Le Mans/WEC – Page 6 – Syndication Server

Is Ferrari about to end GT3 podium drought in Japan?

LMGT3’s debut season in the FIA WEC has been dominated by Porsche, with Manthey’s pair of 911 LMGT3 R 992s winning four of the six races so far. The German marque has been in crushing form since the WEC cars rolled out of the pitlane in Qatar back in February and while WRT and Heart of Racing have mounted challenges, both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles look destined to go either Pure Rxcing or EMA’s way.

But that doesn’t mean that the category is devoid of storylines with the campaign coming to a close.

Collectively, the teams that haven’t yet won a race or reached the podium now realize that with two races remaining, time is running out to claim silverware. And how they are responding to that revelation has been engrossing to watch.

One of the teams in question is Vista AF Corse. 12 months on from the claiming Ferrari 488 GTE’s final win in the FIA WEC at the same venue in Japan, the Italian-flagged team appears primed for its first strong result of the season after Francois Heriau stormed to pole for the first time this afternoon.

The fact that a Ferrari hasn’t found a way onto the podium this season in the WEC is one of the most unbelievable statistics through the first three quarters of the campaign.

The Ferrari-AF Corse combination has been a part of the WEC since its inaugural season in 2012, and has often set the bar in the GT categories, claiming wins and titles by the bucket load. With the 296 LMGT3 though, AF still lacks its first stand-out performance.

The team’s factory drivers, Alessio Rovera and Davide Rigon, acknowledge there are a number of factors behind Ferrari’s challenging season in the GT ranks. The natural ebb and flow of Balance of Performance, the introduction of torque sensors, the challenges that come with learning how to get the most out of Goodyear’s 2024 tires and of course, mistakes and misfortunes, have all played a part.

However, above all else they feel the gap in experience and speed between the top and bottom of the Bronze and Silver driver hierarchy is primarily to blame.

“Some races we’ve had good balance, good BoP and a good car, some races not. That is expected. And we are happy with the 296, the main problem has been the class,” Rigon explains.

“The line-ups in the championship are a bit unbalanced, we feel you have to respect the rules, the Silver must be a Silver, the Bronze must be the Bronze. We feel we have fair line-ups.

“Because we don’t see many safety cars in WEC the differences between the Bronzes are more visible than in other series. It would be nice to see a few more to close the gaps! There are fewer battles at the end of a race because the field is spread out after they have done their time. It’s been difficult.”

Rovera shares the same assessment. “In some races we’ve had the chance to finish in the top three, which was always our target before the season, but we’ve had too many penalties or bad luck. And like Davide says, there are fake Silvers and fake Bronzes, and it’s always difficult to fight because of this.”

LMGT3 is a Pro/Am formula, meaning the Bronze-graded drivers in particular are forced to do the heavy lifting. The teams generally live and die on their pace during Qualifying and at the start of each race.

Ferrari has been strong in Hypercar, but in GT3 the results haven’t been there. JEP/Motorsport Images

At Vista AF Corse, Thomas Flohr and Francois Heriau are taking on the challenges that come with this role. And while they’ve had to navigate choppy waters throughout the season, there are signs that they are beginning to find their feet under the tutelage of Rigon and Rovera.

Flohr, who was part of the winning GTE Am line-up at Fuji last year, has spent much of the campaign getting up to speed with the nuances of a GT3 car, which, unlike the GTE models he knew and loved in years past, requires a different style of driving.

“In the No. 54 we started with a good result in Qatar,” Rigon tells RACER. “But since that fifth-place finish, it’s been difficult.

“It’s important to point out though that Thomas has improved a lot. Every race his skill is getting better and I have to highlight that he keeps making it into Hyperpole and ends up in the top five or top eight in Qualifying. He is finding the limit, which means you can make mistakes. But we appreciate his effort in the transition.

“You can think it’s easier to drive a GT3,” he continues, “and from a lap time point of view, he’s closer to me than he was in GTE, but in the race, he would prefer the confidential Michelin tyres. He needs more experience with the Goodyears and ABS to take the next step. ABS helps you, but it’s a different style of braking because you need to use, not abuse it.”

