Hello, and welcome, everyone, to a new golden era in the FIA World Endurance Championship. A new season for 2024 begins, now. It is time for the Qatar 1,812 Kilometers. We are setting up to go racing at the Losail International Circuit, for the first time. On the pole in Hypercar, it is Porsche Penske Motorsports with the #5 Porsche 963. Matt Campbell, who has been on an absolute tear in sports car racing as of late, put the car on pole position. He has won the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He has won the Bathurst 12 Hours. Now, he is on pole for the Qatar 1,812 Kilometers. Lots and lots of changes this year in the FIA WEC. We will talk about them throughout today's race. Just two classes are now competing in the regular championship. LMP2 cars will be at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to boost the field, in June.
However, they are no longer a part of the regular championship. This will make it easier for observers, fans, and people like me who are fans, who write about the sport. We have just two categories, split pretty much evenly in terms of their numbers of entries. We have Hypercar and being introduced to the WEC for the first time, we have GT3 cars in the form of the new LMGT3 class. So, your class pole sitters are the aforementioned #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 of Matt Campbell sharing with Michael Christensen and Fred Makowiecki.
At the top of the shop in LMGT3 it is the first of the two new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R's with all customer cars now being the focus of GT3 racing, the #81 TF Sport Corvette being shared by Belgian Tom von Rompuy, Angolan former LMP2 racer Rui Andrade, and Irishman Charlie Eastwood. We have new cars, teams, and manufacturers entering the championship this year, with a massive expansion in Hypercar and the introduction of the LMGT3 category. Joining the established brands in Hypercar like Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota, Cadillac, and Peugeot, will be Alpine, Isotta Fraschini, BMW, and Lamborghini. Many of these brands will also be represented in LMGT3.
We have Lexus, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, and Chevrolet Corvette. In all of the old GTE classes, Pro and Am, manufacturers came and went. In LMGT3, the manufacturers are represented, but by customer teams, not the full-on factories. Hypercar is still where the factories reign supreme. Porsche Penske Motorsports, who have seen success in North America in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, quite recently, too, as winners at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, are on the pole. Aussie Matt Campbell is on a roll. He was part of the winning driving team at Daytona, and also won one of GT3 racing's biggest prizes for the second time in his career.
He took home another trophy in the Bathurst 12 Hours in his native Australia just a couple of weekends ago in SRO competition in Intercontinental GT Challenge for GT3 cars. Campbell is sharing the pole sitting #5 Porsche 963 with Frenchman Fred Makowiecki and Dane Michael Christensen. We are at a brand new venue before we go to Europe and have a few races on that continent and then after the races in Europe, more flyaway races. Losail is a high speed track with long straightaways and sweeping orners eccept for the sixth corner, a hairpin. Turns 12, 13, 14, and 15 are the sweepers. The Al Zeem Air Academy has their PZ21 trainers in the sky for the flyover.
ACO boss Pierre Fillon and FIA WEC chief Fred Lequien meeting the local Qatari dignataries. 26 rookie drivers in FIA WEC. Valentino Rossi, the MotoGP motorcycle racing legend is stepping up. AF Corse and the #55 Ferrari 296 GT3 starts tenth in GT3 with Franocis Heriau, Simon Mann, and Alessio Rovera. Next, the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, and Ahmad Al Harthy. Next up, the McLaren GT3 Evo (a new name, it is no longer the 720S). This is the #59 United Autosport entry of James Cottingham, Nicolas Costa, and Gregoire Saucy. Sarah Bovy is back with the Iron Dames in the #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. Iron Dames also have an equestrian team.
