WEC: Entries for WEC season-opener in Sebring announced
The entry list for the 1000 Miles of Sebring features a total of 37 cars including 11 Hypercars representing seven different manufacturers (Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, Toyota, Glickenhaus and Vanwall). Once again, the season will begin at the iconic Sebring International Raceway in Florida, USA – the scene of the inaugural WEC race just over a decade ago.
|
N° |
HYPERCAR |
NAT |
T |
CARS |
MISC |
DRIVER 1 |
DRIVER 2 |
DRIVER 3 |
11 |
||||
|
2 |
CADILLAC RACING |
USA |
M |
Cadillac V-Series.R |
Hybrid |
Earl Bamber (NZL) |
P |
Alex Lynn (GBR) |
P |
Richard Westbrook (GBR) |
P |
||
|
4 |
FLOYD VANWALL RACING TEAM* |
AUT |
M |
Vanwall Vandervell 680 |
Tom Dillmann (FRA) |
G |
Esteban Guerrieri (ARG)° |
P |
Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) |
P |
|||
|
5 |
PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT |
DEU |
M |
Porsche 963 |
Hybrid |
Dane Cameron (USA) |
P |
Michael Christensen (DNK) |
P |
Frédéric Makowiecki (FRA) |
P |
||
|
6 |
PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT |
DEU |
M |
Porsche 963 |
Hybrid |
Kévin Estre (FRA) |
P |
André Lotterer (DEU) |
P |
Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) |
P |
||
|
7 |
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING |
JPN |
M |
Toyota GR010 – Hybrid |
Hybrid |
Mike Conway (GBR) |
P |
Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) |
P |
Jose Maria Lopez (ARG) |
P |
||
|
8 |
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING |
JPN |
M |
Toyota GR010 – Hybrid |
Hybrid |
Sébastien Buemi (CHE) |
P |
Brendon Hartley (NZL) |
P |
Ryo Hirakawa (JPN) |
P |
||
|
50 |
FERRARI AF CORSE* |
ITA |
M |
Ferrari 499P |
Hybrid |
Antonio Fuoco (ITA) |
P |
Miguel Molina (ESP) |
P |
Nicklas Nielsen (DNK) |
P |
||
|
51 |
FERRARI AF CORSE* |
ITA |
M |
Ferrari 499P |
Hybrid |
Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA) |
P |
James Calado (GBR) |
P |
Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA) |
P |
||
|
93 |
PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES |
FRA |
M |
Peugeot 9X8 |
Hybrid |
Paul Di Resta (GBR) |
P |
Mikkel Jensen (DNK) |
P |
Jean-Éric Vergne (FRA) |
P |
||
|
94 |
PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES |
FRA |
M |
Peugeot 9X8 |
Hybrid |
Loic Duval (FRA) |
P |
Gustavo Menezes (USA) |
P |
Nico Müller (CHE) |
P |
||
|
708 |
GLICKENHAUS RACING |
USA |
M |
Glickenhaus 007 |
Romain Dumas (FRA) |
P |
Ryan Briscoe (AUS) |
P |
Olivier Pla (FRA) |
P |
|||
|
N° |
LMP2 |
NAT |
T |
CARS |
MISC |
DRIVER 1 |
DRIVER 2 |
DRIVER 3 |
12 |
||||
|
9 |
PREMA RACING |
ITA |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Filip Ugran (ROU) |
S |
Bent Viscaal (NLD) |
G |
Andrea Caldarelli (ITA) |
P |
|||
|
10 |
VECTOR SPORT |
GBR |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Ryan Cullen (GBR)° |
S |
Matthias Kaiser (LIE) |
S |
Gabriel Aubry (FRA)° |
G |
|||
|
22 |
UNITED AUTOSPORTS |
GBR |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Frederick Lubin (GBR) |
S |
Philip Hanson GBR) |
G |
Filipe Albuquerque (PRT) |
P |
|||
|
23 |
UNITED AUTOSPORTS |
GBR |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Joshua Pierson (USA) |
S |
Tom Blomqvist (GBR) |
P |
Oliver Jarvis (GBR) |
P |
|||
|
28 |
JOTA |
GBR |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
David Heinemeier Hansson (DNK) |
S |
Pietro Fittipaldi (BRA) |
G |
Oliver Rasmussen (DNK) |
G |
|||
|
31 |
TEAM WRT |