Heriau too is new to GT3 racing and has been learning on the job with Rovera and Simon Mann in the No. 55. The Frenchman’s racing career to this point centered around prototype machinery, competing in the FIA WEC, ELMS, Asian Le Mans Series and Le Mans Cup in LMP2 and LMP3. The step to a World Championship level in the new LM GT3 class has therefore been a big one.

“Before this season he had zero experience in a GT car,” Rovera points out. “To adapt to a car that is heavier and doesn’t have the same downforce is difficult, but during the season he has changed completely. Early on he struggled, but he has worked hard. He is really good at managing tires, so on tracks where that is an issue he is really good, that’s his strength.”

This weekend though, things are looking up. The VistaJet-liveried Ferraris were quick throughout practice, finished up FP3 1-2 in the times and will start tomorrow’s race from P1 and P9.

Will this form translate in tomorrow’s race? That’s the big question. The fight for points and podiums has been fierce throughout the season, but Rovera and Rigon certainly feel a breakthrough will be possible.

And with next season now in the back of everyone’s collective minds, a strong result now would certainly go a long way in boosting morale ahead of what looks set to be a crucial winter.

“Here we have a good opportunity to score a result because the car behavior is good and suits this circuit,” Rovera says.

“We really like this track as a group with the 296,” adds Rigon. “It’s been positive. The first target is victory of course, but the way this season is going, to reach the podium would also feel like one.”

Cadillac nets first WEC pole at Fuji

Cadillac Racing’s No. 2 V-Series.R will start tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Fuji from pole position after Alex Lynn ended Toyota’s hopes of a front-row lockout with a blistering 1m28.901s at the end of Hyperpole. Lynn’s lap – which took the top spot by four …

Lynn’s lap – which took the top spot by four hundredths – delivered the GM brand its first WEC pole and extended the Ganassi-run squad’s streak of top-four performances in qualifying to five race with style.

“It feels so good,” Lynn exclaimed. “This car is amazing over one lap, massive congrats to Cadillac. I just wanted to give the team a pole position this year as we’ve come close so many times. I’ve proud we’ve done it.”

The No. 8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID will start second on the grid tomorrow after Ryo Hirakawa’s best effort. His 1m28.942s with under three minutes left was the first lap under 1m29 in the session, but it wasn’t enough.

The sister Toyota meanwhile, eventually dropped from provisional pole to fourth after Dries Vanthoor set a 1m29.059s at the death to put the No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8 third.

Kevin Estre was the quickest Porsche driver, the Frenchman putting the championship-leading No. 6 factory 963 fifth with a 1m29.152s.

Alpine showed pace, the No. 35 A424 slotting in sixth ahead of the No. 50 Ferrari, as did Lamborghini Iron Lynx. The sole SC63 took ninth after Daniil Kyvat steered the Italian-flagged team into Hyperpole for the first time.

“It’s really positive for the team to get this result,” Kvyat told RACER. “If you had told me we’d get into Hyperpole yesterday I’d have laughed. It’s a nice surprise.”

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Further down the starting order, both JOTA Porsche 963s, both Peugeots, the No. 36 Alpine and two of the three Ferrari 499Ps (the COTA-winning No. 83 and No. 51) failed to make it into the final shootout.

It was certainly a sobering outcome for Robert Kubica. After the win in Austin just two weeks ago, qualifying 13th on the grid for tomorrow’s race was a tough pill to swallow.

“It’s a bit disappointing, I don’t know what happened,” he said. “We didn’t have grip. We need to see what’s going on with that, as it’s annoying. I tried my best and I got traffic in Turn 6. I might have snuck in without it.”

Vista AF Corse also got a maiden WEC pole. JEP/Motorsport Images

Vista AF Corse set the pace in LMGT3, Francois Heriau handing the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 its first WEC pole position with a superb improvement to 1m40.893s late in Hyperpole.

Heriau’s performance added to what has been an impressive run through the race meeting so far from AF Corse’s 296s, which were quick throughout practice and appear ready to finish on the podium for the first time.

“From the beginning of the year, we’ve shown good pace but have been unlucky. This doesn’t feel like a win, but we are very happy as a team,” Heriau said.

