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Why Rossi believes he has plenty of time to achieve his car racing ambitions

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


In a month’s time, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will take another step in his glittering motorsports career when he gets his first run in BMW’s LMDh prototype in the World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain.

It seems inconceivable that the seven-time MotoGP world champion, who has since tried his hand at rallying and currently competes in the World Endurance Championship, is eligible for a rookie test, but he will drive the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the Bahrain International Circuit on 3 November, a day after the conclusion of the 2024 WEC season in the Gulf nation.

It could have been an altogether different ascent to the premier class had he fulfilled his boyhood dream of racing in Formula 1.
In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Rossi, 45, speaks about his post-MotoGP racing career — and how he would have loved to have raced in F1 for Ferrari — and his plans for the future.

«My dream was to race in cars and F1,» he says, «also because my dad was a motorcycle racer, but his career was full of injuries, so he was afraid for me. After motorcycles he switched to cars, as I am doing now, so he pushed me to start with karting because he thought it was a little less dangerous in cars.»

Rossi first tested a Ferrari F1 car at Fiorano in April 2004 and took to the track wearing one of Michael Schumacher’s spare helmets rather than one of his own. He earned the respect of Schumacher, who backed the Italian to swap codes and go from MotoGP to F1.


Rossi had a similar mid-season shakedown at Fiorano in 2005 before a major pre-2006 season test session at Valencia, driving a V10-engined car, albeit detuned. This was his crack at the big time. With Schumacher ageing, Rossi was a serious consideration for Ferrari but he was also in a contract year year himself and decided to re-sign with Yamaha to remain in MotoGP. 

Valentino Rossi tests for Ferrari

Valentino Rossi tests for Ferrari

Photo by: Mark Capilitan

He added: «I tried to race in MotoGP as much as possible because I didn’t want to quit when I was at the top, I preferred to continue until I couldn’t take it anymore. For me, the passion for motorcycles has always been great and I didn’t want to have any regrets about retiring prematurely when I could still give something. I was in no hurry, and once my MotoGP career was over I was ready to get in the car.


«In my head I always had the idea of racing in a car once the adventure in motorcycles was over. After testing with Ferrari there was the possibility of quitting earlier and moving to F1, but I decided to stay in motorcycles and honestly, it was the right choice because I knew I was still strong, while in cars it was a leap of faith.

«However, during the year I always tried to find some time to learn how to race in the car as well. For many years I took part in the Monza Rally Show, since it was held at the end of the MotoGP season.
At first my idea was really to race in rallies, so I also did two WRC rallies, with Subaru in New Zealand 2006 and with Ford at RAC 2009.

«But I realised that rallies are something else and I like racing on the track better. I’m better at it and then it’s more like motorcycles. 
So I tried to figure out what I could do, tried different things and GT3 seemed the best. 

«I raced with Kessel Racing’s Ferrari in the Blancpain at Monza and Nurburgring 2012, but after that, I didn’t have any more time. When I could, I raced in other events, such as the Gulf 12H, always to keep myself active.»

One wonders what would have happened had he decided to focus on F1 rather than MotoGP following that pre-season test in 2006, but what is apparent is that there are no regrets or lamenting missed opportunities.
Instead, he is now focused on reaching the top of the WEC and the rookie test in Bahrain will see him take the next step. Yet rather like his F1 aspirations in the past, he is keeping his expectations firmly in check. 


#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin

#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

«I would love to race in Hypercar,» he says, «because it is the MotoGP of prototypes, but it is not a goal I have set. I would be fine with becoming a strong driver in GT3, then of course, if a possibility emerges, I don’t back down.»

Rossi is now a father and his partner Francesca Sofia Novello is expecting their second child in the new year. He has also spoken about limiting his racing commitments but that does not mean he sees himself giving up on racing entirely.

«I would like to race at least another 10 years with cars,» he says. «That is the goal, then it is true that in life there are never certainties, but I would like to race for a long time. 


