The 11th season of the FIA World Endurance Championship will characteristic a formidable 13 Hypercar entries, with involvement from a complete of 9 producers highlighting the continued development of the world’s premier worldwide sportscar championship.
A bunch of latest names may also be part of the WEC this 12 months together with former Formulation 1 drivers, Antonio Giovinazzi and Jacques Villeneuve.
The 2023 FIA WEC season will see a complete of 38 full-season entrants from 12 completely different nations plus a file variety of groups competing within the Hypercar and LMGTE Am classes.
The introduction of the Hypercar class in 2021 has ushered in a brand new golden period for the WEC, with a number of producers (Cadillac, Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Porsche, Toyota and Vanwall) pledging their help to the sequence. Over the course of the final 12 months 12 months the WEC Hypercar area has greater than doubled with a complete of 13 entries in 2023 (going up from six in 2022).
The 2023 entry listing appears stronger than ever – world producers are coupled with world-class groups and motorsport powerhouses comparable to Penske Motorsport. On high of that’s a formidable roster of drivers who’ve huge expertise from numerous motorsport disciplines.
The 11th season of the WEC may also be memorable because the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the jewel within the WEC calendar – is ready to have fun its centenary 12 months. The championship additionally returns to North America, Europe, the Center East and Asia as a part of an expanded calendar of seven races for 2023 (Sebring, Portimao, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, Monza, Fuji and Bahrain).
FACTS AND FIGURES OF THE ENTRY LIST
- Thirty-eight entries representing 12 nations: Italy (9), Germany (7), USA (6); Nice Britain (4), France (4), Japan (3), Belgium (2), Canada (1). Switzerland (1), Poland (1), Austria (1), Oman (1)
- 13 entries in Hypercar, 11 in LMP2, 14 in LMGTE Am
- 2023 sees the highly-anticipated arrival of Hypercar entries from world producers Cadillac, Ferrari and Porsche
- Complete of 9 producers represented throughout all classes (Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, Toyota, Glickenhaus, Vanwall, Chevrolet and Aston Martin)
- Report variety of LMGTE Am entries in WEC historical past (14 entries)
- 4 feminine drivers featured on WEC entry listing (Prema Racing in LMP2; Iron Dames each in LMGTE Am) and perhaps extra to come back earlier than Sebring
HYPERCAR
- Ferrari and Porsche switch their manufacturing unit racing efforts from LMGTE Professional to Hypercar for 2023
- The brand new Ferrari 499P enters the WEC 50 years after the 312 P made its final look within the WEC’s premier class
- Reigning World Champions Toyota Gazoo Racing to area two Toyota GR010 Hybrids with an unchanged driver line-up for 2023
- Peugeot TotalEnergies submit two Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid Hypercars as French producer embarks on second WEC season
- Porsche Penske Motorsport enter the WEC with two of their highly-anticipated Porsche 963 Hypercars. Driving the No. 5 automotive will probably be Dane Cameron, Michael Christensen and Frederic Makowiecki whereas the No. 6 automotive sees Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor on the wheel
- Ferrari AF Corse embark on Hypercar marketing campaign with two Ferrari 499P automobiles. Former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi to drive the No. 51 automotive alongside stalwarts Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado. The sister No. 51 automotive has Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen listed to drive
- Cadillac Racing additionally joins the WEC’s headline class in 2023 with its Cadillac V-LMDh and its trio of drivers: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook
- Glickenhaus Racing returns with one Glickenhaus 007 LMH entry with Romain Dumas named to drive for the American squad
- Floyd Vanwall Racing Group will be part of the fray with a Vanwall Vandervell 680. Driving the new-for-2023 equipment will probably be former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, Esteban Guerrieri and Tom Dillmann
- Two privately run Porsche 963 entries additionally to compete in Hypercar class: the primary is Hertz Group JOTA that includes Yifei Yi with Proton Competitors fielding the opposite Porsche and Gianmaria Bruni named to drive
LMP2
- Eleven entries in LMP2 from six completely different nations (Belgium, France, Nice Britain, Italy, Poland and USA)
- Spectacular roster of driver names from numerous motorsport disciplines together with newcomers comparable to present F2 driver Juan Manuel Correa and F1 reserve driver, Pietro Fittipaldi. Additionally on the LMP2 driver listing is various profitable endurance racing names together with Filipe Albuquerque, Oliver Jarvis, Phil Hanson, Tom Blomqvist, Mathieu Vaxiviere and Andre Negrão
- Group WRT, Alpine Elf Group, United Autosports and Prema Racing all enter two-car campaigns
- After a spectacular season final 12 months with Iron Dames in LMGTE Am, French feminine driver Doriane Pin steps as much as LMP2 to compete in an Oreca 07 LMP2 with Prema Racing
- United Autosports as soon as once more fields youngest-ever WEC competitor and present record-holder for the youngest particular person to complete the 24 Hours of Le Mans: 17-year-old Josh Pierson
LMGTE Am
- Report-breaking LMGTE Am area comprising of 14 entries (up from 13 final 12 months)
- 4 world marques: Porsche (6), Ferrari (4), Aston Martin (3) and Chevrolet (1)
- After making a welcome return to WEC in LMGTE Professional final 12 months, Corvette Racing will compete in GTE Am for 2023 with USA’s Ben Keating fronting the workforce
- All-female line-up as No. 85 Iron Dames entry returns with Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey
- After two full seasons in LMP2, Richard Mille Racing joins AF Corse for 2023 to create a brand new LMGTE Am entry with Luis Perez Companc listed to drive the Ferrari 488 GTE Professional
- Extremely-successful GTE Am workforce TF Sport rebrands to ORT by TF for 2023, with Oman-based driver Ahman Al Harthy becoming a member of Michael Dinan and Charlie Eastwood within the Aston Martin Vantage AMR
- Return of a number of acquainted groups comparable to AF Corse, Dempsey-Proton Racing, Group Challenge 1, Iron Lynx, Kessel Racing, D’Station Racing and GR Racing
Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Fee President, mentioned: “The sheer variety of entries throughout the sector underlines the expansion and enchantment of the FIA World Endurance Championship 12 months on 12 months. The Hypercar class has reached the purpose that we envisaged within the early days of growing this idea, with 13 entries from seven completely different automotive manufacturers. The LMP2 class continues to be a highly-competitive platform, whereas the transfer to a single GT class is a step in the proper course that lays the proper foundations for the way forward for GT racing on the earth’s premier endurance sequence. I’m satisfied that 2023 will mark the start of a brand new golden period within the historical past of the FIA WEC.”
Pierre Fillon, President of the Car Membership de l’Ouest, mentioned: “The FIA World Endurance Championship is about to embark on considered one of its most thrilling seasons ever. Seven producers are lining up on the 13-car Hypercar grid. The season contains the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary, eagerly awaited by motorsports followers all around the world. See you at Sebring on 11 March for the Prologue to this improbable season.”
Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship, mentioned: “It’s really improbable to see the WEC and sportscar racing general going from energy to energy. I’d prefer to take this chance to supply a really heat welcome to our buddies at Cadillac, Ferrari, Porsche and Vandervell who be part of our Hypercar class this 12 months – it’s an enormous honour to have so many world automotive producers committing to the WEC and placing their belief in our championship. It’s additionally very encouraging to see robust entries in LMP2 in addition to a file LMGTE Am area too – the WEC is shaping up for its greatest season thus far.”