Next up, the #27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 under The Heart of Racing with Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli, and Alex Riberas. D'station are back as well in the #777 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with a brand-new car. Erwan Bastard sharing with Clement Mateu, and Marco Sorensen. Then there is the sister #54 AF Corse VistaJet Ferrari 296 GT3 of Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellaci, and Davide Rigon. Pure Racing are in second place in the #91 Porsche 911 GT3R (992) of Alex Malykhin, Klaus Bachler, and Joel Sturm. TF Sport on the LMGT3 pole, Tom van Rompuy the Belgian, at the wheel, the first driver to take pole in his debut in WEC since Pipo Derani in 2015.
18th on the Hypercar grid, the #63 Lamborghini SC63 Hypercar. Then comes the #35 Alpine A424B. This is Renault's sporting brand. Hypercar has exploded. 19 of them in the field. 18 GT3 cars. BMW next up with the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 Sheldon van der Linde will start it. Next up is the sister #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Germany's Marco Wittman the starting driver. We have seen BMW in IMSA GTP for a year now. BMW are debuting in FIA WEC. Next, the sister Alpine #36 of Mick Schumacher, Nico Lapierre, and Matthieu Vaxiviere. In 13th, Proton Competition #99 Porsche 963 with Julien Andlauer, the FAT Turbo Express transport company which ran with Brun Motorsports and Dauer in Group C.
Privateer Ferrari 499P in 12th, the first privateer Ferrari since Gianpiero Moretti's Momo Ferrari 333SP team a quarter century ago. This is the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P. The #8 Toyota GR010 is next with Brendon Hartley in a new black livery. Peugeot next into the top ten, the #94 9X8. This is the final race for the tailless wonder, the new 9X8 will debut at Imola in Italy next time out. Next, Phil Hanson in the first of two Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963's with the #38. Time for the Qatari national anthem and then, we will keep looking over the top half of the grid.
The Qatari national anthem beautifully delivered. OK. We'll get back to the grid as drivers and teams have cleared the grid. No tire warmers. Everyone starting on ambient temperature tires. James Calado, the #51 Ferrari 499P that won Le Mans last year. Next up the Cadillac, #2, the Ganassi Racing car of Alex Lynn, the starting driver, the roaring thunder of the Cadillac sharing with Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais. Nico Muller is next up in the #93 Peugeot 9X8 with Nico Muller starting the car. Porsche Penske are next, in fifth, with the #6 Porsche 963 of Laurens Vanthoor, the starting driver.
Three minutes before we fire the engines. Fourth, Miguel Molina in the #50 Ferrari 499P. The yellow #83 Ferrari is competing with the privateer Porsche's the FIA World Cup. Next, Will Stevens in the second #12 Jota Porsche 963. Mike Conway starting second in the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid sharing with Nyck de Vries, the Dutchman, and Kamui Kobayashi. On the pole, Matty Campbell in the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963. We will race 335 times around the circuit, or ten hours, whichever comes first.
If we don't get too many interruptions, we will have eight hours of racing with a maximum of ten hours. The Qatari flag waves to send the field on their way. 37 cars, 111 drivers in this race. The cars are on their formation laps readying for racing. Tire graining on this super smooth circuit will have to be considered. Tires will split open if they are pushed too hard, at least on the Hypercars on Michelin tires, with the LMGT3 cars on Goodyear tires. Jean Karl Vernay in the #11 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 is in trouble. Maybe the hybrid power needs to be reset.
He will have to limp to the pit lane. No. Never mind. He is fine and is catching up with the field. The Isotta Fraschini is its own car, being run by Duqueine Engineering. The leaders are coming around the final right-hand corners on the circuit. Red lights on. Red lights, out! Away we go! FIA WEC 2024 is on! The Ferrari's moving for the lead on the Toyota and the Porsche as one of the Peugeot's spins. Ferrari lead with Miguel Molina in the #50 car. Ferrari, Porsche, and Peugeot, leaving the newcomers behind as we see the Alpine's and Lamborghini's as well as the BMW's and the yellow Ferrari trying to pick up the pieces.
