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Pourchaire in line for Peugeot Hypercar reserve role

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire is under consideration for a test and reserve role with Peugeot’s World Endurance Championship squad along with former sparring partner Clement Novalak.

Poruchaire, who also raced with Arrow McLaren in IndyCar this year, and LMP2 regular Novalak have entered the frame to replace Malthe Jakobsen on his graduation to a race seat in place of Nico Muller for 2025 after taking part in the official WEC rookie test in Bahrain earlier this month.

Peugeot has stated that it wanted to take a look at some new drivers and confirmed that they are in contention for the seventh spot in the Peugeot Sport WEC squad.

Peugeot Sport technical director Olivier Jansonnie said: “It is always interesting to evaluate drivers for the future. The idea of the rookie test for us was to test some proper rookies.

“We looked at some potential drivers: we wanted someone with strong single-seater experience and recent prototype experience, and that is Clement [who raced in the European Le Mans Series with Inter Europol in 2024]. Theo has a bit of a different profile but is obviously very talented.”

When asked if Pourchaire and Novalak were being evaluated for a potential reserve role, Jansonnie replied in the affirmative. He confirmed that Peugeot would go into 2025 with a seventh driver, but he stressed that no decisions had been made.

#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Malthe Jakobsen, Théo Pourchaire, Clement Novalak

#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Malthe Jakobsen, Théo Pourchaire, Clement Novalak

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Pourchaire stated that he was open to a reserve role with Peugeot alongside a proper return to competition after a season in which he started out in Super Formula with Team Impul before switching to what turned out to be a disjointed IndyCar campaign.

“A reserve driver role in Hypercar, why not?” said the 2023 F2 title winner, who holds a similar position in Formula 1 with Sauber. “It could help me have a full-time role in the future, but for sure I am looking for a drive to actually race.”

Should Pourchaire land a Peugeot drive, it is likely that he would be placed in LMP2 next year to gain race experience. He was spotted with the Algarve Pro Racing P2 squad at Paul Ricard during a Goodyear tyre test last week.

Novalak, a race winner in F2 in ’23, said: “If I could dream of anything it would be getting a reserve role [in Hypercar] and doing the ELMS and the IMSA SportsCar Championships [in P2],” said the London-based Franco-Swiss.

Pourchaire and Novalak are not under consideration for race seats at Peugeot for next year.

The team will go into the new season with an unchanged roster in its two 9X8 2024 Le Mans Hypercars with the exception of Jakobsen. But the Dane will not necessarily slot in as a like-for-like replacement for Muller in the #93 entry alongside Mikkel Jensen and Jean-Eric Vergne.

Jansonnie explained that the final decision on the line-ups in each car had yet to be made.

Peugeot shuffled drivers between cars for 2024 when Stoffel Vandoorne moved up from the reserve role on the departure of Gustavo Menezes. He took Menezes’s seat in the #94 car, driving alongside Loic Duval and Paul di Resta, who swapped places with Muller between seasons.

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Mercedes makes Le Mans return, enters WEC with Iron Lynx

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Mercedes will return to the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time since 1999 as part of a World Endurance Championship campaign with the Iron Lynx team.

The German manufacturer will enter the WEC for the first time in the LMGT3 class with the successful Mercedes-AMG GT3, a winner of the 24-hour classics at Spa and Nurburgring.

That will give Mercedes a spot on the Le Mans grid, 26 years after its last entry with the CLR LM-GTP racer.

That was only Mercedes’s third assault on the French enduro since its 1989 victory with the factory Sauber team and ended on Saturday evening when Peter Dumbreck crashed out in the third aerial accident for the team over the Le Mans meeting.

#6 AMG Mercedes CLR LMGTP: Bernd Schneider, Pedro Lamy, Franck Lagorce

#6 AMG Mercedes CLR LMGTP: Bernd Schneider, Pedro Lamy, Franck Lagorce

Photo by: John Brooks

Iron Lynx is forging a partnership with Mercedes after representing Lamborghini in LMGT3 in 2024, the first season of the new class, as well as in Hypercar with the Italian manufacturer’s SC63 LMDh prototype.

Mercedes is set to become the 10th manufacturer in class and will have two Iron Lynx-run cars in the field, in line with series rules.

