Thompson Eager to Showcase Adaptability With WRT Move

Parker Thompson says a desire to prove his adaptability was behind his decision to depart Lexus and embark on an ambitious dual program this year that includes a first FIA World Endurance Championship campaign with Team WRT.

The 27-year-old from Alberta, Canada will be part of the revamped lineup for the No. 69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the LMGT3 class alongside Dan Harper and Anthony McIntosh as he embarks on his first full season outside of North America this year.

Thompson had been part of the Vasser Sullivan Racing stable in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the past three seasons, initially as a third driver before becoming a full-time member of the Lexus squad’s GTD lineup in 2024.

But as part of a push to increase his name recognition abroad, he seized the opportunity to join the WEC together with FIA Bronze-rated McIntosh, with whom he has shared a car in various series the past two years.

“There are a lot of factors that go into it, but at the end of the day, I want to be a factory racing driver, and in order to do that you have to be adaptable on both sides of the pond, and not just the U.S.,” Thompson told Sportscar365.

“A lot of people know me in IMSA, but not a lot of people know me in Europe. I thought if I’m really going to push to become a professional racing driver, I have to get a WEC season under my belt and show the teams over there what I can do.

“It’s a big shift — I left a pretty comfortable job! And now I’m in the position where I have to prove myself this year, because nothing is guaranteed beyond that.”

Thompson’s preparations for the WEC began last December with the opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang, and since then he has also contested the Michelin 6H Abu Dhabi as well as the remainder of the Asian Le Mans campaign in the UAE as he continues to acclimate to the M4 GT3 EVO.

“I have been learning the BMW M4, but honestly there probably wasn’t better training than the Lexus, because they are both front-engined cars, which means you are managing the weight in the same way,” he said.

“The Lexus has become a little long in the tooth, but it was still a really good racecar. The M4 is a little more modern, a lot more tools in the cockpit to play with and more to figure out. The WRT guys have done a great job getting me up to speed on that front.”

On his expectations for his first WEC season, Thompson added: “I expect that we’ll be quick and that with Dan and Tony, we’ll be able to challenge for wins.

“But all three of us are new to the series, so we still have to learn a lot. Tony did a couple of races last year but Dan and I are totally new to the WEC. I think we’ll be a bit starry-eyed for the first few races, but we’ve got to put that aside and focus on the job.

“Consistency will be key to the championship. We’ll play it by ear, but I think we have a lineup good enough to compete for the championship, and that’s what we intend to do.”

Thompson: LMP2 Program a Way to “Remind People” of Prototype Abilities

On top of his new WEC commitments, Thompson will keep his hand in the WeatherTech Championship contesting the five Michelin Endurance Cup rounds for Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen in the LMP2 class.

Together with Harry Tincknell, Misha Goikhberg and Ben Keating, he finished sixth in class in January’s season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, with his campaign continuing in this weekend’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“It’s nice to get back to my roots and feel some downforce,” said Thompson, who climbed the Road to Indy ladder as far as Indy Pro 2000 before switching to sports car racing and winning the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America title.

“Not many people remember I started my career in formula cars, they remember me more for Carrera Cup [North America] and driving for Lexus.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that staying relevant in a car with downforce will also help my push to be a factory driver.

“I think it’s every driver’s dream to reach the Hypercar/GTP level in WEC and IMSA, so this is a way to remind people that I can handle downforce too.”