Toyota Gazoo Racing’s No. 7 GR010 HYBRID topped the second practice session this afternoon for the FIA WEC runners at Portimao. Kamui Kobayashi set the car’s fastest time, a 1m32.155s – over half a second quicker than the FP1 benchmark time set by …
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s No. 7 GR010 HYBRID topped the second practice session this afternoon for the FIA WEC runners at Portimao. Kamui Kobayashi set the car’s fastest time, a 1m32.155s — over half a second quicker than the FP1 benchmark time set by Sebastien Buemi. The No. 8 Toyota, which topped FP1, ended up second, a second off the top time, but clear of the rest of the Le Mans Hypercar pack.
The quickest of the other Hypercar teams was again Ferrari in second practice, its 499Ps third and fourth, with the No. 50 the faster of the two in third, its best time a 1m33.301s.
It was a better session for Peugeot, which found pace in its No. 94 9X8 and ended up fifth, with a 1m33.829s from Nico Müller. The No. 93 was also much closer to the Toyotas in the session and ended up seventh, a tenth off the fastest Porsche 963 — the No. 5 — that finished up the day sixth.
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Cadillac Racing finished up eighth ahead of the Glickenhaus, which found over a second from its FP1 best and went quicker than the No. 6 Porsche 963, claiming ninth in the times.
In LMP2 it was all change from the first session, with Vector Sport’s ORECA setting a 1m34.609s to set the pace. Gabriel Aubry’s time was a tenth up on the Inter Europol ORECA which ended up second. The Polish team continues to impress this weekend on a circuit that it knows well from its seasons spent in the ELMS. The top three was completed by the No. 63 Prema ORECA that set the fastest LMP2 time in FP1.
In GTE Am, it was Kessel Racing that set the fastest time again, its No. 57 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO reeling off a 1m41.209s in the hands of Daniel Serra. Behind the No. 83 Richard Mille Ferrari — a brand-new chassis following the team’s heavy shunt at Sebring — ended up second, with the No. 54 AF Corse example third, making it a 1-2-3 for the Italian marque.
GR Racing’s Porsche was the fastest of the teams competing with the other manufacturers. Corvette Racing’s championship-leading C8.R was fifth.
There were no major issues in the session, though it did start later than scheduled due to barrier repairs for a huge incident at Turn 1 in practice for Porsche Sprint Challenge Iberica, here this weekend as the meeting’s only support series. The incident saw a car lose its brakes and end up going full speed into the barriers and over the catch fencing, landing in the grandstand at Turn 1. Thankfully the driver (Alexandre Areia) and no spectators were harmed.
UP NEXT: Track action continues tomorrow with Free Practice 3 at 11:15am local time.
Cadillac Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship team is set to return to the Portimao circuit after the 6 Hours of Spa in two weeks’ time, as part of the preparations for its Le Mans Hypercar in June. The Ganassi-run team, which campaigns a …
Cadillac Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship team is set to return to the Portimao circuit after the 6 Hours of Spa in two weeks’ time, as part of the preparations for its Le Mans Hypercar in June.
The Ganassi-run team, which campaigns a single full-season V-Series.R that will be joined by a second car at Spa and Le Mans, will run a single car at the Portuguese circuit for multiple days. All six factory drivers from the IMSA and WEC teams are set to share the wheel.
The test will be an endurance test, with the team targeting a 24-hour run to help ready the team before it competes at Le Mans for the first time with its LMDh. Cadillac feels this test will be a valuable as a tool to help the team members get ready for the biggest race of the season.
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“We are using the test as a race sim to prepare both crews for Le Mans,” Cadillac Racing team manager Stephen Mitas told RACER. “Obviously, the logistics of getting people here and then back for the (IMSA) race at Laguna is a challenge. But this circuit was available and fits our requirements.
“It’s race prep for us not in terms of preparing the vehicle, it’s about preparing the team. If you were doing race prep, you wouldn’t likely choose this circuit.”
The level of resources for Cadillac Racing’s global program continues to grow. Chip Ganassi Racing now has four cars at its disposal, two in Europe for its FIA WEC effort, which are both on-site in Portimao this week, and two in the USA for its IMSA program.
For Cadillac it makes sense from a logistical standpoint to have multiple chassis on either side of the Atlantic and as it allows it to dedicate each car to just one championship. The team feels the most sensible solution to running cars in IMSA and the FIA WEC is to build cars specifically for each championship rather than convert them from IMSA to WEC spec and vice versa multiple times during the season.