Iron Lynx has announced Matteo Cressoni, who switches over from Lamborghini’s factory roster, and Claudio Schiavoni, a partner in the team, as the first drivers of the two Mercs.

Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Christoph Sagemuller said on Wednesady’s announcement: “It’s no secret that we’ve been very keen for some time to bring the Three-pointed Star back to Le Mans.

“The 2025 season with the FIA WEC entry is the right moment – we are returning to La Sarthe after 26 years!

“The first FIA WEC season with LMGT3 cars has already been extremely interesting and we want to bring even more excitement to the field in future.”

He added the “experienced Iron Lynx team is the right pairing” for its WEC entry.

Iron Lynx team principal and CEO Andrea Piccini said: «We are extremely proud to welcome Mercedes-AMG as a partner. In addition to being an amazing brand, they are highly motivated, determined, and hungry for success.”

Stephen Wendl, head of customer racing at Mercedes-AMG, thanked the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest for their cooperation in allowing Mercedes into LMGT3 at the second time of asking.

The brand tried to gain an entry for the inaugural year of LMGT3. but lost out when the FIA and the ACO allowed in only nine manufacturers.

An expansion of the WEC grid from this year’s 37 to cars to potentially as many as 40 and fewer than expected entries in Hypercar has made space for Mercedes.

The significance of the announcement, which has come ahead of the full reveal of the 2025 WEC grid after entries closed on 18 November, on Iron Lynx’s relationship with Lamborghini is not entirely clear.

Lamborghini’s LMDh programme is under review, with marque chief technical officer Rouven Mohr revealing that all options are possible.

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He explained that the new rule demanding that Lamborghini run two SC63s in WEC was proving problematical for reasons of resource, both financial and technical.

It appears that the most likely option is that the Italian manufacturer will concentrate on GTP in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America, its biggest market, and leave the WEC’s Hypercar class.

Iron Lynx made no reference to Lamborghini in its announcement made at the same time as the statement from Mercedes.

Mercedes is planning a new GT3 car to replace the long-serving current car after bringing development for the class in-house rather than using long-term partner HWA.



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Is Wehrlein, not Vettel, a contender for Porsche Le Mans seat after surprise test?

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Pascal Wehrlein could be in the running for a factory drive with Porsche in next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours after a surprise appearance in last week’s Daytona test.

While Porsche Penske Motorsport has already announced the driver pairings for its two factory 963 LMDh cars in the 2025 World Endurance Championship, there will be one vacant seat available in its Le Mans line-up if it decides to field an additional entry.

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has been repeatedly linked to a third Porsche entry at Le Mans, having tested the car earlier this year.

But last weekend, factory Porsche driver and former Formula E champion Wehrlein made an unexpected visit to the Daytona International Speedway, driving the Porsche 963 of customer squad JDC-Miller in the official IMSA-sanctioned test.

That gives a possible indication that Wehrlein, and not fellow German Vettel, could get the nod to drive for Porsche in the 93rd running of Le Mans.

Last month, Porsche motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach said “it is more likely we will run three cars” at Le Mans next year after securing an additional entry for WEC’s centrepiece event by winning the GTP title in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

Porsche currently has eight prototype drivers in its factory roster across WEC and IMSA for the 2025 season, down from 10 this year. With three drivers required in each car, that leaves one vacancy in its squad for a three-car attack.

Urs Kuratle, the project driver at LMDh, admitted that an extra driver would be needed should Porsche go ahead with its plan to field a third car.

He did not rule out Vettel being a contender for the seat and even confirmed to have held talks with him. But while the 37-year-old has mainly completed demo runs since his exit from F1 with Aston Martin at the end of 2022, Wehrlein is currently in the prime of his career.

#85: JDC-Miller MotorSports, Porsche 963, GTP: Tijmen van der Helm, Oliver Gray, Gianmaria Bruni, Pascal Wehrlein, Chris Miller

#85: JDC-Miller MotorSports, Porsche 963, GTP: Tijmen van der Helm, Oliver Gray, Gianmaria Bruni, Pascal Wehrlein, Chris Miller

Photo by: IMSA

Unlike Vettel, the 30-year-old, of course, is already a factory driver for Porsche in FE and tested the car while it was still being developed in 2022.

