year, even though it was my first race in the Corvette. The last time I’ve driven the car was at VIR in early August. I am confident we have the right people to get up to speed quickly and hopefully we can have more success in Long Beach.”

Wickens’ experience with Filippi dates back to the Nurburgring 24 Hours last year, although he’s been watching his career grow since 2022.

“We shared a car together and his feedback is amazing,” Wickens said. “He’s an A-class teammate. So we’re just really looking forward to starting this new journey together. He’s fresh in DXDT Racing and moving up into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship himself. He’s been very fast in the first two races, so we’re going to keep building momentum, keep moving forward. The goals are podium finishes for me in the sprint races, for sure.”

Expounding on his relationship with Filippi, Wickens commented, “Obviously Mason and I already have great chemistry. We talk every day. We were scheming and plotting throughout the whole winter on how we could be teammates for the full season together. Alec Udell was my teammate last year for the sprint races – an amazing driver and an amazing person. But there was always that get-to-know-you phase that we had when we first started working with each other where with Mason that’s just eliminated. I have a really good idea of how to communicate my feedback and driving styles and everything already, so we can hit the ground running in Long Beach.

“It’s an exciting time. I feel like our driver lineup for the sprint races with DXDT Racing and Corvette is a strong one. I think it’s one that we can challenge for a lot of good results. We’re all just excited to get going. For me, it’s been what feels like an eternity of an offseason. I think it’s one of the longest I’ve ever not driven a car, so I’m just excited for the opportunity.”

A paraplegic following an IndyCar accident in 2018, Wickens races with a hand control system by Bosch. According to Wickens, the system has been updated for 2026.

“Well, my actual controls that I am using are unchanged. But where we continue to evolve from the first test last year in Sebring and through all five of the sprint rounds was we were constantly developing the software to give me more feedback and more sensation from the braking system,” Wickens explained. “That continues to change and evolve. That’s been kind of at the forefront of everything; how do I gain that kind of resolution to be more accurate with my braking applications at all different kinds of brake pressure? It’s not every track you don’t break fully into the ABS every single time. Each corner, each track brings its own challenges and that’s kind of what we’ve constantly been working on and tuning. It’s been a really fun journey and to have people like Bosch alongside me and the amazing men and women that support my program… I’m honored to represent them. It’s exciting to kind of see it all grow and hopefully in the future we can create a product that the next generation of disabled drivers can use.”

As he prepares to get back in the driver’s seat following his eight-month layoff, Wickens, age 37, admits to a slight case of butterflies.

“Yeah, you always do, right? I mean I think as soon as you don’t have the butterflies ahead of a race, I think it means you don’t really care anymore. I think about the build-up to the weekend. First practice is going to be kind of just business as usual. Depending who qualifies, that’s kind of where the butterflies start, right? Whether it's myself or Mason qualifying, that’s to be determined. But at a track like Long Beach, you know track position is vital. So there is a lot of emphasis on that qualifying session itself. And that was the one when I think back to my Long Beach last year where I kind of kicked myself because I felt like I didn’t execute a good enough job, and that kind of set the groundwork for our ultimate results.

“So for sure the butterflies are still there. I haven’t been away from a racetrack since August. My work in IndyCar with Andretti Global as a driver coach there… I feel like I’m still at a racetrack every weekend but doing a slightly different role. So it’s going to be exciting to get the helmet on again, suit up and put my theories to the test.”

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.

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