DESCRIPTION

From 2021, the new top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans – is called HYPERCAR. This new class will feature two types of car, LMH (Le Mans Hypercar, from 2021) and LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h, from 2022).

The ultimate aim of the ACO, FIA and IMSA is for these two types of car to compete against each other in the FIA WEC and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and, therefore, to race in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

TWO TYPES OF CAR

LMH

In 2021, for the inaugural year of the Hypercar class in competition, only cars built in accordance with ‘Le Mans Hypercar’ technical regulations may compete.

These regulations leave scope for a wide variety of architectures and allow a front-axle hybrid system to be fitted.

LMDh

In 2022, the Hypercar class will open to manufacturers choosing to compete under LMDh regulations.

In LMDh, the backbone of the car – i.e. the whole car minus the internal combustion engine, the body and the hybrid system – will be supplied by one of four chassis manufacturers: Dallara, Multimatic, Ligier or Oreca.

In 2017, new regulations were brought in in LM P2 and four chassis constructors were selected Oreca, Onroak Automotive, Dallara and Riley-Multilmatic (closed cars obligatory) and a single engine, the 4.2-litre V8 Gibson, in order to cap costs in this category aimed at private teams. The main features of the 2018 season in LM P2 will be development and continuity with only a few adjustments foreseen to the new regulations introduced last year. It was agreed that if a car proved to be down on speed the constructor would be authorised to make some modifications to its chassis for season 2. This option has been taken up by Dallara, Ligier and Riley-Multimatic (reserve at Le Mans) to try and achieve the same level of performance as the Oreca 07s.

The latest car from the design department of the Var-based constructor had an outstanding season in 2017. It helped Vaillante Rebellion Racing to the FIA World Endurance Championship LM P2 title, won the category in the Le Mans 24 Hours with Jackie Chan DC Racing with a double and second place overall, as well as the ELMS title with G-Drive Racing with DragonSpeed.

2017 was a record year for LM P2 with 25 cars entered for the Le Mans 24 Hours and they achieved stunning performances as lap times improved by over 10 seconds compared to the P2s in 2016.

LIGIER BEATS ORECAS IN THE NUMBERS GAME!

The category has continued to meet with success in 2018 with 20 LM P2s entered for Le Mans including 8 Orecas, one of which is running under the Alpine moniker, 3 Dallaras and 9 Ligiers. One Riley is on the reserve list. In 2018, the winner of the Sarthe Classic in 2017, Jackie Chan DC Racing, is back to defend its Le Mans title unlike last year’s world endurance champion, Rebellion Racing, which has moved up to LM P1 this season. However, the Chinese team will be up against tough opposition from sister Oreca 07s run by DragonSpeed, Signatech Alpine, TDS, G-Drive and Graff among others, and the Racing For Holland and SMP Dallaras as well as the Ligiers, which out-number all the other makes. Teams running them include Panis Barthez Competition, IDEC Sport, United Autosports, Larbre Competition and Jackie Chan DC Racing! The cards have been reshuffled ensuring that the battle in the LM P2 category will be yet another hotly-disputed one.

RESERVES IN LM P2

The list of reserves includes nine teams, six in the LM P2 category and three in LM GTE Am. A Riley is one of the reserves in LM P2. They will be allowed to race following the order on the list should one of the other entrants withdraw.