Corvette and TF Sport head into the Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) with significant momentum after winning the previous two LMGT3 rounds of the 2026 FIA WEC season.
The No. 33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R fought from 17th on the grid to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June before the sister No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF entry followed with another win at Interlagos four weeks later. Those results sent the partnership into the summer break leading the championship and now provide an encouraging platform for Corvette’s home WEC event in Texas.
COTA has also proved successful territory for the Z06 GT3.R outside the WEC, with the current-generation Corvette winning at the circuit in GT World Challenge America during both 2024 and 2025. Three different generations of the American manufacturer’s sportscar have now enjoyed victory at the Austin venue.
Corvette arrives at 2026 WEC COTA Round with momentum in LMGT3 class
Corvette Racing Programme Manager Andrea Hidalgo believes the recent performances reflect how effectively the different elements of the programme have come together. The consecutive victories at Le Mans and Interlagos have combined strong driving performances with execution from TF Sport’s engineering, strategy and operational teams.
The significance of racing on home soil adds another dimension to the weekend, but Hidalgo remains aware that COTA’s demanding conditions could make maintaining the winning streak difficult.
“We’re all very excited for Sunday’s race, especially with it being our home round of the FIA WEC season,” commented Hidalgo, while speaking to FIAWEC.com. “It’s a big deal for us, everyone at TF Sport and the fans who will be watching, and obviously we couldn’t ask for better momentum coming into the event.
“Everything is clicking together nicely – the performance of the drivers, the engineering preparation and strategy as well as the execution and set-up by the crew.
“This event will be a challenge, as it always is. The competition will be tough but so will the extreme heat both on and off the track. The way the team is able to manage that through the car, the tyre degradation and themselves will go a long way toward finding success – and more points.”
The Texas heat could prove especially important across the six-hour race, with tyre management, driver comfort and maintaining consistent car performance all likely to influence the final result.
Keating targets home podium with championship-leading No. 33
Jonny Edgar, Nicky Catsburg and Texan Ben Keating arrive at COTA occupying the leading positions in the LMGT3 Drivers’ standings after the No. 33 crew’s strong run of results.
Their 2025 visit to COTA proved considerably more difficult, particularly in wet conditions. Edgar later described the race as one where “a lot went wrong”, but Keating returns this year with more encouraging recent form after winning Le Mans on his comeback to the championship.
The Bronze-rated driver missed the opening two rounds of the 2026 campaign while recovering from an elbow injury before making a successful return at the French endurance classic. He acknowledges that success ballast will complicate the No. 33 crew’s task at COTA, particularly around such a long lap, but his own record at the circuit provides plenty of confidence.
“It will be tough because we’re still carrying some success ballast and it’s such a long lap,” contemplated the car’s ‘Bronze’ driver, who hails from just outside of Houston and missed the opening two rounds of the 2026 FIA WEC campaign as he recovered from an elbow injury, prior to making a triumphant return at Le Mans.
“Having said all that, I’ve been very successful at COTA through the years. I think I won the first four races I did there, including a 24-hour race overall. As I have my name on the side of the car from my Keating Chevrolet dealership, it would be great to win in Texas or be on the podium.”
A home podium would carry additional significance for Keating, particularly with the No. 33 car carrying the branding of his Chevrolet dealership.
No. 34 crew aims to build on Interlagos breakthrough
The No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette also arrives in Austin with renewed confidence after Charlie Eastwood, Salih Yoluç and Peter Dempsey claimed victory at Interlagos.
That result moved the trio to fourth in the LMGT3 Teams’ standings and continued an impressive recent run for TF Sport. Across the previous three rounds, only the sister No. 33 Corvette has accumulated more points.
Yoluç and Eastwood also possess positive memories of COTA from their previous appearance together in the six-hour Lone Star Le Mans. The pair won the race with TF Sport in 2020, giving the No. 34 crew another reason to approach the weekend confidently.
“We’re coming off the back of finally breaking through with the win in Brazil,” enthused Eastwood. “The team effort was amazing, and both Peter and Salih drove really well to put us in a position where I just needed to bring it home. Now, we’re hoping to continue that at COTA, which is a completely different track but one I really enjoy.
“It’s the home race for Corvette, so we want to give it all we can to make it two in a row. There’s a lot of good momentum within TF Sport at the moment, and I’m really looking forward to this weekend to see if we can keep it up.”
The No. 34 crew’s victory in Brazil also demonstrated that TF Sport’s recent form extends beyond a single car, strengthening Corvette’s chances of fighting at the front with both entries.
Corvette seeks third consecutive 2026 WEC LMGT3 victory at COTA
The two TF Sport crews now arrive at COTA from different championship positions but with the same immediate objective. The No. 33 enters as the championship benchmark after its Le Mans triumph, while the No. 34 has moved firmly into contention following its breakthrough victory at Interlagos.
A third consecutive LMGT3 win would extend an already strong period for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and carry particular significance at the marque’s home WEC round. However, success ballast, intense competition and the expected Texas heat will force both crews to execute another clean six hours if Corvette is to maintain its winning run.
