A capacity and high profile full-season entry list for the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship Super Season has been revealed during an online press conference broadcast from Paris, France.
Key Facts and Figures on 2018-2019 FIA WEC Grid
• 36 entries representing 12 nations: Germany (7), Austria (1), Japan (3), Switzerland (3), Russia (2), USA (4), China (4), France (3), Great Britain (5), Italy (2), Singapore (1), Netherlands (1)
• 10 entries in LMP1, 7 in LMP2, 10 in LMGTE Pro and 9 in LMGTE Am
• 6 manufacturer entries with addition of BMW to Toyota, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche
• Continuing co-operation between regulators, manufacturers and chassis/engine constructors to maintain consistency and stability, with working groups focussed on equivalence of technology, new energies and cost controls
LMP1
• Two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso joins Toyota Gazoo Racing
• Rebellion Racing, winners of LMP2 championship in 2017, return to LMP1 with super-strong driver line up.
• Teams from Switzerland, Japan, China, Russia, USA and Austria to compete in LMP1
• SMP Racing return to the WEC with two BR1 chassis and top Russian drivers Vitaly Petrov and Mikhail Aleshin
LMP2
• Chassis constructors ORECA, Dallara, Alpine and Ligier all to compete in LMP2
• All LMP2 cars will be powered by Gibson GK428 4.2 litre, V8 engines
• France’s TDS Racing returns with former WEC champion Loïc Duval leading an all-French line-up
• Commitment from Jackie Chan DC Racing sees two Chinese entries, while Racing Team Nederland and DragonSpeed make the step up from ELMS
LMGTE Pro
• New BMW M8 GTE joins all new Aston Martin Vantage AMR, Ferrari 488 GTE, Ford GT and Porsche 911 RSR in bid for FIA GT World Championship title
• Return to WEC of former GTE champion Gianmaria Bruni who will be paired with Richard Lietz in Porsche 911 RSR
• All new Aston Martin Vantage AMR will compete with new Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin joining driver line up
• Ford and Ferrari return with established line ups in world-class, powerful GTE Pro category
LMGTE Am
• Multi-marque LMGTE Am field boosted to 9 entries
• Newcomers MR Racing, TF Sport and Team Project 1 join Dempsey-Proton Racing, Gulf Racing, Clearwater Racing, Spirit of Race and Aston Martin Racing
• Mix of highly experienced and new drivers guaranteed to bring action and excitement
Quotes on 2018 WEC grid:
Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile:
“I am very pleased to see the strong entry list that has been unveiled today for the FIA World Endurance Championship ‘Super Season’. The FIA World Endurance Championship, through the partnership between the FIA and the ACO, continues to deliver a strong and stable platform for world class competition. I am very much looking forward to following the development of the WEC in the future.”
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest:
“Endurance racing is in excellent health, as we can see from this capacity entry list to the WEC, and by the continued high level of interest in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is very rewarding to see so many competitors moving from the ELMS to the WEC, or from LMP2 to LMP1, which demonstrates how well our pyramid of endurance works. We are confident this transition year will lead us towards an even brighter and stronger future.”
All materials are courtesy of FIA WEC
