WEC-Imola Hypercars entries part 2/3: LMDh

WECHyperCar

Apr 18

We continue to present the Hypercar entries in three groups according to their homologation type (LMH and LMDh) for those participating in the world endurance championship and the private teams who participate to the Endurance Trophy Hypercar Team with the LMDh group: Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche.

Let’s start with Porsche who is currently leading the manufacturers championship after squatting the podium at Qatar.

Porsche Penske Motorsport

Porsche Penske Motorsport is determined to defend its lead at round two of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The winners of the opening round in Qatar take on the competition in the top Hypercar class with two ca. 500 kW (680 PS) Porsche 963 race cars.

The Porsche Penske Motorsport works team spent two days of testing in preparation for the debut of the FIA WEC in Imola. In the second week of March, the Porsche factory drivers covered well over 1,000 kilometres in different conditions and collected extensive data for optimising the vehicle setup.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Losail 1812.

Due to the nature of the asphalt, the teams expect significantly higher tyre wear during the race in Italy compared to the season opener in Qatar. The storied circuit also features an interesting mix of fast corners and narrow chicanes, some of which are edged by high curbs. The Autodromo in northern Italy leaves little room for error. On the traditional racing circuit, there are only small run-off areas and many deep gravel beds.

Matt Campbell (Porsche 963 #5): “We started the season really well in both the FIA WEC and the IMSA series. Our global team has achieved some big successes and now leads both championships. Obviously, we want to continue our good form in Imola. The tests we did a few weeks back were extremely informative. The last time I raced at Imola was in 2020 and I really like the track. Now we’re heading there for the first WEC event. I’m positive that we’ll treat the fans to some action-packed racing.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 963 #6): “We won the opening round in Qatar and now travel to Imola as the championship leaders. We want to follow up with another win in Italy – but it won’t be easy because the competition is strong. The circuit is basically the opposite of the one in Qatar: Old-school layout, real curbs, and hardly any run-off zones. I really like it and I’m looking forward to seeing what the competition brings in Imola. It will be a big, beautiful challenge for all teams and drivers.” Source: Porsche

Alpine

The Alpine A424s head to a new circuit, the second after Qatar. For Alpine Endurance Team, the objective is to continue and deepen the learning process and optimise its race package. To accelerate this process, the engineers and mechanics can draw on the experience of Mick Schumacher and Paul-Loup Chatin, respectively winners in F4 and LMPC at Imola, and that of Nicolas Lapierre, who has previously finished on the podium in both GP2 and LMP2 in Emilia-Romagna.

Supported by their teammates Matthieu Vaxiviere in the #36 car and Charles Milesi in the #35 car, the two crews' mission is to gather as much data as possible about their Hypercars and help them progress in a highly competitive 37-car field. Ferdinand Habsburg, injured in an accident during testing at Motorland Aragón (Spain) in late March, continues to recover while remaining in constant contact with the team. Jules Gounon will replace him in Italy. The team's reserve driver will contest his first race behind the wheel of a prototype on a circuit he knows well, having scored a podium finish there in GT World Challenge Europe in 2022.

BMW M Team WRT

At the 6 Hours of Imola, the FIA WEC is making its first European stop this year. BMW M Motorsport engineers and BMW M Team WRT have analysed the challenging season opener in Qatar with the two BMW M Hybrid V8s over the past weeks and have worked intensively to improve the car. Behind the wheel of car #15 are Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER). The sister car, the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, is shared by Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA).

Marco Wittmann (BMW M Team WRT, #15 BMW M Hybrid V8): “I am really looking forward to competing in the FIA WEC again this weekend. Italy is a beautiful country. I like the ambiance, the food, and the people – so I’m really looking forward to it. Imola is a very historic racetrack that I know from DTM. In 2022, I made it to the podium there, so I have good memories. We have conducted some tests and simulator sessions since the opener in Qatar and hopefully will make a step forward.”

Cadillac Racing

Cadillac Racing tested for two days in mixed conditions in September 2023 on the 3-mile (4.9 km), 21-turn (12 left) Imola course. “As a team, we’re excited to go racing again. Now the season really starts to ramp up in preparation for Le Mans,” said Lynn, who will also compete at Imola in July as he seeks to successfully defend his European Le Mans Series LMP2 championship.

Cadillac Racing and the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R opened their second season of WEC competition as Bamber, Lynn and Sebastien Bourdais drove to a fourth-place finish in the 19-car Hypercar field March 2 at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. On March 27, the FIA issued a report that disqualified the Cadillac Racing entry because of a post-race technical inspection infraction.

At Imola, Bamber and Lynn will drive the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R as a duo. Earl Bamber is certain that memories will wash over him this week at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo and Dino Ferrari. “Imola actually was my first-ever European race,” said Bamber, who will co-drive the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R with Alex Lynn in the 6 Hours of Imola. “It was 2008 and I won. I have fond memories of Imola because it was my first time racing on a European track and winning made it extra fun.”

Earl Bamber: “I think Qatar was a good start to the season considering our limited preparation. I think the whole team did a fantastic job to sort of pull us out of a hole on strategy and really on the fuel strategy place us on the right pit stop cycle rotation. It’s a credit to the whole team and just the whole progression that the Cadillac program is coming toward. We’re getting stronger and stronger with each race. It was a good race of execution and now shows we have good footing and I think where we are car-wise we’re excited going to Imola. We drove there once already and it was phenomenal. I think it’s going to be really difficult with traffic management and I think it will be a spectacular race for the fans. With Ferrari and Lamborghini on the grid, I think the fans are going to be out in full force. It should be a real festive feeling.”

Alex Lynn: “I’m looking forward to Imola. It’s a great track, a historic place and I think it’s a great place to host the second round of WEC in 2024. I think the fans will bring some big atmosphere, which is always fun when we get to European WEC races. As a team, we’re excited to go racing again. Now the season really starts to ramp up in preparation for Le Mans. Imola is a twisty circuit, a lot of stop, start, which we seem to be very agile with our car so I’m quite optimistic for a successful event.” Source: Cadillac Racing

Lamborghini

On its debut at Qatar 1812, the Lamborghini SC63 took the chequered flag after the 10 hours race with Daniil Kvyat, Edoardo Mortara and Mirko Bortolotti.

IMOLA HYPERCAR ENTRY LIST