This year is going to be a significant change for the World Endurance Championship. For a start, it’ll be 14 months long…
Today, the WEC has announced the teams who’ll be driving this punishing “Super Season” — which includes two separate runnings of the 24 Hours of Le Mans — and the official schedule.
Although potentially subject to change, the 2018-19 calendar is as follows:
- Round 0 – April 6/7 2018 – Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard
- Round 1 – May 5 2018 – Total 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps
- Round 2 – June 16/17 2018 – 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Round 3 – August 19 2018 – 6 Hours of Silverstone
- Round 4 – October 14 2018 – 6 Hours of Fuji
- Round 5 – November 18 2018 – 6 Hours of Shanghai
- Round 6 – March 16/17 2019 – 1500 Miles of Sebring
- Round 7 – May 4 2019 – Total 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps
- Round 8 – June 15/16 2019 – 24 Hours of Le Mans
This includes a change to the expected dates for the Fuji round. The FIA moved the race from October 14 to avoid a clash with Petit Le Mans. However the new date of October 19 clashed with the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Fuji organizers reportedly requested the move back to the original date, which allows Fernando Alonso to drive for Toyota at its home venue.
Along with the calendar, WEC announced the 36-car entry list. This came in a twin-announcement with the ACO’s 60-car entry list for the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours.
LMP1
The headline is, of course, Toyota’s entry. Its Gazoo Racing outfit is hoping to recapture the overall title and take its first ever victory at Le Mans, after years of heartbreak. The two TS050 cars are the only vehicles in the LMP1 Hybrid category.
There are eight other LMP1s though. The ByKolles team returns, while Vaillante Rebellion steps up from LMP2, with a two-car entry of its own, Oreca-built R13 chassis. Dragonspeed will run one Dallara-made BR1, with Russian team SMP Racing entering another two. The Ginetta G60-LT-P1 also appears twice, run by CEFC TRSM Racing. All ten LMP1s will contest the full WEC Super Season.
- 1 – Rebellion Racing – Rebellion R13-Gibson
- 3 – Rebellion Racing – Rebellion R13-Gibson
- 4 – ByKolles Racing – CLM P1/01-NISMO
- 5 – CEFC TRSM Racing – Ginetta G60-LT-P1–MECACHROME
- 6 – CEFC TRSM Racing – Ginetta G60-LT-P1–MECACHROME
- 7 – Toyota Gazoo Racing – Toyota TS050 HYBRID
- 8 – Toyota Gazoo Racing – Toyota TS050 HYBRID
- 10 – Dragonspeed – BR Engineering BR1-Gibson
- 11 – SMP Racing – BR Engineering BR1-AER
- 17 – SMP Racing – BR Engineering BR1-AER
LMP2
With Rebellion stepping up into the LMP1 category, there’ll be a new champion in 2018-19. One of the leading contenders is Jackie Chan DC Racing, which finished with one car in second last year and occupied two of the overall podium steps at Le Mans. The team’s entry includes two cars for Le Mans, of four cars in total.
It’s a tough field though, with 20 cars in total — although only seven will tackle the full Super Season. These include Signatech Alpine, with FIA Platinum driver Nicolas Lapierre. G-Drive, Panis Barthez and United Autosports will only contest Le Mans.
- 22 – United Autosports – Ligier JSP217-Gibson*
- 23 – Panis Barthez Competition – Ligier JSP217-Gibson*
- 25 – Algarve Pro Racing – Ligier JSP217-Gibson*
- 26 – G-DRIVE Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson*
- 28 – TDS Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson
- 29 – Racing Team Nederland – Dallara P217-Gibson
- 31 – Dragonspeed – Oreca 07-Gibson
- 32 – United Autosports – Ligier JSP217-Gibson*
- 33 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson*
- 34 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson*
- 35 – SMP Racing – Dallara P217-Gibson*
- 36 – Signatech Alpine Matmut – Alpine A470-Gibson
- 37 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson
- 38 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson
- 39 – Graff-SO24 – Oreca 07-Gibson*
- 40 – G-DRIVE Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson*
- 44 – Eurasia Motorsport – Ligier JSP217-Gibson*
- 47 – Cetilar Villorba Corse – Dallara P217-Gibson*
- 48 – IDEC Sport – Ligier JSP217-Gibson*
- 50 – Larbre Competition – Ligier JSP217-Gibson
GTE Pro
Ten of the 17 GTE Pro entries will contest Le Mans, with Aston Martin back to defend its race title and AF Corse returning to hold its WEC crown. AF Corse sends two cars for the full season and a third for Le Mans, while Ford will enter four GTs in a bid to take back the 24 Hour race.
It’s BMW that may grab the headlines though. It sends two of its new M8 GTEs in for the whole season, with two platinum drivers — Martin Tomczyk and Augusto Farfus — taking lead driver duties.
- 51 – AF Corse – FERRARI 488 GTE Evo
- 52 – AF Corse – FERRARI 488 GTE Evo*
- 63 – Corvette Racing – Chevrolet Corvette C7.R*
- 64 – Corvette Racing – Chevrolet Corvette C7.R*
- 66 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK – Ford GT
- 67 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK – Ford GT
- 68 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA – Ford GT*
- 69 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA – Ford GT*
- 71 – AF Corse – FERRARI 488 GTE Evo
- 81 – BMW Team MTEK – BMW M8 GTE
- 82 – BMW Team MTEK – BMW M8 GTE
- 91 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR
- 92 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR
- 93 – Porsche GT Team USA – Porsche 911 RSR*
- 94 – Porsche GT Team USA – Porsche 911 RSR*
- 95 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage AMR
- 97 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage AMR
GTE Am
There’s a familiar feel to the GTE Am lineup, with eight returning teams. This includes 2017’s Le Mans winners, JMW Motorsport, and the WEC-winning Aston Martin Racing team. It’s the usual mix of Porsche 911s and Ferrari 488s, with the Vantages from Aston Martin and TF Sport.
- 54 – Spirit of Race – Ferrari 488 GTE
- 56 – Team Project 1 – Porsche 911 RSR
- 61 – Clearwater Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE
- 70 – MR Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE
- 77 – Dempsey-Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR
- 80 – Ebimotors – Porsche 911 RSR*
- 84 – JMW Motorsport – Ferrari 488 GTE*
- 85 – Keating Motorsports – Ferrari 488 GTE*
- 86 – Gulf Racing – Porsche 911 RSR
- 88 – Dempsey-Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR
- 90 – TF Sport – Aston Martin Vantage
- 98 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage
- 99 – Proton Competition – Porsche 911 RSR*
Vehicles marked with an asterisk will only compete at Le Mans.
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