WEC Took “Logical and Right Decisions” in Entry Selection

Photo: Focus Pack Media/WEC

The FIA Endurance Championship selection committee took the “logical and right decisions” in crafting up the entry list for the 2024 season according to WEC CEO Frederic Lequien, who admitted it wasn’t an easy task to complete.

Released on Monday, a capacity entry of 37 cars will take on the expanded globe-trotting championship next year, represented by a record 19 cars in Hypercar and 18 in the new-for-2024 LMGT3 category.

While several teams, including Vanwall Racing, and GT3 brands such as Audi and Mercedes-AMG were not accepted due to space constraints, Lequien stressed that the selection was taken in a extremely serious manner.

“It was not easy to take some decisions,” he said. “We have a limited grid of 37 cars, we must consider all different criteria.

“By the way of the sporting regulations you have the criteria, which are used by the selection committee, which is based on [a team’s] history, the performance of the car, and a lot of different criteria.

“I think we took some logical and right decisions, even if it was not easy to take.

“I would prefer to have everybody on the grid of course but we have a limited number of cars that we can accept. Of course we had to take some decisions.”

When asked by Sportscar365 on the reasons for not accepting Vanwall’s entry request, in what was to be a Pipo-powered Vanwall Vandervell 680, Lequien said he did not want to get into specifics.

Sportscar365 understands Vanwall’s rejection was largely based on its performance in the 2023 season, which saw only a single top-eight finish, which came at the season-opening 1000 Miles of Sebring.

“I will not give too many commits on this,” Lequien said. “As I said, we have to take our decisions based on different criteria.

“For Vanwall Racing, some of them was not OK. But I just want to add that I have a lot of respect and admiration for the team. It was a very, very hard decision to take.”

Next year’s grid will bring a record number of manufacturers in 14 brands, including nine each in Hypercar and LMGT3, while also marking the WEC debuts for several high-profile drivers including Valentino Rossi and Mick Schumacher.

Former Formula 1 world champions Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button are also rumored to be on the grid, although not yet confirmed.

“We now have the capacity to attract some big names, famous drivers. Valentino Rossi is a good example,” Lequien said. “Mick Schumacher also is a very good example.

“It’s good for the championship, definitely. We want to [grow] the audience and for this we need some big names.

“I also want to underline that the drivers we have in endurance are some really, really good drivers, but they are specialists.

“There’s three in a car so it’s much more difficult to have the same media coverage than in Formula 1. But of course to welcome some big names, this is something that’s very interesting for WEC.

“Once again we want to build a large audience and for this we need to have some big names. This is something that’s very important to us.”

Lequien, meanwhile, confirmed that the third Ferrari 499P, which has nominated driver Robert Kubica, will compete in the Hypercar teams’ trophy, joining the privateer Porsche 963 entries from Hertz Team JOTA and Proton Competition.

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