WEC: 14 manufacturers and record number of Hypercars headline 2024 entry list

27 November 2023 News Desk FiA, Motor Sport

Next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship will feature a record-breaking 19 Hypercars and 18 entries in the new LMGT3 class. A staggering number of 14 manufacturers, the highest in FIA WEC history, will be represented across both classes

Manufacturers competing in WEC next year include Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Isotta Fraschini, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota – all highlighting the continued growth of the world’s premier endurance racing series.

Several drivers have also been named as each team is required to submit a minimum of one driver per entered car. Notable names include the likes of freshly crowned LMP2 champion Robert Kubica who is set to graduate to the Hypercar class with AF Corse-entered Ferrari 499P; recent grand prix racer and current Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver Mick Schumacher, who is set for an endurance racing switch with Alpine, and seven-time MotoGP champion turned GT racer Valentino Rossi, who is set for a season in the LMGT3 class with BMW.

Since the Hypercar class was introduced in 2021, the WEC has grown immeasurably with the class reaching record numbers for the 2024 season. Nine manufacturers will compete in the Hypercar World Endurance Championship next year, including reigning champion Toyota, but also Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Porsche. Alpine will make the step up from LMP2 and will join newcomers BMW, Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini.

Next year’s WEC also expands to eight rounds with the addition of Sao Paulo (Brazil) as the series makes a welcome return to South America. There will also be new rounds in Doha (Qatar) and Imola (Italy) as well as a return to Circuit of the Americas in Texas, USA. The championship will travel to five regions – Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and South America.

Also new for 2024, the WEC will consist of two classes: Hypercar and the all-new LMGT3 category. The latter replaces the LMGTE class that has been on the WEC grid since the series’ inaugural season in 2012. The new GT class will be based on FIA’s existing GT3 technical platform and will continue to focus on private teams and gentlemen drivers.

Key 2024 FIA WEC entry list facts and figures:

Thirty-seven entries representing eight nations: Italy (10); France (7); Great Britain (6); Germany (5); Belgium (4); USA (2); Japan (2) and Lithuania (1)
Nineteen entries in Hypercar; 18 in LMGT3
2024 sees the highly-anticipated arrival of Hypercar entries from Alpine, BMW, Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini
Total of 14 car makes represented across all categories (Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Isotta Fraschini, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota)
All-new LMGT3 class – replacing the former GTE Am category – will see a total of 18 entries in its inaugural year

Hypercar

Ferrari increases its presence in the WEC’s top class by adding a third Ferrari 499P Hypercar (No. 83 AF Corse entry). Listed to drive this car is Robert Kubica
Reigning World Champions Toyota Gazoo Racing will defend its Hypercar title with a pair of Toyota GR010 Hybrids. Last week it was confirmed that Nyck De Vries would replace José María López in the No. 7 car (Lopez will move to GT3 to compete in the Akkodis ASP team entry with the Lexus RC F GT3)
Porsche Penske Motorsport continues its WEC campaign with two Porsche 963 Hypercars. The only driver change is Matt Campbell who replaces Dane Cameron in the No. 5 Porsche 963
Alpine transfers its racing efforts from LMP2 to Hypercar for 2024 with the all-new A424. Its full line-up of drivers includes ex-GP driver Mick Schumacher and Ferdinand Habsburg who makes the switch to the WEC’s top category from LMP2
Cadillac Racing returns with the Cadillac V-Series.R. The team has listed two drivers, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn
Peugeot TotalEnergies submits two Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid Hypercars as the French manufacturer embarks on its third WEC season. Former Formula E World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne joins the squad as a full-time driver
Three other Porsche 963 Hypercars feature on the list, including a two-car effort from Hertz Team JOTA, plus one Proton Competition entered Porsche
BMW M Team WRT joins the fray with two of its BMW M Hybrid V8 cars which have been competing in IMSA this season. Dries Vanthoor has been named to drive the No. 15 car, with Sheldon Van Der Linde named on the sister No. 20 entry
Lamborghini makes its highly-anticipated entry in the WEC’s Hypercar class with its sole SC63 and Mirko Bortolotti as the only confirmed driver so far
Isotta Fraschini entered Isotta Tipo 6 entries complete the 2024 Hypercar entry list, with Alejandro Garcia and Jean-Karl Vernay named as two of the drivers

LMGT3

All-new LMGT3 class to be made up of 18 entries in the inaugural season
Nine global marques: Aston Martin (2); BMW (2); Corvette (2); Ferrari (2); Ford (2); Lexus (2); Lamborghini Huracan (2); McLaren (2) and Porsche (2)
Team WRT (BMW M4 GT3) enter the LMGT3 fray with seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi named to drive the No. 46 entry. Brazil’s Augusto Farfus has been listed in the sister No. 31 car
British powerhouse McLaren joins with endurance experts United Autosports to make LMGT3 debut with a pair of 720S GT3 Evos
GT specialists Akkodis ASP Team enter the WEC with two Lexus RCF entries with José María López and Kelvin Van Der Linde named to drive in each of the cars
Iron Lynx and Iron Dames make a welcomed return to the championship – this time with a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2
Highly successful GTE Am team TF Sport aligns with 2023 champions Corvette Racing for 2024 to run a pair of Z06 GT3.R cars
Return of several familiar teams such as AF Corse which is entered as Vista AF Corse for 2024 (Ferrari 296 GT3), Heart of Racing Team and D’Station Racing (Aston Martin Vantage GT3), Proton Competition (Ford Mustang GT3) and Manthey PureRXRacing/Manthey (Porsche 911 GT3 Rs)

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said: “As the year of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary, 2023 was a historic season. But 2024 is just around the corner. Next season will stand out in the history of endurance, and probably in motorsport as a whole. The world’s greatest carmakers will compete in the eight races that comprise the championship, which includes circuits on the calendar for the first time. The stakes are high in Hypercar and in LMGT3 alike. See you in February for the Prologue on the magnificent Lusail International Circuit.”

Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President, said: “From one year to another the FIA World Endurance Championship keeps going from strength to strength. The championship never stops evolving. 2023 will be another pivotal year, with the Hypercar class reaching its full potential with 19 entries from nine different manufacturers. Also, for the first time in history, WEC will be comprised of two classes, each benefiting from incredibly strong entries. Next season also marks a new chapter for GT racing, with the cars based on the GT3 technical platform, which is by far the FIA’s most successful customer racing class and which offers WEC a great variety of makes and models.”

Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship, said: “The sheer number of entries across both Hypercar and LMGT3 underlines the continued growth of FIA WEC and I’d like to take this moment to thank all our manufacturers and teams for putting their trust in us. To have an entry list featuring 19 Hypercars plus 18 LMGT3 entries representing 14 different manufacturers truly reflects the golden era of endurance racing that we are experiencing right now. The battles on track next season are going to be extraordinary and what’s even more exciting is that we are expanding our calendar to eight races so that even more fans can enjoy the action.”

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