After wowing race fans in Formula One and the Indy 500 for over forty years, Brazilian drivers seem to have found new inspiration in endurance racing. In addition to the Brazilians mentioned above, veteran drivers and close friends Rubens Barrichello and Tony Kanaan both raced their first 24 Hours of Le Mans this season. And we can’t forget Fernando Rees’ pole position in the LMGTE Am class in La Sarthe, where he drove the Corvette for French team Larbre Compétition.

 

Bruno Senna, the champion - 34-year-old Senna took two wins in the LMGTE classes during his first WEC season with Aston Martin in 2013, then made his mark on the LMP2 class last year, competing with RGR Sport and achieving two wins and second place in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers. In 2017, he moved to Vaillante Rebellion. Teamed up with Frenchmen Nicolas Prost and Julien Channel, he clinched four victories and the class title. As one of the high-flyers in the new-look LMP2 class, built around new chassis and the new Gibson 600-hp engine, he will remain on-board as the Anglo-Swiss team makes its return to LMP1 in 2018.

Pipo Derani, the linchpin - 24-year-old Pipo Derani was the revelation of the 2016 World Endurance Championship. This season, he was recruited by Ford to support British pair Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell in the #67 Ford GT in the LMGTE Pro class in the first three WEC rounds. A smart move by the American team, resulting in a class win at Silverstone, fourth place at Spa-Francorchamps and the runner-up spot at Le Mans. Derani went on to demonstrate remarkable consistency and finished tenth in the GT World Endurance Drivers' Championship. We certainly look forward to watching him race again in the 2018-2019 Super Season.

Daniel Serra and André Negrao, the conquerors - This pair came to Le Mans as rookies and immediately made their presence felt at the 24 Hours. Serra started out in stock car racing in Brazil and worked as a development driver for tyre manufacturer Dunlop. In La Sarthe, the 33-year-old found himself in the LMGTE Pro class with Aston Martin Racing. 25-year-old Negrao was first spotted by Philippe Sinault, head of Signatech Alpine, and achieved the best LMP2 time on Test Day. He finished third in the class. For the non-European ‘flyaway’ WEC races, Negrao joined Nicolas Lapierre and Gustavo Menezes in the #36 Alpine A470 and the trio triumphed at the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas. Although the change of car meant Negrao was no longer in the running for the title, he still finished fifth in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers.

Pietro Fittipaldi, the rookie - Grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi, the first ever Brazilian Formula One World Champion (1972 and 1974), 21-year-old Pietro Fittipaldi was invited to the World Endurance Championship Rookie Test after taking the 2017 Formula V8 3.5 World Series title.  At the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid, he turned out to be the fastest freshman on the Test grid. Although he has said that his main goal is to compete in Formula One, his performance and the praise from the Porsche LMP Team bosses might prompt him to rethink his career plan. The LMP2 class is certainly an attractive prospect for many young drivers. Watch this space.

 

Photo: With wins in the LMGTE Pro and Am classes with Aston Martin in 2013, then victories in LMP2 (six wins over the 2016 and 2017 seasons), could Bruno Senna become the first driver to triumph in all four classes of the World Endurance Championship when Rebellion Racing makes its LMP1 comeback in the 2018-2019 Super Season?