Lamborghini withdraws from WEC Hypercar and LMGT3

Lamborghini has confirmed its expected WEC exit

Lamborghini has withdrawn from the World Endurance Championship, ending its participation in both the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes. 

The Italian manufacturer was missing from the 2025 WEC entry list on the publication of the reduced 37-car grid for next season on Friday. 

It subsequently made an announcement of what it described as a “pause” in its WEC programmes with the SC63 LMDh and the Huracan GT3 EVO2. 

Lamborghini cited the change in sporting regulations mandating that manufacturers competing in Hypercar must run two cars for its decision after fielding only one SC63 with its partner, Iron Lynx, in 2024. 

It stated that the new regulation “changes the terms on which Lamborghini entered the championship this year and is no longer aligned with the company’s strategy”. 

“Lamborghini has therefore evaluated its options and elected to sit out the 2025 FIA WEC while remaining committed to SC63 development by continuing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in the United States,” its statement read.

It hinted at a desire to return to the WEC with the SC63 as “competing at the highest level is an honour for Lamborghini Squadra Corse and remains an ambition for the years to come”.

The Italian manufacturer added that standing down from the WEC would allow it to “focus efforts” on the development of the GT3 race version of the new Temerario launch in the summer, which is due for release to customers in 2026. 

Lamborghini offered no explanation of how it will approach its IMSA campaign, which this year focussed on the endurance rounds of the series, starting at the Sebring 12 Hours in March. 

No reference was made to Iron Lynx, which also ran the IMSA programme this year, after its swap from Lamborghini to Mercedes for its 2025 LMGT3 campaign in the WEC.

There are 18 cars in Hypercar on the WEC entry, down one on the original list for this season.

The disappearance of Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini, which ended its maiden campaign in ’24 after July’s Interlagos round, and the British Jota team’s switch from a customer Porsche team to Cadillac’s factory representative explains the decrease.

That is despite the arrival of Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing team with its pair of Valkyrie AMR-LMH Le Mans Hypercars.

The fall in entries has come despite moves by the WEC organisation to make room for 40 cars.

German privateer Proton Competition will again field a single Porsche 963 LMDh, despite exploring the possibility of an expanded assault in Hypercar.

Porsche, Toyota and Ferrari have all nominated their full line-ups for next season after recent announcements confirming their drivers.

That includes the customer AF Corse-run Ferrari squad: the return of Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye to race alongside new-signing Phil Hanson was confirmed on Thursday.

Only one driver is listed in each car for the remainder of the Hypercar field, the requirement of the entry procedure at this stage.

Jota and Peugeot have opted for that option despite having their full rosters in place.

They have stated that they will reveal how their six drivers wlll line up across their cars at a later date.

The pro-am LMGT3 category remains at 18 cars for its second year on the disappearance of the two Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2s run by Iron Lynx and their replacement by the Italian team’s pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3s.

THOR continues in the class with an Vantage GT3 run by Prodrive’s Aston Martin Racing operation, but Japanese entrant D’station Racing entry has been replaced in the British manufacturer’s roster.

Racing Spirit of Leman takes over the spot for a second Aston, having claimed GT3 class honours in the Michelin-sponsored Le Mans Cup on the European Le Mans Series support bill in 2023 with factory Aston driver Valentin Hasse-Clot and Arnold Robin.

The Swiss team, which takes its title from the local name for Lake Geneva, is moving up from the ELMS where it competed in both LMGT3 and LMP3 in ’24 and already has WEC experience from its participation at Le Mans in LMP2 in 2020 under the Cool Racing banner.

American amateur Derek DeBoer will move up with the team from the ELMS LMGT3 ranks.

Ben Barnicoat has been nominated as the professional in one of the two Lexus RC F GT3s run by the French Auto Sport Promotion team.

The Briton has been a Lexus works driver since 2022 and claimed the IMSA GT Daytona Pro title the following season driving for Vasser Sullivan Racing.

Former Toyota LMP1 and Hypercar driver Jose Maria Lopez will again race ASP’s sister car.

Factory drivers Agusto Farfus and Maxime Martin will again be the two pro drivers in the pair of BMW M4 GT3s.

Confirmation is still awaited on whether motorcycle racing legend Valentino Rossi will return to the WEC to share with Martin.

Gregoire Saucy and Marino Sato will return to United Autosports to race its McLaren 720S GT3 EVOs.