En route to his milestone result, Heriau had to get the better of TF Sport’s Tom van Rompuy, who briefly took provisional pole with his first flying lap. However, the Belgian’s best time – a 1m40.975s – wasn’t quite good enough to score himself and the Z06 LMGT3.R its second pole of the year.

The No. 95 United McLaren, after a strong performance from Josh Caygill and the Iron Dames Lamborghini, will occupy the second row.

United’s second McLaren also snuck into the top five and ended up exactly four-tenths off pole.

Vista AF Corse’s sister car made Hyperpole too but Thomas Flohr didn’t quite have the pace to make it a front-row lockout. He will start tomorrow’s race ninth behind the COTA-winning Heart of Racing Aston Martin.

Perhaps the biggest headline in the class from qualifying, though, came ahead of Hyperpole, as three of the championship-contending cars failed to make the shootout.

The No. 92 Pure Rxcing Porsche will start 14th just ahead of the sister EMA car in 15th. Both 911s struggled for outright pace and ended up a second off the fastest time in the session.

“I did the most I could with the car, that is our pace and what we’ve got. We will do our best tomorrow to score points,” championship leader from Pure Rxcing Alex Malkyhin admitted.

Neither WRT BMW made it through either. Darren Leung qualified 16th in class with a 1m42.013s in the No. 31, which is the better placed of the two M4 LMGT3s in the points standings. The No. 46 will line up 12th.

It was however a more encouraging run for AKKODIS ASP and its pair of RC F LMGT3s. The No. 87 missed out on the shootout by three-tenths and will start P11, while the No. 78 made it through and managed to nab sixth for Lexus’ home race.

Tomorrow’s race is set to start at 11:00am local time.

RESULTS

No. 8 Toyota tops final Fuji practice

Toyota’s No. 8 GR010 HYBRID finished up the final practice session ahead of the 6 Hours of Fuji this morning on top of the timing screens, with a 1m29.621s set by Ryo Hirakawa. The local hero’s lap came nine minutes into the hour-long session, which …

Toyota’s No. 8 GR010 HYBRID finished up the final practice session ahead of the 6 Hours of Fuji this morning on top of the timing screens, with a 1m29.621s set by Ryo Hirakawa.

The local hero’s lap came nine minutes into the hour-long session, which was preceded by a brief Circuit Safari session for a select group of fans and red-flagged with 21 minutes remaining due to an issue with the kerbs and runoff at the exit of Turn 1.

Replays during the stoppage showed a large chunk of brick coming loose as the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P passed through, which prompted the decision by the race director to bring the action to a halt and inspect the area with circuit officials.

The session did not go green again in the end, meaning the teams lost a third of the track time. We now await news on a solution to the problem that will allow track action to resume.

Nevertheless, FP3 came to a close with four different manufacturers sitting in the top four, all setting times within two-tenths, teasing what promises to be an entertaining Qualifying session later today.

The No. 2 Cadillac slotted in second after a 1m29.707s from Alex Lynn 20 minutes into the run, the No. 50 Ferrari ended up third and the No. 35 Alpine rose to fourth during a nine-lap run from Charles Milesi.

Both Toyotas ended up in the top five, as the No. 7 GR010 ended up fifth with a 1m30.055s.

In LMGT3 Vista AF Corse’s Ferraris continued to flex their muscles, with the No. 55 ending up quickest and the No. 54 setting the second-fastest time after hot laps set shortly before the red flag. The best time from the two was a 1:41.206.

“At the moment it’s good but we need to remember it was half a session and we used new tyres,” No. 54 driver Davide Rigon said. “It should be a tight qualifying as yesterday there was one second between the top 17 cars. The car is never perfect but we have a good feeling.

Best of the rest was the No. 78 AKKODIS ASP Lexus, which came within two-tenths of the No. 55 with a 1m41.422s from Arnold Robin.

The No. 95 United Autosports McLaren, which briefly sat second after a tour from James Cottingham, ended up fourth with the championship-leading Pure Rxcing Porsche fifth.

Qualifying is set to get underway at 14:20 local time later today.