BEL |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Sean Gelael (IDN) |
S |
Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen (AUT) |
G |
Robin Frijns (NLD) |
P |
|||
|
34 |
INTER EUROPOL COMPETITION |
POL |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Jakub Smiechowski (POL) |
S |
Fabio Scherer (CHE) |
G |
Albert Costa (ESP) |
P |
|||
|
35 |
ALPINE ELF TEAM |
FRA |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
André Negrão (BRA) |
G |
Memo Rojas (MEX) |
S |
Oliver Caldwell (GBR) |
G |
|||
|
36 |
ALPINE ELF TEAM |
FRA |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Matthieu Vaxiviere (FRA) |
G |
Julien Canal (FRA) |
S |
Charles Milesi (FRA) |
G |
|||
|
41 |
TEAM WRT |
BEL |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Rui Andrade (PRT) |
S |
Robert Kubica (POL) |
P |
Louis Delétraz (CHE) |
G |
|||
|
48 |
HERTZ TEAM JOTA |
GBR |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
David Beckmann (DEU) |
S |
Yifei Ye (CHN) |
G |
William Stevens (GBR) |
P |
|||
|
63 |
PREMA RACING |
ITA |
G |
Oreca 07 – Gibson |
Doriane Pin (FRA) |
S |
Mirko Bortolotti (ITA) |
P |
Daniil Kvyat |
P |
|||
|
N° |
LMGTE Am |
NAT |
T |
CARS |
MISC |
DRIVER 1 |
DRIVER 2 |
DRIVER 3 |
14 |
||||
|
21 |
AF CORSE |
ITA |
M |
Ferrari 488 GTE EVO |
Stefano Costantini (ITA) |
B |
Simon Mann (USA) |
S |
Ulysse de Pauw (BEL) |
G |
|||
|
25 |
ORT BY TF |
OMN |
M |
Aston Martin Vantage AMR |
Ahmad Al Harthy (OMN) |
B |
Michael Dinan (USA) |
S |
Charlie Eastwood (IRL) |
G |
|||
|
33 |
CORVETTE RACING |
USA |
M |
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R |
Ben Keating (USA) |
B |
Nicolas Varrone (ARG) |
S |
Nicky Catsburg (NLD) |
P |
|||
|
54 |
AF CORSE |
ITA |
M |
Ferrari 488 GTE EVO |
Thomas Flohr (CHE) |
B |
Francesco Castellacci (ITA) |
S |
Davide Rigon (ITA) |
P |
|||
|
56 |
PROJECT 1 – AO |
DEU |
M |
Porsche 911 RSR – 19 |
PJ Hyett (USA) |
B |
Gunnar Jeannette (USA) |
S |
Matteo Cairoli (ITA) |
P |
|||
|
57 |
KESSEL RACING |
CHE |
M |
Ferrari 488 GTE EVO |
Takeshi Kimura (JPN) |
B |
Scott Huffaker (USA) |
S |
Daniel Serra (BRA) |
P |
|||
|
60 |
IRON LYNX |
ITA |
M |
Porsche 911 RSR – 19 |
Claudio Schiavoni (ITA) |
B |
Matteo Cressoni (ITA) |
S |
Alessio Picariello (ITA) |
G |
|||
|
77 |
DEMPSEY-PROTON RACING |
DEU |
M |
Porsche 911 RSR – 19 |
Christian Ried (DEU) |
B |
Mikkel Pedersen (DNK) |
S |
Julien Andlauer (FRA) |
G |
|||
|
83 |
RICHARD MILLE AF CORSE |
ITA |
M |
Ferrari 488 GTE EVO |
Luis Perez Companc (ARG) |
B |
Lilou Wadoux (FRA) |
S |
Alessio Rovera (ITA) |
P |
|||
|
85 |
IRON DAMES |
ITA |
M |
Porsche 911 RSR – 19 |
Sarah Bovy (BEL) |
B |
Michelle Gatting (DNK) |
S |
Rahel Frey (CHE) |
G |
|||
|
86 |
GR RACING |
GBR |
M |
Porsche 911 RSR – 19 |
Michael Wainwright (GBR) |
B |
Riccardo Pera (ITA) |
S |
Benjamin Barker (GBR) |
G |
|||
|
88 |
PROTON COMPETITION |
DEU |
M |
Porsche 911 RSR – 19 |
Ryan Hardwick (USA) |
B |
Zacharie Robichon (CAN) |
S |
Harry Tincknell (GBR) |
P |
|||
|
98 |
NORTHWEST AMR |
CAN |
M |
Aston Martin Vantage AMR |
Paul Dalla Lana (CAN) |
B |
TBA |
Nicki Thiim (DNK) |
P |
||||
|
777 |
D’STATION RACING |
JPN |
M |
Aston Martin Vantage AMR |
Satoshi Hoshino (JPN) |
B |
Casper Stevenson (GBR) |
S |
Tomonobu Fujii (JPN) |
G |
|||
|
37 |
Tires – M : MICHELIN / G : GOODYEAR
Categorization – P : PLATINUM / G : GOLD / S : SILVER / B : BRONZE
*Subject to car homologation
°Subject to the receipt of the license
HYPERCAR
