Despite many reports that GTLM, or its World Endurance Championship equivalent GTE, is dying, the numbers don’t wholly suggest this, with only one less car in the class compared to last year, at a total of six cars.
However, the loss of Porsche as a factory team in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship is a sad one. So, one car – itself a former factory Porsche 911-RSR – has been entered into GTLM this year, run by WeatherTech Racing.
Cooper MacNeil will be at the wheel, along with factory drivers Gianmaria Bruni, Kevin Estre and Richard Lietz. With the team never having run a Porsche in the past, having generally stuck to Ferraris, it’ll be interesting to track their progress, as well as how MacNeil’s pace develops compared to his teammates.
Last year’s winners, BMW Team RLL, are back in an attempt to retain their crown. Their winning lineup in the #24 car is almost retained too, with John Edwards, Agusto Farfus, and Jesse Krohn all returning. However, Australian Supercars driver Chaz Mostert has been replaced by Marco Wittmann. In 2020 the team only won by less than a lap, so will be fascinating to see if they can repeat their success.
In the sister #25 BMW M8 GTE there’s a similarly impressive lineup, comprising Connor de Philippi, Phillip Eng, Bruno Spengler, and former F1 driver, and latterly BMW DTM driver, Timo Glock. All four are race winners in their own right, and so will be interesting to see if they can challenge their teammates in the #24 car. Last year, #25 was 14 laps down on its victorious team car, so the drivers will certainly be hoping for better fortunes this year.
The ever-present Corvette Racing team, run by Pratt & Miller, is also back with its C8.R. Over the winter, however, Corvette has made big changes to its driving squad for the #4 car. Long-time Corvette driver Oliver Gavin has gone, being replaced by Nick Tandy, while Marcel Fassler has been replaced by former BMW man Alexander Sims.
The lineup in the #3 car remains the same, with Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg attempting to better their fourth position from last year.
Risi Competizione is, once again, the only Ferrari entrant into GTLM, with the #62 Ferrari 488 GTE. As ever, the lineup is full of factory drivers, though, with Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Davide Rigon joining Risi regular Jules Gounon. Last year the team didn’t finish due to a puncture in the final couple of hours, so they’ll be hoping for better luck this time around.
So, that’s GTLM. If the class is anything like previous years, expect close, exciting racing right until the very end. Even with only six cars, it’s still sure to be a thriller!
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