24h Le Mans
In less than two weeks, the competitors in the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) will head back to Silverstone in the U.K., the first round on the 2017 calendar and therefore the first step before the big race of the season, the 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (with the WEC Spa round in between) on June 17th and 18th.
Of the field of 28 cars entered for the year, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, third round of the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), only one of the two Alpine A470s will be absent at the temple of British motorsports per the French constructor's announcement. Indeed, the #35 Alpine driven by Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues and André Negrão will make its debut in competition in May at the curtain-raiser to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Despite the Alpine's absence, the LM P2 class (new technical regulations in effect January 1, 2017) will be - as it was at the 24 Hours of Le Mans - the most stocked field at Silverstone with nine competitors, all running an ORECA 07, with the exception of Alpine, or almost since the A470 is based on the ORECA 07.
The LM GTE Pro class field will be comprised of eight cars, including two Ford GTs (winner at Le Mans last year), two Ferrari 488 GTEs, two Aston Martin Vantages and two new Porsche 911 RSRs.
Lastly, the LM P1 and LM GTE Am classes will have five cars each, from three different marques. In LM P1, the great duel between Porsche and Toyota is highly anticipated, refereed by the ENSO CLM P1/01 of private outfit ByKOLLES Racing Team, joined by a choice competitor, former F1 driver Robert Kubica. In LM GTE Am, two previous generation Porsche 911 RSRs (the regulations dictate cars must be at least one year old in this class) and two Ferrari 488 GTEs will take on one lone Aston Martin Vantage.
The start of the 6 Hours of Silverstone will be given on Sunday, April 16th at 12:00 p.m. local time.
Photo (Copyright - John Rourke/AdrenalMedia.com - FIA WEC): All the FIA WEC competitors present at Monza for the Prologue, the official testing sessions, posed for a souvenir photo.
