WEC LMGT3 set for significant makeover in 2025

The FIA World Endurance Championship 2025 entry list is expected soon and, as we approach crunch time, the Hypercar field appears to be pretty stable beyond the potential addition of a second Proton Competition Porsche 963 and Lamborghini’s anticipated exit. In the LMGT3 ranks, though, the picture is still blurry.

By the looks of it, the class is going to sport a significantly different look in its second year, with a number of driver changes expected up and down the field -- including the expected return of America's Ben Keating -- and new teams looking set to join the fun.

What's behind the high turnover? Principally it's because of the substantial rise in the cost to go racing in the class over the past 12 months.

The shift to air freight (following the delays in Qatar) has driven the logistical costs for teams rise by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Additional marketing fees for the use of onboard cameras are now in place for the teams, too, and the costs associated with installing new 2025 number/information panels to cars represent another new line on the spreadsheet. And that’s without considering the general increase in travel and catering expenses. It’s all adding up. Key sources have revealed that the cost of going racing in LMGT3 in 2025 is likely to exceed the $5 million mark per car for many teams.

Thus, many drivers from the 2024 season are weighing up their options and in some cases have become hesitant to confirm programs. One look at the entry list from the recent series rookie test tells the story, as many key Bronze and Silver drivers were keen to test with multiple teams and factories before signing on the dotted line. It’s serious business and it won’t come as a surprise that those capable of throwing significant seven-figure sums at a program are going to great lengths to ensure they’ll be competitive.

So, what do we know about the 2025 LMGT3 field?

At Porsche, it looks set to be all-change after a dominant 2024 campaign for Pure Rxcing and EMA as neither Bronze driver looks set to return to race with Manthey in 2025.

Pure Rxcing is off to compete in the Asian Le Mans Series and (it hopes) the ELMS with a new LMP2 program for Alex Malykhin and its partner, TF Sport. Yasser Shahin, who also raced with Manthey this year, says he’s looking at multiple opportunities elsewhere, including LMP2. He took part in the Rookie Test with both United Autosports and Iron Lynx, though it’s not clear if either team will be his final destination.

This leaves two spaces free. One will be taken by Iron Dames, which will switch from Lamborghini, matching its 2024 ELMS effort with the 911 LMGT3.R 992. Changes to the driver crew are coming, too, in the wake of Sarah Bovy’s move to a Silver driver grade. Celia Martin has been confirmed to take her place, with the other teammates yet to be named.

The other Porsche looks set to see Ryan Hardwick take up the Bronze seat, after cutting his teeth in LMGT3 with Proton Competition and the Ford Mustang. In preparation it seems, he is set to race in the Asian Le Mans Series with Manthey over the winter.

Iron Dames moving to Porsche leaves a hole at Lamborghini. But that’s only one part of the story there, as the Iron Lynx crew is also on the move, announcing today that it will compete with Mercedes-AMG in 2025 for the German marque's first-ever WEC season and its first appearance at Le Mans since 1999.

Rapidly increasing budget requirements are forcing even the likes of United Autosports McLaren to re-assess their WEC programs. JEP/Motorsport Images

Should Lamborghini fail to secure a new customer, that would leave the Italian brand out of the championship entirely as it continues to develop its new-for-2026 Tamerario, which will replace the GT3 Huracan.

BMW, meanwhile, will be back with WRT and the M4 LMGT3 Evo but the driver crews do not appear to be set just yet. Much depends on whether or not Valentino Rossi will return for a second season, after his campaign together with Ahmad Al Harthy and Maxime Martin. Following his first Hypercar run in an M Hybrid V8 at the Rookie Test, Rossi said that he is set to make a final call on his 2025 plans after the GT World Challenge Europe finale in Jeddah.

British racer Darren Leung, the team’s other 2024 Bronze, is also considering his options. He tested a Lamborghini with Iron Lynx at the ELMS post-season test in October and after the WEC finale in Bahrain, tried his hand at driving the McLaren GT3 Evo with United Autosports. One thing that’s clear is that Leung is keen to return, and eager to build on his impressive debut campaign on the world stage, which included a class win at Imola.

As for Ferrari, its 296 LMGT3s look set to be bannered as Vista AF Corse in 2025, though change is possible in the driver ranks. Core clients, Simon Mann and Thomas Flohr look set to stay, but there’s no word yet on who will fill the remaining seats after the team’s strong finish to the 2024 season.

Ford, too, looks set to be represented by the same team with its LMGT3 product in 2025. The Mustang LMGT3 effort went through its share of growing pains early in the season, but the moves made to address its vulnerabilities, the podium finish at Le Mans, and the recently announced addition of HRT to Ford’s customer stable are all reasons to be cheerful.

The situation remains unclear at Proton Competition, though, where a continuation of the No. 88’s revolving door is not part of the plan. Proton was linked with a move to another GT3 manufacturer for WEC, but it is keeping the faith as HRT steps aboard with Ford elsewhere. At the very least that lifts some of the pressure off Christian Ried’s team, which to this point has acted as Ford’s sole representative in Europe.

It’s a similar situation at Lexus. After a difficult season for the aging RC F LMGT3 in 2024, seats for 2025 are a tough sell with the replacement model not due to debut until 2026. However, AKKODIS ASP found gains here and there in the second half of the campaign and has full support from the factory going forward. The link between TGR Europe and AKKODIS ASP is strong, with the Japanese brand entrusting the team to play a role in the test program for the new car.

Ultimately, both ASP and Lexus are looking multiple seasons ahead, with Jerome Policand (ASP’s founder) telling RACER, “It’s guaranteed to be a two-year plan so we will be ready for the new car. We will do our best until then.”

The team ran a variety of drivers in the Rookie Test, but its race line-up remains to be determined. Corvette and TF Sport have also been busy testing potential drivers for the team’s second year as a Corvette customer.

TF’s previous WEC manufacturer, Aston Martin, on the other hand, is likely to welcome a new team to the WEC. Heart of Racing will be back with a single-car entry alongside its two-car Valkyrie Hypercar program, but the other Vantage looks set to be entered by ELMS and Le Mans Cup customer Racing Spirit of Léman. The team is likely to receive assistance from Prodrive for this new venture, as D’Station steps back after four years in the championship. The Swiss outfit is expected to field two of its 2024 ELMS drivers, Valentin Hasse Clot and Derek DeBoer, for what will be their first seasons in WEC.

While there has been no formal confirmation from either United Autosports or McLaren, the indication is that both organizations are preparing for a return to the world championship for a second year.

“The intention was always that we were going to be here for years two and three, but there’s more work to do to put a project of this size together, to meet the ever-increasing budget requirements,” United Autosports boss Richard Dean told RACER.

A number of strides forward were taken during the 2024 season as United’s Bronze drivers grew in confidence with the car. But it is not yet clear who – if any -- of this year's sextet will return in 2025. In addition, an increase in both hands-on and financial support from McLaren may be required for the LMGT3 Evo to become a true contender in the WEC.

So, what can we expect from LMGT3 next year? When all is said and done, we will likely be left with an 18-car grid once again, with eight returning marques and one new one: Mercedes-AMG. From a distance, it'll look similar to 2024 but up close, it's set to be a significantly different class indeed.