“There’s a scrutineering loom which is different, TV stuff that’s different,” Mitas explained. “There are subtle differences, some straightforward, some less straightforward, but you definitely need a specific car build for WEC and Le Mans compared to IMSA. You can (keep converting the cars) but it’s a lot of work. Once you put all that stuff in the car you don’t want to be pulling it out unless you have to. Doing that a few times a year is undesirable.”
Action Express will do the same. It will not run its Sebring-winning IMSA chassis in France when it heads to Europe for Le Mans. Instead, it will utilize a brand-new V-Series.R.
In addition to obtaining a second chassis for its European operation, Cadillac will soon move into a permanent facility in Stuttgart, Germany that will serve as a base for the WEC program. Time in its new home will be limited until after Le Mans, but Mitas told RACER that having a race shop in Europe will be important for the effort going forward.
“We are transitioning to a program that was based in the U.S., to a program that has a second base in Europe,” he said. “Now, as the FIA WEC transitions to Europe, the cars also transition to Europe. We built up the second car for Spa at Dallara during the past couple of weeks and car No. 2 (used at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Sebring) was air freighted from the base in Indy to here in Portugal directly for this event.
“From here, we go to our workshop where we will start work on the cars next week. Part of this includes finishing the build of the second car and fitting its race engine. It’s important — between now and Le Mans, we have a few days in the shop before Spa, then we go testing, then a few days back in the shop, then we go to France. We have about two weeks in the shop between now and Le Mans. But, after Le Mans, things will become more established.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s GR010 HYBRIDs enjoyed a perfect start to the FIA WEC 6 Hours of Portimao weekend this morning, setting the fastest times in Free Practice 1 in the Portuguese sunshine. The fastest time in the session came early on from …
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s GR010 HYBRIDs enjoyed a perfect start to the FIA WEC 6 Hours of Portimao weekend this morning, setting the fastest times in Free Practice 1 in the Portuguese sunshine.
The fastest time in the session came early on from Sebastien Buemi in the No. 8, the Swiss driver touring the circuit in 1m32.792s. It was a time that would go unchallenged, 0.384s quicker than the sister car which ended the session second.
The best of the rest was Ferrari AF Corse. Its pair of 499Ps at this early stage came closest to the Toyotas, with times six and seven tenths off respectively, the No. 51 ahead of the No. 50, Alessandro Pier Guidi setting the best time of the team’s six drivers.
Of the two teams running LMDh chassis, it was Porsche that set the quickest time, the No. 5 963 managing a 1m33.688s, 0.8s off the fastest Toyota. The second Penske Porsche was exactly a second off in sixth.
Cadillac’s single V-Series.R would finish with the seventh-fastest time, the car completing the least laps of the front runners, only completing a single out lap in the first 30 minutes of running. The Cadillac would eventually go on to lap the circuit 23 times. 20 fewer laps than the two Toyotas that completed the most mileage of the Le Mans Hypercar runners.
It was an underwhelming first session for Peugeot, which is looking to move past its difficult trip to Sebring. The two 9X8s were 1.7 and 2.2 seconds off the pace respectively, with the slower of the two, the No. 93, under the top three in LMP2 in the times.
Both Prema Racing ORECAs and the example from Inter Europol made up the top three in LMP2. The quickest time came from Mirko Bortolotti, a 1m34.542s early in the session in the No. 63. The No. 9 ended up second.
Inter Europol’s Fabio Scherer reeled off a 1m34.920s to go third. The top five was completed by the No. 23 United Autosport and No. 41 WRT ORECA, which brought the session to a premature end when Rui Andrade had an off into the barriers head-on at Turn 11.
The best of the two non-hybrid LMH entries from Vanwall and Glickenhaus were 20th and 22nd overall, the Vandervell quicker than only two of the cars in LMP2, the No. 36 Alpine and No. 10 Vector ORECAs.
In GTE Am, Kessel Racing’s Ferrari 488 GTE Evo set the pace, Daniel Serra setting a 1m41.341s, half a second clear of the No. 98 Northwest AMR Vantage that ended up second. The No. 88 Proton Porsche made it three makes in the top three with a 1m41.862s.
