Photo Credit: Corvette Racing
TF Sport seeking to add to Corvette’s Le Mans legacy with first-year Z06 GT3.Rs
DETROIT (June 5, 2024) – TF Sport and its pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are ready to take on the toughest test in sports car racing: the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the blue-riband event of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The lineup of the No. 81 Corvette and No. 82 Z06 GT3.R from TF Sport will look to add to the legacy of the Corvette Racing program at Le Mans – nine class victories and a strong following from fans around the world who flock to the race each year.
The pair of lineups for the June 15-16 race in the TF Sport Corvettes are the same as the previous three rounds of the FIA WEC – Tom Van Rompuy, Rui Andrade and Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood in the No. 81 Z06 GT3.R while Hiroshi Koizumi, Sebastien Baud and factory driver Daniel Juncadella are in the No. 82 Corvette.
The experience factor at Le Mans between the two cars is unique. The No. 81 trio has eight combined starts, and 2020 GTE Am winner Eastwood is the only of the three to have raced a GT car at the 24 Hours. Meanwhile, the No. 82 trio is an all-rookie Le Mans lineup.
Despite that, hopes are high for continued Corvette success at this year’s race. Corvette Racing won last year’s GTE Am race – en route to the WEC championship – in the final year of the Corvette C8.R GTE car. It capped a run of nine class victories in the race since 2000 and one of the most successful eras for a single program at Le Mans in the modern era.
This year with WEC adopting GT3 regulations for this year, the entire category will feature cars that will race in the 24 Hours for the first time. From the Corvette and TF Sport side, preparation for the race has been multi-pronged.
The TF team recently completed a test at Silverstone Circuit to test the Corvettes in low-downforce configuration. Meanwhile, Corvette Racing’s factory drivers from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship have spent time in Chevrolet’s Driver-in-the-Loop simulator to help explore different setup options for the Z06 GT3.R.
The results will come into view with a combined six hours of running Sunday around the 8.48-mile Le Mans circuit – made up of permanent racetrack and public roads. The annual Test Day will set the stage for practice and qualifying, plus Thursday’s Hyperpole session to set the grid for this year’s race.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 15. MotorTrend will air live television coverage while streaming coverage on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S., will begin Wednesday, June 12. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of all on-track sessions including Sunday’s Test Day.
TF SPORT PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“Le Mans is the big one. It’s a very important race for us, and obviously it’s a big race for everyone. It’s the first time the Z06 GT3.R is going to hit the streets of Le Mans. From that, we have a lot of data to gather on the Test Day. The good thing is that both Rui and Tom have been to Le Mans, and of course I’ve been there many times myself. So hopefully as the driver crew we will be strong from the start, which should give us more time to get an understanding of what this car needs. It’s the first time we’ve had a low-downforce track with long straights. The guys at Corvette Racing, Pratt Miller and GM have run a lot of simulations and been in the DiL to get some good baseline setups ready for us, which will play a big part in helping us get up to speed. We just need to be on-track for every single minute that the track is green to get as much data as we can. I’m looking forward to it. For the full crew, we need a proper result at Le Mans. We’ve had some misfortune at the last couple of races, so we’re all as determined as ever to make no mistakes and make sure we are there at the end of the 24 Hours.”
TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“I am super excited for the biggest race of the season. Le Mans is always a very special race and is the one where you really want to achieve a good result. I’m very proud to be driving the Corvette this year in Le Mans. We prepared ourselves and the car in the best possible way to be able to try to finish on the LM GT3 podium. Let’s hope the luck is on our side for the big one. I can’t wait to feel the Le Mans atmosphere again and to see all the fans with full support to help us finish the race in the best way.”
DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“These are some pretty exciting days coming up. This will be the first time for me at Le Mans and first time with such a successful brand in Le Mans like Corvette. So that makes it even more exciting – to have my own debut at this race with the winning program from last year with so much experience. It’s going to be quite special for me to debut at Le Mans. The Test Day will be about learning the track, and the bits and pieces that are there in real life compared to simulations and how the car feels. I’m quite confident that we can have a strong race. Seb is also going to have a big highlight being a Frenchman. Hiro has some experience at Le Mans, so they are a little more prepared than myself, which is good. When it’s me that gets up to speed, it makes me feel confident. We should have a good car and let’s see how it goes. But yes, very exciting weeks are coming ahead.”
SEBASTIEN BAUD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:
“It’s a dream come true for me, finally being able to take the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and be a participant in the most legendary race in the world. Since I was very young, It always has been the one thing in my career that I wanted to experience. It is very much a dream race for me, especially now to do this with Corvette Racing, of which I have always been a fan and have followed them around the world. So now I have the opportunity to be able to drive a Corvette for TF Sport in the most prestigious race in the world. I have been pushing myself to achieve this goal for four years now, and today it is a childhood dream that is gradually taking shape. So we hope the fans support us, the Corvette team and the 82 car because we will compete with passion and give our best to represent the winning team of last year’s centenary edition.”
2024 FIA World Endurance Championship Points
LMGT3 Drivers Standings
1. Aliaksandr Malykhin/Joel Sturm/Klaus Bachler – 72
2. Augusto Farfus/Darren Leung/Sean Gelael – 37
3. Alex Riberas/Daniel Mancinelli/Ian James – 37
4. Ahmad Al Harthy/Maxime Martin/Valentino Rossi – 36
5. Clement Mateu/Erwan Bastard/Marco Sorensen – 30
14. Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 7
16. Daniel Juncadella/Hiroshi Koizumi/Sebastien Baud – 6
LMGT3 Teams Standings
1. No. 92 Manthey PureRxcing – 72
2. No. 31 Team WRT – 37
3. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team – 37
4. No. 46 Team WRT – 36
5. No. 777 D’Station Racing – 30
13. No. 81 TF Sport – 7
15. No. 82 TF Sport – 6
Source:
Corvette Racing
Related:
National Corvette Museum Is Now Displaying the No. 3 Corvette C8.R
Corvette Racing at Detroit: Bid for Home Win Comes Up Short
Corvette Racing at COTA: First Win for Corvette Z06 GT3.R
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