There's some argy bargy in GT3 as there's contact too with the Ferrari and the Alpine. Robert Kubica struggling, locking the brakes, trying to fend off the challenge from the Alpine of Nico Lapierre. Jean Karl Vernay in the Isotta Fraschini is moving up as James Calado goes off the road. Miguel Molina, elbows out. Marco Wittmann is harrying Robert Kubica. Ferrari vs. BMW. One of the McLaren's, Nico Costa in the pit lane and the #88 Ford Mustang GT3 is also going slowly early doors. Zacharie Robichon, the Canadian, at the wheel of it. Trouble for the #59 McLaren GT3.
Mike Conway has plummeted to seventh after starting on the front row. Michael Christensen being told to stick to the plan. Keep the tires under you. Christensen wonders, what is the plan? Well, that's the plan. Giorgio Roda in the sister #88 Ford Mustang GT3 has dropped back, after racing Porsche's for 30 years. Peugeot #94 of Paul di Resta spun. The Isotta Fraschini of Jean Karl Vernay is lapping quicker than the #63 Lamborghini SC63 ahead of it with debris on the road from the McLaren, but now, Robert Kubica has some damage on his Ferrari 499P.
Conway covers Laurens Vanthoor but Vanthoor in Porsche #6 is moving up. Nico Muller sets fast lap so far. A long, long way to go. Rene Rast is closing on Mike Conway currently. Toyota vs. BMW. Ferrari, factory Porsche, Peugeot, Jota Porsche, Jota Porsche, the top five. Tom van Rompuy in the Corvette is now being harried by the Manthey Pure Racing Porsche #92 of Alex Malykhin, in the first of the Manthey cars. Sarah Bovy has her hands full with Ahmad Al Harthy, a touch between the Lambo and the BMW. Tom van Rompuy comes from LMP2 over to GT3.
Giorgio Roda still catching up at the wheel of the #88 Ford Mustang GT3 and getting loose, one of the Hypercars, Nico Muller in the Peugeot, in the dust. The two factory Ford Mustang's at the 24 Hours of Daytona had trouble with their trunk lids and now that same issue is rearing its ugly head here in Qatar. Michael Christensen sweeps over and clatters into the Peugeot through traffic. There is no battery overboost, no DRS, in Hypercar. Michelin have a soft, medium, and hard compound tire in Hypercar. Goodyear have a couple of compounds for LMGT3.
Miguel Molina beginning to work the GT3 traffic. That is Darren Leung in the second WRT BMW M4 GT3 in his first WEC start, the reigning British GT champion. The second Proton Mustang GT3 is going better than the sister car. This is the #77 car of Ryan Hardwick, Zacharie Robichon, and Ben Barker. Damage to one of the GT3 Lamborghini's as there's a massive scrap here between Nico Muller and Michael Christensen. Muller makes his move on the Porsche. Wow! So, Nico Muller is right behind Miguel Molina now. Molina working GT3 traffic as is everyone else. Four Porsche 963's liner stern.
Ferrari, Pegueot, Penske Porsche, Jota Porsche. This is insane! The GT3 cars have much less downfroce and they have faster closing speed to the Hypercars. Michael Christensen's handling is going away. Why delta zero? Wow. We're having to do this now? Christensen has three Porsche's right on his six. A pass for position between the McLaren and the Corvette. Josh Caygill passing Hiroshi Koizumi, his translator is Taki Inoue, the vaunted Formula 1 driver from the mid 1990s. Clement Mateau is chasing Tom van Rompuy. There are incidents being investigated. The Isotta Fraschini is moving up, 1907 Targa Florio winners.
Michelotto built this car, the team that looked after Ferrari customer cars for years. Variety of cars and drivers. Traffic everywhere. Yasser Shahin, the Australian, the owner of The Bend Motorsport Park in south Australia. Matt Campbell won the Bathurst 12 Hours with Manthey EMA. Josh Caygill and Hiroshi Koizumi are being chased by Darren Leung in the BMW M4 GT3. The Lamborghini SC63 in it's first ever race off the pace, Squadra Corsa Lamborghini, founded by Ferrucio Lamborghini in 1963 making tractors before cars, just like Aston Martin and their founder David Brown. We'll see Aston Martin with a Hypercar, next year.
