Corvette Z06 GT3.R, TF Sport set for their first race at Sao Paulo
DETROIT (July 8, 2024) – In a season full of firsts for the Corvette Racing program, this weekend in the FIA World Endurance Championship presents another new opportunity with the running of the Six Hours of Sao Paulo from Brazil’s Interlagos circuit.
TF Sport and its pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are set for their first race in South America as the WEC leaves the European continent after three consecutive rounds.
The six-driver lineup continues on as it has for the previous four FIA WEC rounds – 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.
Both TF Sport entries are coming off solid runs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where both Corvettes completed the full 24 hours.
The results marked a key achievement in the first year of the Z06 GT3.R, which has shown increased reliability since the first races of 2024 at Daytona and Qatar.
The 15-turn, 2.677-mile Interlagos track will be the 38th different circuit on which a Corvette Racing entry will compete in its 25-year run. In addition to being a new track to the Corvette Racing program, Interlagos is the shortest track on the WEC schedule. The layout features a number of mid- and high-speed corners, which should ideally suit the characteristics of the first-year Z06 GT3.R.
This won’t be the first time a Corvette competes at Interlagos in WEC competition. Larbre Competition campaigned independent Corvette C6.Rs in 2012 and 2013 with a runner-up GTE Am finish in the former.
The Six Hours of Sao Paulo is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14. MotorTrend TV will air live television coverage with streaming coverage on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S. – all beginning at 10 a.m. ET.. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of Saturday’s final practice and qualifying, plus Sunday’s race.
TF SPORT PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Sao Paulo is a really cool event. It’s a place WEC hasn’t been in some time. Going back to Brazil for racing is always cool. I raced there in 2008 in Formula BMW where I have some good memories. I have not so great memories from the last time I was in Sao Paulo! I was in Formula One where I went off and crashed in the Force India car. Nevertheless it’s a cool place. I like the track a lot. It has a really good mix of fast corners and tight sections, and I think many of those sections should suit our Corvette. So I’m excited for this. WEC has been a cool season so far even though we haven’t achieved yet the results we were hoping for at the start. It’s another event where we can turn things around and have some fun. Hopefully we’ll have a fast and clean car for the race and then go fight at the end.”
SEBASTIEN BAUD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I can’t wait to go to Brazil for the next WEC round. With TF Sport and Corvette Racing, we continue to gain momentum and a better understanding of this magnificent Corvette GT3 car! My teammates and I are motivated to achieve a great result there on such a legendary circuit like Interlagos. It will be a totally new track and event for me, so for sure there is a lot to discover. So I will have to be even more vigilant and attentive to be able to perform to the best of my abilities for the team. I’m ready for it.”
2024 FIA World Endurance Championship Points
LMGT3 Drivers Standings
- Morris Schuring/Richard Lietz/Yasser Shahin – 75
- Aliaksandr Malykhin/Joel Sturm/Klaus Bachler – 75
- Augusto Farfus/Darren Leung/Sean Gelael – 73
- Erwan Bastard/Marco Sorensen – 42
- Michelle Gatting/Sarah Bovy – 41
- Daniel Juncadella/Hiroshi Koizumi/Sebastien Baud – 10
- Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 7
LMGT3 Teams Standings
- No. 91 Manthey EMA – 75
- No. 92 Manthey PureRxcing – 75
- No. 31 Team WRT – 73
- No. 777 D’Station Racing – 42
- No. 85 Iron Dames – 41
- No. 82 TF Sport – 10
- No. 81 TF Sport – 7
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
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