The full, 33-car entry list for the ninth season of the FIA World Endurance Championship has been released.
The field is made up of five entries in the new Le Mans Hypercar class, eleven in LMP2, four in GTE Pro and thirteen for GTE Am.
In the new top class, Toyota has entered a pair of its newly unveiled GR010 Hybrids. The reigning champions are joined by two Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus 007s. The first two drivers for the American squad have been confirmed in Ryan Briscoe and Gustavo Menezes.
Completing the class is the Alpine Elf Matmut, which will contest the season with the ex-Rebellion grandfathered ORECA LMP1, named the Alpine A480. Andre Negrao has been confirmed as the first driver.
LMP2, meanwhile, enjoys a significant increase compared to the 2019/20 season, with the entry list showing double digits for the first time since 2017.
Reigning champions United Autosports return to defend their crown with a single ORECA 07-Gibson, while rivals JOTA instead upgrade to a two-car effort.
Racing Team Nederland, which took its first WEC win in 2019, returns to the championship, as does High Class Racing.
The class welcomes a significant number of new or returning full-time squads for the 2021 season, with DragonSpeed, Inter Europol Competition and the all-female Richard Mille Racing Team all making the step up. Also new is the Realteam Racing squad, which will be operated by TDS Racing, much like Racing Team Nederland.
A major addition to the championship comes in the form of Belgian sportscar stalwarts Team WRT, which has entered a single ORECA 07-Gibson. The team, a multiple-time winner of races like the Spa 24 Hours and Nürburgring 24 Hours, is entering the WEC for the first time in preparation for a possible Audi LMDh role. DTM race winner Robin Frijns has been listed as the first confirmed drivers
All but one team are running ORECA machinery in the class, with the notable exception of new arrivals ARC Bratislava, which have entered a single Ligier JS P217-Gibson.
GTE Pro is the smallest class in the field, with just four cars entered. After the departure of reigning champions Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari both enter two cars each.
GTE Am features the largest number of entries, with several new teams joining the championship for the first time.
As previously announced, Ferrari will have a five-car presence in the class. This consists of the two returning AF Corse entries, the two new Iron Lynx car, including the all-female Iron Dames squad, and the Cetilar Racing team making the step down from LMP2.
Vice-champions TF Sport return after their most successful season yet to field a two-car entry for the first time since joining the championship, with Ben Keating leading the #33 car under the team’s own banner while also operating the #777 D’Station Racing Aston Martin, which makes its class debut.
Also returning is theh #98 Aston Martin Racing-entered Vantage AMR, with Paul Dalla Lana as the sole listed driver.
A number of teams will campaign the Porsche 911 RSR-19, which is available in GTE Am for the first time since its introduction. Dempsey-Proton Racing once again field a pair of cars, as does Team Project 1. GR Racing, formerly known as Gulf Racing, also returns.
