The FIA has brought about certain changes in the new Hypercar class in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) to bring it closer to the LMDh category.
During the recent FIA Endurance Commission meeting, the governing body of world motor sport has approved several changes to the technical rule set of the Le Mans Hypercar category, destined as the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship next season.
The changes focus on three key areas: power, weight and the control of the aerodynamic performance. The maximum power of Le Mans Hypercars has been brought down from the initially planned 585kW to 500kW. Along with the reduction in power, came a decrease in minimum weight of the cars, from 1100kg to 1030kg.
The changes will serve two main purposes: they will make the cars more cost-saving, both in terms of development and running costs, as well as allowing to achieve the convergence between the Le Mans Hypercar category and the Le Mans Daytona “h” platform, which basic technical details have recently been issued by the ACO and IMSA.
According to the recent announcement, the LMDh cars will be eligible in the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Following the decision of the FIA Endurance Commission, the minimum weight, the maximum power and the aero performance will be identical for both Le Mans Hypercars and the LMDh class cars.
Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President, said: “We need to consider the evolution of the economic environment and adopt cost-saving measures to support the efforts of the manufacturers. With the announcement of the ACO/IMSA outlining the basic details of the LMDh platform and the decision of the FIA Endurance Commission to modify the technical specification of the Le Mans Hypercar category, we are finally moving towards the convergence.
“Having both platforms eligible for the future top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship will allow more diversity in the technical approaches and thus attract more competitors. This is something that all parties involved – including the manufacturers committed to the Le Mans Hypercar category, the FIA and the ACO – have been working towards since the beginning. This is an important step for the future of endurance racing.”
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said: “ACO and IMSA have now laid solid foundations for convergence allowing the top class of competitors to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. LMDh (Le Mans Daytona “h”) and Le Mans Hypercar will be governed by convergent regulations to ensure similar performance characteristics.
“The technical teams at the FIA and the ACO have worked hard to adapt the LMH regulations and the result has been warmly welcomed by manufacturers. We must be proactive to build the future of Endurance. This announcement is further evidence of the constructive collaboration that is crucial to our discipline.”
[Note: The above is as per the FIA statement with no edits made]
Here’s the last story regarding LMDh
Here’s last news on Hypercar