It was the first season in which LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) entries were allowed to compete in the Hypercar category for championship points alongside LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) entries, after being permitted on a race-by-race basis in 2022.[1] Upon the discontinuation of LMGTE Pro, LMGTE Am remained as the sole GT class, although it would be replaced by LMGT3 the following season.[2] After being introduced for the 2021 season the LMP2 Pro-Am Cup was also dropped. This as well would also be the last season in the FIA WEC for the LMP2 Class with LMP2 to be removed for the next year's season in the year 2024 due to demand in grid numbers for the Hypercar and the incoming GT3-Spec based LMGT3 class replacing LMGTE Am reaching the maximum number of full season entries.
Calendar
On 29 September 2022, the 2023 calendar was announced on the website and YouTube channel of the FIA World Endurance Championship, with the six races of the 2022 season and the return to Portimão, this time with a 6-hour format.[3]
The LMGTE AM saw drama in the races early stages. The #83 Richard MilleAF Corse Ferrari cartwheeled after colliding with the tyre wall. The sole Corvette entry of Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nicolas Varrone dominated the 2nd half of the race, taking victory. The #77 Dempsey-ProtonPorsche capitalized on a late fuel stop by the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari to take second position. The pole-sitting #85 Iron Dames Porsche led the first half of the race, before running off the road, dislodging bodywork.[76]
The Hypercar class saw Toyota #7, in the hands of Conway, blast into the lead at the start, passing its pole-sitting sister machine. The #8 Toyota, driven by Buemi, lost a place to James Calado (Ferrari #50), however regained this position a lap later. Toyota management ordered the two cars to swap, however the #7 began suffering technical issues and pulled into the pits. This left the #8 Toyota to canter to victory. The #50 Ferrari finished 2nd, after holding off the #6 Porsche of Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Andre Lotterer. The Vanwall entry had a brake calliper explode with Jacques Villeneuve at the wheel, which led to retirement.
The LMP2 qualifying session saw the Prema Racing #63 (Mirko Bortolotti) beat the Vector Racing #10 of Gabriel Aubry to pole by 0.001 seconds. Neither team had a role to play in the fight for victory, however. United Autosport #23 of Giedo van der Garde, Josh Pierson and Oliver Jarvis had their revenge after retiring from the lead at Sebring. They won the class ahead of the sister machine #22, despite having no radio for the final two hours.
The GTE AM Class saw the Corvette #33 grab pole position, but couldn't hold the lead in the race. The AF Corse #21 blasted into the lead at the start, but faded into the latter stages. This left the Corvette entry to battle for victory with the #83 Richard Mille Ferrari. The two cars were side-by-side in places on the final lap, but Catsburg narrowly edged Alessio Rovera to the flag, taking Corvette Racing's 2nd victory in succession. The #85 Iron Dames Porsche came through to finish 3rd.[77]
Qualifying saw drama in the Hypercar class, with the No. 8 Toyota of Hartley crashing out on cold tyres. Antonio Giovinazzi put the No. 51 Ferrari on pole, however saw his time stripped for a track limits violation. This promoted Kobayashi in the No. 7 Toyota to pole position, meaning Toyota had a car at the front and back of the field.
The race began in tricky conditions, and drivers had to decide which tyres to start the race on. Both Toyotas started on slicks, leaving Conway floundering at the start. Both Ferraris and a Cadillac passed Conway going into turn 1. The No. 3 Cadillac, driven by Renger van der Zande, crashed heavily at Eau Rouge after 2 hours. It was surmised that the car had a steering issue. Not long after, the No. 6 Porsche ground to a halt and into retirement after a strong showing. For the second race running, Jacques Villeneuve was driving the No. 4 Vanwall when forced to retire from the event. Villeneuve, chasing the No. 708 Glickenhaus, was clipped by the GTE Am No. 54 AF Corse Ferrari (Francesco Castellacci) at Blanchimont. The move pitched them both into the wall with about 2 hour 30 min remaining. An hour later, Fuoco crashed the No. 50 Ferrari just after its pit stop going down the hill to Eau Rouge. The car was running third after having to battle past the No. 2 Cadillac and No. 5 Porsche earlier. The No. 7 Toyota cantered to victory ahead of the sister car. It was the No. 7 car's 2nd victory of the season. The battle for 3rd place was settled on the final lap when the No. 51 Ferrari of Calado caught and passed the No. 5 Porsche of Frederic Makowiecki.
The No. 23 United Autosports car of Tom Blomqvist dominated the early stages of the race in LMP2. Hometown heroes Team WRT (running Nos. 31 and 41) both battled for supremacy, but the No. 41 of Rui Andrade, Robert Kubica and Louis Deletraz saw the chequered flag first. The team managed to pass the No. 23 United Autosport with 15 minutes remaining. The No. 63 Prema Racing was also in the running, but had to serve a 3-minute stop-and-go penalty. The penalty, for not respecting safety car procedures, was served with 30 minutes remaining, putting them out of contention.