Gounon ‘on trial with myself’ to make the most of Alpine call-up

Alpine’s Hypercar reserve driver Jules Gounon is eager to soak up as much information and track time as possible this weekend in Fuji. The Frenchman – who was thrown in at the deep end as the substitute for the injured Ferdinand Habsburg earlier …

Alpine’s Hypercar reserve driver Jules Gounon is eager to soak up as much information and track time as possible this weekend in Fuji. The Frenchman — who was thrown in at the deep end as the substitute for the injured Ferdinand Habsburg earlier this year at Imola and Spa — is back for a third start in the No. 35 A424 and senses a prime opportunity to impress.

In April when he received the call to race in Italy following Habsburg’s crash in testing, the situation was far from ideal. He lacked track time and the Signatech-run Alpine effort was still finding its feet with its new car.

Now, though, at the back end of the campaign, Gounon rejoins the team at an exciting moment, fresh from its best result of the season just two weeks ago at Circuit of The Americas. There the A424 took a real step forward in performance terms and the No. 35 finished fifth.

“Everything was not ready for my debut, I had only one test day in the car before I arrived in Imola and everything was new,” he reflected in conversation with RACER. “I didn’t adapt to the systems and I didn’t do any work beforehand because I wasn’t expecting to drive. It was difficult, especially as I didn’t have any relevant downforce experience before in single-seaters or anything like that. All I did was one LMP2 test to convince Alpine to give me a reserve role!

“Spa was better, but still hard. All I had was 10 laps in each practice session and then in the races I did 45 minutes in Imola because of the changing conditions and in Spa, I did 50 minutes because of the red flag. It’s not a lot, so I’m definitely not where I want to be yet.

“However, coming back I can see a lot of progress since my last race, definitely,” he said. “Everyone has worked hard and it shows. The car feels much better, more consistent and more natural. The systems are better and that’s the key. There’s still a disadvantage compared to Porsche and Ferrari, who have more cars running and more time to analyze. But we all have the goal of building this.”

Better still, he has had ample time to mentally prepare for this cameo at Fuji in the seat usually occupied by Paul-Loup Chatin. To aid his development, this appearance was written into his contract before the season began, he’s had the weekend circled in his calendar for months.

What would a strong performance on Sunday mean for his future? Right now, there are no guarantees, but a standout performance would surely improve his chances of securing a full-time Hypercar drive in the future.

Taking that step will not be easy, though Gounon has both the ability and a résumé that speaks for itself. During his time as a Mercedes-AMG factory driver, he has racked up Spa 24 Hours, Rolex 24 At Daytona and Bathurst 12 Hour wins to his name, as well as a pair of World Challenge Europe titles. Now he has an eye on what’s next.

Thus, he is grateful that Mercedes-AMG — a brand that aspires to compete in the FIA WEC but doesn’t currently have a program — has been so accommodating, allowing him to explore a future in Hypercar by adding this reserve role at Alpine to his ongoing GT racing commitments.

“We are definitely in the golden era for endurance racing, with so many factories and pro drivers. I want to be a part of that going forward,” Gounon said when asked about his ambition to race in the WEC’s top class. “At the same time, I still have a contract with Mercedes until the end of next year, so I know I will still be doing GT racing. If one day I get the chance (in Hypercar), I will take it, but I will definitely not stop GT racing.

“For now though, my goal is to not let my teammates down. I know what I can deliver in terms of performance in a prototype like this, but I am not there yet. I’m not seconds off; I just need to find the final few tenths. I don’t feel like I am on trial with the team, instead, I am on trial with myself and I want to show what I can do and impress.

“With the team in the position it is in now, we hope to score more points and make a strong statement. I want to be a part of that. Every weekend comes with new challenges. Hopefully, we can face them.”

Toyota looks to reclaim WEC superpower form on home soil

The FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar title battles resume at Fuji this weekend, two weeks on from AF Corse’s dramatic victory with the privately-funded No. 83 499P at Circuit of The Americas’ Lone Star Le Mans on Labor Day weekend. And while Ferrari and Porsche both head into the seventh race of the season with high hopes, they are under no illusions that beating Toyota on home soil will be anything other than a tall order.

Toyota’s WEC record is near perfect at the Fuji Speedway, with nine wins in 10 races. The only exception came back in 2015 when Porsche won with its 919.

