HubAuto Names Drivers for Porsche GTE-Pro Entry

HubAuto Racing has named its GTE-Pro driver lineup for the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Dries Vanthoor, Alvaro Parente and defending class winner Maxime Martin joining the Taiwanese squad.

The trio will drive the No. 72 Porsche 911 RSR-19 in the race on August 21-22, competing against the factory FIA World Endurance Championship programs from Ferrari, Corvette and Porsche, and the privateer 911 entry from WeatherTech Racing.

Martin won the GTE-Pro class last year sharing an Aston Martin Vantage GTE with Alex Lynn and Harry Tincknell, but did not initially have a 2021 Le Mans drive booked after AMR ended its WEC factory team program following its championship win last season.

Martin is also confirmed to drive a KCMG-run Porsche 911 GT3 R in the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa later this month. 

Vanthoor is the reigning Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup co-champion and also leads the 2021 drivers’ standings in the same series.

The Audi factory driver claimed GTE-Am class honors at Le Mans in 2017 driving a JMW Motorsport Ferrari 488 GTE alongside Will Stevens and Rob Smith.

Like Vanthoor, Parente is due to race at Le Mans for the first time since 2017. On that occasion, the Portuguese ace drove a Clearwater Racing GTE-Am Ferrari but also represented GTE-Pro squad RAM Racing in 2014.

Parente won the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour and the Pirelli World Challenge (now GTWC America) GT titles five years ago.

“We are greatly anticipating blending the skills of Maxime, Alvaro and Dries with HubAuto Racing’s technical ability,” said HubAuto Racing team owner Morris Chen.

“All three drivers are accomplished 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers and extremely talented. It is a wonderful opportunity for HubAuto Racing to have them join us, for what we believe is a superb line-up for this prestigious event.”

An update to the Le Mans entry list last month saw former Super GT champions Heikki Kovalainen and Nick Cassidy shown in the HubAuto Porsche next to Vanthoor, but the team did not announce that lineup at the time.

TGR Team SARD driver Kovalainen is set to be affected by the date clash between Le Mans and the rescheduled Super GT round at Suzuka.

HubAuto, which ran a GTE-Am Ferrari at Le Mans last year, was initially due to compete in the same class with its privateer Porsche this time around, but switched to the Pro division in April.