The season for the FIA World Endurance Championship opened with a stream of firsts; most notably, it was the first race for TF Sport under the Corvette Racing banner and the first start as WEC full-season competitors for each of the three drivers of the #82 Z06 GT3.R. And speaking of that Z06 GT3.R, this was also the first season for that new race car, a season that was kicked off with a shift from factory-backed to factory-supported race teams. And, as we wrapped up the FIA World Endurance Championship season in Bahrain, the most impressive firsts were accomplished. But before we get into the details, let’s get reacquainted with the team and drivers. [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. If/when any popups occur, please click to make them disappear and continue enjoying the article.]
The TF Sport Team and Their Drivers:
- #81 Z06 GT3.R Drivers: Tom Van Rompuy (making his first career FIA WEC appearance), Charlie Eastwood, and Rui Andrade
- #82 Z06 GT3.R Drivers: Hiroshi Koizumi, Sébastien Baud, and Daniel Juncadella
The Results: Full Press Release From Corvette Racing
[Authored by Ryan Smith and Judy Kouba Dominick]
Corvette Racing at Bahrain: Two Podiums to Close 2024!
TF Sport’s No. 81 Corvette second, No. 82 Z06 GT3.R third in LMGT3
SAKHIR, Bahrain (Nov. 2, 2024) – TF Sport and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R climbed on the class podium to close the FIA World Endurance Championship with second- and third-place finishes after the Eight Hours of Bahrain.
The No. 81 Corvette of Charlie Eastwood, Tom Van Rompuy and Rui Andrade were runners-up in the LMGT3 class, just ahead of the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R trio of Daniel Juncadella, Hiroshi Koizumi and Sebastien Baud. Not only was it the first podium result for the Corvette GT3 program in this season’s championship, but it also is the first double-podium finish for the Corvette brand in FIA World Endurance Championship competition.
“Congratulations to TF Sport, team owner Tom Ferrier, the drivers and all the members of the team on today’s double-podium to close the FIA WEC season in Bahrain – the first in this championship for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R,” said Mark Stielow, Director, GM Motorsports Competition Engineering. “It has been exciting to watch the team continually work and extract more and more from their Corvettes at each event this year. This is a great way not just to end 2024 but also use this as a springboard to bigger and better things in 2025.”
