David Tunnicliffe
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Ford GT: The Secret Shakedown
It was arguably the most talked-about event at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans aside from the race itself: US manufacturer Ford announced its return to Le Mans and commitments to both the WEC and the Tudor United Sportscar Championship for 2016. So far further details of the programme have been thin on the…
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No LMP1 programme for BMW
Since the FIA World Endurance Championship returned to the motorsport scene in 2012, more and more manufacturers have decided to join the fray. Toyota, Porsche and Nissan have all been coaxed back to the LMP1 class in recent years thanks to a relatively open rulebook and close racing. Recently, speculation has been rife of a…
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Bruni extends contract at Ferrari
Today Ferrari announced that works driver Gianmaria Bruni had renewed his contract on a number “multiple year” deal. The 34-year-old reigning GTE Pro champion will remain with Ferrari’s GT racing programmes with AF Corse, while also taking on a role as an international brand ambassador for the Maranello-based team. The former Formula 1 driver is…
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Porsche: Hybrid in GT racing from 2020?
The Porsche 911 is arguably one of the most successful cars in motorsport. Over the decades, the German marque has carefully developed its premium sportscar to become the fly-carrier of its racing heritage. Already fully established in prototype racing, hybrid technology is gradually creeping into the world of GT motorsport, too. Porsche is now looking…
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Strakka announce LMP1 programme for 2017
Yesterday’s announcement of the four chosen chassis manufacturers in LMP2 from 2017 (WEC-Magazin reported) has laid the foundations for the ACO’s second category moving forward. However, a number of chassis manufacturers appear to have been left out in the cold. One of them, the Strakka-Dome partnership, has now announced its plans to switch to the…
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ACO announce successful LMP2 chassis builders
Late last year the world motorsports governing body, the FIA, and the guardians of endurance racing, the ACO, announced a raft of root-and-branch changes to the LMP2 category. Chassis would be limited, they said, to just four manufacturers and a single engine supplier would be selected, despite the class flourishing in recent years. After an…
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Earl Bamber: From Porsche junior to Le Mans winner
The 14th June 2015 is a day Earl Bamber will probably never forget. Together with its teammates Nick Tandy and Nico Hülkenberg, the New Zealander won the most famous endurance race in the world – the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe saw the young Kiwi’s name go down…
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Lammers and Verstappen planning for Le Mans
The WEC is one of the handful of racing series in which age isn’t much of an obstacle. Thanks to the wide range of cars and the low costs, any former Formula 1 drivers have the chance to prolong their careers in the WEC. Dutch driver Jos Verstappen is evidently the latest to turn to…
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LM24: SMP Racing victorious in GTE-Am
GTE-Am is often the go-to class when looking for an on-track battle in the FIA WEC, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans was no different. In fact, the pro-am GT class was arguably the most exciting of the four categories, with the lead of the race changing in the final hour. In the end,…