We are 14 laps into the race out of 335. We have Louise Beckett and Bruce Jouanny in the pit lane joining Martin Haven, Graham Goodwin, and Anthony Davidson. Good battlemhere for third between Tom van Rompuy, Thomas Flohr, and Ian James. Ian James tries to poke his nose in there and Thomas Flohr says, "no you don't, sunbeam." The GT3 cars have antilock brakes unlike the GTE cars. So we will not see locked brakes from the GT3 cars. Neel Jani in the #99 Proton Comeptition Porsche 963 is chasing Mike Conway. We have many champions represented in this race today. The FIA, ACO, and IMSA have all worked on the Hypercar/GTP classes.
It is a well-defined set of targets, performance targets, that has brought in many manufacturers. Sebastien Buemi is not panicking. That is a real surprise. Cadillac are down in 15th spot and might need to change the nose from damage on the #2 car. There half a dozen cars battling for third in LMGT3. Ian James pounces on Thomas Flohr. Aston Martin Vantage GT3 vs. Ferrari 296 GT3. Nico Muller on the outside of Miguel Molina and makes the pass on the Ferrari for the lead! We have a virtual fuel tank in GT3 just like Hypercars. Some argy bargy there between van Rompuy and James. Stay cool.
Ian James had to correct oversteer. He was not making an intentional late lunge but now, the Porsche's are thrashing all over each other as Laurens Vanthoor almost passes his teammate and Will Stevens moves up. This is GT3 rush hour in Qatar! Yikes! This is a massive queue of cars. Like going to the mall on Friday evening. Alex Lynn in Cadillac #2 and Paul di Resta in Peugeot #94 being investigated by the stewards. Thomas Flohr has his hands full with Sarah Bovy. Bovy in the #83 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 has damage while Paul di Resta hits the pit lane, doing the undercut. We have completed 19 laps so far. Don't ask me about mileage. We'll have to see what is going to happen.
Medium tires, no, hard tires going onto the Peugeot on the fronts. Nico Muller in the lead of the motor race in the #93 Peugeot 9X8. The Peugeot's are bookending the 19-car Hypercar field. Nuller, 1:42.427, new fastest lap so far. Alex Lynn has one headlight missing. They might need a new nose before it gets dark here in Qatar. I think the Peugeot spun out. Alex Lynn is 15th behind the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid. Manthey Pure Racing leads GT3. Zacharie Robichon, the Silver rated driver mixing it up with the Bronze rated drivers in LMGT3. It is early doors for the new Mustang GT3 program and of course there, the factory Mustangs are running with Multimatic.
We have completed 20 laps looking at a 32-lap stint for the Hypercars. Ahmad Al Harthy, the Omani driver for Team WRT in the #46 BMW M4 GT3. He has raced a lot in Aston Martin GT cars, but the BMW M4 GT3 is a different beast to drive altogether, and he is racing with Sarah Bovy in the #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. We expected to see Toyota farther up the order than they are with only 37 minutes on the board. Toyota are in points paying positions, currently. Robert Kubica in the #83 Ferrari 499P, he is told by the crew chief to change to scrubbed tires. He says, "I think we should keep the tires we have now."
He is managing the tires while embroiled in a scrap with other cars. He is beginning to reel in Mike Conway. The surface of the track is darkening as the rubber works it's way into the pavement. A penalty applied to the #78 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3 having contact with one of the two Proton Competition Ford Mustang's. Arnold Robin is the reigning Le Mans Cup champion. Ahmad Al Harthy is still monstering Sarah Bovy and Bovy has damage on the left rear corner of the #83 Iron Dames Lambo. Crunching between Alex Lynn and Phil Hanson in the Jota Porsche 963 under investigation.
