Rockenfeller replaces Bourdais for Sebring WEC opener
Le Mans 24 Hours winner Mike Rockenfeller will contest next month’s FIA World Endurance Championship season opener at Sebring, replacing Sebastian Bourdais at Vector Sport.
With Bourdais concentrating solely on his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship duties with Chip Ganassi during the Sebring double header, Vector Sport has signed former Audi and Corvette Racing star Rockenfeller to partner Nico Muller and Ryan Cullen in the 1000-mile American event.
The German driver, who split with Audi at the end of his 15th campaign in the DTM last year, will also take part in the Sebring 12 Hours IMSA race that will follow a day after the WEC curtain raiser in Action Express Racing’s enduro-only #48 Ally Cadillac entry.
“LMP2 this year is definitely the most competitive in the WEC and I’m very happy to join Vector Sport for their first race,” he said.
“It will be really cool to be part of it. It’s always great to have big challenges and this is one of those.
“Sebring is going to be a busy week for me but I’m looking forward to it; I can’t wait to start work and try and get some trophies.
“Big thanks to Action Express Racing and Ally for giving me the opportunity to do this double-header. The Sebring round is very important for them but I’m very happy to do both and I’m sure we’ll make it work!”
Headed by Gary Holland, who has experience at JOTA and Risi Competizione, Vector Sport is a new entrant into the burgeoning LMP2 class of the WEC and is fielding a single Oreca 07 in 2022.
The outfit signed Rockenfeller’s DTM rival Muller in November last year ahead of the Swiss driver’s expected LMDh programme with Audi in 2023.
“We knew from the start that Seb wouldn’t be able to be with us at Sebring, but we couldn’t have a better replacement for him than Mike and I know he’s going to fit in really well with the team,” said Holland.
“His Sebring experience will be massively important to Nico and Ryan, and we can’t wait to get going during the Prologue weekend prior to the 1000 Miles of Sebring.”
Rockenfeller was part of Audi’s ultra-successful LMP1 programme from 2007 to 2012, winning Le Mans overall in 2010 with Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas in the second year of Audi R10 TDI’s introduction.
The 38-year-old took a GTLM class win at Sebring with Corvette in 2017 and won the Rolex 24 outright with AXR in 2010.
His lengthy stint in the DTM yielded six wins, 36 podiums and the 2013 title.
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