Rebellion win a hollow triumph for imperfect WEC rules

Though Rebellion broke Toyota's stranglehold on the WEC at Shanghai, the series just swapped domination by one car for domination by another. The handicap rules are creating variety but not decent racing

Author Gary Watkins

Published Nov 13, 2019, 2:12 PM

At last, a victory by someone other than Toyota in the World Endurance Championship!

But was Rebellion Racing's win at Shanghai last weekend really what the series needed? Yes and no is the answer to that one.

Yes, because an unbroken run of victories for Toyota stretching back more than a year has been sucking the life out of the WEC.

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.