In fact, Wehrlein was a contender for a full season in the WEC upon Porsche’s return to the top echelon of sportscar racing in 2023. The German manufacturer eventually signed Frederic Makowiecki to complete its line-up in the Hypercar class.

Makowiecki, Andre Lotterer and Dane Cameron have all been dropped from Porsche’s LMDh line-ups in 2025, while Julien Andlauer has received a factory contract after a season spent racing for the customer Proton Competition team in the WEC.

No clashes with Formula E

What will happen next with Wehrlein’s Hypercar ambitions remains unclear, but a participation in the Daytona 24 Hours in JDC-Miller Porsche would be obvious after the test. 

There is no clash between the Formula E calendar and the IMSA season opener, which is scheduled for 27-28 January, and the ‘Roar Before The 24’ test that precedes the enduro.

Wehrlein also has no clashing Formula E commitments on the Le Mans test day, which will take place on 8 June, and Le Mans itself, which will be held on 11-15 June. 

In addition, a start in the IMSA classic in Sebring (15 March) would also be possible, serving as preparation for the blue-riband WEC round. 

With potential race appearances after last week’s test, Wehrlein could continue to learn the Porsche 963 and then support the factory team at Le Mans — the FE schedule would not stand in the way of his Le Sarthe debut. But that would mean the door to the factory team in the 24-hour enduro would be closed for his countryman Vettel.

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Button stays with Jota for factory Cadillac switch in 2025 WEC

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Jenson Button will remain with the British Jota squad in the World Endurance Championship on its graduation to the factory ranks with Cadillac next season.

The 2009 Formula 1 world champion will move over with Jota from Porsche to Cadillac to drive one of two V-Series LMDhs to be fielded by the team in the Hypercar class.

A second full season in the WEC for 44-year-old Button was confirmed on Thursday when the full driver roster was announced for the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota entries.

Will Stevens and Norman Nato have joined Button in switching from Jota’s two-car squad of customer Porsche 963 LMDhs.

Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will continue with Cadillac at Jota in the WEC after two years racing the General Motors brand’s solo Hypercar entry run by Chip Ganassi Racing

Sebastien Bourdais also makes the move from Ganassi, with which he has been a full-season regular in the IMSA SportsCar Championship since 2022 after calling time on his IndyCar career.

Cadillac Racing driver line up

Cadillac Racing driver line up

Photo by: Richard Prince

He is switching series having raced alongside Bamber and Lynn in the Qatar and Bahrain WEC rounds at the beginning and end of this year’s campaign.

It will be the first full-time programme outside of North America for the Frenchman since his season and a half in F1 with Toro Rosso in 2008-09.

Bourdais will not remain with Cadillac in IMSA’s GTP class next year, but will stay in the series after signing a deal with Tower Motorsport to race in the LMP2 division.

Cadillac and Jota have yet to reveal the driver combinations for its two WEC entries, which will retain the #12 and #38 race numbers from the Porsche programme.

Bamber will also be competing for Cadillac in IMSA next year with Action Express Racing, but it is expected that the Jota programme will take precedence on the clash between the Spa and Laguna Seca races in May and at the Le Mans 24 Hours should the American team contest the WEC double-points round for a third year in succession.

Button was widely expected to stay with Jota having revealed at the start of the season that he saw his time in Hypercar as a two-year venture.

He had, however, refused to confirm his plans and whether he would continue racing ahead of the announcement on Thursday.

Button said: “I’m delighted to be continuing my journey with Hertz Team Jota as they form their new partnership with such an iconic brand as Cadillac.

“Racing with Jota this season has been such a privilege as they’re a team steeped in success in endurance racing and an operation I’ve long admired.

“Those achievements and hard work have now led to this exciting next chapter seeing them partner with Cadillac, a marque which has already impressed with what it has achieved to date in both WEC and IMSA.

#38 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963: Jenson Button, Philip Hanson, Oliver Rasmussen

#38 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963: Jenson Button, Philip Hanson, Oliver Rasmussen

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“The driver line-up is pretty impressive: we bring our collective experience of working with the Cadillac platform and the experience of working with Jota together.

“We have all the ingredients for a great season ahead.”

Jota director David Clark stated: “Cadillac’s pedigree in motorsport speaks for itself, and with these six drivers we will be in a strong position to challenge for race wins.”