«With these cars, the driving is very technical, but physically, even if you are not younger, it is not a disadvantage. That’s why I think I can go on for several years, mainly because I enjoy it and have a lot of fun, which is key. That’s what we’re here for!»



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Rossi could quit WEC to downscale racing programme in 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi could quit the World Endurance Championship to focus on the GT World Challenge Europe as he looks to downscale his racing in 2025.

The BMW factory driver has explained to Motorsport.com that he is planning to cut back on the number of races he contests from this year’s 16 events primarily for family reasons, which include the imminent birth of his second child.

This represents a shift in his position from earlier in 2024, when he outlined a desire to continue racing with the WRT team in both WEC and the Endurance Cup leg of the GTWCE for a second season.

“I realised that 16 races is too many and I am in the same situation as in MotoGP,” said the 45-year-old Italian, who will be going into his fourth full season of car racing after his retirement from two wheels.

“I’m tired and my partner, Francesca, gets angry because I am always on the road.

“For 2025 my goal is to run 10 to 11 races: I will have to decide whether to do GTWCE or WEC.

“One is a world championship, so winning the title has special prestige, but in the Stephane Ratel Organisation races [GTWCE] the racing is really good with only GT3 cars.”

#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, #31 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Darren Leung, Sean Gelael, Augusto Farfus

#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, #31 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Darren Leung, Sean Gelael, Augusto Farfus

Photo by: Andreas Beil

Rossi’s expression of a desire to reduce his racing activities is not new, but he had previously described the 13 races of a programme combining WEC and the long-distance GTWCE events as “a really good number”.

He revealed at the same time that he was unlikely to contest the Bathurst 12 Hours round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in February 2025 as he has done for the past two seasons because it will conflict with his 46th birthday. It will be a significant celebration, he pointed out, because his race number throughout his MotoGP career was #46.

Now he has said that his 2025 season “will start in Bathurst”.

WRT boss Vincent Vosse clarified Rossi’s position to Motorsport.com: “Vale wants to reduce his number of races and the only way to do that is to do just one championship.

“It is a decision that has to be taken: does he do WEC or GTWCE? It’s something that is up in the air and really isn’t clear at the moment.

“There are many factors, and one is the BMW’s performance in the WEC, which hasn’t been what we were expecting, and another is Valentino’s FIA driver categorisation.”

Rossi was downgraded from gold to silver status for this year, paving the way for his move into the WEC in LMGT3, where each car must run a bronze and a second non-professional who is usually a silver.

#46 Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3: Raffaele Marciello, Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi

#46 Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3: Raffaele Marciello, Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi

Photo by: SRO

Asked whether a GTWCE campaign could expand to include the five events of the Sprint Cup in which Rossi is a two-time race winner, Vosse replied: “That is all part of the discussion and we don’t have a clear feeling yet.”

With the addition of the WEC to his programme this year, Rossi contested only two of the Sprint weekends, at Brands Hatch courtesy of his love for the circuit and his home race at Misano.

Rossi has unilaterally announced that he will be driving BMW’s M Hybrid V8 Hypercar class contender at the WEC rookie test in Bahrain on 3 November.

BMW and WRT have yet to confirm the date of his promised run in the LMDh, though have clarified that it will be before the end of the year.

Vosse said: “It looks like he will drive the prototype before the end of the year as we said, and the best opportunity for that looks like the rookie test.”

Rossi stressed that racing the LMDh in the future “is not the goal I have set” but hinted at a desire to race in the top class of the WEC.

“I would love to race in Hypercar because it is the MotoGP of prototypes,” he said. “Maybe in the future there will be a place in Hypercar — let’s see.”

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BMW needs upgrades to fight regularly at the front in WEC next year

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


BMW driver Dries Vanthoor believes the German manufacturer needs to upgrade its LMDh car in order to be a consistent frontrunner in the World Endurance Championship in 2025.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh has achieved limited success since it made its debut in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2023, while an expansion to the Hypercar class of the WEC this year has also been only modestly fruitful.

