13.07.2024 - 11h00
Facts and Stats for 2024 Rolex 6 Hours of Sao Paulo
It's been ten years since the FIA World Endurance Championship last visited São Paulo, with three races held in the Brazilian city from 2012 to 2014. The 2024 Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo is also the 90th WEC race since 2012.
- Seven drivers won their first WEC race in Sao Paulo, with three of them returning in 2024, and all competing in Hypercar. Nico Lapierre won in 2012 with Toyota, before Mike Conway won in LMP2 with G-Drive in 2013, followed by Neel Jani’s first win for Porsche in 2014
- Aston Martin and Ferrari are tied on six GTE podiums apiece in Sao Paulo. Aston Martin won GTE Am in 2013 and 2014, and GTE Pro in 2014. Ferrari won GTE Pro in both 2012 and 2013
- Christian Ried returns to WEC for his record-extending 86th start at Sao Paulo, and his first since the 2023 finale. Ried claimed his 2nd series victory in Brazil in 2012, alongside Gianluca Roda – the father of Giorgio whom he replaces this weekend
- Only four previous winners of Sao Paulo return for the 2024 race – Nico Lapierre, Andre Lotterer, Mike Conway and Neel Jani.
- Sao Paulo was the site of Toyota’s first WEC win in 2012, and Porsche’s first victory in 2014. Despite neither marque competing in the top class at all 89 WEC races, the two have combined for 65 overall wins, or 73% of all WEC races.
- Only two drivers at Sao Paulo will have competed in all four races – Andre Lotterer and Richard Lietz
- Just 15 drivers on the 2024 grid have raced at Sao Paulo previously: Andre Lotterer, Davide Rigon, Loic Duval, Mike Conway, Neel Jani, Richard Lietz, Sebastien Buemi, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Brendon Hartley, Frederic Makowiecki, James Calado, Jean-Karl Vernay, Kamui Kobayashi, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Nicolas Lapierre
- Manthey’s two Porsches are level on 75 points at the top of LMGT3. This is only the 3rd time ever that two cars sit atop a GT class, with all three coming after the 4th race of a season - GTE Am was tied at the top after both Nurburgring 2017 and Bahrain 2019.
- Cadillac, Isotta Fraschini, BMW, Alpine, Lamborghini, Peugeot, McLaren, Ford and Lexus are all competing in Brazil for the first time. Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin have all previously won in Brazil, whilst Corvette also reached the podium.
- The overall podium at Sao Paulo 2014 saw Neel Jani win, ahead of Sebastien Buemi, and Loic Duval. This could be repeated in 2024, still featuring Porsche and Toyota, but with Duval now at Peugeot instead of Audi.
- Seven Brazilian drivers have competed at their home race previously: Alexandre Negrao, Bruno Senna, Emerson Fittipaldi, Enrique Bernoldi, Francisco Longo, Fernando Rees and Lucas di Grassi. That number increases to nine in 2024, with Nicolas Costa and Augusto Farfus joining the party, both in LMGT3.
- Emerson Fittipaldi was the first F1 world champion to compete in WEC, at Sao Paulo 2014. 10 years later, Jenson Button will compete in the race, alongside MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi.
- Sao Paulo 2012 saw the only-ever Brazilian trio on a WEC podium, when Francisco Longo, Enrique Bernoldi and Alexandre Negrao finished P3 in GTE Am in AF Corse-Waltrip’s Ferrari 458.
- Lucas di Grassi is the only Brazilian driver to achieve multiple podiums at home, finishing P3 overall with Audi in both 2012 and 2014.
- Timo Bernhard’s 1:17.442 and Stefan Mucke’s 1:29.858, both set at Sao Paulo 2014 during qualifying, are the fastest prototype and GT laps respectively in WEC history
- Eight of the nine WEC champions between 2012 and 2014 finished on the podium in Sao Paulo. Two cars won, six finished P2, and one finished P4 in class.
- Nyck de Vries, Robin Frijns and LMGT3 championship-leader Morris Schuring are the first Dutch drivers to compete at Sao Paulo in the series.
- Sao Paulo features 11 English drivers and 3 Spanish drivers. Alex Riberas drives for British marque Aston Martin, and Dani Juncadella for British team TF Sport.
- Sao Paulo is the 90th WEC race. No driver has won more milestone races than Brendon Hartley, winning the 30th (Fuji), 40th (Shanghai), 60th (Fuji) and 80th (Portimao) races.