Bourdais, 45, said he was “thankful to be part of this new adventure”, adding: «It’s a known quantity with the car and the GM people, so it’s cool to be able to continue there.»

Stevens, who took victory in the #12 Jota Porsche in last May’s WEC round at Spa, is continuing a relationship that stretches back to 2016.

The Briton has been a fixture with the team since winning the WEC P2 crown in 2022, saying: “I’ve made no secret of my intention to be with Jota for the long haul and to do this with Cadillac makes it even more special.”

Cadillac is upscaling its WEC assault this season in line with a new rule mandating two-car entries for manufacturer teams competing in Hypercar.

Ganassi fielded only one car in the WEC in 2023 and 2024: its two-car IMSA assault of 2022 with the DPi-V.R Daytona Prototype international was effectively split in half at the start of the Hypercar era, with one car racing in the world championship and one in North America.

It unilaterally announced in March that its relationship with Cadillac would come to an end at the conclusion of this year’s WEC and IMSA campaigns.

Ganassi ran Bamber and Lynn as a duo in the six-hour WEC races this year, but Jota always intended to stick with three drivers on its switch to Cadillac.

Team boss Sam Hignett has stressed the importance of racing with the same line-up as at Le Mans in all WEC events.

Jota will shake down its V-Series.R chassis at the Anneau du Rhin circuit close to the German border in northern France next week.

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Toyota announces unchanged Hypercar line-up for 2025 WEC season

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Toyota will go into the 2025 World Endurance Championship with an unchanged driver line-up.

The Japanese car maker’s #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar will driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries for a second consecutive season, while in #8 Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa stay together for a fourth season.

Kobayashi, who also acts as team principal of the Toyota Gazoo Racing WEC squad, stressed the importance of what he described as “a consistent line-up of drivers who understand how to work together”.

“We have a top driver line-up in both cars, and I am happy to be part of it again in 2025,” he said.

“The team spirit and co-operation among all the drivers, and the team in general, grows with every race and every season.”

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries, #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid: Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 — Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries, #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 — Hybrid: Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa

Photo by: Shameem Fahath

He added that Toyota has enjoyed “some good results this year”, a reference to its three race wins and victory in the Hypercar manufacturers’ championship, but that “as a team we continuously push ourselves to perform even better at every event”.

De Vries labelled his 2024 campaign with Toyota as “a good first season».

“We have had ups and downs but generally it has been a great experience,” he said.

“I am looking forward to being part of this team in 2025, it is a true pleasure and honour.”

The Dutch driver belatedly joined Toyota in place of Jose Maria Lopez at the start of this year having originally been slated to race the #7 car in 2023 prior to his short stint in Formula 1 with AlphaTauri.

Conway will be undertaking his 10th season as a full-time member of the Toyota WEC squad, while Buemi maintains an unbroken run with the team that stretches back to its return to top-flight sportscar racing on the rebirth of the WEC in 2012.

Toyota’s announcement of its driver line-up for its 2025 attack on the Hypercar class on Wednesday made no reference to Ritomo Miyata, who filled the test and reserve role this year.

The Japanese driver was overlooked for the Le Mans 24 Hours WEC blue riband in June when Conway was unable to compete as a result of injuries sustained in a cycling accident.

Toyota instead brought Lopez back to fill the seat alongside Kobayashi and de Vries.

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Calado reveals hospitalisation after «dangerous» WEC weight loss effort

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Ferrari driver James Calado has revealed that he was hospitalised with malnutrition early in this year’s World Endurance Championship campaign as a result of his efforts to lose weight.

The Briton has disclosed that he became «properly ill» after the Qatar season-opener as he strived to overcome the performance disadvantage that comes with carrying extra kilogrammes in the WEC’s Hypercar category, which does not include the driver in the minimum weight of the car.

«I was sick this year because I lost so much weight — I went to hospital after Qatar with malnutrition,» he explained. «I was on medication because I was running and not eating, trying so hard to lose weight.

«It’s too dangerous for me to go down to the weight I want.»

Calado explained that he is «70-something kilos» and that could result in a performance disadvantage of as much as half a second a lap on a regular circuit to a driver who weighs 20kg less.

