Rebellion Racing Confirm Two Car Effort In 2017 FIA WEC
At the same time, the Swiss team is proud to confirm four of their six drivers for the coming FIA WEC campaign.
Nicolas Prost, Mathias Beche and Nelson Piquet Jr will be returning as REBELLION Racing drivers in 2017 and Bruno Senna will join them for the team’s new challenge in the revised LMP2 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The driver line-up combinations and the silver drivers selected by REBELLION Racing will be confirmed in the near future.
Nicolas Prost has been a REBELLION Racing driver since the team’s debut in LMP1 in 2009. In the FIA WEC between 2012 and 2016, he has collected 17 LMP1 Privateer class wins and two 4th place overall finishes at Le Mans 24 Hours. He was back-to-back winner of the Petit Le Mans in 2012 and 2013 and added an overall podium finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2013.
Mathias Beche was selected by REBELLION Racing in 2013 after he won the 2012 Le Mans Series LMP2 Drivers Championship. Since then, he has become an eleven times LMP1 Privateer class winner with the Swiss team and finished fourth overall at the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours.
After becoming the first champion of the FIA Formula E championship, Nelson Piquet Jr joined the Swiss team in 2016 and raced in the three opening rounds of the FIA WEC, including Le Mans 24 Hours. He won the LMP1 Privateer class at Le Mans with Nicolas Prost and Nick Heidfeld and secured two class podiums.
REBELLION Racing are pleased to add Bruno Senna to their new driver line-up for the 2017 full FIA WEC campaign. Bruno has proved to be a first class driver in endurance racing. He already competed four times at Le Mans 24 Hours and was very successful in his 2016 LMP2 car, he secured second place in the drivers classification, he won twice in class at the 6 Hours of Silverstone and the 6 Hours of Mexico and secured four class podiums.
After the final race of the 2016 FIA WEC in Bahrain, the REBELLION Racing team has entered a new era. REBELLION Racing will focus their racing program on the new LMP2 category with ORECA 07 LMP2 cars, putting their participation in the LMP1 category on hold.
The Swiss team has already tested with the first of their ORECA 07 cars in Sebring last week, taking part in intensive tyre testing with Dunlop.
Nicolas Prost : « I am of course very glad to continue for a ninth year with REBELLION Racing. I know the team very well, I am very happy here and I am always involved in the development of the team. We have grown together over the years and it was clear to me that the right thing to do was to stay with REBELLION Racing in their challenge with the new LMP2 cars. The competition in LMP2 is going to be very hard, but we will give everything to fight for all the races. I am looking forward to driving the Oreca 07 LMP2 which I have heard a lot of good things about."
Mathias Beche : « This will be my fifth season with REBELLION Racing and we know each other well. I am extremely happy and grateful to be able to be part of this new challenge, moreover under the colors of Switzerland ! The new car is fantastic to drive and the fight on the track is going to be fierce, that's what makes us all excited! I believe that my experience with the LMP1, coupled with the experience I gained in LMP2 will be a great asset to help the team meet this beautiful challenge. "
Nelson piquet Jr : « I am really happy to return with the team, this time for a full season. It’s going to be a big challenge for us in our first year with the new LMP2. I am looking forward to work with people I know from last year and to make a good championship together with the team and my teammates. I can’t wait for the season to start! "
Bruno Senna : "I'm so excited to be part of REBELLION Racing's line-up for FIA WEC in 2017! The team really has strived to get the most competitive line-up possible to challenge for the championship as well as winning Le Mans in LMP2. Our job will be very tough with so many strong drivers and teams out there, but I'm very much looking forward to kicking things-off in Monza during the Prologue! "
Bart Hayden, REBELLION Racing Team Manager : « We are very pleased to confirm our plans to enter two Oreca 07 LMP2 cars in the 2017 World Endurance Championship alongside our already announced entry with a single car in the IMSA North American Endurance Cup races. We are also very happy that Nico, Mathias and Nelson will be driving with us again in 2017 and I would like to welcome Bruno to the REBELLION Racing Team. We were impressed with the Oreca 07 when we tested it in Sebring last week, it should be a good car to go for race victories and the Championship. We are putting together all the ingredients to run a strong campaign in 2017!"