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Kubica, WRT headline 43-car ELMS entry list

Robert Kubica will take on a full season in the European Le Mans Series this year with WRT, as part of the Belgian team's expansion into prototype racing.

#20 High Class Racing ORECA LMP2 07: Dennis Andersen, Anders Fjordbach, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Robert Kubica

#20 High Class Racing ORECA LMP2 07: Dennis Andersen, Anders Fjordbach, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Robert Kubica

Art Fleischmann

Ex-Formula 1 racer Kubica was the only driver listed for WRT's sole Oreca entry for the 2021 ELMS campaign, which is one of 16 cars entered in the top LMP2 division.

The Polish driver made his LMP2 bow in last month's Rolex 24 at Daytona with the High Class Racing squad, and during that weekend he made clear his ambitions to pursue opportunities in prototypes instead of returning to the DTM for a second season.

”I am very happy to join Team WRT for what is a new chapter in my career and a new challenge also for the team," said Kubica. "We will discover together many new things, in a series with a very strong and competitive field, made of talented contenders.

"It will be my first full season in endurance racing, sharing the car with teammates, something I discovered a few days ago at Daytona, and I look forward to start working with the team, at the factory and on the track.

"The whole project is tremendously motivating and I want to warmly thank Vincent [Vosse, team boss], who pushed very hard to make this happen.”

#20 High Class Racing ORECA LMP2 07: Dennis Andersen, Anders Fjordbach, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Robert Kubica

#20 High Class Racing ORECA LMP2 07: Dennis Andersen, Anders Fjordbach, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Robert Kubica

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

Long-time Audi-affiliated squad WRT is also entering the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, but has so far only named Robin Frijns for its driver line-up in that series.

Completing the ELMS entry list are 17 LMP3 cars and 10 GTE cars, marking an increase of three cars over last year's full-season contingent.

The LMP2 class is monopolised by Oreca 07 chassis, albeit with two G-Drive Racing entries running the cars rebranded as Aurus 01s, with last year's sole Ligier holdout - Inter Europol Competition - stepping up to the WEC for 2021.

As well as G-Drive, IDEC Sport and United Autosports also have two-car entries.

WRT is one of three new teams on the entry, alongside the previously-announced Racing Team Turkey effort - which is being run by TF Sport - and French squad Ultimate, which previously raced in the LMP3 category in 2019.

Of the 16 cars in class, 10 have fully-confirmed driver line-ups, including both United Autosports cars, the two IDEC Sport entries - one of which will feature ex-Porsche factory driver Patrick Pilet - and Panis Racing, which will continue to field ex-F1 driver Will Stevens.

In the LMP3 class, two Duqueine D-08s will take on 15 Ligier JS P320s, with reigning champion United once again fielding two cars.

Ferrari is the dominant brand in the GTE division with seven 488 GTEs taking on a pair of newly-eligible Porsche 911 RSR-19s, both run by Proton Competition, and a sole Aston Martin Vantage GTE operated by TF Sport.

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