Will Stevens chases Miguel Molina as Laurens Vanthoor is catching Michael Christensen in the Penske Porsche 963's, the two factory cars. Will Stevens is faster than Miguel Molina in the #50 Ferrari 499P. Nico Muller is five and a half seconds up on the Ferrari and this is getting very spicy with the Hypercars catching the GT3 traffic! Will Stevens wants to pass the Ferrari. Side by side contact there, look, between Michael Christensen and Sara Bovy. The LMGT3 cars can take more track than the Hypercars can. Peugeot leading by eight and a half seconds! They are running away from the field!
The #92 Manthey EMA Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R leads LMGT3. This is only the first fuel load, the first tire stint. Isotta Fraschini in the lane for fuel and the GT3 cars will be in soon. A big send by Ian James on Tom van Rompuy! Ford vs. Chevrolet and here comes Zacharie Robichon! This is absolutely amazing! Pit stop time at AF Corse. That is the #50 Ferrari499P changing left side tires only and one of the Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R's is also in the lane. Hard Michelin tires going on the car, dropping it off the air jacks and he is down and away.
Jean Karl Vernay and Paul di Resta also in the lane, Isotta Fraschini and Peugeot. Yasser Shahin in the second Manthey Porsche is in and so is the Pure Racing Manthey car. D'station in as well. More scrapping between Ahmad Al Harthy and Sarah Bovy slamming the door in his face. Malykhin, Mateu, von Rompuy, and other LMGT3 cars are in. Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, and more. The Aston Martin is having difficulties in starting,s talling the car. Lexus in the lane too, Akkodis ASP. Fuel only for Tom van Rompuy. In LMGT3, there will be multiple stints on the tires.
Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and BMW, all in the lane in LMGT3. The Mustang GT3's rear decklid popped up. They had troubles at Daytona with the decklid. Michelle Gatting is taking over from Sarah Bovy with Doriane Pin the third driver. Alex Lynn warned about contact at the start, but he got clonked from the back end. It was not his fault for causing the accident. He is being investigated for being the cannonball and does not deserve it. #777 are down, after 30 seconds of struggling to start the car in the pit lane. 30 seconds will be impossible to make up.
30 laps now in the bag with the Peugeot leading. The #60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan is in with Claudio Schiavoni driving. Porsche 963 #5 at Penske in for fuel and scrubbed hard Michelin tires coming in just before the Jota cars. Jota in the lane for fuel with Will Stevens in the #12 car. Ferrari #83 also into the pit lane. The leading Peugeot of Nico Muller in the lane up by ten seconds over everyone else. Laurens Vanthoor goes longer still and goes faster and there is a spin for the #77 Ford Mustang GT34 of Ryan Hardwick, overcooking it into turn four and five on cold tires.
He got onto the power and spun on stone cold tires even in the desert heat in Qatar. Porsche #38 for Jota in the lane, and Jenson Button is in the car. The last time he raced in the top class was BR in 2018. He has raced for Porsche and Acura in IMSA. Cadillac #2 in the pit lane for a new nose. Laurens Vanthoor has the lead of the motor race, and the Peugeot did not get hit up the back. He chekced up but could not avoid the Peugeot. Porsche #6 of Laurens Vanthoor in the lane as well. Toyota #8 of Sebastien Buemi and Ferdinand Habsburg in the #35 Alpine A424B. "Feather footed Ferdie" is in the Alpine.
The Cadillac has a new schnoz and Alex Lynn stays at the wheel. Peugeot #93 still leading. Will Toyota double stint their tires? Will they change them? Mike Conway ninth overall fighting his way through the GT3 traffic. The top ten, well, we'll have to see. The battle is between Kubica in the Ferrari, Conway in the Toyota, Di Resta in the Peugeot. By dint of saving ten seconds, di Resta has moved up. So, Miguel Molina also under investigation for crossing the pit lane blend line.
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