The 2022 WEC season opens its doors with the 1,000 Miles of Sebringan event in which the World Cup caravan shares the stage with IMSA and its 12-hour race. A total of 36 vehicles will meet on the bumpy American track in an event in which the fixed grid of the championship has the casualties of the two Peugeot 9X8 and the Porsche 911 RSR of the GR Racing team. The latest version of the registration list includes some last minute confirmations and changes, especially focused on the LMGTE-Am category.
The LMP2 category focuses the first changes after the departure of G-Drive Racing for the position of Roman Rusinov before the restrictions of the FIA with the Russian teams. Algarve Pro Racing takes control of this project and closes the lineup of his Oreca 07-Gibson with number #45 with Steven Thomas, partner of the already confirmed James Allen and René Binder. What’s more, the Inter Europol team has been forced to change its line-up due to the positive in COVID-19 of Alex Brundle. The Swiss Fabio Scherer will take his place along with Esteban Gutiérrez and Kuba Smiechowski.
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No change from the first LMGTE-Pro entry list, just like in the hypercar category, all other news is focused on the Amateur category of GT vehicles. Some teams completed their driver line-up weeks ago, but others have done so in the last few days. For example, Project 1’s #46 Porsche will feature a lineup of Matteo Cairoli, Mikkel Pedersen and Niki Leutwiler. For his part, Charles Fagg has been confirmed as the last driver of the D’Station Racing Aston Martin #777.
Among the teams that confirmed their drivers weeks ago, but did not have their full driver line-up on the first entry list, are two of the strongest projects in the amateur category. On the one hand, Iron Lynx has united in the Ferrari #60 the talent of Giancarlo Fisichella, Matteo Cressoni and Claudio Schiavoniwhile in #85 with the Iron Dames identity, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy will compete.
For another, the Demspey-Proton Porsche #77 will see the reunion of the Priaulx-Tincknell duo, but not in the terms of the past. Harry Tincknell will compete with Sebastian Priaulx, son of his former partner in Ford. Christian Ried completes the line-up for the fourth and final Porsche on the LMGTE-Am grid. The fifth, the #86 Porsche of GR Racing, will finally not compete in Sebring due to commercial commitments of Mike Wainwright. In fact, this chassis will take the start under dorsal #56 after the accident of the Project 1 car in the Prologue.
Photos: FIA WEC