LE MANS: 2012 WEC Field Starting To Take Shape

Le Mans / ALMS

LE MANS: 2012 WEC Field Starting To Take Shape

SPEED.com’s John Dagys breaks down the confirmed, likely and rumored teams set to compete in next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship...

John Dagys | Posted November 24, 2011 Chicago, IL

There’s no doubt been a sense of optimism in the international sportscar racing community as manufacturers, teams and drivers gear up for the dawn of a new era in 2012 with the launch of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

READ: 2012 WEC Schedule

Born from the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the WEC, a partnership between the FIA and ACO, will see an eight-race global tour contested in eight countries and on four continents. It will mark the first official World Championship for endurance racing in 20 years.

While the season doesn’t kick off until the 60th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, a shared event with the American Le Mans Series, SPEED.com breaks down the confirmed, likely and rumored teams that are shaping up to compete for the World Championship next year.

LMP1

AUDI — Despite not having yet officially confirmed its 2012 program, Audi Sport Team Joest is poised to return as a two-car factory effort in the WEC. The German manufacturer, which scored a crucial victory at Le Mans this year, was however winless for the rest of the ILMC season.

Audi Sport Team Joest is poised to return with a pair of Audi R18 TDIs. (Photo: John Dagys)

While there had been rumors of a major driver shakeup, it’s expected that veterans Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen will again be at the wheel of one season-long R18 TDI. Le Mans winner Marcel Fassler showed moments of brilliance throughout 2011 and is also likely to retain a seat in the second entry.

Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas, though, are rumored to be with Audi only through Le Mans before beginning development of Porsche’s new 2014 LMP1 car. It would leave an empty season-long seat, likely to be filled by either Andre Lotterer or Benoit Treluyer, as Mike Rockenfeller is expected to return to DTM action, which will see clashes with all but two WEC rounds.

PEUGEOT — Like Audi, diesel arch-rival Peugeot has yet to announce its program, but all logic points to another two-car effort for the French Lions. After testing its new 908 HYbrid 4 over the summer, the gasoline-electric hybrid could be put into action for the entire season, especially with Toyota coming onto the scene with their own system.

On the driver front, seven of Peugeot’s nine pilots are expected to return. Alex Wurz has already left for Toyota, while after a series of dismal performances, Pedro Lamy is likely to be sacked. Reserve driver JK Vernay, who impressed at the wheel of the Signatech Oreca 03 Nissan, along with former F1 drivers Lucas di Grassi and Bertrand Baguette, are all apparently in contention for the two seats.

The potent driving combo of Stephane Sarrazin and Franck Montagny is unlikely to be changed, while impressive runs by Anthony Davidson has undoubtedly secured his future as a full-time WEC driver as well. The only question remains with the squad’s fourth season-long pilot, likely dependent on whether Sebastien Bourdais and/or Simon Pagenaud land full-time IndyCar rides in 2012.

TOYOTA — Re-entering factory prototype competition for the first time in over a decade, Toyota Motorsport GmbH, with the assistance of ORECA, will have a lot to learn in 2012 with what will be a limited-season program. Only a single gasoline-hybrid LMP1 car is expected for drivers Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Toyota protege Kaz Nakajima.

It’s believed that Toyota is likely to enter four or five WEC rounds next year, with its home race in Fuji most certainly confirmed, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Outings in Spa, China and Brazil also appear to be possible at this point.

Strakka Racing will debut the new HPD ARX-03a next year in WEC. (Image: Strakka)

STRAKKA RACING — The first, and only privateer to officially commit to LMP1 thus far, Strakka Racing’s ambitious program with a HPD ARX-03a will see Danny Watts, Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis at the wheel of the new HPD prototype contender. The team hasn’t hidden the desire to eventually run a second car, but at this stage, that second car could most likely be for LMP2.

REBELLION RACING— While weighing options in ALMS and WEC, it’s believed Rebellion Racing is close to confirming a WEC attack for next year with its pair of Lola B10/60 Toyotas. A much-needed Balance of Performance adjustment between diesel and gasoline-powered LMP1 cars appear to have kept the Bart Hayden-led squad in the global championship.
 Likely to step up to a two-car WEC effort, a shuffle in the driver lineup may be seen, following an underwhelming performance by Jean-Christophe Boullion. Neel Jani, Nicolas Prost and Andrea Bellichi, though, appear safe.

OAK RACING — The French squad, which entered two Oak-Pescarolo Judds in ILMC this year, could scale back to a single-car LMP1 effort if its LMP2 customer program continues. Team owner Jacques Nicolet has confirmed OAK will only run two cars in the WEC next year, but a decision hasn’t yet been made on its makeup. It’s safe to give OAK at least one entry for LMP1, considering their flashes of brillance towards the tail end of 2011.

OTHERS — Le Mans Series refugee Pescarolo Team has been searching for funding to enter its Pescarolo 01, especially as LMP1 cars are no longer eligible in the LMS and Henri’s desire to be in the top category at Le Mans. Hope Racing, with its Oreca-Hybrid, could be another possible candidate, as well as the heavily speculated Japanese manufacturer that could enter the WEC as early as next year.

Confirmed Entries: 6
Likely: 3-5
TOTAL: 9-11

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Dagys

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