While some of its victories over the years came while racing in a lean top-class, it demonstrated last year — after Porsche led the opening hours of the race with its No. 6 963 — that even with stiff opposition the Toyota team is capable of orchestrating a formation finish on Sunday evening. The million-dollar question ahead of the race is therefore whether or not Toyota will prove to be the safe bet once again.

The speedway named for nearby Mount Fuji has been a happy hunting ground for Toyota and its GR010 HYBRID but the opposition has been gaining ground. JEP/Motorsport Images

The season hasn’t been a stroll in the park for Toyota like it was at times in 2023, but its GR010 HYBRIDs have progressed through the season nicely after a tough start to the campaign in Qatar, where an out-of-character performance saw them fighting in the mid-pack.

Since challenging for victory but ultimately coming up short again at Le Mans back in June, Toyota has hit fine form. The No. 8’s race-winning run in Brazil in July looked comfortable and a second win in a row looked odds-on at COTA earlier this month before the No. 7 was penalized in the closing stages while leading and fell to second.

The result? For the first time in 2024 Toyota heads into a race weekend leading the Hypercar manufacturers’ world championship and if Sunday goes to plan it has every chance of traveling to the season finale with the upper hand in the drivers’ title race too.

The overarching narrative in Hypercar during the first half of the season centered around Porsche’s turnaround and Ferrari’s second fairytale run at Le Mans. Now, it seems, the script has been flipped. With titles on the line, the most experienced and successful team in the class is once again firing on all cylinders.

Despite all this, Toyota’s team director Rob Leupen told RACER that the team is proceeding with caution this weekend. Extending its win streak in Japan, he stressed, is likely to be tougher than ever.

“Three teams are fighting for the championship. And for us, it will be tough to know where we are until Sunday. In Austin, we struggled in qualifying but the race went much better than expected, like São Paulo,” he explained. “We will need to fight because we have seen Porsche strong here last year. Here we are the team to beat, but it will be a hard and close fight.”

Nailing the tire strategy, as ever, will be crucial — especially if it stays dry on Sunday and both the Michelin medium and hard compounds prove useful. Qualifying well may be more of a priority than usual too, as overtaking on Fuji Speedway is notoriously tough, particularly in Sectors 2 and 3 where opportunities to pass even the slower GT cars are limited.

While Alpine, Cadillac and BMW are tipped to be in the mix on Sunday, Toyota will remain focused on beating Porsche and Ferrari.

Toyota’s execution and strategy figure to be tested at Fuji. JEP/Motorsport Images

Penske’s No. 6 963 of Laurens Vanthoor, Andre Lotterer and Kevin Estre finished on the podium last year in Japan and all three are keen to bounce back and prevent their slim 12-point lead from shrinking further before Bahrain.

“This is one of the tracks that suits our car better, which is good because it’s an important race to do well,” Lotterer told RACER. “I haven’t thought too much about the title before this weekend because you need to take it race-by-race.

“We’ve been strong and consistent and found ways to extract the maximum out of our package, especially in the last two races when we lacked speed. Ultimately, whether or not the title race is on your mind the task doesn’t change.”

Ferrari’s 499 struggled for outright pace at Fuji 12 months ago, but on the face of it, there’s reason to believe that its second visit may yield better results. The recent Joker update — focused on brake cooling and aero efficiency — was originally expected to be most effective here and in Bahrain. However, the mood within the camp is not as positive as you may expect.

“It’s clear already after FP1 that this is going to be a tough weekend for us. I don’t expect the Joker change to make a big difference,” No. 50 driver Antonio Fuoco told RACER. “We should be OK for the top 10 for qualifying but I think it’s going to be a long race. It’s a matter of staying out of trouble and doing the best we can in a very deep field.”

Securing the manufacturers’ title is Toyota’s number one priority, but with the No. 7 full-season duo of Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries firmly in the fight for drivers’ honors, Leupen admits that team orders may be required between its two crews to ensure it is best positioned to claim both championships in November.

“The No. 7 will get more support to secure points if they are in the position to continue to fight for the championship,” he said. “It’s important. But if anything happens then we will push the No. 8. It’s a team effort and we will work with both cars because they need to support each other.”

