WEC 2023: A sneak peek into the continuation of the golden age

Since the time endurance enthusiasts have been waiting for this! After the successive crises of LMP1 (Toyota abandoned by Audi and Porsche) and GTE-Pro, the FIA and ACO took matters into their own hands to restore the WEC to its former glory.

And it worked: the manufacturers flocked to the Hypercar like flies, the LMP2 offered sumptuous races, and the GTE-Am, which will be followed by the GT3, provided plenty of suspense. MotorsInside offers you a summary of the noteworthy facts to remember from this promising season for the future.

The race of the year: insane 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 6 Hours of Spa had given a little glimpse of what the 24 Hours of Le Mans were going to be like, for the centenary of the legendary Sarthe classic.

The rain had come to challenge the drivers and cars, in the absence of tire warmers (finally allowed in June). And it was a beautiful showdown!

We could go back so many times on the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, especially since MotorsInside was there! The battle in the Hypercar class between the five big factories raged from start to finish. Peugeot surprised everyone by mastering the weather conditions, with car number 94 eventually spinning out during the night. And in a legendary duel with Toyota, Ferrari deprived the Japanese manufacturer of victory in the most important race.

The LMP2 unveiled (not without doubts and controversies) the Inter Europol team, which won the race at a quite breathtaking pace, and Alpine, which made a remarkable comeback with car No. 36, ultimately reaching the podium. Corvette dominated the LMGTE-Am category, marking the final appearance of the GTE class at Le Mans. And it was fantastic.

The pleasant surprise: the private sector is resisting

Arriving in an Hypercar at the 6 Hours of Spa, the Jota N°38 crew (Da Costa/Ye/Stevens) gave the official Porsche Penske team a run for their money! It must be said that one of the only two private teams (alongside Proton) had experienced sport-prototype enthusiasts among its ranks.

Of course, Porsche and its number 6 car performed really encouragingly in the 6 Hours of Fuji, resisting Toyota until the last third of the race, even though Toyota didn’t need to push.

But the Jota surprised everyone: especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, when Yifei Ye took the lead early in the evening. Unfortunately, then, the Chinese driver crashed after the Porsche esses.

And during the 8 Hours of Bahrain, we could have witnessed the first appearance of a private team on the overall podium: the Porsche No. 38, like the Proton No. 99 and the official teams, had received a little boost from the BoP, with seven kilograms less on the scale.

The (spectacular but not useful) fight between Ferrari No. 50 and No. 51 could have turned into a disaster and the Jota wouldn’t have asked for so much. In the end, the British team’s crew delivered a very strong performance. And the expectation of a second 963 with a trio of ex-Formula 1 champions can raise hopes!

The women’s team: impressive

There were a total of five women participating in the 2023 WEC season. And all of them left their mark on the championship without needing to force destiny.

The first one was Lilou Wadoux: now an official Ferrari driver this year, the Amiens native once again showed her skills behind the wheel and her commitment. She became the first woman to win a world championship race at the 6 Hours of Spa, driving the Ferrari AF Corse No. 84 in the LMGTE-Am category. She also tested the Ferrari Hypercar… perhaps in preparation for the arrival of a private or semi-official 499P?

In this same category, the question was not if, but when the Iron Dames would prevail. They chose the final round of the Grand Touring Endurance, the 8 Hours of Bahrain, to make their mark in history. Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey have become the first drivers to lead an all-female crew to victory in the WEC, and even in all major championships. Hats off! Second place in the championship is a well-deserved reward.

Finally, the French driver Doriane Pin was awarded the FIA Revelation of the Year trophy, as if it were obvious. It was well deserved: even though the results were not as expected by Prema Racing, with car number 63, her podium finish at Sebring, at the beginning of the season, and her excellent pace were enough to impress the observers.

Disappointment: craftsmen silenced

Obviously, the LMP1 crisis has contributed to a decline in the excitement at the top of endurance racing. Toyota has held the fort single-handedly and they deserve a big pat on the back for waiting for the manufacturers’ return.

And it must be said that Glickenhaus had charmed everyone, even with a much slower car: this team was charming, the SCG 007 LMH was beautiful and exuded a love for automobiles just by looking at it. And it is a tough life for a small manufacturer facing the big factories, who flocked in like flies.

Necessarily, we would like to have our cake and eat it too: to see numerous car manufacturers compete for the title and small artisans (like Pescarolo Sport used to be) provide material for the dreamers.

But Glickenhaus couldn’t keep up with the financial pace of brands as significant as Toyota or Ferrari. Jim, the team’s founder, did wonders at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, achieved a podium at Le Mans last year… but passion alone is not enough, especially in such a competitive and elevated environment.

As for Vanwall, the team around Vandervell was courageous, despite a significantly slower pace, due to a very short preparation.

The WEC adventure is over for Glickenhaus, while Vanwall is getting ready for next year…assuming there is enough room: a second Porsche Jota and a third Ferrari 499P could cause the ACO and the FIA to turn away some teams.

Isotta Fraschini could create a pleasant surprise with the Vector Sport, but one will need strong nerves facing nine other manufacturers. Including their factories.

The 2024 season is being prepared

The Rookie tests, held the day after the 8 Hours of Bahrain, allowed teams and constructors to get a first idea of the drivers to choose for next year.

The two main attractions were, of course, the temporary upgrade of Lilou Wadoux, who, as mentioned earlier, took the wheel of the Ferrari LMH, alongside Robert Shwartzman. With the best time for the Israeli. And then, the arrival of Valentino Rossi, with the best time in the LMP2 category, with the WRT.

At a time when three Ferraris are potentially registered in the Hypercar category and where BMW has not yet chosen its LMDh drivers, these Rookie Tests are already whetting our appetites for 2024.

Valentino Rossi, illustrious MotoGP champion, is strongly rumored to participate in the WEC next year. With WRT of course, but in which category? Hypercar or GT3? The official announcement will come one day for sure.

The curtain has fallen on this season, which marks the beginning of a golden age for endurance. Balance can be fragile, but let us make the most of it. For everyone offers spectators the purest expression of sport.