BMW has so far been reluctant to make use of the so-called evo jokers on the M Hybrid V8, with motorsport boss Andreas Roos ruling out any updates for the foreseeable future at Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

However, Vanthoor believes there are some weaknesses which BMW needs to address over the winter in order to make the car more competitive in the WEC next year.

“I do think it’s necessary [to use evo jokers] but we are using them wisely as we only have a few in the homologation of the car,” the Belgian told Motorsport.com ahead to the Fuji race, where he finished second along with team-mates Marco Wittmann and Raffaele Marciello.

“We just want to use them as best as we can. We really use them for the big aspects of our car.”

Prior to BMW’s breakthrough result in Japan, the WRT-run factory team had achieved a best finish of sixth at the Imola round of the championship in May.

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Asked if he was confident about regularly fighting at the front next year if the BMW LMDh remained in its current specification, Vanthoor replied: “No, I do think we need some upgrades to be able to do that and that is what we have to work on now.

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“Let’s see which [upgrade] we have to do first but I do think we need to do that.

“The people who are working in those areas together with us as drivers, doing feedback back and forth, know well enough which areas we have to improve on and probably will go in that area.”

As with other LMDh and LMH manufacturers, BMW is allowed a total of five evo jokers over the initial five-year lifespan of the M Hybrid V8.

Not every change made to the car counts towards an evo joker, and manufacturers aren’t required to disclose the use of their allocation publicly.

In the WEC, evo jokers have to be applied for to the rulemakers, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and the FIA, and are allowed at their discretion.

Vanthoor identified brakes as one area where BMW needs to work on over the winter to improve performance in race trim.

“We have had quite some brake issues the whole season,” the two-time Nurburgring 24 Hour winner revealed. “It’s a big topic for us, which hurts us a lot especially in the races.

“I think on one lap in qualifying, you don’t really feel this issue because nothing happens.

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello, Marco Wittmann

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello, Marco Wittmann

Photo by: Andreas Beil

“But in the long run it always tends to hurt us a lot. This for sure is the top three of which we should do first. It will be one of them.”

BMW, however, maintains that it doesn’t need to use any evo jokers in order to improve its prospects in the WEC. Its motorsport chief Roos insists that there is a lot of untapped potential in the M Hybrid V8 that the team can extract before it can consider bringing any updates.

He said: “You see that we still make progress. When you see where we were in Qatar [in March] and where we are now getting, you clearly see that there is a lot of potential in the car.

“This is what I always said when there comes up a topic about jokers. As long as we don’t extract the full potential of the car there is no need to take a joker.

“I still believe we have potential in the car which we still have to get out of it. As long as we can do this [there is no need for evo jokers]. We at the moment still have hard work to do and we will get better and better.”

BMW managed to follow up its podium at the Fuji WEC round with a 1-2 finish in the six-hour IMSA enduro at Indianapolis on 22 September.

It marked the second success for the German marque with the M Hybrid V8 after inheriting victory at Watkins Glen last year following disqualification for on-the-road winner Porsche.



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Alpine ‘pushing’ to retain Mick Schumacher in WEC line-up next year

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Alpine says it is doing all it can to retain Mick Schumacher as a part of its Hypercar line-up in the World Endurance Championship next year.

Schumacher joined Alpine at the start of its new LMDh programme this year to race the #36 Alpine A424 LMDh alongside Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere in the WEC, having spent the 2023 season on the sidelines after being ousted by Haas in Formula 1.

But the German driver still harbours aspirations of racing in F1 and has made it clear on multiple occasions that his priority for 2025 is to be back on the grand prix grid.

In response to speculation about his future, Philippe Sinault, team principal of Signatech Alpine, says the French marque is in active dialogue with the 25-year-old to convince him to stay at the squad for a second term.

Asked how confident he was about retaining Schumacher next year, he told Motorsport.com: “It’s difficult to say. I hope [he stays].

“We push and we say to him immediately that for us it’s a really really key point that he must stay with us.

“But nothing [is] in my hand. Formula 1 is still Formula 1. We have to wait again. I hope in the short term we have some news about that.”