BMW’s Vanthoor leads second Fuji WEC practice

BMW M Team WRT’s No. 15 M Hybrid V8 set the pace in the second Free Practice session of the WEC weekend in Fuji this afternoon. Dries Vanthoor was the hotshoe for the team in the session, setting a 1m29.577s early in the running as part of a flurry …

Vanthoor’s 1m29.577s was almost a full second quicker than the best time set in Free Practice 1 earlier in the day by his older brother Laurens Vanthoor in the the No. 6 factory Porsche, but just 0.009s up on the No. 5 Porsche that slotted in second this time with a lap from Matt Campbell.

Adding to the encouraging session for BMW was a late long-run from Raffaele Marciello, who completed a series of fast laps in the No. 15 with medium tires on the front and hards on the rear, as the team worked towards nailing in a setup for the race.

Completing the top five was the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series. R, No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari and No. 8 Toyota, all three lapping within three and a half tenths of the No. 15 BMW.

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Like Hypercar, the running order in LMGT3 was significantly different from FP1, with the Vista AF Corse finding speed. Alessio Rovera put the No. 55 Ferrari atop the times with a 1m40.851s. However, Marino Sato’s 1m40.528s from the earlier session in the No. 95 United Autosports McLaren remains the quickest lap of the day from the class.

TF Sport’s No. 82 Corvette finish up second in the afternoon, with the No. 60 Iron Lynx Huracan third. It was extremely close in the category, with 16 of the 18 cars lapping within a second.

There was one notable incident, with Claudio Schiavoni spinning at Turn 10 in the No. 60 Huracán, before receiving a reprimand for an unsafe rejoin.

Track action continues tomorrow with Free Practice 3 at 10:20am local time.

RESULTS

Vanthoor leads opening Fuji practice for Porsche

The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 set the fastest time in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s first practice session of the weekend at Fuji Speedway, Laurens Vanthoor completing a 1m30.561s early on to put himself and his …

Toyota’s No. 8 GR010 HYBRID ended up second on the timing screens in Hypercar with a 1m30.571s from Ryo Hirakawa, while Ferrari’s Le Mans-winning No. 50 499P made it three manufacturers in the top three.

Completing the top five were the sister factory Porsche and Toyota’s No. 7 car, which ended up fourth and fifth, with marginally faster laps in the hot, humid weather than the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari which won last time out at COTA. Peugeot’s No. 94 sister car ended up seventh, with the fastest of the Alpine A424s — the No. 35 — eighth.

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Further down the order the No. 93 9X8 slotted in 16th, the car completing just 31 laps — the fewest in the class — after missing time early due to engine checks in its pit box.

In LMGT3 it was a strong start to the weekend for United Autosports, its No. 95 McLaren GT3 EVO topping the times with a 1m40.528s. The No. 95 did however bring out FP1’s only red flag in the final half hour, after stopping at Turn 10 after Marino Sato had contact with the Cadillac.

The pair of Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3s completed the top three with the No. 55 ahead of the No. 54, both within 0.2s of the McLaren.

RESULTS

Genesis confirms plans for LMDh prototype program

Genesis – Hyundai Motor Group’s premium brand – has announced that it is set to compete in the top level of endurance racing with an LMDh prototype. The new project adds another pillar to Hyundai Motorsports’ portfolio, which currently includes …

Genesis — Hyundai Motor Group’s premium brand — has announced that it is set to compete in the top level of endurance racing with an LMDh prototype. The new project adds another pillar to Hyundai Motorsports’ portfolio, which currently includes programs in WRC and TCR competition.

“Genesis is proud to announce its ambitious entry into the world of endurance racing through the LMDh program,” a company statement read. “Genesis is actively exploring programs to strengthen its high-performance image, and after a thorough evaluation of various options, LMDh emerged as the most strategic choice for us at this time.

“We have carefully analyzed LMDh and found it to be a natural fit for our motorsport ambitions and a valuable platform to drive the development of future mobility technologies for road cars. Endurance racing presents an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Genesis’ cutting-edge technology, design philosophy and performance-driven character in a highly competitive arena. This project is part of our broader vision for the future of mobility.”

