Porsche is back as a factory team in Pro and the WEC’s GTE classes have never looked stronger. With a new car entering the fray and a raft of rule changes, there’s never been so much to look forward to in WEC’s five-year history.
For this season, GTE Pro has seen the most tweaking. Teams are limited to just four sets of tyres in qualifying and the races, a new ‘automated’ BoP system will be introduced and the class has also been granted World Championship status, which will only add to the stakes for the four marques represented.
GTE Am, meanwhile, is slightly down on numbers, but features a good selection of quality teams and drivers once again, which should make for a tight championship race.
Here’s a look at what to expect from each team on the entry:
GTE Pro
The big news here is the addition of Porsche once again as a factory effort, after Dempsey Proton Racing had a quiet year racing with the Stuttgart-based brand’s 2016 GTE challenger as a works-supported private effort.
Porsche’s brand-new 911 RSR is a weapon that looks far more like the Ford GT in the aero department than its predecessor and promises to put the team into immediate championship contention.
Its driver squad does, too, with Richard Leitz and Frederic Makowiecki in the #91 and Michael Christensen and Kevin Estre in the other. All four are quality works drivers, who are capable of winning races, Le Mans and the title with the new car in year one.
Out in the US, the car has yet to win a race, but its reliability and pace have been extremely encouraging. Don’t be surprised if the Porsche GT team shows no signs of rust and comes out firing on all cylinders this weekend at Silverstone.
Porsche’s renewed GTE presence has prompted the biggest talking point in AF Corse’s WEC entry. Seeing the Italian squad race without Gianmaria Bruni will take a lot of getting used to; the Italian superstar moving over to Porsche amid a contract dispute that also means he won’t be racing in the WEC at all this year. The four drivers who’ll take on the full-season for Amato Ferrari’s team should fill in for Bruni admirably, though.
British ace James Calado will be partnered by Italian Alessandro Pier Guidi, who finally gets his big chance after years of impressing in GT3 Ferraris. He earned his seat in a shootout to replace Bruni and will be a driver to watch off the bat.
The second car will house the unchanged duo of Davide Rigon and Sam Bird, who last year challenged for the title, missing out due to teething problems for the 488 early in the season. With those troubles ironed out, will this be as successful of a sophomore campaign for the 488 GTE as it has potential to be?
At Ford, three drivers will take part in the opening three races with Chip Ganassi Team UK in both cars once again. The big news here is the addition of Pipo Derani, who’ll fill the seat taken by Marino Franchitti in the #67 last year. Derani had a dream year in 2016, with overall wins at Daytona and Sebring headlining a remarkable run for the young Brazilian.
He’ll drive with the British duo of Harry Tincknell and Andy Priaulx, who hit the groove as team-mates at the tail end of last year after the team as a whole was slow to gel early on.
The #66 features an unchanged line-up. Stefan Mücke and Olivier Pla will be joined by American Billy Johnson once again for what is going to be a very telling year for the UK Ford crew, which will be expected to perform at the level of its IMSA counterparts from Silverstone onwards.
Aston Martin Racing’s pair of Vantages fill in the final two pieces of the GTE Pro puzzle. Increased support from Aston Martin Lagonda makes this a full factory team for the first time this year, following the departure of Jan Struve and his Young Driver backing after years of success.
In terms of driver talent, the 2016 drivers’ champions Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen return in the #95 ‘Dane Train’, joined by Kiwi Richie Stanaway, who moves over from the #97.
The #97, meanwhile, will see Darren Turner and Jonny Adam pair up again, with Dunlop development driver Daniel Serra in the third seat until after Le Mans. The addition of Serra is a key one, the Brazilian having extensive knowledge of the team’s Dunlop tyres which last year helped them win the two big titles. He’s consistent, analytical and a team player, fitting in perfectly with team manager Paul Howarth’s philosophy.
The Vantage may be the oldest car in the field and at the tail end of its life cycle, but it’s still capable, as last year proved, of winning the drivers’ and teams’ championship. The 2016 update will be used again this year, with the team hoping it can get hot at the right time and challenge for the World Championship as well as Le Mans.
Truth be told, there’s little to choose between the teams in this year’s Pro field, so picking a winner is nigh-on impossible, which is exactly what the FIA and WEC have been working towards since 2012.
GTE Am
Just five cars will fight for the GTE Am class title this year, but this time the case can be made for all of them to win races and finish at the top end of the points tally.
Back with a vengeance after finishing runner-up last year is the Aston Martin Racing Am car, which brings Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda along for the ride for another year. Little has to be said about their ability to win races, especially since Dalla Lana has become one of the best bronze GT drivers on the planet over the past two years in his quest to win both Le Mans and the GTE Am title.
What’s new here is the car, which has been upgraded to 2016 spec for this year, with the aim of being able to take the fight to the two new turbo-powered Ferraris looking to take the title.
AF Corse’s title winners from 2016 have moved on, with Manu Collard and François Perrodo taking on the challenge of LMP2, but the team will still be present, running the Sprit of Race and Clearwater Racing Ferrari 488s.
Spirit of Race’s duo of Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci have made the plunge this year after competing in the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup last year, getting a flavour of what ACO racing has to offer in a low-pressure setting. Whether they’ll win races or score podiums right away remains to be seen, but either way, Audi DTM ace Miguel Molina in the third seat should keep them in the running.
The second Ferrari on the grid is arguably the most exiting addition to the FIA WEC field in 2016. The popular Singaporean Clearwater Racing team has moved into the FIA WEC full-time after its automatic invite to Le Mans thanks to winning the 2015/16 AsLMS GT title allowed it to dip a toe in the water.
It was a highly successful debut at the top of the ACO’s tree, too, with Rob Bell scoring the team a memorable pole position in the GTE Am class before going on to finish just off the podium in the race.
For the WEC, there’s a 488 GTE for team owner Mok Weng Sun (in his final season behind the wheel), Keita Sawa and Matt Griffin. Weng Sun and Sawa have proven their skills racing in GT Asia over the years, winning races, while Griffin needs little introduction, the Irishman easily one of the fastest GT drivers on the planet at the moment. A title run is very much achievable here, even in the team’s debut season.
The other two cars on the list are 2015-spec Porsche 911 RSRs from Gulf Racing and Dempsey-Proton Racing. Both teams decided against upgrading their cars to the 2016 package, instead waiting until the 2017 Porsche to become available as a customer car next year.
A bigger talking point for the two hopefuls, though, is in the rubber department, because as well as the #98 Aston, both Porsches will race on Dunlops this year, making the switch from Michelin after witnessing such a fruitful year for the Astons in the 2016 Pro class.
Gulf Racing’s trio sees the Prologue’s fastest runner Ben Barker take the reigns as lead driver, with up-and-comer Nick Foster set for a debut campaign as the only Australian in the series. Team owner Mike Wainwright takes the third seat and looks set for his best season yet. Barker explained to DSC at Monza that Wainwright’s hard work is paying off, to the point where he’s able to lap within a couple of seconds of him consistently.
Dempsey Proton Racing’s 911, meanwhile, represents the only Proton-run car in the field for this year, with team boss Christian Ried driving with Porsche Juniors Matteo Cairoli and Marvin Dienst, who are both eager to show off their skills on the world stage.
