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The FIA World Endurance Championship has released a provisional, 37-car entry list for the 2024 season headlined by 19 entries in the Hypercar class.
The figure of 37 cars is the maximum number of available berths for the season in line with comments previously made by WEC CEO Frederic Lequien, who indicated that limited garage space at the debuting Imola and returning Circuit of The Americas was the main factor in determining the number of entries.
Last season’s grid saw a full season entry of 38 cars, although that entry still featured the LMP2 class, which has been dropped for the 2024 campaign.
The Hypercar class has seen significant growth from the already record-breaking 13-car grid that it attracted for the 2023 season, thanks to the addition of BMW, Isotta Fraschini, Alpine and Lamborghini, as well as a second customer Porsche 963 for Hertz Team JOTA and the addition of a third AF Corse-run Ferrari 499P.
Floyd Vanwall Racing Team has dropped off the grid after a single season, while Glickenhaus Racing also does not return after shuttering its 007 Pipo LMH program after three years.
BMW M Team WRT has Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde named as the first drivers aboard its pair of BMW M Hybrid V8s, while Mirko Bortolotti is set to race the No. 63 Lamborghini SC63 after a full season of WEC LMP2 competition.
Bortolotti will partner with the previously confirmed Daniil Kvyat aboard the Ligier-chassised prototype.
Isotta has confirmed two out of three drivers aboard its No. 11 Tipo 6 LMH Competizione, with test and development driver Jean-Karl Vernay joined by European Le Mans Series LMP3 champion Alejandro Garcia.
The Italian manufacturer will enter its debut season in the championship without Vector Sport, which announced on Monday morning that it is no longer involved with the program.
Porsche Penske Motorsport has made a notable change to its driver lineup aboard the No. 5 Porsche 963, with Dane Cameron not returning and replaced by Australian driver Matt Campbell.
Campbell will team up with Michael Christensen and Fred Makowiecki, while Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor all return to the No. 6 machine.
JOTA, meanwhile, has confirmed Will Stevens and LMP2 graduate Oliver Rasmussen aboard its pair of customer Porsche LMDh cars, with Harry Tincknell continuing with the No. 99 Proton Competition entry.
Reigning champions Toyota Gazoo Racing return with a pair of GR010 Hybrids, featuring the newly confirmed Nyck de Vries aboard the No. 7 car in an otherwise unchanged lineup.
Ferrari has listed Antonio Fuoco and Alessandro Pier Guidi as the first two drivers aboard its pair of factory 499Ps, while the No. 83 car is set to be driven by the newly signed Robert Kubica.
Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn are set to continue aboard the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R and will be joined by a yet-to-be-confirmed third driver after Richard Westbrook’s previously announced exit from Chip Ganassi Racing.
Nine Manufacturers Confirmed for LMGT3
The 18-car LMGT3 grid has seen nine manufacturers receive entry slots, with McLaren, Lamborghini and Lexus set to join the championship for the first time.
They will be joined by Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche. Audi and Mercedes-AMG, which had both expressed interest in joining the class, have not been granted entries.
McLaren’s pair of 720S GT3 Evos will be run by decorated LMP2 squad United Autosports, with European Le Mans Series winner Marino Sato and former single seater racer Gregoire Saucy as the first two confirmed drivers.
As previously reported by Sportscar365, Iron Lynx will combine its Lamborghini Hypercar entry with running a pair of Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2s, with Claudio Schiavoni confirmed aboard the No. 60 car while Michelle Gatting is set to drive the No. 85 Iron Dames machine.
Akkodis ASP Team fields a pair of Lexus RC F GT3s with Jose Maria Lopez and Kelvin van der Linde confirmed previously as the two pro drivers.
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will make his WEC debut as the first confirmed driver aboard the No. 46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3. The Italian’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup co-driver Augusto Farfus is named aboard the No. 31 sister car.
Proton Competition fields two of the new-for-2024 Ford Mustang GT3s for Ben Barker and European Le Mans Series GTE champion Ryan Hardwick. Newly named Corvette Racing factory drivers Charlie Eastwood and Daniel Juncadella will pilot the pair of TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, meanwhile.
Aston Martin’s pair of entry slots have been given to The Heart of Racing and D’station Racing, with each team set to pilot a single updated Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
Heart of Racing team principal Ian James will feature as the Bronze-rated driver aboard the No. 27 Heart of Racing entry, while Aston Martin factory driver Marco Sorensen has been confirmed aboard D’station’s No. 777 car.
GTWC Europe Bronze Cup champion Alex Malykhin will also make his WEC debut as part of a tie-up between Manthey Racing and Pure Rxcing, with Malykhin joined aboard the No. 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R by Joel Sturm and Klaus Bachler. Richard Lietz, meanwhile, will pilot the No. 91 Manthey EMA Porsche.
AF Corse has confirmed the full lineups for its pair of Ferrari 296 GT3s, with Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci set to continue their longstanding partnership aboard the No. 54 car alongside Davide Rigon while Francois Heriau, Simon Mann and Alessio Rovera team up board the No. 55 sister machine.
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November 27, 2023 at 05:02PM
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Hypercar, LMGT3 Entries Confirmed in Bumper 2024 Entry – Sportscar365 - Sportscar365
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