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Nicolas Lapierre, Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere, #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963: Will Stevens, Callum Ilott, Norman Nato

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Nicolas Lapierre, Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere, #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963: Will Stevens, Callum Ilott, Norman Nato

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Alpine itself considered Schumacher for a seat at its F1 team next year as it debated a replacement for Haas-bound Esteban Ocon, but eventually chose its junior driver Jack Doohan to partner Pierre Gasly.

Alpine motorsport boss Bruno Famin, who has a management role at both its F1 and WEC programmes, said he was impressed by Schumacher’s performance this year and is hoping he will continue with the squad in 2025.

“I’m very happy with Mick. He has done a very good job,” Famin told Motorsport.com.

“His adaptation to endurance has been incredible, very fast, very good, everybody knows that for a single-seater driver it’s not easy.

“And especially for him at the beginning of the year he was really focused on how to get a seat in Formula 1 and he is still on that.

“But if you put that aside, he is really focused on the programme. We saw again in Austin how fast he was during the race.

“I’m very happy with Mick, if we have the opportunity to continue together we are really happy.”

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere

Photo by: Andreas Beil

Schumacher’s chances of making an F1 comeback in the short-term appear to be slim, with only Sauber having a vacant seat for 2025.

Asked what Alpine can do to retain Schumacher’s services next year, Famin said: “To be better.

“It’s not only what the team can do, it’s [about his personal choice].

“We all know that Mick’s number one priority would be if he had the possibility [to return to F1], but we know that there is only one [seat] left to have the opportunity to go back to Formula 1.

“Let’s see what we do, what will be the final decision. From our side we will be happy [if he stays].”

Both Famin and Sinault stated that they hope Schumacher will extend his relationship with Alpine if he is unable to find a way to return to F1 next year.

Sinault also added: “I think we did a good job together. I’m so happy about his level of performance, his pace, his commitment, I think he is quite happy about the job also.

“If he is not in F1, we are closer to continue to work together.”

Schumacher: Japan podium doesn’t change anything

Schumacher, Lapierre and Vaxiviere finished third in this month’s penultimate round of the season at Fuji, securing the first podium finish for the Alpine A424.

The result also marked Schumacher’s first visit to the rostrum in any category since his title-winning campaign in Formula 2 in 2020, having never finished higher than sixth in his two years in F1.

But the 25-year-old says Alpine’s breakthrough result in Japan will not have any bearing on where he races in 2025.

«Right now we’re just happy with the podium,” he said. “Whatever happens for the future, will be decided at some point still this year, hopefully.

“As soon as I know what I will be doing, I will for sure put a press release out there and let you all know.

“But definitely the hope is for Formula 1, because that is what I dreamt of since I was a little boy. But it definitely feels great to be in WEC.»



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Jota set to skip Bahrain WEC test as focus switches to factory Cadillac programme

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Jota is not expected to take part in the World Endurance Championship’s post-season test in Bahrain as it switches focus to its factory programme with Cadillac.

Team principal Dieter Gass revealed that Jota is “not very likely” to participate in the official one-day test at the Bahrain International Circuit on 3 November, which follows the final round of the season in the Gulf nation.

This means the Bahrain 8 Hours is set to be the last time the Porsche 963 will run in the colours of Jota’s title sponsor, Hertz.

The decision will allow it to pay more attention to its preparation for the 2025 WEC season, when it will replace Chip Ganassi Racing as Cadillac’s factory team in the series.

The British outfit, which wrapped up the World Cup for Hypercar teams at Fuji this month, is also in talks with the General Motors brand to privately run the car before the end of the year.

Such a test will take place at some point after the Bahrain season finale, by which time Cadillac will also have concluded its partnership with Ganassi in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

“We are discussing that [but] it’s not finalised yet,” Gass told Autosport when asked when the team will be able to run the Caddy LMDh.

“Before the end of the season [in November], not. [Before] the end of the year, I hope so.”

Gass explained that there are a number of hurdles that Jota and Cadillac need to overcome to organise a test together this year.

