ByKolles Adds Ruberti to Spa LMP1 Lineup

Experienced GT racer Paolo Ruberti will make his LMP1 debut with ByKolles Racing in next month’s FIA World Endurance Championship round at Spa.

The Gold-rated 43-year-old Italian, whose last WEC appearance came in a Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in 2016, will share the now-Gibson powered ENSO CLM P1/01 with Oliver Webb and Tom Dillmann.

Ruberti becomes the sixth driver to represent ByKolles in the 2018-19 ‘Super Season’, adding to a list that also includes James Rossiter, Rene Binder and Dominik Kraihamer.

The 2012 Total Six Hours of Spa winner was included on an updated entry list for the penultimate round of the season issued on Wednesday.

A total of eight LMP1 cars are listed while there is no sign of a Ginetta G60-LT-P1 AER, meaning the British-built prototype is not set to compete again this season.

Ginetta, which rolled out its LMP1 challenger for a shakedown earlier this week, suggested to Sportscar365 in January that it was hoping to see one of its cars racing at Spa as a possible factory effort.

Another change to the initial 35-car entry released last month sees the return of Euan Hankey to the TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage GTE.

Hankey was replaced by Aston factory driver Jonny Adam from round three at Silverstone onwards but will return to the No. 90 GTE-Am lineup alongside Charlie Eastwood and Salih Yoluc for his first appearance since last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Riccardo Pera will slot into the No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR in place of Julien Andlauer, who will be absent due to Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland commitments at Hockenheim.

In LMP2, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racer Nick Boulle becomes the seventh driver in as many races to share driving duties in the Larbre Competition Ligier JS P217 Gibson with Romano Ricci and Erwin Creed.

Boulle, who finished third in class in last year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa, is set for his first WEC outing in the LMP2-class entry.