Host of international motorsport stars set to compete at WEC’s 4 Hours of Silverstone
A first glimpse at the entry list for the WEC’s Season 8 opener, the 4 Hours of Silverstone, has today been revealed.
No fewer than 14 British drivers will be part of the line-up of 30 cars confirmed to compete in this first round of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone (30 August – 1 September).
The WEC together with the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and Porsche Carrera Cup GB will create a weekend of non-stop motorsport action for fans attending Silverstone, the home of British motor racing. Ticket prices start as low as £10 for the Friday, £25 on Saturday and just £50 for all three days. Children aged under 15 will go free, access to available grandstands is free and there will be the usual open paddocks, pit walks and autograph sessions with the WEC and ELMS drivers.
The LMP1 line-up for Toyota Gazoo Racing remains unchanged apart from New Zealand’s Brendon Hartley who will make his first competitive outing with the Japanese squad. Hartley - a two-time WEC World Champion - will join Kazuki Nakajima and Sébastien Buemi in the No. 8 Toyota TS050 HYBRID.
Driving the sister No. 7 car will be Britain’s Mike Conway who will be accompanied by José María López and Kamui Kobayashi. British squad Team LNT will field two Ginetta G60-LT-P1 AER cars with Britons Charlie Robertson and Michael Simpson set to race on home soil. Finally, Swiss team Rebellion Racing will field one car with its trio of drivers still to be confirmed.
In LMGTE Pro, Porsche GT Team, AF Corse and Aston Martin Racing will each enter two cars for the WEC season-opener. At least two British drivers will compete on home turf including 2017 GTE Pro World Champion James Calado from the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo and Alex Lynn from the No. 91 Aston Martin Racing Vantage AMR. While Porsche has already announced an unchanged look to its line-up for Season 8, Ferrari and Aston Martin’s drivers will be confirmed soon.
British interest will be focused primarily on two teams in the blossoming LMP2 category - JOTA and United Autosports, the American team being based in the UK and managed by an experienced British squad. Four British drivers have also been listed to drive in LMP2 at Silverstone including ex F1 driver and DTM star, Paul Di Resta. Di Resta will compete alongside fellow countryman Philip Hanson for United Autosports in the Oreca 07 Gibson. Anthony Davidson, the 2014 WEC World Champion, is entered under the No. 38 JOTA with another Oreca while Britain’s Will Stevens – another ex F1 driver - will compete in the Jackie Chan DC Racing No. 37 car.
A driver shake-up in the LMP2 category for Silverstone will be Job van Uitert who will replace regular driver Nyck de Vries in the No. 29 Racing Team Nederland car, the 20-year-old F2 title contender having a clashing event. Van Uitert will drive the new Oreca 07 Gibson run by TDS for Racing Team Nederland, together with Frits van Eerd and Giedo van der Garde. The LMP2 category will see three other teams make their first competitive WEC debut: High Class Racing, Cool Racing and Cetilar Racing. Meanwhile, last year’s category winners Signatech Alpine Elf will be eager to get their Season 8 campaign off to the best possible start with a win.
In LMGTE Am, eleven entries will make up the highly competitive field with four British entries confirmed to compete: TF Sport, Aston Martin Racing, Gulf Racing and newcomers Red River Sport. Red River Sport who, in collaboration with Spirit of Race, will compete in a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo and have enlisted the help of Britain's Bonamy Grimes, Charles Hollings and former ELMS GT Champion, Johnny Mowlem. Other British driver names so far include Michael Wainwright and Benjamin Barker in the No. 86 Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR plus TF Sport’s Charlie Eastwood and Jonny Adam in the Aston Martin Vantage AMR.
To view the full provisional entry list for 4 Hours of Silverstone click HERE.
For ticketing and more information about the event, please click HERE.