WEC to Forgo Tire Warmer Ban at the 24 Hrs of Lemans

The FIA World Endurance Championships announced that tire warmers would be banned for the 2023 season. Naturally there were may mixed opinions on the matter. The most pressing being driver safety. It appears the FIA have had a change of heart for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. The ban on tire warmers has been lifted for the 2023 24 hours of Le Mans. The change comes after multiple complaints at the 6 Hours of Spa. The reversal of the ban will be effective for all three classes on grid.

The ban was originally started to reduce the carbon impact of the series. However, some do not agree the impact outweighs the safety of the drivers. Racer.com reported that, Antonello Coletta, the head of Attiva Sportive GT stated, “Starting from the assumption that the rules are the same for everyone and that we abide by them, I think we need to reflect on the ban on tire warmers. It’s a common opinion in the paddock and among professionals, not to mention the drivers, that this situation has become dangerous. At Spa, there have been many accidents and extreme episodes due to cold temperatures and changeable weather, and it’s time to do some serious thinking on the matter because it has major ramifications for safety.

He Continued Discussing the Temperature Swings in a 24 Hour Race

“We are on the eve of a decisive race like the 24 Hours of Le Mans where, overnight, temperatures are low and speeds very high. It’s not just an issue for us. The accidents involved different cars, from different classes, driven at the time by both professional and gentleman drivers. This situation had already been predicted some time ago.”

Time will tell if safety continues to remain an issue after Le Mans. The FIA may need to find other ways to reduce its carbon foot print. If crashes continue the FIA will need to balance driver safety with reducing carbon emissions.

You can find more information on the 24 Hours of Le Mans at fiaWEC.com

Here we provide a recap for the 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Toyota Gazoo takes another win in the World Endurance Championship season.

2 Hour Mark

Hypercar

After an early lead the No. 50 and No. 51 Ferrari 499Ps started to fall back opting to run wet tires. The No. 07 Toyota Gazoo GR010 which started on slicks found the more beneficial strategy and was able to pass the Ferraris claiming the lead at the 2 hour mark. Cadillac Racing had an impressive start as the No.3 Cadillac V-Series.R runs second with Renger van der Zande starting on slicks and capitalized on improved track conditions. However the day ended early for the No. 03 when Van der Zande crashes heavily at Eau Rouge. He was unscathed from wreckage after a suspected steering issue. The crash triggered a very long safety car period under which some cars pitted.

As the race approached 3 hours the Ferraris had dropped to sixth after No.51 499P driven by Antonio Giovinazzi fought back through as wet tires overheated in drying track conditions and then they struggled to get slicks up to temperature after a tire change. No.50 Ferrari was in seventh. The Penske Porsche 963s held second and fourth place at the 2 hour mark.

LMP2

The No. 27 United Autosport Oreca 07 lead the 31 Team WRT by 2.5s at the 2 hour mark. Tom Blomqvist drove the No. 27 with little to no challenge. Blomqvist sees Team WRT Robin Frijns make a push nearing the 3 hour mark but Blomqvist holds. The No. 10 Vector Sport Oreca 07 retired from the race after losing a rear wheel on course.

LMGTE-Am

Wet tires were seemingly a better option for the LMGTE-AM cars to start on. However, race leader Ben Keating in No.33 Corvette C8.R lost the lead after switching to slicks and losing pace. Tomonobu Fuji in the No.777 D’Station Aston Martin inherited the lead but the Japanese racer receivesd a drive-through penalty for making contact with Sarah Bovy in Iron Dames Porsche.

4 Hour Mark

Hypercar

The Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010s found a groove at the 4 hour mark. The No.07 Car retains the lead as the No. 8 car fought up through the field to run 1-2 for the team. Disappointment struck for Porsche Penske as the No. 6 963 driven by Laurens Vanthoor retired due to a mechanical failure. The No. 4 Floyd Vanwall driven by Jacques Villeneuve collides with the LMGT3-Am No.54 AF Corse Ferrari at Blanchimont and the cars both retire, bringing out the third safety car in the process. Both drivers were unhurt.

LMP2

Team WRT takes the lead at the 4 hour mark. The Team WRT Sister car fought through the field to finish the 4 hour mark in second place. The No. 28 Jota driven by Oliver Rasmussen made a late challenge. He ultimately was able to make the pass at Eau Rouge after a hard fought battle. The battle resulted in side by side action until the next braking zone. The No.23 United Autosports car that led early in the race loses out in safety car period and fell to sixth. JOTA lose several positions in fourth hour losing momentum as their strategy call proves to be incorrect.