Proton’s No. 77 Porsche, meanwhile, ended up at the bottom of the timing screens, after causing a red flag when Mikkel Pedersen got beached in the gravel at Turn 8. The Iron Dames Porsche also neutralized the session, bringing out an FCY period after Sarah Bovy had an off, also at Turn 8.
UP NEXT: The second free practice session is set to run at 3:30pm local time.
Forthcoming FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar entrant Isotta Fraschini has completed a promising two-day shakedown test at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy with its brand-new Tipo 6 LMH Competizione. The Italian brand, which is targeting a …
Forthcoming FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar entrant Isotta Fraschini has completed a promising two-day shakedown test at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy with its brand-new Tipo 6 LMH Competizione.
The Italian brand, which is targeting a debut later this season, completed plenty of mileage over the two days, with Michelotto Engineering test driver Maurizio Mediani at the wheel.
Present for the test, in addition to staff from Isotta, was Gary Holland, the team principal of FIA WEC LMP2 team Vector Sport, and driver Ryan Cullen. The British team has been recruited by Isotta to run the Hypercar program.
On the first day of running the team focused on short runs of one to three, then five, then as many as eight consecutive laps, bringing the car in at various points for checks and to compare data with the wind tunnel figures accrued before the trip to the circuit. Initially, the car ran only under ICE power with its HWA-built turbo V6, before the team began using the hybrid system in the afternoon.
The second day saw further progress made by the team, with no major issues being encountered with the car. Isotta spent the track time focusing on calibrating the hybrid system, which activates when the Tipo 6 LMH reaches 120kph.
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“I’m satisfied with the work we have done together, which has now been going on for more than a year,” Mediani said after the test.
“Inside, the car is exactly how I wanted it. I’m glad the car worked so well. We took an evolutionary step by solving all the problems arisen, including those related to communication between the hybrid and the engine.
“Even the regenerative braking is good. But, even without using performance tires, the car handled well at high speeds and has very good balance. I am very satisfied.”
While the team has been targeting the FIA WEC round at Monza following Le Mans for the car’s race debut, RACER understands that the team has been informed by the series that the pit allocation is already at capacity for that race. This would means the team’s first opportunity to race will likely be at the 6 Hours of Fuji in September.
Former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat has joined Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean in Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s factory LMDh lineup. Kvyat will be involved in an extensive testing and development program for Lamborghini’s LMDh …
Former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat has joined Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean in Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s factory LMDh lineup.
Kvyat will be involved in an extensive testing and development program for Lamborghini’s LMDh prototype this year before making his race debut in 2024 with Iron Lynx in the WEC and IMSA championships. In the meantime, he will race for Prema in LMP2 in this year’s WEC alongside Bortolotti and Doraine Pin.
“I am very happy to have joined Lamborghini Squadra Corse, it is a great honor for me,” Kvyat said. “Lamborghini is a very well-known Italian brand with a great history in automotive world and, having grown up in Italy, this is an additional source of pride for me. We hope to achieve many goals together, I thank you for your trust in me and I look forward to starting work on the LMDh project later this year.”
The deal marks his full-time return to racing after a planned 2022 program with Russian LMP2 team G-Drive was spoiled when the team withdrew from the WEC, a move made in response to restrictions placed on Russian drivers by the FIA following the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Kvyat will race for Lamborghini under an Italian license.
“As a group, we are very excited to welcome Daniil to Lamborghini and believe he will be a strong asset to our LMDh project over the course of the 2023 season,” said Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s head of motorsport.
“Daniil’s main role with us will be working closely with our engineers and mechanics on the prototype car which will debut next year, and given his vast experience in other racing categories, I have no doubt that he will play a crucial part in us hitting the ground running in 2024.”
Kvyat entered F1 in 2014 with Toro Rosso off the back of a strong junior career as a Red Bull development driver. He was promoted to Red Bull Racing for 2015, but after a challenging couple of years was moved back to Toro Rosso, where he remained until 2017. After a one-year stint as a Ferrari reserve driver he returned for another spell at Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri. He lost his race seat to Yuki Tsunoda ahead of the 2021 season, but stayed on with the team for the year as a reserve.
Following the FIA’s introduction of restrictions on Russian drivers, Kvyat’s racing activities in 2022 were limited to the NASCAR Cup Series, where he made a one-off appearance with Team Hezeberg at IMS.
