WEC Season Preview: Corvette

Credit: TF Sport

TF Sport will field two LMGT3 entries representing Corvette for the third time as they aim to reach greater heights in 2026 after a stellar previous season.

The American manufacturer was off to a great start in the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season as the No.33 secured a race win in the season-opener at Qatar. That, of course, immediately placed them at the top of the LMGT3 manufacturer championship standings.

As much as they strived to remain steadfast in what would have been their first title defence, the championship battle just swung in Porsche and Ferrari’s favour. 

The British team undoubtedly displayed moments of brilliance throughout the year, especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Racing incidents and rear-end issues didn’t prevent them from brilliantly fending off the rest of the LMGT3 field, finishing in a strong third and seventh. 

Technical challenges and bad luck followed them all the way into the final race of the season, greatly hindering their comeback to the top. Though No.81’s race victory in the series’ 100th race in Fuji was monumental after a post-race penalty drama with initial winner Ferrari. 

Increasing championship prospects through solidifying alliances 

It was a rather successful campaign for Corvette, ending 2025 with a decent fifth and sixth in the LMGT3 championship standings with a total of 159 points combined. Both cars drove away with a race victory each, and both even garnered top ten results at Le Mans. 

That lifted hopes of converting their race-winning form to becoming front-runners, which they hoped to realise in the 2026 season. 

TF Sport cemented that ambition further by extending their partnership with Corvette for two years, using their Z06 GT3.Rs through the end of 2027.

Tom Ferrier, owner of TF Sport, commented on the partnership, “Exactly 12 months ago at Bahrain we scored our very first podium finishes with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Now a year on we are European champions, Le Mans podium-finishers and double WEC race-winners, still with a chance of a World Championship. 

“That is all down to the persistent hard work from everyone at Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller Motorsports along with our own crew at TF. I could not be happier to extend this partnership over the next two years and hopefully for many more. It is a pleasure to work with such talented and driven individuals.”

Corvette Racing Program Manager Jessica Dane shared similar sentiments on the extension. “We are very proud and pleased that our relationship with TF Sport is continuing into the future. It's gratifying for all of us at Corvette Racing and Chevrolet to see the team progress and achieve success with their Corvettes in multiple championships this year. 

“TF Sport is an ideal example of a customer team that is committed to this platform and program. We are excited for more into the future alongside Tom and his team.”

Strength of driver line-ups

Credit: TF Sport

Besides strengthening their alliance, both Corvettes received changes to their driver camps to further their chances of race-winning consistency.

The No.33 Corvette is entrusted to the trio of Ben Keating, Jonny Edgar and Nicky Catsburg, the latter of which taking over Dani Juncadella’s seat. Juncadella will begin his Hypercar career with WEC’s newcomer outfit, Genesis. 

Catsburg’s five-year-long association with the American manufacturer, highlighted with a LMGTE Am title win back in 2023 alongside Keating, in addition to his class wins with them at the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans, makes him a brilliant asset to the crew. 

However, it was announced just this week that Keating will not take part in the season opener due to injury, so Blake McDonald will take his place in the line-up. 

Catsburg expressed his eagerness to continue his WEC efforts with Corvette, “I am super excited to join TF Sport for the 2026 FIA WEC season. I have raced against them many times and they have always been a very strong opponent. I absolutely love the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R so I can’t wait for what will be a very busy 2026!”

Corvette veteran Charlie Eastwood will take the wheel of the sister car, the renumbered No.34 Corvette. The car number was changed from its previous No.81, seemingly to reflect their latest banner, which they’ll be racing as Racing Team Turkey by TF. A familiar face returned after its first appearance in the 2022 WEC season.

Eastwood will share drive duties alongside his new teammates for 2026, series returnee Salih Yoluç and newcomer Peter Dempsey. 

Following a five-year absence from WEC, Yoluç will be partnering up once again with Eastwood, as they’ve reached nearly a decade as teammates in mostly TF Sport machinery.  The duo won the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGTE Am class alongside Jonathan Adam, as well as the 2022 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP2 Pro/Am title as a pair. 

Though the Turkish driver was no stranger to Corvettes either, as he had raced the Z06 GT3.R during the 2025 and 2026 seasons of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup with DXDT Racing.

Dempsey’s experience in racing stemmed from single-seaters, particularly in Indy Lights, before making brief stints in GT and Formula cars, including a one-off appearance in Petit Le Mans in 2010.

This season marks his first full-season racing programme since 2013 and overall his first ever series debut. 

The Irish native was initially linked to TF Sport via fellow countryman Eastwood and the Team Ireland driver development programme. As he performed well during testing DXDT Racing’s Corvette and met the team’s requirements of a Bronze-rated driver, he was selected to join forces with Eastwood and Yoluç as a result.

Eastwood commented, “I can't wait to return to the WEC for a third year with Corvette. Last year we made great strides, with a podium finish at Le Mans and a chance to win the championship in the final race: it was a really positive progression.”

Now we have to build on that. The team is improving, they are working hard to make the lineup as strong as possible and give us the best chance of winning another World Endurance Championship for Corvette and Chevrolet.”