The WEC – praise is due. In a little under two weeks the WEC will kick off at Silverstone with the prospect of another mouth-watering season with a stronger, more varied balance of performance and despite the demise of Audi strong manufacturer representation from Toyota, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ford and Corvette.
There will also be significant changes for LMP2 and the first GTE World Championship. If you have a chance over Easter weekend to attend you will sample something beyond the F1 norm. Open pitlanes and more importantly the opportunity to appreciate four classes of cars on the track at the same time, competing for the same space with dramatically different speeds and capabilities. Whilst little can compare to Arnage in the early hours Vale as the sun goes down with an LMP1 closing on GTE backmarkers is not to be discounted.
Whilst WEC can not pretend to have Lewis-mania it does have its fair share of talent. Alas, Mark Webber has hung up his boots but there is still the last UK Le Mans winner Nick Tandy, Darren Turner, an F1 refugee in Toni Liuzzi and the Hollywood glamour of Patrick Dempsey. We don’t have the intrigue of “garage 56” or the technical wizardry of the Nissan Delta Wing but the crowds are smaller, the speeds are bigger and you can get in and out.
Will you be there? What has been your experience of this event in the past? Is Le Mans still an aspiration or have you scratched that particular itch ? …and if so, what are your recommendations for getting there / staying there ?