Lilou Wadoux and Robert Shwartzman will test a Le Mans-winning Ferrari 499P next month at the FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test, which will take place at Bahrain after the 8 Hours of Bahrain the day before.
Silver-rated Wadoux, and platinum-rated Shwartzman, have been associated with Ferrari for a few years, with Wadoux being the first female Ferrari factory driver. Shwartzman, meanwhile, has tested for the Ferrari F1 team this year, in addition to driving for AF Corse in the GT World Challenge Europe series.
In addition to Ferrari, young American Josh Pierson, plus Brits Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat, will test the Toyota GR010. The latter two won this year’s IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship’s GTD Pro class title in the Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. They’ll be joined by Jose Maria Lopez, an existing GR010 race driver.
Porsche will test Thomas Preining in the Penske-run factory 963, who just last week won the DTM championship driving for Manthey, plus Pietro Fittipaldi in the JOTA-run Porsche 963, while Rene Binder and Julien Andlauer will test Proton’s 963.
Nico Varrone, who alongside Ben Keating and Nicky Catsburg won the WEC GTE drivers’ title this year, will test Cadillac’s V-Series.R. He’ll be joined by young Barbadian Kyffin Simpson, who has been making waves both in the European Le Mans Series and Indy Lights.
Over at Peugeot, current young driver for the French squad Malthe Jakobsen will test the 9X8, alongside 2024 race driver Stoffel Vandoorne. They’ll be joined by existing Peugeot race driver Mikkel Jensen.
And finally in Hypercar, Job van Uitert will test the Vanwall Vandervell 680, alongside current Vanwall driver Esteban Guerrieri.
In LMP2, PJ Hyett, Harry Tincknell, and Paul-Loup Chatin will test for Prema, with Daniel Schnieder in the United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson, and Clement Novalak in the Inter Europol Competition machine.
Christoph Ulrich will test a Ferrari 488 GTE EVO for AF Corse, with Nicky Catsburg doing double duty as he’ll drive the Corvette C8.R he’s been racing this year, providing a benchmark for Antoine Doquin, who will also test the car. Nicola Marinangelli will test another AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, as well as Lorenzo Patrese.