Goodyear has been awarded the exclusive tire supply deal for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s forthcoming LMGT3 class from 2024 onwards by the FIA and ACO, following the tender process that began last December. The American manufacturer won …
Goodyear has been awarded the exclusive tire supply deal for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s forthcoming LMGT3 class from 2024 onwards by the FIA and ACO, following the tender process that began last December.
The American manufacturer won the contract against stiff opposition from at least two rival tire companies during the process. After an early approach from Pirelli, the Italian tire maker withdrew its pitch, leaving French manufacturer Michelin and a third unidentified contender, understood to be Hankook, in the running until today.
The appointment of Goodyear, which is already an exclusive supplier to the FIA WEC LMP2 class, was approved by members of the FIA World Motor Sport Council via electronic vote this week and covers a three-year period starting from the 2024 season.
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“We are delighted to have a highly reputable tire manufacturer on board as the LMGT3 class prepares to hit the track next year,” said Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. “The teams will benefit from Goodyear’s expertise in supplying quality tires at a competitive cost. Thanks to Goodyear for their commitment to endurance.”
LMGT3 is set to replace the current GTE Am class in 2024, following the end of GTE platform’s eligibility in the FIA WEC after this year’s season finale in Bahrain.
The announcement today only covers the WEC and not the European Le Mans Series’ LMGT3 class, which is also set to debut in 2024. A decision has not yet been communicated on the tire supplier for the ELMS GT3 class. At present, Goodyear supplies the GTE (and LMP2) category in the European series, while Michelin supplies the ELMS LMP3 category.
“Tires are one of the key areas which will evolve over the next couple of years,” noted Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission president. “We have already moved away from tire heating and we will be gradually reducing the number of available tire compounds, therefore having an experienced partner that already knows both the FIA World Endurance Championship as well as GT3 racing is an asset. The fact that LMGT3 cars will run on commercially available, off-the-shelf tires is also a positive development that will bring down the costs for competitors.”
FIA WEC Hypercar-bound Isotta Fraschini is set to shake down its Tipo 6 LMH Competizione for the first time April 11-12 at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy. At the test, the Italian manufacturer’s hybrid-powered Hypercar will be driven by Michelotto …
FIA WEC Hypercar-bound Isotta Fraschini is set to shake down its Tipo 6 LMH Competizione for the first time April 11-12 at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy.
At the test, the Italian manufacturer’s hybrid-powered Hypercar will be driven by Michelotto Engineering test driver Maurizio Mediani, who has previous prototype experience in the WEC as part of SMP Racing’s LMP2 effort. Mediani has also been involved in the simulator development of the Tipo 6 LMH, which has been designed and built in the Michelotto headquarters in Padova, Italy.
The shakedown test next week follows two 4wd dyno runs during February and March. The car has also completed its mandatory crash test in recent days, as part of its FIA homologation process.
Following the shakedown, Isotta plans to put the car through a wider test program before requesting race-by-race entries later in the 2023 FIA WEC season, with LMP2 outfit Vector Sport set to run the car at each meeting. The aim is to debut the car in July for the brand’s home race at Monza, the final European stop on the schedule.
This news follows a recent visit to Isotta Fraschini’s base by former Formula 1 and WEC driver Pastor Maldonado, who spent a day meeting the management team and taking a look at the Tipo 6 LMH.
While RLL’s BMW GTP program in IMSA is fully underway, the Bavarian brand’s FIA WEC Hypercar program for 2024 with Team WRT from Belgium is still coming together behind the scenes. Scheduled to debut at the start of the 2024 season, WRT’s effort …
While RLL’s BMW GTP program in IMSA is fully underway, the Bavarian brand’s FIA WEC Hypercar program for 2024 with Team WRT from Belgium is still coming together behind the scenes. Scheduled to debut at the start of the 2024 season, WRT’s effort with the M Hybrid V8 will be its first in the top class of sports car racing, after spending a decade at the top level of GT3 racing in Europe.
WRT, which is co-owned by Yves Weerts and Vincent Vosse, now has its sight set on winning Le Mans overall and a world championship in the FIA WEC. It has nothing left to prove in the GT sphere, as it had amassed 55 titles in series around the world by the end of last year.
However, putting together a Hypercar programme has been anything but an easy task for WRT, as its original plan fell apart. Initially, WRT was set to spearhead Audi Sport’s return to top-class racing as its defacto factory team, competing in the FIA WEC with a Multimatic chassis-based LMDh prototype, alongside fellow VAG brands, Porsche and Lamborghini.
