Round 5 of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship will be held in the capital city of Mexico on Sunday 3 September and the entry list for the first of the five long haul events on the 2017 calendar will once again show that there is much on offer for South and Central American fans to cheer about.
The 2017 6 Hours of Mexico presented by AT&T will take place at the impressive Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez facility, located in the heart of one of Mexico City, and will be the second time the WEC has staged a race on the 4.304km circuit.
Twenty-six cars are included on the provisional entry list for the fifth round of the 2017 WEC, with 22 nations represented amongst the teams and drivers, all guaranteed to provide excitement and entertainment for the thousands of fans due to attend.
LMP1: Porsche or Toyota to Win in Mexico?
In LMP1 Porsche and Toyota go head to head with the Japanese manufacturer looking to return to the top step of the podium for the first time since Round 2 in Belgium and close the gap in the championship after Porsche’s 1-2 success at the Nürburgring race. Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard won in Mexico last and, along with teammate Earl Bamber, the winners of the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans will be looking to return to winning ways in Central America.
Among the stars displaying their talents in Mexico will be three-time FIA World Touring Car Champion José Mariá López of Toyota. The Argentinean can’t wait to be at what will effectively be his ‘home’ race, or the one nearest to his home in South America, and experience the fantastic ambience and passion from the Mexican spectators.
LMGTE PRO: Four Manufacturers – One World Title
The quest for the GT FIA World Endurance Manufacturers Championship sees Ferrari and Ford currently tied on 135 points, with Aston Martin and Porsche also within touching distance of the lead.
Ferrari and Ford will of course be looking to maximise their turbocharged engines in the rarefied Mexican atmosphere, but it was an Aston Martin which took victory in 2016. Can they do it again, to the delight of Brazilian Daniel Serra’s Latin American fans, or maybe it will be the turn of the new-for-2017, mid-engined Porsche 911 RSR?
LMP2 : New Cars – Same Close Racing
There will be 9 entries in this super-competitive class, with just the omission of the second Signatech Alpine car from the full season entry list. The increased power and improved aerodynamics in 2017 have offered up some nail-biting battles in this category, and the Mexican fans can look forward to action, noise and maybe even some drama.
LMP2 features the only Mexican driver in the field thus far, Roberto Gonzalez in the No. 25 CEFC Manor TRS Racing ORECA 07 Gibson. The older brother of race promoter Ricardo Gonzalez will line up with Simon Trummer and Vitaly Petrov – the trio determined to get their first podium of the season in front of Roberto’s home crowd.
Adding extra fervour for the Mexican fans will be two famous South American racing names – Nelson Piquet Jr and Bruno Senna, both competing for the Vaillante Rebellion team, and Senna’s No.31 holding second place in the LMP2 championship behind the seemingly invincible Jackie Chan DC Racing team.
Andre Negrão is set to replace Matt Rao at the wheel of the No.36 Signatech Alpine Matmut entry. The Brazilian driver teams with defending LMP2 Champions Nicolas Lapierre and Gustavo Menezes in the squad’s lead Alpine A470 Gibson.
LMGTE AM: Two Points Separate Porsche-Ferrari-Aston Martin
In LMGTE Am there is an incredibly tight battle for the top of the points’ tables, with the crews from Dempsey Proton Racing (No.77 Porsche 911 RSR) and Clearwater Racing (No.61 Ferrari 488 GTE) tied on 88 points at the head of the classifications. Just two points further back is the No.98 Aston Martin Racing trio – all three crews having taken a win so far this year.
Track action for the 6 Hours of Mexico will begin on Friday 1st Septemberwith practice on the 4.304km circuit, with the race scheduled to begin at 12 noon local time on Sunday 3rd September.
