MotoGP, Indycar, and the World Endurance Championship (WEC) are all set to kick off their respective seasons, with the WEC being the first to get underway. The championship’s first event, the 1,812 kilometers of Qatar, is scheduled to take place on Friday, marking a significant departure from the usual Sunday racing. This change in schedule is due to the beginning of Ramadan.
The Qatar event will be a crucial test for all manufacturers competing in the World Cup, including veterans like Toyota, Ferrari, and Porsche, as well as newcomers like Aston Martin, which is debuting its brand-new Valkyrie in the top class. The competition will be fierce, with each team looking to make a strong start to the season.
Spanish drivers will be prominent in the championship, with Miguel Molina (Ferrari) and Dani Juncadella (Corvette) aiming to make a significant impact in their respective categories, LMH and LMGT3. Molina, the current Le Mans winner and world runner-up, will be seeking to take the next step and claim the title that Ferrari has been longing for over 50 years. Juncadella, meanwhile, could be on the verge of a great season if he can translate his performance in the prologue to the championship.
Another Spanish driver, Álex Riberas, will be making the jump from GT to one of the most coveted seats in the WEC, driving the Aston Martin Valkyrie #009 alongside Marco Sorensen and Roman de Angelis. Riberas will have his work cut out for him, but he will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting drivers to watch in the championship.
Peugeot and Alpine with news
Porsche and Toyota will be defending their crowns, but the other manufacturers will be pushing hard to catch up. Ferrari, which is considered the third favorite to triumph, has not used any of the allowed “jokers” to improve its performance, but the Italian team claims to have made improvements in every area of its 499P. The team will be looking to transfer its exceptional performance in Le Mans to the rest of the World Cup tracks, starting with Qatar, which is one of the most unfavorable circuits on the calendar.
Cadillac and BMW are also expected to be strong contenders, based on their performance in the prologue. Peugeot and Alpine, meanwhile, have used “jokers” to evolve their cars, with Peugeot focusing on its suspensions and Alpine working on its engine, which suffered from reliability problems last year. Aston Martin, which has arrived in Qatar without testing its performance, will be an unknown quantity, but the team’s performance in the prologue suggests that it may be closer to the pace of the other teams than expected.
New faces
The WEC has seen some significant changes in its driver lineup, with Alpine signing the fast French driver Frederic Makowiecki, who has left Porsche’s official team to join forces with Mick Schumacher in the ALPINE A424. Another notable signing is Jenson Button, the F1 world champion, who has changed teams from Porsche to Cadillac but remains with the same equipment, Jota. Former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen will also be joining the championship, driving the BMW #15.
Valentino Rossi will continue to compete in the LMGT3 category, driving the #46 car, while Eduardo Barrichello, the son of former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello, will make his debut in the same category.
Schedules and where to see on TV the 1,812 km of Qatar
The 1,812 kilometers of Qatar will start at 10:00 AM Spanish time and will last for approximately 10 hours. Eurosport will broadcast the full race live, except for a two-hour period between 15:30 and 17:30, which will only be available digitally. The race schedule has been affected by the beginning of Ramadan, resulting in the unusual Friday start.
The free practice sessions will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, with the first free practice session starting at 9:30 AM on Wednesday. The qualifying session will be held on Thursday at 3:00 PM, and the race will start at 12:00 PM on Friday.