The FIA WEC pitlane was buzzing with plenty that is new and shiny to savour. Audi has three R18 e-tron quattros here this weekend, the No.3 car in full long tail trim with WEC newcomer, Filipe Albuquerque, at the wheel alongside Marco Bonanomi. The factory team is testing back to back aerodynamic set ups for the Le Mans 24 Hours with its regular pair of WEC cars, both now fully rebuilt and looking pristine after their Silverstone travails.
Porsche’s 919 Hybrid pair remain in full low downforce trim and they are joined in that form by Toyota this weekend with both TS040s running Le Mans aero kits.
Joining the full season four in LMP2 is the now regular Spa guest appearance of JOTA Sport’s Zytek Nissan. The car led the ELMS 4 Hours of Silverstone race by a very heathy margin until a race-ending shunt ruined their day, but JOTA has rebuilt the No.38 car around its spare tub and will be looking to succeed here at Spa as it did in 2012. The team's regular full season duo of Simon Dolan and Harry Tincknell is joined here by Marc Gene on loan from Audi and a previous overall winner of this race.
LMGTE Pro sees the very welcome return to the WEC of Bruno Senna, the fast and friendly Brazilian bolstering the lead No.97 car’s attack both here and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The sister No.99 car meanwhile is in Gulf livery this weekend for the first time this season.
There is a further guest entry in LMGTE Am, the No.60 AF Corse Ferrari making it eight cars fielded by the World GTE Championship-winning Italian team this weekend.
The sister No.81 Ferrari in the class sees Andrea Bertolini join up with Michele Rugolo and Stephen Wyatt at Spa, as he will at every other WEC round this season with the exception of Le Mans where Sam Bird will again substitute. For the 24-hour race Bertolini will be with SMP Racing’s GTE Ferrari effort.
Back over at Aston Martin the usual all-Danish flavour of the No.95 car is changed with the addition of Richie Stanaway for an absent Nicki Thiim.
A full entry list can be found HERE