“It’s more a matter of periphery [than anything else],” he said. “You should be able to have a car, but we need to have all the tools to be able to run, and spare parts and everything. 

“So that needs preparation and then we can start looking into it.”

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Jota has been running the Porsche 963 LMDh on a customer basis since 2023 and scored an outright win at Spa in May this year en route to sealing the championship for privateer Hypercar teams with a round to spare.

The news about Jota becoming Cadillac’s new factory team for WEC was made official in August, when it was also announced that the team would enter two examples of the V-Series.R in 2025.

Gass added that there will be no contractual issues with Porsche regarding testing as Jota prepares to begin a new chapter in its illustrious history with General Motors.

“What we need to look at is the sporting regulations and what you are allowed to test and things like that,” he said. “With Porsche, I don’t foresee any problems.”

Sharing engineers

Cadillac has a strong presence in IMSA, where both Ganassi and Action Express Racing run one example each of the V-Series.R in the GTP class.

The North American championship will stage its final round of the season, Petit Le Mans, at Road Atlanta on October 12, three weeks before WEC’s own title decider in Bahrain.

Asked if there is a plan to send Jota engineers to an IMSA race to get an early understanding of how the V-Series.R works, Gass said: “Very possible that something like this is happening. [With] tests [yes], we need to see [if it is possible in] races [as well].

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“Again it all needs to be confirmed but I think there is going to be an exchange of personnel as well [and] potentially American engineers [will] join us. 

“For us with the personnel restrictions maybe it’s not as easy as going to IMSA [as IMSA engineers going to WEC, so that we don’t get into troubles with the regulations there.

“But for testing and things like that, that’s likely to happen.”

In IMSA, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti will leave the Acura stable in 2025 to replace Ganassi as one of Cadillac’s factory teams.

The outfit, which has a long history with the American brand, will field two entries in GTP next year, while AXR will continue to run a single car.



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Alpine to continue to use Viry factory for WEC irrespective of F1 engine decision

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Alpine’s factory effort in the World Endurance Championship will not be affected by any potential changes to its Formula 1 engine programme.

Bruno Famin, vice president of motorsport at Alpine, has stated that the Renault brand will continue to build and maintain engines for its A424 LMDh car at Viry-Chatillon in France for the foreseeable future.

Renault’s Viry factory has been building engines for grand prix racing since 1979, but the French manufacturer is debating whether to abandon its F1 power unit programme in time for the new regulations in 2026.

Although a decision is not expected to be made until 30 September as per an internal target set by the company, the prospect of Renault stopping production of F1 engines at Viry to turn Alpine into a Mercedes customer team has not been received well by employees, who have staged multiple protests in recent weeks.

But «whatever happens» to its long-running F1 engine programme, the Viry facility will continue to play an important role in Alpine’s Hypercar team according to Famin.

«We are already using the facility for WEC engines. [In] 2025 we continue with the Formula 1 engine,» he said.

«We are using the facility, the people, the skills, the resources we have in Viry to support and develop the WEC programme for sure and we will continue [doing that in the future].»

The Alpine A424 is powered by a heavily modified version of Mecachrome’s 3.4-litre turbocharged V6 engine that is also used in Formula 2. This is paired with a spec hybrid system that is common to all LMDh cars and is supplied jointly by Bosch, Xtrac, Williams Advanced Engineering.

#35 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Charles Milesi

#35 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Charles Milesi

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

More testing in 2025

Alpine has completed limited testing on its return to the Hypercar class with the all-new A424 in 2024.

It was the only manufacturer in the category not to take part in a collective test at Austin in July ahead of this month’s Lone Star Le Mans event.

However, Famin has revealed that Alpine will ramp up testing in 2025 in order to use its entire allocation.

«The regulations limit the number of days you can test and the number of days depends if you are a manufacturer, but [also how many] customer [cars you have],» he explained.

«Some competitors have quite a lot of customer cars and they are allowed to make more tests. They also have double programmes with IMSA and WEC.

«We go step by step and the goal for next year will be for sure to make the full use of all the quota in terms of the number of test days that we are gonna have.»

