Back in WEC, Tom Blomqvist flourishes in Endurance

His last appearance in the World ChampionshipEndurance of the FIA ​​dates from the 8 2021 Hours of Bahrain. At the time with JOTA, the driver from Cambridge (England) finished vice-champion in LM P2 alongside Sean Gelael and Stoffel Vandoorne. In one year, Tom Blomqvist became a star of the discipline across the Atlantic by leading Meyer Shank Racing to the title IMSA and a double victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Has the Briton acquired a new status in the paddock of the WEC with these results? “ I do not know, answers the person concerned when we ask him the question. What was good for me was finding a category that allowed me to further exploit my potential, which I am very happy about. » 

An already established duo with Jarvis

The driver who also has Swedish and New Zealand nationality had already shown his potential. In 2014, he finished runner-up in Formula 3 Europe behind Esteban Ocon and in front of a certain Max Verstappen, certainly much younger while the one who resides in Monaco was in his third season. What followed was less encouraging. “ I had a few difficult years in motorsport. I was struggling Formula E or in GT, but I knew it wasn't really what I wanted to do or what felt natural to me. I knew that once I found a little more speed, a little more downforce, I would be able to show off my skills more. »

By signing up with Mike Shank's team across the Atlantic, the son of Stig Blomqvist, world rally champion in 1984, finally found his happiness as a driver. “ It was a good thing. This allowed a turnaround in my career and I perhaps gained a little more respect. Yes, there are definitely more job offers on the table than in the past, which is always nice. »

Tom Blomqvist will partner Oliver Jarvis and Josh Pierson at United Autosports (Photo: United Autosports)

This is how he makes his return to the WEC with United Autosports, a leading LM P2 team which hopes to regain the title of this category against WRT, JOTA, champion teams for the last two years, or Prema. “ I knew they were looking for someone to replace Alex (Lynn) after his other commitments for this year, I was on a shortlist and I was able to fit my schedule in with my schedule in IMSA. It was a pretty easy choice for both parties. »

A choice all the easier as he finds in the No. 07 Oreca 23 a certain Oliver Jarvis with whom he was champion in IMSA last year. “ It is very helpful to have spent the last year together, Judge Tom. We were able to understand each other's needs because we had to fight for a championship. It makes my life easier when I join the team because I know we already have a good working relationship. My integration went smoothly and the experience gained with Olly last year contributed to this. We already know our preferences in terms of balance and settings. It makes our lives easier to already have this database. »

Tom Blomqvist won IMSA in 2022 with Meyer Shank Racing (© 2022 Chris Owens)

The third man in the crew will be Josh Pierson, who at Sebring in 2022 became the youngest winner in the WEC at just 16 years old. “ He did a fantastic job of being extremely solid throughout the season, he didn't make any real mistakes. He's already fast. We have a great group of drivers and Josh is going to play an extremely important role, I can't wait to see what he can do. He's still very young, he's constantly improving, and I hope Oliver and I can help him improve further. This will obviously help us achieve good results. »

By returning to the WEC, Tom Blomqvist also opens up the possibility of adding the 24 Hours of Le Mans to his track record, although he will have to wait until at least 2024 to see it in Hypercar. “ That would be wonderful (to win Le Mans). I never had the chance to win it, although I almost did a few years ago (2nd in 2021 with JOTA). I love this race, it’s a fantastic event. I am very excited to go back this year for the Centenary. » He will be all the more motivated for this as, like his teammate Filipe Albuquerque in the sister car, he will not be able to claim the championship title at the end of the season due to two dates in conflict with IMSA (Portimão and Monza). He will be replaced during these two rounds by Giedo van der Garde.

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