Rockenfeller replaces Bourdais at Vector for Sebring WEC opener

With Bourdais concentrating solely on his IMSA SportsCar Championship duties during the Sebring double header weekend, Vector Sport has signed 2010 Le Mans winner Rockenfeller to partner Nico Muller and Ryan Cullen in the 1000-mile American event.

The 2013 DTM champion, who split with Audi following the 2021 DTM campaign, will also take part in the Sebring 12 Hours IMSA race that will follow a day after the WEC curtain-raiser.

He's entered in Action Express Racing’s enduro-only #48 Ally Cadillac entry alongside Jimmie Johnson and Kamui Kobayashi.

“LMP2 this year is definitely the most competitive in the WEC and I’m very happy to join Vector Sport for their first race,” 35-year-old Rockenfeller said. 

“It will be really cool to be part of it. It’s always great to have big challenges and this is one of those.  

“Sebring is going to be a busy week for me but I’m looking forward to it; I can’t wait to start work and try and get some trophies.”

Headed by Gary Holland, who has experience at Jota Sport and Risi Competizione, Vector Sport is a new entrant into the burgeoning LMP2 class of the WEC and is fielding a single ORECA 07-Gibson in 2022.

The outfit signed Rockenfeller’s former Audi DTM stablemate Muller in November last year, prior to the Swiss driver’s expected LMDh programme with Audi in 2023.

Rockenfeller will combine his Vector Sport duties in the WEC with commitments in the Action Express Cadillac that he raced in the IMSA season-opening Daytona 24 Hours

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

“We knew from the start that Seb wouldn’t be able to be with us at Sebring, but we couldn’t have a better replacement for him than Mike and I know he’s going to fit in really well with the team,” said Holland. 

“His Sebring experience will be massively important to Nico and Ryan, and we can’t wait to get going during the Prologue weekend prior to the 1000 Miles of Sebring.”

Rockenfeller made five Sebring starts in a prototype between 2008 and 2015, twice finishing third aboard a factory Audi R15 in 2009 and a Coyote Daytona Prototype run by the Spirit of Daytona outfit in 2015.

He subsequently made four starts in the GTLM class with Corvette Racing, securing class honours in 2017.