[LM24] Le Mans 2022 Entry List News etc

[Mike E]

This feels a bit overdue. We're all more excited about next year, aren't we?

Anyway, we are now in the second year of Hypercar and could actually see the Peugeots this year (maybe). Plans have also been laid out for the retirement of GTE, first Pro then Am, so this year marks the final appearance of GTE Pro, and probably any sort of all-pro GT category for a while. We also have teams and drivers positioning themselves for the future.

Presumably there will be 62 places on the grid again this year.

The WEC entry list has been released and features a record entry of 39 cars (https://storage.googleapis.com/fiawe...ected_cars.pdf), all of which have an entry to LM by default. That leaves 23 grid slots to fill.

Hypercar
2x Toyota
1x Alpine
1x Glickenhaus
2x Peugeot

LMP2 - all Orecas
1x Richard Mille Racing
1x Team Penske
1x Prema Orlen Team
1x Vector Sport
2x United Autosports
1x G-Drive Racing
2x Jota
1x WRT
1x Inter Europol Competition
1x Ultimate
1x Realteam by WRT
1x ARC Bratislava
1x AF Corse

GTE Pro
2x AF Corse Ferrari
1x Corvette Racing
2x Porsche GT Team

GTE Am
2x AF Corse Ferrari
1x TF Sport Aston Martin
2x Team Project 1 Porsche
2x Iron Lynx/Iron Dames Ferrari
1x Spirit of Race Ferrari
2x Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche
1x GR Racing Porsche
1x Northwest Racing AMR Aston Martin
1x D'Station Racing Aston Martin

If the Peugeots turn up and Glickenhaus and Corvette get an extra entry each, that leaves 21 places.


These teams have auto invitations:
LMP2
2x WRT for winning LM last year and for winning the ELMS title
1x United Autosports for finishing 2nd in the ELMS
1x DKR Engineering for winning LMP3 in the ELMS
1x Keating Motorsports (IMSA selection)
1x ??? for winning LMP2 in Asian LMS
1x ??? for winning LMP3 in Asian LMS

GTE Am
1x AF Corse for winning LM last year
2x Iron Lynx for winning ELMS and Le Mans Cup
1x Spirit of Race for finishing 2nd in ELMS
1x Rob Ferriol (IMSA selection)
and some extra slots for finisihing in the top few places in GT in Asian LMS

[gert]

I heard WRT will pick up 1 of the auto invites and run a 3rd car.
The 2nd WEC car is "Realteam by WRT" hence a different entrant and there is only 1 WRT car, so they can pick up the 2nd invite if they wish to do so.

[Simmi]

Beyond whether Peugeot turn up or not it's hard to think of too many narratives around the entry this year. The race badly needs them, and them not being on the grid would be a major F up for the manufacturer IMO.

Despite the relative lack of intrigue I do really enjoy seeing the drivers slot into place.

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Despite the relative lack of intrigue I do really enjoy seeing the drivers slot into place.

Is Michael Fassbender expected to turn up in one of the Dempsey-Proton Porsches?

[FIRE]

Would be surprised if Racing Team Nederland gets no invitation.

[gert]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Would be surprised if Racing Team Nederland gets no invitation.

True.

Or a 2nd G-Drive or Algarve Pro car in some guise.
Or Highclass Racing
Or Panis

[whitemr2]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Would be surprised if Racing Team Nederland gets no invitation.

I have not seen any info from RTN they have the intention to compete at LM this year. Invitation or no invitation. They are concentrating on IMSA. I sure hope they will be there.
On the other hand, if a team gets a invitation it would be 'stupid' to decline.
Anyone got more info?

[rdjones]

We going to have a multiple world champion on the grid this year in the shape of 8 World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier

https://twitter.com/24hoursoflemans/...82053569024010

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by rdjones

We going to have a multiple world champion on the grid this year in the shape of 8 World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier

https://twitter.com/24hoursoflemans/...82053569024010

Awesome news. Love Ogier and can't wait to see how he gets on. Great benchmark for him with Milesi - that could be a bit of a Toyota 3rd car right there if they wanna go down that road in the future.

[gert]

Racing Team Nederland is run by French TDS Racing.
I would be very surprised if they didn't apply for and receive an invitation.

[Aysedasi]

I'd be pretty shocked.....

[Simmi]

They are very good at replying to fans on Twitter, and it seems the biggest question they've been getting asked is, 'why aren't you in WEC this year?'

I saw this exchange a few weeks ago, essentially the team saying the door to LM isn't closed.

https://twitter.com/RacingTeamNL/sta...44857385885696

They aren't even running a full IMSA programme in '22, so I could see them being a very high reserve (1 or 2). For me, certainly not a team you'd want to firmly shut the door on ahead of LMDh.

Not sure what the score is with TDS in general this year? Do they have any confirmed cars to run?

[gert]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Not sure what the score is with TDS in general this year? Do they have any confirmed cars to run?

I don't think so.
Racing Team Nederland isn't there and they lost the Realteam entry to WRT.

[Mike E]

Rob Ferriol intends to take up his IMSA auto invite in GTE Am.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...in-invitation/

[FIRE]

I assumed RTN would do IMSA Endurance Cup + Le Mans (if they get invitation of course).

[Mike E]

Nielsen Racing secure an LMP2 entry with the Asian LMS title.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2022/...the-title.html

[Aysedasi]

I guess it's time now to make this sticky.....

[Mike E]

CD Sport and Inception Racing get LMP2 and GTE Am entries for winning LMP3 and GT in Asian LMS.

[AstonGeoff]

I guess 28/02 is one of those rare occasions when we actually look forward to a Monday

[CTD]

I wonder if the invasion of Ukraine and the sanktions against Russia, the bank and individuals will affect the entry list?
We all know there is a rather large amount of cash originating from russian banks, which could be frozen!

[jonny142]

Originally Posted by CTD

I wonder if the invasion of Ukraine and the sanktions against Russia, the bank and individuals will affect the entry list?
We all know there is a rather large amount of cash originating from russian banks, which could be frozen!

I F'kin well hope so ,SMP can do one for a start !

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by CTD

I wonder if the invasion of Ukraine and the sanktions against Russia, the bank and individuals will affect the entry list?
We all know there is a rather large amount of cash originating from russian banks, which could be frozen!

As of now, the FIA and FOM have confirmed that the Russian GP at Sochi has been cancelled, and Mazepin's future at Haas isn't guaranteed.

Mazepin's father, remember, is a big-wig at Gazprom, and Rusinov at G-Drive is another Gazprom official.

Granted, I don't know if AF Course still has any ties to SMP Bank, but SMP Bank is for sure under sanctions and has been since 2014.

Of course, the sanctions are intended to get the oligarchs to turn on Putin and economically bleed Russia white, which has a history of working--look at how the US and NATO won the Cold War. And Russia's GDP last it was checked was like 1/6th of the combined GDP of the former Warsaw Pact countries that are now NATO/EU members. So it can be done.

I don't really want to get political, since in-sport politics in racing is bad enough most of the time, but this is the real world sadly.

[Simmi]

Quite a nice looking lineup for WRT 3rd car. A lot of P2 unknowns but should be rapid in the hands of the pros - https://www.dailysportscar.com/2022/...wrt-oreca.html

Also full season #77 Proton Porsche lineup is a good one - https://twitter.com/HarryTincknell/s...68682232868865

Links strengthening between Multimatic and Proton. Tincknell in a Proton LMDh Porsche seems like a given in the next few years.

[Lutzvic]

No Peugeot.....sad.

[Mike E]

DSC's thoughts on the entry list, which may be delayed.

Heavily over subscribed.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2022/...f-le-mans.html