Great news from Genesis today…#WEC #Genesis #Hyundai pic.twitter.com/qQkBBZsveB

— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) September 12, 2024

The announcement included no confirmation of a chassis partner, no timeline for the car’s debut and no indication of which championships it will enter. However, industry sources suggest that the program will see the Korean brand compete in both the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class as well as IMSA’s GTP category, meaning it will have a presence at both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Le Mans 24 Hours, subject to entries being approved.

As for its chassis partner, RACER sources suggest ORECA has been chosen and the target is for a 2026 debut. A works team is being put together for the WEC arm and the selection process for an IMSA service provider in understood to be in its final stages.

“All of us at IMSA are so thrilled that Genesis shared their plans to join the top category of endurance sports car racing,” said IMSA President John Doonan.

“We’re eagerly anticipating more information from Genesis as details of their program become available, and we will proudly welcome them to the growing Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) category grid across the entire IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. To add another brand to the ranks of GTP is so special for our sport and most importantly for our fans. The commitment of so many manufacturers to the LMDh technical platform is a strong validation of where sports car racing is positioned and where we continue to head into the future.”

As RACER reported yesterday, development of the program is well underway with staff members being moved close to the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France. An ELMS LMP2 effort is being put together for next year to enable key personnel to get up to speed with ACO racing.

Genesis Motor is a very recent addition to the global automotive family, launched in late 2015 as an independent brand of the Hyundai Motor Company. The brand launch came after Genesis was featured for more than a decade as the halo model name for Hyundai with both luxury sedans and sports coupes named Hyundai Genesis.

This story has been updated to include quotes from IMSA’s John Doonan

FIA Court of Appeal rejects Ferrari protest of Spa 6 Hours results

The result of the 2024 FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is now final, after Ferrari’s appeal – first revealed by RACER back in June – was rejected by the FIA International Court of Appeal. The decision means that the No. 12 Hertz Team JOTA …

The result of the 2024 FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is now final, after Ferrari’s appeal — first revealed by RACER back in June — was rejected by the FIA International Court of Appeal. The decision means that the No. 12 Hertz Team JOTA Porsche, driven by Will Stevens and Callum Ilott, has been confirmed as the winner of the race.

The controversy of the results arose after the stewards of the event decided to restart the race for 1 hour and 40 minutes after a lengthy red flag following Earl Bamber’s huge incident on the Kemmel Straight in the Cadillac Racing V-Series.R. That decision, and the subsequent final result declared, was appealed by Ferrari AF Corse — which led at the time of the red flag — to the stewards, who rejected it.

The race-leading Ferrari — and much of the remainder of the Hypercar field — were forced to pit for fuel when the restarted race went back to green flag running. The No. 12 was catapulted up the order as it had pitted just before the red flag halted proceedings.

The judgment published today rejected the AF Corse Ferrari appeal, principally on the procedural grounds that a stewards decision cannot be the subject of a protest under article 13.2.1 of [the] FIA International Sporting Code.

The full decision can be found here.

Hyundai edging closer to Hypercar/GTP program

While there has been no official expression of interest by Hyundai in a Hypercar and/or GTP sports car program, it appears that such an announcement is imminent on the part of the Korean-based manufacturer. Sources have suggested to RACER that an alliance with ORECA on an LMDh car for the FIA World Endurance Championship has been made and that key staff are already in the process of relocating to the Paul Ricard area in the south of France, with an IMSA program to follow shortly afterwards.

Hyundai, which currently fields a World Rally Championship program, is is expected to join the FIA WEC in 2026 with an in-house team, although significant current industry expertise is understood to be being gathered around the effort.

In preparation for the effort, the automaker is expected to form a team to compete in LMP2 in the 2025 European Le Mans Series. This would allow key personnel to gain experience with the ACO rulebook, although it would be unlikely to feature Hyundai branding. Several partnership options believed to be on the table including current ELMS teams and at least one with expertise in an entirely different area of motorsport.

As for the IMSA GTP effort — whether competing as Hyundai or its Genesis halo brand — there are a number of options on the table for a service provider, with Chip Ganassi Racing believed to be a front-runner.