WEC 6 Hours of Austin: The Stakes by Category

LMP1: Rebellion wants to give a farewell gift

The premier category has faced a string of bad news in recent weeks. Ginetta is skipping Austin, Aston Martin shelves its Hypercar plans, and Rebellion is quitting endurance racing at the end of the season.

So what do we have left? A meager lineup, already, with only three LMP1 cars. The weakest in the history of the championship. Thanks to the success handicap, we still hope for some exciting battles on track between the two Toyotas and the Rebellion. The Swiss team should be more motivated than ever, with the prospect of offering at least one victory to its employees and fans before disappearing. They have four races left. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, they will not benefit from the success handicap, which will reduce their chances.

Austin thus presents itself as a very good opportunity. Especially since Toyota’s victory in the last race in Bahrain results in a slowdown for the Japanese in Austin. The success handicap gives Rebellion an advantage of 2.2 seconds over Toyota #7 and 1.7 seconds over #8.

In the championship, Rebellion must also win to climb back up and keep hope alive. But the main focus will be on the duel between the two Toyotas. Eight points separate the #7 driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José Maria Lopez from the #8 led by Kazuki Nakajima, Brendon Hartley, and Sébastien Buemi. The two cars have exchanged positions in the first four races. The #7 is ahead thanks to its two victories, compared to one for the #8. The latter can benefit from Brendon Hartley’s experience, who has won three times in Austin.

LMP2: Who’s next?

Four races, four different winners: Cool Racing, Racing Team Netherlands, Jota Sport, and United Autosport. If the series continues, a new team should win in Austin. But who? With no podium finishes so far, Cetilar Racing and High Class Racing seem out of the running. That leaves two, and not just any two. Signatech Alpine and Jackie Chan DC Racing, the titleholder and its runner-up.

So far, the two favorites of the championship have played it safe. The consistency of Jackie Chan DC Racing, with three podium finishes, even allows it to lead the standings. Alpine, on the other hand, has only been on the podium once, during the first race at Silverstone. Since then, it has struggled. But Austin is its backyard. The French team won the last two editions of the race, in 2016 and 2017. And above all, it needs a victory to get back into the title race. In fifth place, it is sixteen points behind.

Nothing prohibitive, as the competition is tight in this category. The top six are within less than 25 points of each other.

And what if all these contenders were beaten by a last-minute entry? Absent since the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dragonspeed, participating in the North American championship (WeatherTech SportsCar Championship or IMSA) for the year, is making a guest appearance in the WEC. The American Oreca will be driven by Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley, and Colin Braun.

GTE-Pro: Corvette C8R first

The attraction of the category during the 6 hours of Austin will clearly be the new Corvette car, the C8R. The beautiful American made its grand debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona, at the end of January. It replaces the C7.R, which enchanted regulars of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the unique sound of its front-mounted naturally aspirated V8. The C8R still purrs, but with a more classic sound from a mid-engine layout.

Regarding the race, the C8R will make its WEC debut in Austin, the first of its three appearances this year before Sebring in March and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Driven by James Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller, the only car entered will be vying for victory alongside the cars participating throughout the year.

Among them, the Ferrari #51 will be closely watched. The Italian team has experienced a few months full of twists and turns. Victorious on the track in Shanghai in November, it was disqualified a few hours later due to a floor that was too low. The AF Corse team appealed and was finally reinstated a few days ago. A decision that changes everything. This victory puts them back in the race for the title, with a provisional second place. Revitalized, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi will want to win on a circuit they know well. The duo are the reigning champions of the event.

For Ferrari and the two Porsches, the challenge will be to stop the advance of the Aston Martin #95, driven by Nicki Thiim and Marko Sorensen. The Danes have won two of the four races, including the point-rich 8 Hours of Bahrain. They are starting to build a solid lead in the championship. It’s a sign of a mature Aston Martin Vantage after significant struggles in the dry during its first season, particularly with tire management. The British cars might actually find themselves in their favorite conditions again, as rain is forecasted in Austin this weekend.

In the championship, only the Ferrari #71 seems outpaced. The other five are within less than twenty points of each other.

GTE-Am: Four in a row for Dalla Lana?

In a category where drivers often change every year or even several times a year, there are still some loyal ones. Canadian Paul Dalla Lana has been racing with the same car since 2013, the official Aston Martin Vantage in the GTE-Am category, as a Bronze driver and partial financier of the team. He shared it for six years with Pedro Lamy and Matthias Lauda before changing teammates at the beginning of this season.

« This was one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make, » he said in September. « We are good friends and we have had great results. But I think we really needed a little fresh air. »

The driver thus returned with two new faces, factory drivers Ross Gunn and Darren Turner. With the goal of finally winning at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He has five retirements and a sixth place as his best result.

Dalla Lana, on the other hand, shines in classic races. In Austin, he already has three victories in 2014, 2016, and 2017. This weekend, he could become the first driver to win the race four times with the same team.

A success that would also mark Aston Martin Racing’s first victory of the season. The English team remains well-positioned in a very open championship with a more competitive category than ever.