But it was left scrambling when Audi switched its primary motorsport focus to Formula 1 in 2022, and confirmed that it shelved its LMDh plans in August, just weeks before the test programme was set to begin. This took WRT by surprise.
All of a sudden the team which was once the face of Audi’s GT3 customer racing programme in Europe, was forced to find a new deal with a new brand. By that point WRT had already made a significant commitment to prototype racing too, competing in the WEC and ELMS’ LMP2 categories since 2021 as part of its preparations to join the top class. Getting something together for 2024 wasn’t ideal, but quickly became the priority.
“We had a plan,” Vosse told RACER. “Exactly a year ago it was cut short because of Audi’s decision to withdraw from the programme to concentrate on Formula 1 goals.
“We had to start discussions with different manufacturers and we were lucky enough to find a way with BMW to follow our goals which includes running a team in the GT categories, following the success we had with the other brand for many years.
“It was personally a very difficult decision for me,” Vosse continued, “because we had such a great relationship with our friends from Audi, it was such a great successful partnership. There are a lot of people who became friends during those years and it was a pleasure to be a part of the achievements of Dr. Ullrich, followed by Dieter Gass and Chris Reinke at Audi Sport.
“To stop this collaboration and start something completely new with a new manufacturer, was tough.”
WRT’s transition to racing with BMW has been rapid, the team making its debut with the M4 GT3 back in January at the Dubai 24 Hours having only announced its decision to switch in October 2022. Getting the new deal together on a short call was assisted in no small part by the arrival at BMW of Andreas Roos from Audi, a man who had in-depth knowledge of the capabilities of the Belgian team.
Even with that familiarity, it was still a risk. Moving to a new manufacturer after a lengthy stint with a rival doesn’t always work. Vosse is nevertheless confident in his team’s ability to not only adapt to working with its new partner but expand its operation at the same time ahead of what promises to be the most competitive season in WEC history in 2024.
WRT had been an Audi stalwart for a number of years. Alexander Trienitz/Motorsport Images
“BMW was one of the only manufacturers that could offer us a double programme,” Vosse explained when asked about its appeal. “We are doing GT World Challenge with two Pro cars. We are doing IGTC too with two Pro cars and then Hypercar from 2024. It’s a double program and we keep our GT and LMP2 programs completely separate. BMW was one of the only manufacturers who could give us this opportunity.”
RACER understands that its commitment to GT3 and LMP2 racing looks unlikely to be affected by its Hypercar program, underlining the scale of its ambition. Current plans could see it competing on multiple fronts in ACO competition, in Hypercar, LMP2 (likely in the European Le Mans Series) and in the WEC’s GT ranks once GT3 cars become eligible next year.
The potential for WRT to continue with its LMP2 program could be particularly significant, and see it as an early player in the customer Hypercar arena. How early that move comes, depends principally on the state of the marketplace once it has its feet under the table in the top class.
Thus, seats in all of WRT’s cars, in every category, are hot property, with so many aspirational drivers looking to step up to the WEC’s top class in the coming years. Currently, Vosse is coy about who will drive in its Hypercars next season.
“We have always had a great relationship with drivers. But this is a category where you have to find a balance between experience, speed, knowing championships, and knowing the team, it’s a bit of a compromise. It’s not just in my hands, it’s also in BMW’s, let’s see. But I don’t think you would be very surprised with who we have,” he said.
There is still a long way to go though before it begins racing in Hypercar, almost a full season. Currently the first of its WEC cars is being built in Munich, before being moved to WRT’s LMP2 base, where the program will be run from.
Testing with the M Hybrid V8 is set to begin in May, with the initial rollout of its first car. Details on the venue and the number of days it will be running are still being finaliaed.
Luckily, WRT is already familiar with the M Hybrid V8, having sent staff members to Daytona to support RLL’s effort at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, where the car made its global race debut. How much further WRT’s collaboration with RLL will go remains to be seen.
Will WRT head stateside to support RLL’s IMSA title bid? Will RLL start racing in Europe to assist WRT?
“You never know,” Vosse told RACER. “Motorsport always springs a surprise. At the moment, we are fully committed and focused on our WEC programme, and I think RLL is fully focused on IMSA.
