Corvette Racing concluded the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season with a highly successful 8-hour race in Bahrain. The team’s wins at the FIA WEC season-opening 1000 Miles of Sebring, 8 Hours of Portimao, and 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as a second-place finish at Spa, led Corvette Racing to claim the 2023 GTE Am Driver and Team Championship in July. Obtained. 9th time at Italy’s historic Monza circuit. The final race of the season in Bahrain therefore had no championship implications, but of course the team aimed for the best possible finish.
The WEC series uses a “reward weight” formula that adds mass to the car based on its finishing position in previous races and its position in the championship. His No. 33 Mobil 1/Sirius This includes 15kg for finishing first in the championship, 10kg for second place at the previous race at Fuji, and an additional 10kg after Le Mans.
To further hinder the Corvette’s performance, the sanctioning body mandated that the size of the Corvette’s engine restrictor be reduced from 41.3 mm to 40.7 mm. A 1.4 mm reduction doesn’t sound like a lot, but it reduced engine power by about 10 horsepower. This is important. It’s also worth noting that the C8.R was already competing with less horsepower than other his GTE Am class cars throughout this past year.
It was clear early on that the Corvette’s chances of performing well in Bahrain were slim due to increased weight and reduced power, but thanks to the team’s experience on the 3.36-mile Bahrain International Circuit, it still Hope remained. Corvette Racing finished second in GTE Pro last year with outstanding drives from both Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy. Ben Keating, this year’s bronze driver for Corvette Racing, is a two-time GTE Am winner at Bahrain. Nicky Catsburg, the team’s platinum driver, had two top-five finishes in the World Touring Car Cup a year ago, and Nico Varone, the team’s silver-rated driver, finished in last year’s rookie test. He has participated in C8.R in Bahrain since then. .
Keating, who had three pole positions in the six races leading up to Bahrain, could only qualify for fifth or worse due to the Corvette’s extra weight and reduced power. The start of the race saw some chaos with several prototypes spinning and colliding in front of the GTE Am cars. Keating played it safe and stayed out of trouble, but lost four positions in the process. To keep him away from the GTE Am pack, team strategists called for an early pit stop after 30 minutes. After his return, Keating moved up the standings, eventually rising to fourth in the final two stints.
Nico Varone took over as driver three hours before the start of the race and finished fourth in class in three stints. Vallone’s big challenge was dealing with tire deterioration on extremely hot days and a notoriously rough track. With about two hours left, Nikki Catsburg got in to take it home. He started in 8th place and managed to gain one more position, but the C8.R’s extra mass and reduced power meant he could not finish higher than 7th by the time he finished.
Despite not winning in Bahrain, the team finished the 2023 season on a high note with championship-winning performances throughout the year. Over the past four seasons, Corvette Racing’s factory team has competed in 82 events in Chevrolet’s stunning mid-engine racer, winning a total of 100 races around the world, including wins at Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona, and championships in both IMSA and WEC. I’m back with 20 wins. . These accomplishments add to Corvette Racing’s proud history and lay the perfect foundation for what’s to come: his all-new 2024 Z06 GT3.R, which will debut at his 24 Hours of Daytona in January.