There are 36 different nationalities of driver competing in the event, and, we’ll be concentrating principally on the real-world racers that are in our regular orbit. With regard to the ESports Pros and specialists, suffice it to say that the level of talent and ability on display throughout the grid is stellar, expect too that the familiarity with the platform, and with the physics of Sim Racing will see some big names humbled!
Of the 200 drivers listed, 115 are ‘real world’ racers, the additional 25 being Pro/ experienced E-racers.
You can find the full entry list Here >>
You can find the Race Spotters Guide: Prototype >> | GT >>
LMP2
The 30 LMP2 teams will all be using the ORECA 07 Gibson.
Current F1 drivers Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly all feature together with former F1 World Champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.
Indy 500 winners Tony Kanaan, Juan Pablo Montoya and Simon Pagenaud will race too, together with current F2 stars Jack Aitken and Louis Deletraz.
Racing legends Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa will also race as will three two-generation pairings: Olivier Panis (who races alongside his son Aurélien), Alex Yoong, (racing with his son Alister) and Andy Priaulx (racing with his son Seb). The remarkably versatile Max Papis also features, as does current Formula E star, and past contender in F1 and LMP1 Stoffel Vandoorne.
Three of the four Formula E Champions will race too: Jean-Eric Vergne, Nelson Piquet Jr and Sebastien Buemi all feature on the entry.
There’s no shortage either of regular WEC. ELMS and IMSA talent:
That includes an all-female crew for the Richard Mille Racing squad that is set to contest the ELMS in 2020: Katherine Legge, Tatiana Calderon and Sophia Floersch will get their first opportunity as a crew together to match up to the rest in the virtual world. One of four Rebellion Williams Esport entries sees Bruno Senna paired with regular WEC partner Gustavo Menezes.
One of only two all-Pro Race driver squads sees the Penske entered ORECA featuring The aforementioned Messrs Montoya and Pagenaud joined by Ricky Taylor and Dane Cameron.
The other all Pro-driver line-up comes from United Autosports and features regular LMP2 drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Alex Brundle, 2020 signing Job van Uitert and new boy Tom Gamble.
Toyota Gazoo Racing field an ‘unchanged;’ Pro line-up in one of their cars with Messrs Conway, Kobayashi and Lopez all featuring whilst the other team car sees Brendon Hartley and Seb Buemi together, joined by development driver and regular High Class racing LMP2 standout Kenta Yamashita.
Signatech Alpine elf field their regular three man WEC crew, Andre Negrao, Thomas Laurent and Pierre Ragues.
Jota Team Redline field regulars Will Stevens and Gabby Aubrey in one of their pair of cars, co-entered with Pro Sim team Redline, current Formula E front-runner Antonio Felix da Costa runs in the other Jota/ Redline car alongside the versatile and quick Felix Rosenqvist.
Regular Cool Racing duo Nico Lapierre and Antonin Borga combine for that team’s effort whilst TDS Racing’s effort goes ‘Double Dutch’ with Larry ten Voorde joining force with Giedo van der Garde.
2019 ELMS Champion Paul-Loup Chatin is joined in the IDEC Sport entry by 2020 signing Richard Bradley.
Race winner in both LMP2 and LMP1, Norman Nato, GT3 and DPi talent Tristan Vautier, Podium finisher in LMP2, Nico Jamin all feature too
Regular GT3 factory talents Raffaele Marciello and Alex Buncombe both pop up in LMP2 as do Audi Customer racing factory pairing Dries Vanthooor and Kelvin van de Linde (the pair sharing a WRT entered ORECA).
Young talent includes Sacha Fenestraz, 20-19 Japanese F3 Champion, Franco Colapinto, 2019 Spanish F4 Champion, race winner in 2020 TRS, Yifei Ye, Renault Sport Academy member, 2017 French F4 Champion Arthur Rougier, GP3 podium winner Ryan Tveter, Pietro Fittipaldi, now recovered from injuries suffered last year and back into IndyCar competition, races too.
GTE
In GTE There is the choice for Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari or Porsche ‘machinery’
Again the 20 teams here bring together a wide variety of talent with 16 of the 20 teams fielded by recognisable regular WEC and IMSA teams.
Ferrari field three cars under the AF Corse banner and bring current Ferrari and Alfa Romeo drivers Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi to the effort, the pair sharing a Ferrari 488 GTE.
The other pair of AF cars include a current factory GT driver apiece, newly signed Nicklas Nielsen and Factory WEC hand Miguel Molina, together with young talents Federico Leo and David Perel.
The Corvette factory team field a pair of C7.Rs (the RFactor2 platform not yet featuring the new C8), with Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg in one car, Tommy Milner joined by old master Jan Magnussen and Lamborghini factory driver (and nephew of Jan Magnussen) Dennis Lind in the other.
Porsche field a quartet of cars, one for their pair of current Formula E and past Le Mans and WEC World Champs Andre Lotterer and Neel Jani.
The other three cars all feature a full Porsche factory driver apiece: Matt Campbell, Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet.
Campbell is paired with current Porsche Junior Driver Jaxon Evans, Tandy with the other 20-20 Porache Junior driver, regular sim-racer Ayhancan Güven and Pilet with Porsche Formula E test and development driver Simona de Silvestro.
Aston Martin meanwhile field three cars:
Full-time factory man Nicki Thiim teamed with 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours addition Richard Westbrook and Lasse (brother of Marco) Sorenson, who drove the real Vantage at the Bahrain rookie test in 2019.
Alex Lynn heads up the #97 car with newly added AMR factory man Charlie Eastwood and the second additional 2020 Le Mans driver Harry Tincknell.
Finally the #98 car sees Darren Turner team up with a couple of Aston’s ‘Young Guns’ – Jonny Adam and Ross Gunn.
There are four entries from regular WEC GTE AM outfits:
Team Project One field a pair – one for 2019 Michelin Le Mans Cup Champion, and driver for the team in WEC for the remainder of 2020 Laurents Hörr together with David Kolkmann.
The second Project One car sees Felipe Fraga and Matteo Cairoli paired.
Gulf Racing field a Porsche liveried with Wolverhampton Wanderers and have regular WEC pairing Ben Barker and Andrew Watson aboard.
And Dempsey Proton field Riccardo Pera and emerging Porsche talent, 16 year old Dutch driver Loek Hertog.
The Strong Together team field a Ferrari for Giancarlo Fisichella, Felipe Massa and Francesco Castellacci whilst specialist ESports outfits Mahle Racing Team, R8G Esports, and Feed Racing are also on the grid.
Mahle field DTM driver Ferdinand Habsburg and Indycar hero Robert Wickens in an Aston Martin. Romain Grosjean-owned R8G has Daniel Juncadella and Mathias Beche in a Corvette whilst Feed Racing field reigning ADAC F4 (and Sauber Junior team member) Theo Pourchaire and NASCAR Whelen Europe racer Simone Pilate.