«I would love to be able to qualify, but I’m too heavy,» he said. «I would love something to make it more equal like karting or in other championships.

#51 Ferrari Af Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

#51 Ferrari Af Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

Photo by: Shameem Fahath

«It’s not easy to manage because it’s endurance racing — three drivers per car, two in others — I know that, but let’s try and do something.»

Calado’s revelation comes at a time when there is a push to mitigate the advantage that running lighter drivers brings.

BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos revealed to Motorsport.com that he has raised the issue with the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which jointly run the WEC.

«There should be compensation for driver weight as there was in the past in LMP1 and we are pushing for that,» he said.

«We shouldn’t get to a situation where the manufacturers are looking for the lightest drivers; there should be a situation where every driver can be competitive.

«This is also a safety topic: drivers try to lose weight, but this is endurance racing so it can be dangerous.»

James Calado, Ferrari AF Corse

James Calado, Ferrari AF Corse

Photo by: Nikolaz Godet

ACO technical director Thierry Bouvet admitted that the idea is being discussed, but stressed that no decision has been made.

«When people have ideas, we and the FIA look at the pros and cons and see if they need to be adopted or not,» he said.

A rule introduced in LMP1 for the 2015 WEC season increased the minimum weight of a car in which the average weight of its two or three drivers was less than 80kg.

Three drivers with an average weight of 75kg had to carry 5kg of ballast in their car, for example.

The rule didn’t remove the advantage a lighter driver had over heavier co-drivers but equalised the cars across the grid.

The cars of Formula 1 drivers who weigh less than 80kg in their racewear have to carry ballast to bring it up to the 798kg minimum.

The Hypercar technical rules for 2025 have already been approved and published but could be changed with the unanimous support of the manufacturers.



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Valentino Rossi leaning «more towards WEC» for 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi is considering the World Endurance Championship over the GT World Challenge Europe as he downscales his race programme for next season.

The BMW factory driver has revealed that the German manufacturer is steering him towards the WEC rather than a full campaign across the Endurance and Sprint Cup legs of the GTWCE in 2025.

Rossi, who contested the WEC’s new LMGT3 class and seven GTWCE events with the WRT team this year, said that at the moment his decision is «more towards the WEC», but stressed that he has yet to make a final call.

That will not be made until after the final GTWCE enduro in Jeddah at the end of this month.

«I have quite a lot of pressure from BMW to remain in the WEC because for them it is more important,» the 45-year-old Italian explained over the course of last weekend’s final round of the 2024 WEC in Bahrain.

«I am a little bit uncertain and I haven’t decided yet. Some things are better here, some things are better there.»

Rossi has previously pointed to the prestige of racing in a world championship and the opportunity it presents to compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours, while stressing the ultra-competitiveness of GT3-only racing in the GTWCE in which he competes in the Pro class.

He has decided to cut down on the number of races he will contest from 16 this year to 10 or 11 next for family reasons at a time when the birth of his second child is imminent.

#20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Valentino Rossi

#20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Valentino Rossi

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

To achieve that, he will have to drop out of one of the championships that have been part of his 2024 programme.

Should he choose the GTWCE, it is likely that he would do both legs of the series in which he has achieved his greatest success since his full-time swap to four wheels following his retirement from MotoGP at the end of 2020.

He took a solo Sprint Cup victory in each of the 2023 and ’24 seasons driving a BMW M4 GT3 for BMW, the former as part of a full campaign, the latter over the two short-format GTWCE events he contested alongside a full campaign in the enduros.

Rossi reaffirmed his intent to contest the Bathurst 12 Hours, the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge next February, for a third year in succession.

Had he continued to race in both WEC and GTWCE, the Australian enduro would likely have been a casualty of his efforts to reduce his number of races.

Rossi played down the chances of him racing BMW’s M Hybrid V8 LMDh after try-out in a WRT-run car at last weekend’s WEC rookie test in Bahrain.

He said that he was «happy to test the [Le Mans] Hypercar and put it in my collection».



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Second WEC crown more prestigious than maiden triumph in 2012

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Andre Lotterer believes that winning the World Endurance Championship title this year means more than his 2012 triumph with Audi.

The German, who sealed the crown in Bahrain on Saturday with Porsche Penske Motorsport team-mates Laurens Vanthoor and Andre Lotterer, suggested that his second world crown conveys more prestige than the maiden triumph secured in the inaugural season of the reborn WEC.

