WEC 2023: LMP2 Class Set for Intense Battle at Le Mans with 16-Strong Entry
The World Endurance Championship (WEC) is ready to witness an intense battle in the LMP2 class at Le Mans, with a 16-strong entry list, down from 24 cars in the previous year. Despite the reduction in numbers, the competition is expected to be fierce, with top drivers and teams vying for the top spot.
Cool Racing’s Malthe Jakobsen, who is also a Peugeot Hypercar reserve, set the fastest time in qualifying and topped the LMP2 leaderboard in two of Wednesday’s three sessions. However, he is cautious about the challenges ahead, stating, “I would say all of the cars in the LMP2 category are in contention to be able to fight for the win.” Jakobsen, who shares the #37 car with Toyota’s reserve Ritomo Miyata, added, “There’s super good teams, first of all, but also super good driver line-ups. It’s not going to be easy, but that’s why we’re here.”
The LMP2 class features a Pro-Am sub-category for crews with a bronze-graded amateur, while the other entries require a silver-graded driver in their line-up. The competition is expected to be tight, with Colin Braun’s effort in the #45 Algarve Pro Racing entry being one of the few exceptions, as the rest of the LMP2 field was split by just over 2.5 seconds in qualifying.
United Autosports’ Oliver Jarvis, who won the class at Le Mans in 2017, echoed Jakobsen’s sentiments, describing this year’s LMP2 field as “amazing.” Jarvis, who progressed to Thursday’s Hyperpole shootout, stated, “You think with such a big Hypercar grid, it would lessen the quality of some of the [LMP2] drivers and you then look at the grid and it doesn’t at all. The driver line-ups are still exceptional – you’ve got experienced guys and then you’ve got some really quick up-and-coming guys trying to make a name.”
Jarvis also emphasized the competitiveness of the LMP2 class, saying, “We’ve lost one or two teams [for 2024’s race] but the other teams seem to have stepped up and filled that void so it’s as competitive as it’s ever been, which is incredible.”
Fellow United Autosports driver Ben Hanley, who was third-fastest in qualifying in the sister #23 machine, attributed the competitiveness to the stability of the LMP2 machinery, which has remained unchanged since 2017. Hanley told Motorsport.com, “We’re many years now into the cycle of this car and, every year, the gaps just get smaller and smaller. As the teams get more and more experience with the cars, no one is really a step ahead of everybody else. It’s all super tight.”
As the WEC 2023 season continues, fans can expect an intense battle in the LMP2 class at Le Mans, with top drivers and teams vying for the top spot. With the same ORECA 07 car, powered by a V8 Gibson engine and using Goodyear tyres, the competition is expected to be fierce, making the FIA WEC 2023 a thrilling event to watch.
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