Inter Europol Competition confirms 2021 line-up; Castroneves set to race at Sebring
FIA WEC newcomers Inter Europol Competition has announced that Alex Brundle (UK), Renger van der Zande (Netherlands) and Kuba Smiechowski (Poland) will drive the team’s LMP2 ORECA 07 entry in 2021.
However, for the first race of the season at Sebring in March, reigning IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion and three-time Indy500 winner Helio Castroneves will join Brundle and Smiechowski in the ORECA. The driver change will allow van der Zande to focus on his IMSA commitments for the WEC season-opener.
Inter Europol Competition are the first Polish team to compete in the WEC and are vastly experienced in sportscars having competed in the ELMS since 2016, including finishing runner-up in LMP3 in both 2018 and 2019. The team also won the 2018/2019 Asian Le Mans Series.
A well known @EuropeanLMS team is about to make its #WEC debut next season and this will be the first-ever squad to race under the banner of Poland. Welcome to @IE_Competition.
— WEC (@FIAWEC) January 5, 2021
Castroneves commented: “I’m super excited to be able to race at the WEC with Inter Europol Competition for the Sebring race, we’ve been talking last year and now we were able to do something really special and hoping this could lead for more opportunities with the team... after three years racing with DPI it certainly prepared me for this challenge and I just can’t wait for 2021 to start.”
Brundle added: “I’m delighted to take on the challenge of the World Endurance Championship with Inter Europol Competition. It’s great to be back racing on the world stage and at some circuits I really enjoy. I’m certainly joining an impressive driver roster and I can’t wait to start pushing the car with Kuba, Renger and Helio.”
Inter Europol Competition’s team manager, Sascha Fassbender, concluded: “I am proud of our team for being the first Polish team to compete in the WEC. Special thanks to our team sponsor Inter Europol for making this possible… With Kuba, who is now contesting his third season in LMP2, and Renger and Alex, who can already look back on race victories in LMP2/DPI, we have put together a strong team. The whole team is highly motivated and cannot wait to enter the WEC stage in March.”
Round 1 of FIA WEC Season 9, the 1000 Miles of Sebring, will take place on Friday 19 March.
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