The GTE Am class saw the No. 33 Corvette Racing battle with the No. 25 ORT by TFAston Martin of Ahmad Al Harthy, Michael Dinan and Charlie Eastwood for the lead. They fought for position throughout the race, however, by the chequered flag it was a battle for second place. Lilou Wadoux, driving the No. 83 Richard Mille AF Corse, overtook the No. 88 Proton Competition at about half distance and was never headed. The No. 33 Corvette and No. 25 Aston Martin finished inline astern in second and third places, respectively. Wadoux became the first female driver to win a race in the World Endurance Championship.[78]
A Ferrari 499P shared by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen of Ferrari AF Corse started from pole position after Fuoco set the overall fastest lap in the Le Mans Hypercar class in the Hyperpole session. Their teammates James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi won overall after leading the final 55 laps. It was Calado, Giovinazzi and Pier Guidi's first overall Le Mans victory, as well as Ferrari's tenth and its first since 1965. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa finished second in a Toyota GR010 Hybrid after battling Calado, Giovinazzi and Pier Guidi in the second half of the race. Cadillac Racing's Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh car, driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook, finished third overall.
Albert Costa, Fabio Scherer and Jakub Śmiechowski of Inter Europol Competition led the last 112 laps of the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class in an Oreca 07-Gibson car to claim their maiden WEC class victory. Team WRT's Rui Andrade, Louis Delétraz and Robert Kubica finished second 21.015 seconds behind, while René Binder, Neel Jani and Nico Pino of Duqueine Team took third. Corvette Racing's Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nicolás Varrone in a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R came from two laps down after a second hour pit stop to replace a failed damper to win the final Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Am (LMGTE Am) and GTE race at Le Mans, one lap ahead of ORT by TF's Aston Martin Vantage AMR shared by Ahmad Al Harthy, Michael Dinan and Charlie Eastwood.
Calado, Giovinazzi and Pier Guidi's victory moved them from fifth to second in the Hypercar Drivers' Championship, 25 points behind leaders Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa. Andrande, Delétraz and Kubica remained the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers leaders as category winners Costa, Scherer and Śmiechowski moved from sixth to second. Catsburg, Keating and Varrone extended their Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Teams lead over Al Harthy, Dinan and Eastwood. Toyota, the No. 41 Team WRT and No. 33 Corvette Racing teams left Le Mans as the respective Hypercar World Endurance Championship, Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams and Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Teams leaders with three races left in the season.
The #7 Toyota of Kobayashi took pole in Hypercar, beating the #50 Ferrari by just 0.017 seconds, the smallest ever margin in world endurance championship history.
At the start of the race, the #93 Peugeot blasted into the lead in the early stages, whilst the #8 Toyota collided with the #51 Le Mans winning Ferrari. The #8 also collided with the #777 D'station Aston Martin, with the #777 suffering a heavy impact. The #8 was given a one minute stop and go penalty for the incidents. However in the end, the #7 Toyota claimed its third win of the season, finishing ahead of the #50 Ferrari and the #93 Peugeot.
In LMP2, the #28 Jota took their first victory of the season. The Alpine #36 beat the pole-sitting #41 Team WRT to second place.
The GTE AM class saw Corvette Racing's #33 crew of Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone seal the class world championship title by finishing 4th in class. Proton-Dempsey Porsche #77 took the victory ahead of the Iron Lynx #60 and GR Racing #86 Porsches. The pole-sitting #85 Iron Dames Porsche finished 5th.
The highest finishing competitor entered in the World Endurance Championship is listed below. Invitational entries may have finished ahead of WEC competitors in individual races.
Three titles were offered to drivers, one with world championship status. The Hypercar World Endurance Drivers' Championship is reserved for Hypercar drivers while FIA Endurance Trophies are awarded for LMP2 and LMGTE Am Drivers.
A world championship is awarded for Hypercar manufacturers and teams. An FIA World Cup is awarded for Customer & Privateer Hypercar class teams. FIA Endurance Trophies are awarded for LMP2 and LMGTE Am teams.
Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers' Championship
Points are awarded only to the highest finishing competitor from each manufacturer. Privateer entries are made invisible.
^Paul Dalla Lana retired from racing and withdrew his NorthWest AMR team with immediate effect a week before the 6 Hours of Spa. Heart of Racing took over the entry, but kept the NorthWest AMR name and number to conform with the championship regulations.[74]
^Daniil Kvyat is Russian, but he competes as a neutral competitor as Russian national emblems were banned by the FIA due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
^The LMP2 class winner for Sebring was the No. 48 Hertz Team Jota invitational entry. As it was not a full-season WEC entrant, the points for the win were awarded to the No. 22 United Autosports entry.
Toyota
Hertz Team Jota
Team WRT
Corvette Racing
