LM GTE @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021 Entry list analysis

The LMGTE Pro Teams

Corvette Racing

The 24 Hours of Le Mans will be the third race for the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the WEC. The first appearance was at Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas February 23, 2020, which Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller ended 5th LMGTE Pro.

More recently, Corvette Racing ran in the Six Hours of Spa in May with Antonio Garcia and Oliver Gavin ending 4th to get used to WEC rules and strategy.

It will end a run of 20 years at Le Mans that started in 2000. Since then, Corvette Racing claimed eight victories with three different generations of Corvette… all with the engine in the front.

The car proved ultra-reliable and quick at Daytona, dominate the IMSA GTLM class (already in 2020) and will be a serious contender at Le Mans. The team will be using a Le Mans-specific aero kit, which hasn’t raced on the C8.R as of yet. One key question mark is the BoP ACO will use for the Corvette C8.R. The test day Sunday might be a trigger for a change depending on the performance comparison with Porsche and Ferrari.

📷 Lone star Le Mans 2020 and 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2021.

IMSA race at Road America. Photo Credit: Richard Prince for Corvette Racing

The #63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R will be driven by Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg who were the winning drivers at Daytona. Garcia and Taylor have won four times and lead this year’s IMSA GTLM standings.
The No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R will see Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims back together. Milner and Tandy were victorious in Detroit last weekend and the combination of Tandy and Sims won a 100-minute qualifying race at Daytona.

AF Corse - Ferrari

📷 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2021.

AF Corse’s Ferrari 488 GTE Evo are currently leading the GT Manufacturers FIA World Endurance Championship with 7 points advantage to Porsche thanks to P1 and P2 at the 8 Hours of Portimao which gives more points than the 6 Hours races. Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado with # 51 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo played regularly as the top contenders being second at both 6 Hours races in Spa and Monza.

Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado with their Ferrari 488 GTE Evo #51 are second in the GT FIA World Endurance Driver’s Championship followed by their teammates Miguel Molina and Daniel Serra (Ferrari 488 Evo #52), respectively 2 and 22 points behind the Porsche tandem Estre/Jani.

Since Wec birth in 2012, AF Corse has the highest number of victories at Le Mans with #51 in 2012, 2014 and 2019 for 2 to Porsche and Aston Martin. 

📷 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2021.

So, historically and “on paper” the #51 tandem Pier Guidi/Calado joined by recent 24 hours of Francorchamps winner Côme Ledogar are among the favorites; definitively after Alessandro Pier Guidi now legendary demonstration for the Ferrari 24 Hours of Francorchamps success. The competition is so tight that the 24 hours will be run like a sprint race during the two clock towers. The mastery of the drivers will be key for a success. 

📷 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2021.

#52 tandem Daniel Serra/Miguel Molina will be joined by Sam Bird as Davide Rigon has been stood down from Le Mans as a precaution after being involved in a major accident during the opening hour of the race at Spa on July 31

Porsche GT Team

Estre and Jani are leading the FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship, in front Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado (Ferrari #51) for 2 points. They won the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 6 House of Monza also getting the point for pole position at the 3 races of the Championship so far. Michael Christensen will join the tandem as he did at Portimao. 

📷 24 Hours of Le Mans 2018.

Michael Christensen and Kevin Estre were associated in the second (since WEC birth) Porsche victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018.

📷 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2021.

Two times winner Gianmaria Bruni (in 2012 and 2014 with Ferrari) and 2013 winner Richard Lietz driving the #91 Porsche 911 RSR will be joined by Frederic Makowiecki. The trio is associated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race since 2018. Together they count two 2nd and one 5th position. Bruni and Lietz were the less successful this season in LMGTE Pro. Makowiecki has been part of the Porsche 20 race wins, 20 pole positions and two class championships (2015 and 2019) in the IMSA GTLM competition.

WeatherTech Racing

2019 IMSA GTLM champions Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor will be associated with Cooper MacNeil in the Porsche WeatherTech Racing who won the 12 Hours of Sebring this year.

📷 12 Hours of Sebring 2019.

Bamber and Vanthoor were driving the #912 Porsche in the 2018 and 2019 championships with 4 wins and 11 podiums. The trio are definitively serious contenders, but we’ll have to wait the impact of BoP on their performance.

HubAuto Racing

Courtesy of HubAuto Racing

HubAuto Racing team received an automatic entry invitation to the 24 Hour of Le Mans after winning the 2019/2020 Asian Le Mans Series in the Ferrari 488 GT3. They are the first Asian based team, in history, to compete in the LMGTE Pro category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The #72 Porsche 911 RSR driver line-up have significant experience at Le Mans:

·      Maxime Martin will defend his 2020 LMGTE Pro title and run his 7th 24 Hours of Le Mans. Martin has a strong endurance racing background with Aston Martin Racing and winning the 24 Hours of Spa

·      Dries Vanthoor won the 24 hours LMGTE AM class in 2017. The multiple endurance winner will be at Le Mans for the second time.

·      Alvaro Parente is Former British F3 Champion and Bathurst 12 Hour winner

The LMGTE AM Teams

📷 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2021.

Ferrari is donating the class with Cetillar #47’s trio Roberto Lacorte, Giorgio Sermagiotto and Antonio Fuoco.

François Perrodo, Nicklas Nielsen and Alessio Rovera are second of the FIA Endurance Trophy for GTE AM driver after winning both 6 Hours races but only marking 2 points at Portimao.

New line-up for the Iron Dames #85 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GTE. After her Second place in the GT3 class of the Michelin Le Mans Cup at Monza, Sarah Bovy did join Rahel Frey and Michell Gatting at the 6 Hours of Monza and is confirmed for the 24 hours race.