Defending World Champions Toyota Gazoo Racing have an unchanged driver line-up for 2023 but will face stiff competition from six other marques including Porsche Penske Motorsport and Ferrari AF Corse who transfer their factory racing efforts from LMGTE Pro to Hypercar in 2023. Ferrari’s all-new Ferrari 499P will enter the WEC 50 years after the 312 P made its last appearance in the premier class.
Peugeot TotalEnergies will enter two Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid Hypercars, with home driver Gustavo Menezes sure to be a crowd pleaser alongside fellow Californian, Dane Cameron (Porsche Penske Motorsport). American-flagged teams Cadillac Racing and Glickenhaus Racing will also benefit from plenty of home support as both teams enter one car at Sebring. Finally, Floyd Vanwall Racing Team will be in Sebring with its all-new Vanwall Vandervell 680 and former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve at the wheel.
LMP2
There will be 12 entries in LMP2 at Sebring including Hertz Team JOTA who will compete with an Oreca 07 Gibson before swapping to the Hypercar later this season. As always, the category attracts several high-profile names including former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kyvat who is entered with Prema Racing alongside French female driver, Doriane Pin. Another former F1 star, Robert Kubica, has been named to drive for Team WRT – the Belgian squad who won the LMP2 title in 2021, returning with a two-car entry for 2023.
Alpine Elf Team will prepare for its 2023 Hypercar campaign with a two-car effort in LMP2 while British squad United Autosports will field two of the championship’s youngest drivers with 17-year-old Josh Pierson as the only home driver at Sebring from the LMP2 line-up, and WEC debutant – 18-year-old Frederick Lubin. They will be joined at United Autosports by experienced endurance drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Phil Han-son. Other LMP2 entries include Italian powerhouse Prema Racing, British outfit Vector Sport, and Polish squad Inter Europol Competition.
LMGTE Am
Meanwhile in the LMGTE Am class where both professional and amateur drivers share the cars, the home fans will be cheering for Corvette Racing and American driver Ben Keating. Keating will be joined in the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R by Nicolas Varonne and Nicky Catsburg. A further six American drivers will race in GTE Am including Simon Mann (AF Corse), Michael Dinan (ORT by TF), PJ Hyett and Gunnar Jeannette (Project 1 AO), Scott Huffaker (Kessel Rac-ing) and Ryan Hardwick (Proton Competition).
The No. 77 Porsche 911 RSR entry also has close ties to the USA due to the co-ownership of celebrated actor and 2014 Le Mans podium finisher, Patrick Dempsey. Finally, a total of four females will compete in the GTE Am category as No. 85 Iron Dames entry returns with Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey as well as Lilou Wadoux who will drive the No. 83 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari.
The WEC action begins with the Prologue pre-season test event at Sebring from 11-12 March. Official track action starts on Wednesday 15 March, with the 1000 Miles of Sebring getting underway at midday local time on Friday 17 March.
Race Timetable (local US time)
Wednesday 15 March
Free Practice 1: 10:55 – 11:55
Free Practice 2: 16:35 – 17:35
Thursday 16 March
Free Practice 3: 11:55 – 12:55
Qualifying: 18:30 – 19:35
Friday 17 March
Race: 12:00 – 20:00