NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – APRIL 12: Driver Alexander Wurz of Austria and Toyota Racing during the FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Silverstone race at Silverstone on April 12, 2015 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
Former World Endurance Championship and Formula One star Alexander Wurz will return to the wheel of a prototype car once again, shortly after announcing his retirement from full-time racing.
The Austrian will join New Zealander and current WEC driver champion Brendon Hartley, Britain’s thrice World Touring Car Championship champion Andy Priaulx and the young Canadian Lance Stroll – winner of the 2014 Italian Formula 4 Championship.
The quartet will race for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 01 Riley-Ford car. The 02 car will retain the same winning line-up from last year including Ganassi IndyCar regulars Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon – the latter being the reigning IndyCar champion, as well as Ganassi NASCAR regulars Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray.
Former McLaren F1 reserve driver and Toyota LMP1 racer Wurz will make his first appearance at the famous 24-hour race. Wurz will not be the only Daytona debutant however, as both Andy Priaulx – now a Ford works driver having ended his sensational association with BMW at the end of the 2015 season, has not raced there either. Priaulx finished runner-up in the 2015 ELMS season with BMW.
Brendon Hartley has just one start at Daytona – back in 2013 with Starworks Motorsport where he was classified 14th. With one start, he will be the most experienced of the quartet. Lance Stroll, by far the youngest of the four and currently a Williams F1 development driver, will make his first start in a notable endurance race of any kind.
Wurz has ensured that this appearance will be nothing more than a one-off. The 2016 Daytona 24 Hours is the first major endurance race of the year and will take place on the final weekend of January.
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