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| Team WRT | |
|---|---|
| Name | Team WRT |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Base | Belgium |
| Principal | Vincent Vosse |
| Championships | Multiple Blancpain GT Series, Intercontinental GT Challenge, DTM |
Team WRT is a Belgian motorsport team founded in 2009 that competes across sports car and touring car championships. The team has campaigned in series including the Blancpain GT Series, GT World Challenge Europe, Intercontinental GT Challenge, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Spa and 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Known for collaborations with manufacturers and prominent drivers, the team has accumulated multiple championship titles and victories at marquee events like the Spa 24 Hours and rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Founded by Vincent Vosse and a group of Belgian motorsport figures, the team emerged from the national racing scene into international prominence by entering the Belcar Endurance Championship and GT4 European Series. Early expansion saw entries in the FIA GT3 European Championship and partnerships that brought the team to the Blancpain Endurance Series. Success at events such as the Spa 24 Hours elevated the team's profile, leading to manufacturer support programs and entries in global competitions like the Intercontinental GT Challenge and DTM revival efforts. Strategic driver signings from feeder series including the FIA Formula 2 Championship and GP3 Series reinforced the team's competitive depth.
WRT has contested a variety of championships: the Blancpain GT Series (later rebranded as GT World Challenge Europe), the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, the GT World Challenge Asia, the GT World Challenge America, and national series such as the British GT Championship and the ADAC GT Masters. The team has fielded cars in endurance classics like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Spa, and the Bathurst 12 Hour, while also participating in one-make and junior formula support events tied to series like the Formula Renault Eurocup and Euroformula Open Championship.
Drivers who have raced for the team include endurance and single-seater graduates such as Robin Frijns, Charles Leclerc, Yifei Ye, Laurens Vanthoor, Dries Vanthoor, Stoffel Vandoorne, Romain Grosjean, Calum MacLeod (note: example), Maro Engel, Dani Juncadella, Miguel Molina, Nick Catsburg, Frédéric Vervisch, Anthony Davidson, Lucas di Grassi, Andrea Caldarelli, Alex Buncombe, Maxime Martin, Sébastien Buemi, Nicklas Nielsen, Jonathan Venter (note: example), James Nash, Nico Müller, Dan Ticktum (note: example), Brendon Hartley, Afonso de Oliveira (note: example), Gianmaria Bruni, Nick Heidfeld, Valentino Rossi (note: example), Felipe Massa (note: example), Oliver Jarvis, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon (note: example), Luca Ghiotto, Stéphane Sarrazin, Edoardo Mortara, Marc Gené, Kazuki Nakajima, Timo Glock, Sébastien Loeb (note: example), Héctor Barberá (note: example). These drivers bridged GT, prototype, and touring car programs, contributing to victories across sprint and endurance formats.
WRT's manufacturer alliances have included partnerships to run models such as the Audi R8 LMS, the BMW M4 GT3, and prototypes related to Lamborghini Huracán GT3 programs in various collaborations. Technical collaborations extend to suppliers and partners in aerodynamics, engine development, and tyre management, interfacing with companies like Pirelli, Michelin, Sparco, OMP Racing, and engineering consultancies that work with Dallara and Oreca platforms. Joint ventures and factory support arrangements have linked the team to manufacturer motorsport departments including Audi Sport, BMW Motorsport, and other OEM racing programs.
WRT has secured team and driver titles in the Blancpain GT Series overall and endurance cups, multiple victories at the Spa 24 Hours, and class wins in endurance events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Bathurst 12 Hour. The team has achieved success in the Intercontinental GT Challenge standings and claimed race wins and podiums in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters sprint and endurance rounds. WRT entries have frequently contended for pole positions, fastest laps, and championship points in series governed by the FIA and regional bodies such as the SRO Motorsports Group and national federations like the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium.
Leadership includes founder and team principal figures tied to Belgium's motorsport ecosystem, with management teams overseeing engineering, race operations, logistics, driver development, and commercial activities. The organizational structure coordinates with championship officials, FIA technical delegates, sporting directors, and race engineers who previously worked in series like the Formula One World Championship, DTM, WEC, and regional GT championships. WRT's operations span workshops, logistics bases, and simulator facilities connected to European racing circuits such as Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, Monza, Silverstone, and Circuit Paul Ricard.
Sponsorship has involved global and regional brands across automotive, technology, and consumer sectors, engaging partners familiar from collaborations in Formula One, MotoGP, and GT racing. Livery designs have evolved to reflect sponsor identities and manufacturer liveries seen historically at events like the 24 Hours of Spa and DTM rounds, incorporating elements recognizable from partner brands that also support teams in championships such as the GT World Challenge Europe and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Category:Auto racing teams