10 LMP1 Cars Confirmed for New Look WEC in 2018/19

[Paul Jeffrey]

The works Toyota Gazoon Racing team headline a 10 strong LMP1 contingent in the new look FIA WEC 2018/19 'Super Season' schedule.

Many thought the end was nigh for the current generation LMP1 Prototype category following the departure of both Audi and Porsche in recent times, however following the publication of the upcoming 2018/19 'Super Season' entry list, a star studded line up of factory and privateer teams have been confirmed for LMP1 this season, marking one of the most healthy Prototype grids seen in the WEC for many a season.

Headlined of course by the star studded factory Toyota team, featuring none other that 2005 and 2006 Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso, it is perhaps the other eight cars that would garner most interest. Returning to LMP1 following a successful foray into the secondary LMP2 category comes Rebellion Racing with their new Rebellion R13 and top name drivers such as Bruno Senna (2017 LMP2 World Champion), the brand new and impressive Ginetta car run by CEFC TRSM Racing and successful junior category outfit (and once prospective Formula One team) Dragonspeed, sporting a Dallara BR1 chassis and Gibson power plant.

No#1 - Rebellion Racing – Rebellion R13-Gibson
No#3 - Rebellion Racing – Rebellion R13-Gibson
No#4 - ByKolles Racing – CLM P1/01-NISMO
No# 5- CEFC TRSM Racing – Ginetta G60-LT-P1–MECACHROME
No# 6 - CEFC TRSM Racing – Ginetta G60-LT-P1–MECACHROME
No# 7 - Toyota Gazoo Racing – Toyota TS050 HYBRID
No# 8 - Toyota Gazoo Racing – Toyota TS050 HYBRID
No# 10 - Dragonspeed – BR Engineering BR1-Gibson
No# 11 - SMP Racing – BR Engineering BR1-AER
No# 17 - SMP Racing – BR Engineering BR1-AER

Confirming the strength of the category for the coming year is yet another exceptional LMP2 field, sporting no less than 20 cars with yet more big name team and drivers taking part. Top teams Jackie Chan DC racing, Le Mans podium finishes last season, headline the category, with strong opposition likely to arise from many of the prospective challengers within the grid.

In the closed top GT category 30 cars across GT PRO and GTAM feature, including top brands from the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ford and Chevrolet.

Despite impressive numbers not all teams are expected to race for the full series, with several squads looking at just the double Le Mans efforts as the main basis of their 2018/19 campaign. 37 cars are confirmed to take part in the full WEC 2018/19 Super Season.

The full entry list can be found HERE.

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Impressed with the new look WEC grid? Looking forward to the 2018/19 Super Season? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[wombat999]

A pale shadow of a dying category.
At least the GT fields look pretty healthy.

 

[venami]

The opposite if you ask me, now with all those manufacturer involvements gone (except for Toyota but they don't seem to develope their car much further at the moment).

 

[Rodent]

Rebellion must be kicking themselves for going LMP2 last year, they would've had Le Mans in the bag with the showing Porsche and Toyota had.

 

[Alex72]

Who put those cars out in the snow?!

 

[Deleted member 6919]

Well if Toyota don't win Le Mans this year then they might as well never turn up again..

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

would have thought lmp01 to fold and lmp02 to blossom, this is the opposite. very curious how this will pan out. the gt fields look fine to me. also, with only one hybrid car on the grid, won't it smash the competition left and right? and a last point: vitaly petrov is on the grid! that team must be quite desperate, but maybe, like wine, petrov has aged well, you never know.

 

[Steve Lorenz]

Does any LMP1 Team choose a big engine like V10 oder V12?
Cant remember for sure, but there was a new V10 announced for those new LMP1 Teams.

 

[venami]

Judd offered one but no one chose it...

 

[eatyoubrocookie]

Toyota is now the only Hybrid LMP1?
arent the Hybrids a bit faster than the normal LMP1 cars? in this case, whats the point in going Hybrid when you are alone in that class and have no one to compete?

 

[VaporOne]

Theres no subclass for privaters.. lmp1 hybrid and lmp1 privateer is now lmp1. They will be controlled and balanced trought the season with eot..
Toyota want to carry on with hybrid racing becuse the enjoy the importance of future rd and they belive road relavance belongs in sportcarracing longterm with hybrids..

If people belive lmp1 will still die within a year or 2.. eot will be good.. im not a fan of any racing with bop becuse theres so many possibilities to bypass it with sandbagging..
Then bop gives me the impression of spec racing..

Eot will play out to controll toyotas hybrid system.. it has already been weakend out extremly.. there will probobly not be any sub 3:17 laptimes at le mans. The hybridsystem will be more focused on allowing toyota using 1 lap longer stints at le mans.. If toyota somehow still is the superior team they will be more punnished by eot with less performance effective hybrid system..

Privateers will always have free options to redevolp the cars during the season.. toyota are not allowed to change anything.

Im more worried about lmp2 then lmp1.. if aco keeps selling them out as they did with gdrive by allowing them run a pro effort in a pro am category then theres no doubt that anyone cant prevent gdrive lmp2 from rolling over any lmp2s in le mans or elms. This wont look good in the future for the category.. could aco have been bribed onto allowing this?

 

[Rodent]

also, with only one hybrid car on the grid, won't it smash the competition left and right?

I mean yeah, you'd think, but then last years Le Mans was almost won by a LMP2 car because the hybrids were having major issues even completing the race. In the world of what ifs a normal LMP1 should have had no problem winning last year.

But at the same time I agree, Toyotas only real enemy this year are themselves. But as far as enemies go, it's a big one.

 

[Peugeot905]

There are balancing the performance of the LMP1 privateer's with the hybrids.
Here is intersting well detailed read about it if you are interested https://drracing.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/2018-non-hybrid-lmp1-whats-the-story/

Toyota is now the only Hybrid LMP1?
arent the Hybrids a bit faster than the normal LMP1 cars? in this case, whats the point in going Hybrid when you are alone in that class and have no one to compete?

 

[Robert Stanley]

Who put those cars out in the snow?!

Does look like a sarff London dodgy car dealership doesn't it

 

[wombat999]

Another Arthur Daly business opportunity.......

 

[AngelOfAttack]

I'd like to see prosche return to le-mans with their full-electric prototype and win the race feeeeeeeeeeeew years later.
At that time, I think it's good to say good-bye to fossil fuel, not now.

 

[Charmin]

The new Rebellion R13

 

[wombat999]

I've just finished converting a large number of old Video Tapes to DVD covering several decades of Le Mans (including three made for Jaguar) from the 1950s to late 1990s as well as specialist videos on Porsche, Ferrari, Group C, WSCC and organisations such as JW/Gulf.
The depth of the LM grids alone which included major manufacturer entries makes this announcement look way sad.
I do believe the LMP1 class is just untenable without several Major Manufacturers participating, even Toyota should finally win at LM (I emphasise SHOULD!) against the present puny opposition, to then withdraw.