Piquet Jr, Correa join Bahrain WEC rookie test as entry list revealed

Piquet Jr, the 2014/15 Method E champion, will drive an Oreca 07 LMP2 automotive for United Autosports a day after the 2022 WEC season finale on the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit on November 13.

He’ll share the Anglo-American squad’s #22 entry with fellow Brazilian Daniel Schneider and two-time Le Mans 24 Hours starter Andy Meyrick, whereas Australians Yasser Shahin and Garnet Patterson will probably be in motion within the sister #23 automotive.

It follows the information that Piquet Jr, Schneider and Meyrick will drive for United within the Professional-Am sub-class of European Le Mans Sequence subsequent yr, with Schneider serving because the staff’s designated bronze driver. 

One other notable title on the entry listing is 23-year-old Correa, who scored his first podium end in Method 3 at Zandvoort earlier this yr. The American driver has been given an opportunity to check for Prema after taking the squad to victory in solely his second European Le Mans Sequence look in Portugal final month.

Correa will cut up the operating in Prema’s sole LMP2 automotive with teenager race Tijmen van der Helm.

#9 Prema Racing Oreca 07 – Gibson: Juan Manuel Correa, Louis Deletraz, Ferdinand Habsburg

Photograph by: Eric Le Galliot

Elsewhere, Antonio Fuoco will pattern AF Corse’s Oreca 07 following the conclusion of his maiden season in GTE Professional with the manufacturing facility Ferrari squad. Fuoco is without doubt one of the a number of drivers in rivalry for a seat in Ferrari’s hypercar programme that may come on stream in 2023.

In the meantime, Ben Keating will get his first probability to drive the Corvette C8.R in Bahrain earlier than he embarks on a marketing campaign with the GM-owned model in subsequent yr’s GTE Am class.

Curiously, Nick Tandy may also be on responsibility for Corvette within the rookie take a look at regardless of his imminent departure from the American marque in favour of an anticipated return to Porsche.

Silver-rated Nicolas Varrone and Axcil Jefferies will probably be collaborating within the take a look at as nicely for Corvette, probably as an audition for the third seat within the producer’s 2023 line-up together with Keating and Nicky Catsburg.

As introduced earlier on Friday, Stoffel Vandoorne will drive the Peugeot hypercar in the course of the five-hour take a look at after becoming a member of sister marque DS to defend his Method E title in 2023.

Vandoorne will share the #92 Peugeot 9X8 with full-season driver Mikkel Jensen, whereas the French marque’s sister entry will probably be piloted by new signing Nico Muller, Maximilian Gunther – who will race for an additional Stellantis model Maserati in FE subsequent season – Yann Ehrlacher and 19-year-old Malthe Jakobsen.

Lastly, 4 drivers have been chosen by the WEC to participate within the take a look at, every of which is able to get at the least 30 laps behind the title-winning automotive of their allotted class.

Richard Mille LMP2 racer Lilou Wadoux will drive for both Toyota or Alpine within the Hypercar division, relying on who wins the championship, Lorenzo Colombo will take a look at the profitable GTE Professional automotive, whereas Doriane Pin and Finn Gehrsitz will get an opportunity in LMP2 and GTE Am equipment respectively.

Alpine hasn’t introduced any drivers for the rookie take a look at up to now, aside from its obligation to run Wadoux if it wins the title, whereas Toyota could have Mike Conway, Sebastien Buemi and Jose Maria Lopez from its full-season crew on responsibility.

Bahrain WEC rookie take a look at line-up up to now: