This weekend, the World Endurance Championship visits Interlagos. But this is not the first time top flight sportscars raced at Sao Paulo, so we look back a decade at a memorable event the last time they did .
The current year of FIA World Endurance Championship racing may already be providing all the action. A thrilling Le Mans 24 Hours followed a trio of nail biters in which all matter of teams had the pace to win.
But 2024 is also special for the places it is taking the WEC paddock, this weekend including a fan favourite returning venue. The spectacular paddock is for the first time in a decade returning to the Autodromo Carlos Pace in Interlagos, Brazil. Indeed, the series has not raced on the Brazilian circuit since 2014, a race many sportscar fans will remember.
With the tight and twisty nature of the circuit, it was the Porsche 919 LMP1 car that took the overall pole position, locking out the front row ahead of a Toyota-Audi mix behind. Throughout the race, the racers from Stuttgart maintained their single-lap pace, taking charge of the pack. In fact, it was the #19 car that led for much of the race with the sister car falling into the pack behind throughout.
However, things were about to get a lot worse for the 919 Hybrid driven by Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber.
On lap 236, with just half an hour of the event to go, Webber in the #20 collided with the #90 GTEAm Ferrari 458 of Matteo Cressoni on the run up from the final corner. A minor touch in traffic turned into a ball of wreckage and fire with the hybrid prototype sliding across the track in a mangled mess. The end result being a total stoppage to the race, requiring an intensive clean up of both destroyed cars.
Come the end of the 30 remaining minutes, it would be the #19 that maintained its stranglehold of the race, claiming the Porsche's first ever FIA World Endurance Championship race win. Though a disappointing end for one half of the garage, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer will look back fondly on the 2014 Sao Paulo event having kick started and impressively successful period in the brand's history.
Whilst no-one was seriously injured in the 2014 accident, it is a horrific reminder that dicing in traffic can be risky. It also shows that the near-40-strong field competing this weekend will have to stay alert all-race-long to avoid a repeat incident. Either way, we are sure it will be a fantastic race, just like every other race thus far this year.
As such, those looking to experience the tight and twisty nature of the infamous Formula One track aboard the top sportscars, one must look elsewhere. But luckily, there are plenty of solutions for racing modern WEC models at Interlagos, here are but a few of the best.
Race the FIA WEC (well, some of its cars) in Brazil in a Brazilian racing game!
The Brazilian title currently features no less than three modern day Hypercars; the BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R and Porsche 963. Though if you believe teasers for upcoming updates, that list is soon sure to grow.
Surely, it would be illegal for the Brazilian racing game to pass up the opportunity to feature Interlagos, and so, both the circuit and many cars that will race this weekend are available in AMS2. Sure, the driving experience may not be quite as in-depth as that of Le Mans Ultimate, the official WEC game. But for a fun multiclass fix with plenty of models and even some accurate skin packs, it is certainly a great option.
Ford Mustang and Chevy Corvette GT3 in iRacing.
In addition to presenting a good number of FIA WEC cars, the popular racing service also gets an admittedly aged scan of the track flanked by lakes.
With excellent AI for single player running and arguably the best wet weather simulation in gaming, this is sure to provide a fun experience. And accurate rain physics will be relevant for this weekend's event, just take a look at the weather forecast.
2014 WEC at Interlagos in Assetto Corsa.
In fact, 2014 was a fantastic year for the LMP1 grid with no less than three top flight manufacturers going hammer and tong in a non-BOP category. Luckily for AC fans, the Ready to Race DLC pack features both the Audi R18 and Toyota TS040 that raced one another in the category. A 2015 Porsche 919 is also available in the second Porsche Pack.
These cars along with the 458 GT2, Corvette C7R and Interlagos track mod available right here on OverTake make for a great recreation of the era. With some research and you will surely also find third party creations for the missing Aston Martin, privateer LMP1 models and array of open-top LMP2 cars.
What is your favourite FIA WEC memory from Interlagos? Will you be watching this weekend's action? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
The current year of FIA World Endurance Championship racing may already be providing all the action. A thrilling Le Mans 24 Hours followed a trio of nail biters in which all matter of teams had the pace to win.
But 2024 is also special for the places it is taking the WEC paddock, this weekend including a fan favourite returning venue. The spectacular paddock is for the first time in a decade returning to the Autodromo Carlos Pace in Interlagos, Brazil. Indeed, the series has not raced on the Brazilian circuit since 2014, a race many sportscar fans will remember.
FIA WEC Sao Paulo 2014: A Memorable Race
This year, the FIA WEC features a grid of no less than 37 cars, evenly split between the two categories; Hypercar and LMGT3. But travel ten years into the past and just 26 models took to the start of the 2014 Interlagos round. Nevertheless, on the short lap that is the Sao Paulo circuit, traffic was always going to be an immense challenge.With the tight and twisty nature of the circuit, it was the Porsche 919 LMP1 car that took the overall pole position, locking out the front row ahead of a Toyota-Audi mix behind. Throughout the race, the racers from Stuttgart maintained their single-lap pace, taking charge of the pack. In fact, it was the #19 car that led for much of the race with the sister car falling into the pack behind throughout.
However, things were about to get a lot worse for the 919 Hybrid driven by Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber.
On lap 236, with just half an hour of the event to go, Webber in the #20 collided with the #90 GTEAm Ferrari 458 of Matteo Cressoni on the run up from the final corner. A minor touch in traffic turned into a ball of wreckage and fire with the hybrid prototype sliding across the track in a mangled mess. The end result being a total stoppage to the race, requiring an intensive clean up of both destroyed cars.
Come the end of the 30 remaining minutes, it would be the #19 that maintained its stranglehold of the race, claiming the Porsche's first ever FIA World Endurance Championship race win. Though a disappointing end for one half of the garage, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer will look back fondly on the 2014 Sao Paulo event having kick started and impressively successful period in the brand's history.
Whilst no-one was seriously injured in the 2014 accident, it is a horrific reminder that dicing in traffic can be risky. It also shows that the near-40-strong field competing this weekend will have to stay alert all-race-long to avoid a repeat incident. Either way, we are sure it will be a fantastic race, just like every other race thus far this year.
How to Race WEC at Interlagos
Released in early access in February of this year, Le Mans Ultimate is a great title for recreating the FIA World Endurance Championship. However, whilst we wait for upcoming DLC releases to hit shelves bringing the quartet of missing circuits for 2024, it does not presently allow fans to race the all-new Hypercars around the Brazilian venue.As such, those looking to experience the tight and twisty nature of the infamous Formula One track aboard the top sportscars, one must look elsewhere. But luckily, there are plenty of solutions for racing modern WEC models at Interlagos, here are but a few of the best.
Automobilista 2
As part of its most recent venture, Automobilista 2 and its development team Reiza Studios have agreed a licensing deal with the World Endurance Championship's American cousin, IMSA. Ever since the early part of this year, this has meant the addition of not only some new and exciting GT3 models that race in the World Championship, but also some Hypercars.Race the FIA WEC (well, some of its cars) in Brazil in a Brazilian racing game!
The Brazilian title currently features no less than three modern day Hypercars; the BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R and Porsche 963. Though if you believe teasers for upcoming updates, that list is soon sure to grow.
Surely, it would be illegal for the Brazilian racing game to pass up the opportunity to feature Interlagos, and so, both the circuit and many cars that will race this weekend are available in AMS2. Sure, the driving experience may not be quite as in-depth as that of Le Mans Ultimate, the official WEC game. But for a fun multiclass fix with plenty of models and even some accurate skin packs, it is certainly a great option.
iRacing
Another game that benefits from close ties with the IMSA Sportscar Championship is iRacing. In fact, last year saw the online racing game get all the top flight GTP cars that race in the American series; the Cadillac, BMW, Acura and Porsche. Meanwhile, just last month, both Corvette and Ford offered up their newest GT3 models that, whilst contending in IMSA, also fight for wins in the WEC. Ford's Mustang even managed a podium at this year's Le Mans.Ford Mustang and Chevy Corvette GT3 in iRacing.
In addition to presenting a good number of FIA WEC cars, the popular racing service also gets an admittedly aged scan of the track flanked by lakes.
With excellent AI for single player running and arguably the best wet weather simulation in gaming, this is sure to provide a fun experience. And accurate rain physics will be relevant for this weekend's event, just take a look at the weather forecast.
Assetto Corsa
Until the release of Le Mans Ultimate, Assetto Corsa and its behemoth of a modding community was no doubt the go-to for simulating the FIA WEC in its current era. Type a few model names into Google and you will soon find a long list of mods for the Hypercar and GT classes. But since the official game released, we wonder if AC is not more valuable in other respects.2014 WEC at Interlagos in Assetto Corsa.
In fact, 2014 was a fantastic year for the LMP1 grid with no less than three top flight manufacturers going hammer and tong in a non-BOP category. Luckily for AC fans, the Ready to Race DLC pack features both the Audi R18 and Toyota TS040 that raced one another in the category. A 2015 Porsche 919 is also available in the second Porsche Pack.
These cars along with the 458 GT2, Corvette C7R and Interlagos track mod available right here on OverTake make for a great recreation of the era. With some research and you will surely also find third party creations for the missing Aston Martin, privateer LMP1 models and array of open-top LMP2 cars.
What is your favourite FIA WEC memory from Interlagos? Will you be watching this weekend's action? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
