Motorsport.com has learned that the Gelael family will move from the JOTA team to the WRT team, which in 2022 expands its WEC program to two Oreca 07-Gibsons. Former Formula 2 driver Sean Gelael will be one of the drivers, although it is unclear whether Stoffel Vandoorne and Tom Blomqvist will make the switch alongside him.
WRT boss Vincent Vosse confirmed that the team has two names for the WEC ahead of Friday’s closing date, but insisted that the driver line-up for both cars has yet to be finalized. “We are working with the Gelaels and we hope to confirm the drivers in the coming weeks,” he told Motorsport.com.
Vosse expressed the hope that Tobin Frijns and Ferdinand Habsburg, co-champions last year with Charls Milesi, will remain part of the team for the next WEC season: “We are working on this and I hope it will be the case, but it is still not a thing. that I can confirm “.
WRT will need a silver driver, as required by the class rules, for the championship winning car, because Milesi becomes gold next season. Vosse stated. “Circumstances have led us in different directions, unfortunately.”
It seems quite unlikely that WRT will be able to defend the European Le Mans Series title won with Robert Kubica, Louis Deletraz and Yifei Ye in 2021: “It is not decided yet, but it will be very difficult to be an ELMS and manage two cars in the WEC. I’m not sure it makes sense ”.
Kubica and Deletraz will probably not be part of the WRT team next season and at the end of last year they appear to have carried out tests for Prema Powerteam, as the Italian team has begun its preparation to have an Oreca in both the WEC and ELMS .
JOTA will continue to bring two cars to the track in the WEC despite Gelael’s farewell. Team boss Sam Hignett has confirmed that Roberto Gonzalez and Antonio Felix da Costa will continue with the team, while there will be a teammate yet to be decided who will replace the retired Anthony Davidson.
The WEC entry list is expected to be released next week in anticipation of the 10-day departure of the cars, which will arrive by sea in the United States for the season opener, in Sebring on March 18. The teams were asked to name one driver per car on their list.
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