ByKolles Vanwall LMH Car Breaks Cover

Photo: Vanwall Racing

ByKolles’ Vanwall Racing Le Mans Hypercar has completed build ahead of the start of on-track testing later this spring.

The Austrian-badged effort, which was rejected a full-season FIA World Endurance Championship entry, is understood to still be on schedule despite not racing this year in the globe-trotting championship.

Tom Dillmann and Esteban Guerrieri, who are the team’s designated development drivers, are believed to begin track testing the Gibson-powered Vandervell as early as next month, ahead of a targeted effort in the 2023 WEC season.

Reasons behind the entry’s rejection for this season were not made fully clear other than a WEC spokesperson confirming to Sportscar365 that there was a “documentation issue” with the project.

There had been speculation over the team not holding the rights to the Vanwall branding for international competition. 

However, according to Germany’s company register, the PMC GmbH company under which all ByKolles automotive projects are housed — including the LMH car and its proposed road-going variant — holds the Vanwall name as one of its trademarks.

The Vanwall Vandervell marks the fourth different LMH car to be built, joining the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, Glickenhaus 007 and Peugeot 9X8, the latter which has also yet to run in WEC competition.

A fifth LMH model, Ferrari’s yet-to-be-named four-wheel drive prototype, is expected to debut next year.

Photo: Vanwall Racing

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John