“And of course, you will see some similar faces in both championships because yeah, it’s not only RLL, it’s not only WRT, there are some people from BMW who are committed to the programme that you will see in the in both championships. But at the moment, so far, the discussion has been quite clear, we will fully commit to the world championship.”
Porsche Penske Motorsport has finalized the lineup for its third Porsche 963 at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Full-season IMSA GTP Porsche drivers Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet and Felipe Nasr are set to share the No. 75 – chosen to commemorate the …
Porsche Penske Motorsport has finalized the lineup for its third Porsche 963 at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Full-season IMSA GTP Porsche drivers Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet and Felipe Nasr are set to share the No. 75 — chosen to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars.
With 10 starts in the world’s greatest endurance race under his belt, Nick Tandy brings a wealth of experience. In 2015, the Briton secured an overall victory at the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid.
For Frenchman Jaminet, the race in June marks the second outing at Le Mans. He turned his first laps there at the wheel of the Porsche 911 RSR in 2019.
Brazil’s Nasr, who had already been selected as the driver in the No. 75 car when entries closed for the 24-hour race, has three starts.
Matt Campbell, who also drives in IMSA for Porsche Penske Motorsport, will also make the trip to France. The Australian will support the team as a reserve driver for Porsche’s three-pronged works effort in the Hypercar class.
This news means the driver crews are now confirmed for all four 963s set to race at Le Mans, as customer team Hertz Team JOTA — which enters the fourth Porsche — had previously revealed its Le Mans trio.
A 38-car entry list for Round 3 of the FIA WEC season at Spa-Francorchamps on the last weekend of April has been revealed. It includes a boosted Hypercar grid of 13 cars for the six-hour Le Mans “dress rehearsal.” The top class field will increase …
A 38-car entry list for Round 3 of the FIA WEC season at Spa-Francorchamps on the last weekend of April has been revealed. It includes a boosted Hypercar grid of 13 cars for the six-hour Le Mans “dress rehearsal.”
The top class field will increase by two from the 11 that raced at Sebring and are set to compete in Round 2 at Portimao on April 16. The new entries come from Cadillac Racing and Hertz Team JOTA, which will bring an additional V-Series.R and Porsche 963 to the hotly contested category.
For Cadillac, entering its gold-liveried V-Series.R that competes in IMSA full-time serves as part of the preparations for the car’s Le Mans debut in June. At La Sarthe both Ganassi-run Cadillacs will take the start, joined by the Sebring 12 Hours-winning Action Express example, which also runs full-time in IMSA and will make a three-pronged effort for the GM brand.
The 6 Hours of Spa will be the second time that both Cadillac Racing V-Series.Rs have competed together, as both cars took part at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the car’s global race debut.
“We are looking forward to the first WEC race where both of our Cadillac Hypercars will be participating,” said Mike O’Gara, director of operations for Chip Ganassi Racing. “Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing believe that we are stronger when we race multiple cars on any given race weekend. The Spa event will serve as a much-needed dress rehearsal for the Le Mans 24-hour race. It will be a great opportunity for our ‘IMSA regulars’ to be immersed in the WEC rules and race procedures in anticipation of the big event in June.”
Driving the No. 3 Cadillac will be full-season IMSA pair Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande.
Hertz Team JOTA’s No. 38 963, meanwhile, was previously announced to be making its debut at Spa back at the British outfit’s car reveal in London. Antonio Felix da Costa, Will Stevens and Yifei Ye are due to compete as a trio from Round 3 onwards in the team’s new car.
As expected, the addition of JOTA’s Hypercar entry to the WEC grid means its LMP2 effort has been reduced to a single car — the No. 28 of David Heinemeier Hansson, Pietro Fittipaldi and Oliver Rasmussen. However, JOTA will compete in Portimao with its two LMP2 ORECAs prior to the race at Spa, with da Costa competing on home soil in the seat filled by Stevens at Sebring, where the No. 48 took a dramatic class win.
The only other change in the Hypercar class is at Glickenhaus, where Romain Dumas and Olivier Pla are listed as a pair in the No. 708 007, with the third driver a TBA. At Sebring Ryan Briscoe was part of the team’s lineup.
Elsewhere on the 38-car entry, in GTE Am there is only one notable change. In the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari, Diego Alessi will drive in the seat filled by Stefano Constantini at Sebring. He will race alongside Simon Mann and Ulysse de Pauw.
The FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa is set to get underway on April 29.
