The FIA World Endurance Championship will make its eagerly-anticipated return to Brazil later this week because the world’s premier endurance racing sequence gears up for the 6 Hours of São Paulo (13-14 July)
It has been ten years since Autódromo José Carlos Tempo final hosted a spherical of the FIA WEC. A 6-hour race was first staged on the circuit within the WEC’s inaugural season in 2012, with Toyota popping out on prime, whereas Porsche triumphed within the 2014 version.
At simply 4,309km, Interlagos it the shortest monitor of the 12 months with 15 turns (5 proper/10 left). Hypercars attain speeds within the area of 305kph the place roughly 50% of the lap is travelled with a fully-opened throttle. Throughout every tour of the circuit, Hypercar drivers will shift gears an estimated 38 instances.
19 Hypercars and 18 LMGT3 automobiles will go head-to-head for the WEC’s South American leg together with two native drivers for the house followers to help: Nicolas Costa driving the McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo for United Autosports and Augusto Farfus who will pilot the BMW M4 LMGT3 for Staff WRT.
Costa, who is aware of Interlagos higher than most drivers on the FIA WEC grid, defined a few of the key traits of the circuit: “It’s a flowing monitor that checks all of the strengths of the automobile. We’ve got a very lengthy straight going uphill so energy is basically wanted. We’ve got quick corners, sluggish corners – it’s very traction-dependent and aero too. General, it’s a tough monitor to stability the automobile and it’s necessary to have an excellent bundle!”
The entry listing for São Paulo sees just a few minor driver adjustments. The #99 Proton Competitors Porsche 963 has listed Neel Jani and Julien Andlauer to share driving duties because the common third driver, Harry Tincknell, is unable to be in Brazil on account of a conflict with a spherical of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
In the meantime, the #78 Akkodis ASP Staff-driven Lexus RC F LMGT3 sees common Silver-rated driver Timur Boguslavskiy changed by Austria’s Clemens Schmid. DTM common Schmid made his WEC debut at Spa-Francorchamps earlier this 12 months when Boguslavskiy was unable to race on account of an sickness.
Lastly, Mike Conway will return to the cockpit of the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid Hypercar whereas former team-mate José María López will step again into the #87 Akkodis ASP run Lexus RC F LMGT3. López changed Conway for Le Mans after the Briton sustained an harm whereas out coaching on his bike.
All eyes, nonetheless, can be on the more and more shut championship title battle with simply 12 factors separating the highest three producers – Porsche, Ferrari and Toyota – within the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Producers’ Championship.
With a complete of 108 factors, Porsche tops the general leaderboard however it faces powerful competitors from Ferrari, which is simply behind on 99 factors, and Toyota, at present third with 96 factors to its title. With greater than 100 championship factors (104 together with pole place factors) nonetheless accessible from the remaining WEC rounds in Brazil, USA, Japan and Bahrain, the 2024 title struggle is properly and really on.
Within the headline Hypercar class, there have been 4 totally different winners thus far this 12 months, displaying the really aggressive nature of the championship. At spherical one in Qatar, it was Porsche Penske Motorsport and the Porsche 963 that was victorious. This was adopted by Toyota Gazoo Racing and its Toyota GR010 Hybrid Hypercar which triumphed in spherical two at Imola. Hertz Staff JOTA and its privately run Porsche 963 was subsequent to take the glory because the British squad clinched the chequered flag at Spa-Francorchamps in Might. Most lately, it was the flip of Ferrari AF Corse because the Ferrari 499P Hypercar as soon as once more proved the automobile to beat within the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
As for the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class, it’s even nearer with the highest three groups separated by a mere two factors. Manthey PureRXcing and Manthey EMA are each tied on the prime of the standings with 75 factors apiece and spherical two winners, Staff WRT, have a complete of 73 factors.
The all-female Iron Dames crew can be filled with confidence going into Brazil following their victory ultimately weekend’s European Le Mans Collection race at Imola – the trio secured pole place within the Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 at Spa-Francorchamps however have but to transform their tempo right into a race win in WEC thus far this season.
Race motion commences on Friday (12 July) with two Free Apply periods, whereas Qualifying and the all-important Hyperpole are set to happen on Saturday. The inexperienced flag for the 6-hour race can be waved at 11:30 native time on Sunday (14 July).
Schedule
Friday 12 July
10:45 – 12:15: Free Apply 1
15:15 – 16:45: Free Apply 2
Saturday 13 July
10:30 – 11:30 Free Apply 3
14:30 – 15:40 Qualifying + Hyperpole
Sunday 14 July
11:30 – 17:30 6 Hours of São Paulo