LMGTE-Am

Lilou Wadoux in the No.83 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari took the lead from No.88 Dempsey Proton Porsche. However, the No. 88 fought back to retake the lead at the 4 hour mark. The Iron Dames Porsche stays in third and had the pace to stay in contention for the podium. Driver Rahel Frey completed an amazing stint cutting into the front runners’ lead.

Race Results

Hypercar

Toyota Gazoo Racing complete the 1-2 for the win at the 6 hours of Spa. The Toyotas dominated from the 2 hour mark on. No. 51 Ferrari was able to salvage early weekend success and secured P3 to round out the hypercar podium. The No. 05 Penske Porsche and No. 3 Cadillac completed the top 5. The No. 50 Ferrari retired from the race.

LMP2

The No. 41 Team WRT with Louis Deletraz, Rui Andrade and Robert Kubica claim their first race win of the season on WRT’s home track. The team retains their success from 2022. The sister car was not able to hang on for the 1-2 finish after both cars led at the 4 hour mark. United Autosports continued their successful 2023 campaign with a P2 finish with the No. 23 car.

LMGT3-Am

The No. 83 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo wins the class with their first win of the 2023 season. Lilou Wadoux becomes the first women to win in a WEC Class. Corvette Racing whom have had a strong presence on track all year finish in second with another podium for 2023. The ORT by TF Aston martin Vantage AMR took third in the class to complete the podium. The top 3 cars were the only cars on the lead lap of the in class race.

Full Results can be found below.

For more information on the race result visit World Endurance Championship.

Hypercar

After what seemed like Ferrari dominance in the early practice sessions Toyota Gazoo added another ripple to the equation. The No. 07 Toyota Gazoo Racing steals away pole from the No. 50 Ferrari by 0.024s. The No. 51 Ferrari sister car sits in third running a tenth slower than their teammate. Antonio Giovinazzi in the No.51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P had taken pole position with pole lap of 2m00.77s but time was deleted due to a track limits violations forcing him to settle for third. Toyota Gazoo’s Kamui Kobayashi took over pole position due to this violation. He had a spin out in the session as well but was able to save the car from any catastrophic damage. The No. 08 Toyota Gazoo GR010 did not participant in qualifying as driver Brendon Huntley crashed on the preparation lap.

LMP2

United Autosports continues their dominance from Portimao and secures pole for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. United Autosports has been in great form all weekend. The No.23 United Autosports saw the return of driver Tom Blomqvist as he set a rapid 2m05.979s best lap. Blomqvist has been absent since his Sebring retirement and missing Portimao for the Long Beach Grand Prix IMSA race. 

LMGTE-Am

Ahmad Al Harthy in ORT by TF Aston Martin claims a sensational first pole position with a scorching 2m17.216s. The Omani driver was a scorching 1.9s faster than second placed Iron Dames Porsche driven by Sarah Bovy. Ryan Hardwick completes his best qualifying of the season for the No.88 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR-19 in third position on the LMGTE Am grid. The session was temporarily red flagged due PJ Hyett in Project 1-AO Porsche 911 RSR-19 crashing at Raidillon. Hyett appears to be uninjured.

Post Qualifying Press Conference

Full Qualifying Results are Below

Qualifying Session Facts

Hypercar

Ferarri pulls off a 1-2 in FP2 at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francochamps. The World Endurance Championship heads to Spa this weekend for 6 hours of racing. Ferrari has set the pace in practice ahead of the field. Cadillac racing is third fastest in their second European race weekend with the VSeries.R. There were some concerns with the Porsche 963 hypercars. Both cars had mechanical issues that resulted in them stopping on track mid session. The team suspects that there is a gear box issue that is effecting both cars but will need to tear into the cars to find the problem. FP3 is 8 hours away and we will report back with results. The No. 3 Cadillac Racing also stopped on circuit with a mechanical issue.

LMP2

Robin Frijns puts in the fastest lap with a 2m06.108s best to bring Team WRT to the of the table. United Autosports who won in Portimão finished second fastest in an effort that has silenced many skeptics about their winning pace from the 6 hours of Portimão. Third was rounded out by the second WRT No. 41 entry as Louis Deletraz set a best 2m06.633s. 

LMGTE-AM

No.54 AF Corse Ferrari sits ahead of the times as Davide Rigon claims a 2m15.736s lap but the session ended early after an incident at Raidillon with the No.21 and No.54 AF Corse Ferrari driven by Diego Alessi at time. Thomas Flohr was in No.54 car. Second fastest in the session was the Kessel Racing Ferrari 488GTE Evo. In third GR Racing is the leading Porsche 911 RSR-19 with driver Riccardo Pera logging in a 2m16.993. 

