P1racenews AI automatic summary:
WEC drivers "sad" to see the demise of prototype-like GTE cars
The decision by the FIA and ACO to drop the GTE class from the WEC and ELMS next year marked the end of an era for GTE machinery. GTE cars, including Porsche, Ferrari, Ford, BMW, and Corvette, have been a key part of the WEC since 2012. The popularity of the GTE Pro category, in particular, had been on the decline even before the introduction of the Hypercar division in 2021. The GTE Pro class was phased out at the end of the 2022 season, with GTE Am also being dropped in favor of a new GT3 category. While GT3 cars will still be exciting and offer more opportunities, many drivers feel that the pleasure of driving a GTE car will be missed. Nicky Catsburg considers the GTE class to be his favorite, with GTE Pro being the highest level of racing and the most difficult class to win at Le Mans. Richard Westbrook also enjoyed success in GT cars and is sad to see the GTE era come to an end.