“There is more recognition for such an achievement in today’s circumstances,” Lotterer told Motorsport.com.

“You have to look at how the championship has come a long way.

“A lot of manufacturers have come, and they haven’t come just to participate — everyone has come to win.

“The competition now and the Balance of Performance that levels the field means the execution, operation and strategy, doing the perfect job through the season, is what is rewarded.

“I would say it is quite meaningful.”

Race winners #1 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer and #2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish crosses the line

Race winners #1 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer and #2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish crosses the line

Photo by: Daniel Kalisz / Motorsport Images

Lotterer stressed that he wasn’t necessarily picking this year’s Hypercar title with the Porsche 963 LMDh over his 2012 success with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 as a more significant highlight of his career.

“I wouldn’t say it means more to me, it’s just different,” said Lotterer, who is leaving the PPM squad for next season after Porsche’s decision to reduce its full-season driver line-up to two drivers.

“But we were quite dominant in 2012 and there wasn’t that much competition if i am honest.”

LMP1 newcomer Toyota was Audi’s only factory rival that season after it made a late decision to undertake more than a limited number of development races, its original plan following Peugeot’s withdrawal shortly before the start of the season.

Lotterer suggested that the world title should no longer be viewed as the poor relation to victory at Le Mans.

While Porsche won the drivers’ title this year with Lotterer, Estre and Vanthoor, it could manage a best finish of fourth in the 92nd running of Le Mans. 

“Previously in LMP1, Le Mans was the thing everyone wanted; it was all about Le Mans back then, he explained.

He added that back in the early years of the WEC revival “you kind of thought you’d lost the season” with a failure to win at Le Mans.

He described winning Le Mans with co-champions Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler as the “heroic part” of a WEC campaign in 2012 that included a further two victories and four podiums.

That is a reference to the Lotterer and his team-mates coming out on top in the battle with the sister Audi driven by Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello despite the failure of hybrid system on their R18 early in the race.

Lotterer, 42, has no intention of retiring after losing his PPM drive with the end of his contract.

He revealed before the Bahrain 8 Hours that he is in talks with Porsche about a possible new role and is also in contact with other manufacturers.

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Kubica set to return with customer Ferrari Hypercar in 2024 WEC

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Formula 1 race winner Robert Kubica is looking increasingly certain to remain with the AF Corse customer Hypercar team in the World Endurance Championship next year.

Kubica told Motorsport.com that he «didn’t come here for just one year» when questioned after last weekend’s 2024 WEC finale in Bahrain about whether he would race the yellow-liveried Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercar again.

But he stressed that «there is a lot of work to do» for next year at a team that claimed victory at Austin in September but failed to consistently match the factory arm of the AF team over the season.

«It is not an easy decision, so we will see,» he said.

Kubica, who partnered Ferrari factory drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman in AF’s satellite entry in 2024, had discussions with team boss Amato Ferrari over the course of the WEC finale in Bahrain last weekend.

Ferrari explained that he was hopeful that Kubica will remain with the team next year.

«Everything is positive and we all want Robert back, but no deal is done,» he said.

Antonello Coletta, Ferrari’s head of sportscar racing, also expressed hopes that Kubica will stay, saying «Our dream is to maintain Robert with us».

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson, Yifei Ye

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson, Yifei Ye

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Kubica remained with AF at the Bahrain International Circuit on the day after the WEC race for Phil Hanson’s first test in the Ferrari he will race in the WEC next year.

The Briton, who is swapping over from the British Jota customer Porsche team when it becomes Cadillac’s factory WEC squad, is the first driver to be announced for the #83 AF entry for next year.

Shwartzman is leaving Ferrari at the end of this year, Coletta confirmed.

He explained that the 25-year-old will depart both the line-up at AF and Ferrari’s roster of factory drivers after he «decided to make another choice».

Shwartzman, who has been a Ferrari Formula 1 reserve since 2023 after graduating from the Italian manufacturer’s academy programme, will be announced as the team-mate of the already confirmed Callum Ilott at Prema’s new IndyCar team imminently.

Ye, who became a factory Ferrari driver for this season, is expected to remain in the line-up of the #83 car.



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