Full Free Practice 2 results are below.

The 6 hours of Portimão is over as Toyota Gazoo double down on their early season success and claim the win. Here is how the race unfolded.

2 Hour Mark

In Hypercar at the 2 hours mark, the No. 08 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 led the pack. The No. 07 sister Toyota car was running in second before a left rear tire change was required. This stop essentially removed the No. 07 car from victory contention at this point in the race. The Ferrari AF Corse 499Ps moved up the field into second and third. The were briefly split by the Leading Porsche 963 driven by Laurens Vanthoor but the Porsche could not maintain pace and shortly fell behind the Ferraris. The No. 94 Peugeot was in fifth place. The No. 93 Peugeot experienced a mechanical steering issue which resulted in it not start from the grid. The car fell a lap behind but the car was able to catch up to the lead lap in 10th.

The LMP2 No. 23 United Autosports car led at the 2 hour mark. Class pole sitter Vector Sport unfortunately lost out on their pole winning advantage due to a potential issue with their fly by wire throttle. This required an unplanned stop which set the team back in the field.

In LMGTE AM it was all Ferrari in the top 3 led by the Richard Mille AF Corse No. 83 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo. The No. 54 and No. 38 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evos rounded out P2 and P3.

4 Hour Mark

Cadillac Racing made the jump up from P5 to P3 in their first European showing. The No. 08 Toyota retained the lead in class while the No. 51 Ferrari 499P fell to 5th after running second at the 2 hour mark. The No. 07 Toyota was 6 laps behind the lead lap. The car was closing ground to the pack but the deficit proved to be too much for the No. 07 to have any chance of catching the pack without a major on track incident.

Former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi had a brake issue and hybrid charging failure with his Ferrari that required repair dropping him 4 places but he was able to recover to P5 at the 4 hour mark. After starting from the pit the No. 93 car improved to 8th place ahead of the sole Glickenhaus 007 (3 laps behind the lead), Vanwall Vandervill (4 laps behind the lead) and No. 7 Toyota Gazoo which had not recovered from their early decline remaining 6 laps back from the lead lap. No. 6 Penske Porsche held P4

In LMP2 the No. 23 United Autosports car retained the lead by 9.152s to the Prema Racing No. 63 car. Hertz Team Jota was in third place. The No. 33 Corvette led the LMGTE AM class followed by the only other GTE car on the lead lap the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari.

Race Result

The No. 08 Toyota Gazoo car was the only car to finish on the lead lap in Hypercar. In P2 the No. 50 Ferrari was able to improve from its P3 start securing a podium for the Ferrari side. The No. 6 Penske Porsche which started sixth worked its way up through the field to a podium in P3. This is the first time this season where the podium was represented by three manufacturers. The No. 02 Cadillac Racing finished P4 in their hypercar European debut.

In LMP2 the No.23 United Autosports car retained the lead. Teammate car the No. 22 made a late charge from P4 and completed the race with a 1-2 finish for United Autosports. Team WRT round out P3 for LMP2. Unfortunately for Prema Racing and Vector Sport they were not able to capitalize on their qualifying positions. The No. 63 fell to P5 but maintained pace to stay on the lead lap.

In LMGTE AM the No. 33 Corvette which lead at the 4 hour mark was able to retain the lead and win the class. The No. 83 Richard Mille AF Corse which led the class at the 2 Hour mark was able to make up lost time in P4 at the 4 hour mark to secure a podium. The No. 85 Iron Dames Porsche finished in third.

Post Race Press Conference

Full race results are below

Hypercar

Toyota Gazoo Racing bounced back after FP3 to lock out a 1-2 finish in Qualifying ahead of the 6 hours of Portimão. Ferrari despite running second fastest in FP3 with the No. 51 Ferrari 499P was only able to salvage 4th behind sister No. 50 car who finished just under 4 tenths ahead. Porsche Penske improved again on the weekend finishing fifth fastest logging at 1m32.404s lap time.

LMP2

Vector Sport finished second fastest after finishing fastest in FP2 and FP3. Prema Racing was able to steal away top position by a margin of 0.001s. Both cars logged 7 laps in the session and the pole claiming lap occurred on lap 6 for Prema.

LMGTE AM

In commanding fashion the No.33 car from Corvette Racing claimed the fastest lap setting a 1m41.362s on lap 8 of 9. The Corvette was 2 tenths quicker than the second place qualifying finisher Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR.

