HubAuto Moves Porsche Entry to GTE-Pro

HubAuto Racing has moved its Porsche 911 RSR-19 entry for this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans into the GTE-Pro category.

The Taiwanese squad, which ran a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in the 2020 edition of the race, originally had a Porsche listed in the GTE-Am division for driver Liam Talbot.

HubAuto has since announced its participation in the top GTE class, in a move that is set to make it the first Asian team to compete in Pro.

“There are a number of reasons why we wanted to make the move,” said team owner and principal Morris Chen, who also drove for HubAuto at Le Mans last year.

“We have been in several discussions with our key partners, and we will be receiving significant support and sponsorships due to the switch to the GTE-Pro category.

“Last year, our sponsors saw our ability to be a front-running team in our first ever outing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“The change to GTE-Pro is an important move for the strategic direction of our team and confirms that our sponsors have a great deal of confidence in our team’s future.

“This is the latest achievement for the growth of HubAuto Racing and we are grateful to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest for enabling this change.”

HubAuto has yet to announce the drivers for its Pro effort but aims to do so in the “coming weeks”.

Last year the team ran Tom Blomqvist and Marcos Gomes alongside Chen. The team also contested the Total 24 Hours of Spa with a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 and recruited Toyota Hypercar driver Kamui Kobayashi to race with Blomqvist and Gomes.

HubAuto’s graduation to the GTE-Pro ranks means there will be four Porsche 911 RSR-19s in the class.

Porsche recently announced Frederic Makowiecki and Michael Christensen as the additional drivers for its two factory vehicles, while IMSA squad WeatherTech Racing is set to arrive with its GT Le Mans entry from the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“We are excited to be able to compete against the very best GTE-Pro teams and drivers from Europe and the USA, most of which are factory-backed teams,” added Chen.

“We know we have a great challenge ahead but, as always, we are looking forward to that challenge.”