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The fourth round of the Le Mans Virtual Series is right around the corner, and it is not only the final endurance race of 2021 but also the last opportunity for teams to compete together before the season finale in January, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. With that in mind, the 38-strong entry list revealed today for the 500 Miles of Sebring (approximately 4 hours) on Saturday, December 18 features fearsomely strong line ups and star names up and down the grid.
Sebring International Raceway in central Florida, is one of the oldest continuously-operating tracks in the United States. It has a flavour and history all its own and this former airfield is a real physical and mental challenge for any driver. The track is 3.74 miles (6.02 km) long, and its 17 corners are punctuated by long straights, several high-speed corners, and very technical slower corners. However,  the one thing that stands out at Sebring, and the feature which is mentioned more by every single driver who has competed there, is the bumps! The aging asphalt and concrete sections of the circuit make for a highly challenging and entertaining lap and every driver should heed Sebring Raceway’s own phrase, “Respect the bumps”.
Leading the battle among the 21 prototype entries will be LMP championship points leaders, the No.123 Team Redline, with Spa and Nürburgring winners Felix Rosenqvist and Bono Huis being re-joined for this round by Atze Kerkhof. All cars in this category are ORECA 07 LMP2 models. Just 3.5 points behind them in second is the No.4 Floyd ByKolles Burst entry of Tom Dillmann, Jesper Pedersen and Jernej Simončič, one of the most consistent line ups all season. Amongst the new, pro Prototype drivers for the North American round is Agustin Canapino, replacing Louis Deletraz in the No.1 Rebellion GPX Esports, and GT World Challenge racer Arthur Rougier (No.18 R8G Sports).  All entrants will be aiming for a strong result here to consolidate their positions ahead of the double points-paying final round in January.
Of the five manufacturers (Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Corvette and Aston Martin) entered in the GTE category, it was the No.888 BMW M8 GTE of the TESLA R8G Esports team which scooped the winner’s points for the last round, their first of the season. Australian Scott Andrews, who had an incredibly busy 2021 season racing  on both sides of the Atlantic, replaces Alex Smolyar for this round.
The battle for championship honours is as tight in this class as it is in the LMP category. The No.71 BMW Team Redline BMW M8 GTE entry leads the way with a 4.5 point lead over the No. 91 Porsche Esports Team 911 RSR GTE, both teams fielding an unchanged driver line up.
After a frustrating Nürburgring round, with technical issues forcing organizers to call a premature halt to the race, extensive tests have been carried out and the server problem identified and resolved. The hours spent racing this coming Saturday will serve as valuable training for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.
The Le Mans Virtual Series brings together top level real life drivers and some of the world’s best sim racers to compete together in five endurance races of between four and 24 hours in duration and concludes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in January 2022.
For more details on the championship, the teams and events go to www.lemansvirtual.com.
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