Full qualifying results are below

Hypercar

FP3 completed earlier this morning in Portimão for round 2 of the World Endurance Championship. After dominating in practice sessions 1 and 2 Toyota Gazoo still remains at the top of the table with the No. 8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid running a 1m31.795s lap time. The No. 51 Ferrari 499P found additional pace leading into qualifying finishing second fastest; splitting the Toyotas. Ferrari secured pole position at the 1000 Miles of Sebring in round one. The team will look to repeat this result later today in qualifying.

Cadillac Racing appears to have worked out the kinks in their debut on European soil. The No. 2 Cadillac finish fifth fastest setting a 1m32.818s improving on practice lap times yesterday. The No. 93 Peugeot 9X8 also saw improvement running 4th fastest. Peugeot are in search of their first podium on the season.

LMP2

Vector Sport had early success in practice which was generally unexpected. However, the team has put all doubt to rest as they ran fastest in class again in FP3. The team shaved 0.4s off of their FP2 fastest lap and will look to continue improving lap times into qualifying.

LMGTE AM

It was all Ferrari in the LMGTE AM class. The No. 54 AF Corse and No. 83 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evos completed a 1-2 finish in FP3. The Iron Dames and Iron Lynx ran 3rd and 4th respectively.

You can find the full FP3 results below.

The World Endurance Championship 6 hours of Portimão weekend kicked off today with FP2. Toyota Gazoo Racing continued its Hypercar dominance from the 1000 Miles of Sebring running 1-2 in free practice two. Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Kamui Kobayashi posted a 1m32.155s with teammate Ryo Hirakawa rounding out the Toyota1-2 as he clocked in a 1m33.114s best lap. Ferrari who seemingly felt they had more pace coming into the weekend fell short in FP1 and FP2 having to settle for 3rd and 4th fastest.

The struggles continued for Porsche Penske after not being able to break into the top 5 in practice. The Porsches finished 6th and 10th will leave the team wondering what changes they will need to make for the qualifying to find more pace. Porsche will be looking to bounce back from their 5th and 6th place finish in Sebring.

Cadillac Racing unleashed the V-Series.R for the first time on European soil. The quickest lap set by Richard Westbrook clocking a 1m34.309s. The team will be using these practice sessions to gather as much data as possible prior to qualifying. Unfortunately some of their competitors have the advantage of racing here in previous years.

The No.94 Peugeot TotalEnergies 9X8 showed improvement after a disappointing race in Sebring. The No. 93 sister car finished 7th fastest.
Full practice results can be found here at FIA WEC FP2 Practice Results

LMP2 and LMGTE AM

Vector Sport ran a shocking fastest in the LMP2 class logging a 1m34.609s. The team will be hopeful to improve on this time heading into qualifying. In LMGTE AM Daniel Serra sets the pace with the Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo. You can check out the pre race press conference below.

The World Endurance Champion (WEC) heads to Portimão, Portugal for round 2 of the championship at Algarve International Circuit this week. The race will be a 6 hour endurance race that marks the return of Portugal to the WEC event calendar. Algarve International Circuit is a 2.891 mile circuit that features 15 turns and a variety of elevation changes throughout. Hypercars travel almost 50% of the track at full throttle reaching speeds of 193+mph. The circuit hosts many racing series year over year, and it is used as a testing facility for the majority of the WEC drivers. Cadillac Racing, Ferrari AF Corse, Porsche Penske Motorsport and Floyd Vanwall Racing Team will all be making their European Hypercar debut in Portimão.

After securing a 1-2 finish at the 1000 miles of Sebring, Toyota Gazoo will be looking to capitalize on their early lead in the championship standings. One camp that will be looking to change this outcome is Ferrari. The Ferraris looked keen on winning in Sebring. However, after some on track traffic issues, poorly timed yellow flags and malfunctions with the cars; they were not able to capitalize on their pole position start.

The Cadillac V-Series.R will make its debut on European soil. After a strong performance at Sebring the Cadillacs will test their grit in what should be a very competitive field. Toyota leads Ferrari with Cadillac rounding out the top three with 18 points. There is plenty of room for movement in the championship standings. Tensions will be high in an effort to solidify dominance in WEC round two.

Where can you watch?

37 cars have entered the race. Free practice is set to kick off at 12:00pm local time on April14 2023. Coverage for the race can be found at FIA World Endurance Championship TV.

You can find the full entry list here which include Hypercars, LMP2 and LM-GTE Am classes.

The FIA World Endurance Championship visited Sebring International Raceway for its season opening race. In case you missed it WEC has posted the entire race for free to the public for you to view. You can watch the race here:

You can read more about our coverage of the race here: Speed Trap Magazine IMSA/WEC Part 1