WEC field forms up before 2019-’20 season

August 25, 2019

WEC field forms up before 2019-’20 season

August 25, 2019

A flurry of driver announcements have set up the grid for the opening round of the 2019-’20 FIA World Endurance Championship season, which occurs this weekend with the 4 Hours of Silverstone.

Some full season 2019 IMSA drivers will add WEC races to their slate. The Michelin Motorsport Race Card for Silverstone is linked here.

4 HOURS OF SILVERSTONE ENTRY LIST

SLIGHTLY BOOSTED LMP1 GRID

Toyota Gazoo Racing sees Brendon Hartley replace Fernando Alonso in its full-season lineup.

Rebellion Racing has added a second car for Silverstone late in the process. Norman Nato steps into the No. 1 Rebellion R-13 Gibson alongside team returnees Gustavo Menezes and Bruno Senna. Meanwhile Pipo Derani, Nathanael Berthon and Loic Duval share the No. 3 car.

Team LNT is set to run two of the AER-powered Ginetta G60-LT-P1s. Charlie Robertson (No. 5) and Mike Simpson (No. 6) are Ginetta veterans, joined by four recent LMP1 drivers from other programs. Ben Hanley and Egor Orudzhev join Robertson after racing last season with DragonSpeed and SMP, respectively.

Dyson Racing’s longtime pair of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith were set to share the No. 6 car with Simpson. Dyson and Smith made waves in American Le Mans Series in Lola Mazda LMP1 cars earlier this decade. However due to an injury, Oliver Jarvis is a late draftee into Dyson’s seat.

SEVERAL GTE AND LMP2 CHANGES

The GTE ranks see a few changes. Aston Martin Racing keeps its same full-season lineup in its two GTE-Pro cars. However Darren Turner and Ross Gunn join Paul Dalla Lana in a GTE-Am AMR Vantage, its new spec car now eligible for the class this year.

Ferrari also has a swap, with Miguel Molina now in for Sam Bird in AF Corse’s No. 71 488 EVO. Bird has had to prioritize his ABB FIA Formula E Championship duties next season.

There are no driver changes in the other full-season Pro class Ferrari, as well as at Porsche. Porsche, however, will be under the spotlight with its new 911 RSR that premieres at Silverstone.

One change of note comes in LMP2, with Jarvis substituting for Paul di Resta at United Autosports for the Fuji round in early October. Di Resta shares the No. 22 United Ligier with Filipe Albuquerque and Phil Hanson.

GTE-Am also has some changes, most notably at defending champion team Project 1 Porsche. It now has two cars with two adjusted lineups. Last year’s champion Egidio Perfetti will now race alongside Matteo Cairoli and David Heinemeier Hansson in the No. 56 car.

American Ben Keating will race this season with usual co-driver Jeroen Bleekemolen and Michelin Endurance Cup third driver Felipe Fraga in the sister No. 57 car.

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