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Rossi confirmed for Bahrain WEC rookie test in BMW LMDh

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MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will get his first run in BMW’s LMDh prototype in the World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain.

Rossi will get to sample the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the Bahrain International Circuit on 3 November, a day after the 2024 WEC concludes in the Gulf nation.

The German manufacturer had first revealed plans to give the Italian a chance behind the wheel of its prototype when he was added to its factory roster for the beginning of the 2023 season.

The original timeline involved Rossi driving the Dallara LMP2-based racer towards the back end of last year, before BMW moved the planned outing to 2024.

Speaking exclusively with Autosport on the sidelines of this weekend’s GT World Challenge Europe event in Monza, Rossi himself confirmed that he will finally get the opportunity to drive the BMW LMDh in a little over a month’s time.

«At the Rookie Test I’m going to try the BMW LMDh and I’m very, very happy because last year I got to drive the LMP2, so the next goal is to see what the M Hybrid V8 is like,» he said.

«And then who knows, maybe in the future there will be a place in Hypercar. Let’s see.»

#20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast

#20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Sheldon Van Der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

At last weekend’s penultimate round of the WEC at Fuji, BMW motorsport boss Andreas Roos already hinted at Rossi getting behind the wheel of the marque’s LMDh car in the Bahrain rookie test.

He said: “It will be a surprise, maybe! We will see. He definitely will get the test this year.

“We said from the beginning that Valentino will be in the car and we clearly said at the beginning that it will not be at the beginning of the season, because then we have more than enough to do to get our things sorted, and the focus was clearly there to get everything prepared.

“But he will be in the car this year.”

Manufacturers have regularly taken advantage of the now-traditional Bahrain test to both evaluate and reward newcomers, including drivers who are more famous for their exploits in other disciplines.

Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso got his first taste of the Toyota TS050 LMP1 car in Bahrain in 2017 before embarking on the 2018/19 superseason.

The Japanese marque then put its World Rally Championship star Sebastien Ogier in its new LMH car at the end of the 2021 season in the Gulf nation.

Rossi, a seven-time champion in MotoGP, got to complete his first laps in a prototype in Bahrain last year when he took the wheel of a WRT-run Oreca 07 LMP2.

He subsequently entered the WEC this year in a BMW M4 GT3 entered by WRT in the new LMGT3 division.

The 45-year-old’s comments at Monza on Friday indicated that he still harbours aspirations of racing in the top class of either the WEC or the IMSA SportsCar Championship in the BMW M Hybrid V8.



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Ferrari aiming for clarity over WEC restarts after failed Spa appeal

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Ferrari is hopeful of a clarification of rules governing World Endurance Championship restarts after the loss of its appeal against the failed protest of the results of May’s Spa round.

The Italian manufacturer has expressed confidence that what it regards as a grey area in the sporting regulations will be addressed as a result of last week’s ruling from the FIA International Court of Appeal. 

The ICA’s judgement of the case heard on 3 September throwing out Ferrari’s appeal contained a clause ordering “the competent sporting authority [the FIA] to draw, as appropriate, the consequences of this ruling”.

Ferrari has always insisted that its protest of the stewards’ decision to restart round three of the 2024 WEC in Belgium beyond the scheduled finish time was partially motivated to achieve a clarification of the regulations. 

It argued that the WEC sporting rules as they stand are not clear. 

“The appeal and the ruling has opened the way for a clarification, which is needed,” Batti Pregliasco, team manager of the factory Ferrari AF Corse Hypercar squad told Motorsport.com. 

“What they are saying is that there is a grey area, that it is not clear.

“We need to clarify what we can call a bug in the regulations or some poor wording that caused the interpretation on our side, and not only on our side. 

“I think we can have a clarification in the rules for next year in the sporting regulations or perhaps from the WEC Committee [which rules on matters concerning the series].

“That is very important, because whether the race can restart or not can affect a lot in terms of strategy.”

Safety Car

Safety Car

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

BMW has joined the call for a clarification of the regulations. 

BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos said: “If there is something that is not 100 per cent clear, for sure we have to clarify it. 

“I haven’t made my mind up which way it should go; it just has to be clear.”

Restarting the Spa round in May after the scheduled finish time, set for 19:00, was unprecedented in the history of the WEC since its rebirth in 2012. 

The stewards invoked a clause in the sporting rules that states: “If the circumstances so require the stewards may take the decision to stop and/or modify the race time set. This may not exceed the time of the competition [meaning six hours in the case of Spa].”

Ferrari argued in its unsuccessful protest and subsequent appeal that this clause did not allow for the race to be restarted outside of its original timeframe. 

The need for extensive barrier repairs after a stoppage early in the penultimate hour prevented a resumption within the 13:00-19:00 timeframe laid down for the event, but the stewards decided to restart the race beyond the scheduled finish. 

A further one hour and 44 minutes of racing — the remaining time on the clock at the stoppage minus the time it took for the cars to line up on the start-finish straight — began at 19:10.

The two factory Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hypercars had been running 1-2 when the race was red-flagged after four hours and 13 minutes. 

Ferrari ended up finishing third and fourth with its #50 and #51 cars after the winning #12 Jota Porsche 963 LMDh and the second-placed #6 factory Porsche Penske Motorsport entry leapfrogged the Italian cars. 

The two Porsches had pitted just before the red flag, so made up most of the time lost because the race was restarted under the safety car and then moved to the front when the cars ahead of them made their next scheduled pitstops. 

The FIA has been contacted for comment.



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Porsche reveals it will tweak WEC and IMSA driver line-ups for 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Porsche has revealed that there will be changes to its 963 LMDh driver line-ups across its factory assaults on the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship next season.

The revisions planned for the two-car Porsche Penske Motorsport programmes in each series will not be radical and are scheduled to be announced prior to the end of the current WEC campaign at the start of November in Bahrain, it has stated.

PPM managing director Jonathan Diuguid told Motorsport.com that the 2025 driver crews “will not be dramatically different” to this year.

“All options are on the table and we are getting close; hopefully there should be some news before the end of the WEC season,” he said.

Porsche LMDh programme manager Urs Kuratle reiterated Diuguid’s standpoint.

“There will be changes and we are close to an announcement, which will be before the end of the season,” he said.

“The line-ups will not be the same as this year, but we are not 100% there yet, only 99%.”

Asked whether there could a reshuffle of drivers between the four PPM 963 LMDh as there was for 2024, Kuratle answered: “That is part of the missing 1%.”

It appears that there could be at least one newcomer in the PPM line-up.

Andlauer could be in contention for Porsche Penske switch for 2025

Andlauer could be in contention for Porsche Penske switch for 2025

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Porsche-contracted Julien Andlauer appears in contention for a seat in one of the team’s entries in either the WEC Hypercar or IMSA GTP classes next year after impressing at the wheel of the Proton Competition customer 963 in the WEC this year.

One possibility appears to be that he will be slotted into the IMSA squad in place of Dane Cameron.

It is also known that Porsche has evaluated downsizing its WEC line-up to run two drivers in each car at the six-hour races in the same way as Cadillac has done this year.

Should Porsche decide on that course of action, PPM would then bring in drivers from its IMSA programme for the longer WEC races, the Le Mans 24 Hours included.

With only eight full-time drivers on its books in this scenario, PPM would be one short should it be decided by Porsche to again field three factory cars at Le Mans.

Porsche should be free to go down this route because the proposed rule change mandating three drivers in each car in Hypercar appears to have been rejected by the manufacturers.

Diuguid revealed at the Austin WEC round in September that Porsche was against any rule change.

This season the only change in the PPM line-up was the swap of Cameron and Matt Campbell between championships.

Cameron moved from the WEC to partner Felipe Nasr in IMSA, while Campbell shifted in the other direction to join Frederic Makowiecki and Michael Christensen.

Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet have continued their partnership in IMSA, while Andre Lotterer, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor stayed together in the WEC and are now on course to take the Hypercar drivers’ title.

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