ACO President Pierre Fillon and ACO Technical Director Vincent Beaumesnil briefed the crowd on plans to make the GTE category the premium GT category in the world. Teams can expect a performance increase, new safety requirements and an increase in the homologation period to three years to improve cost efficiency.

“In order to bring cars to the same lap time, we [previously] had to grant waivers,” said Beaumesnil. “We thought it’s better to define a performance window and give the manufacturer the possibility to make the development it needs to do on some defined areas that would be the most cost efficient.”

The desire to return the LM P2 field to 2012 entry levels was discussed and a road map for reducing costs was unveiled. It included the concept of a single engine supplier and limiting the number of electronic and chassis suppliers. The ACO, IMSA and the FIA continue to work together to develop LM P2 regulations that would allow teams to compete across the Asian Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

“It’s been a fantastic process,” IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said. “It’s really been a partnership between the ACO, IMSA and the FIA. A lot of people might think that’s a lot of people with different philosophies, but it’s actually worked out really well. I think we have a good common vision for a global platform. In the case of the TUDOR Championship, it (LM P2) is our top class, so the idea of giving manufacturer value by allowing different styling options and different engine configurations will be our point of difference, but we still invite any teams who prefer to race the more spec version to be a part of the championship if they want to be.”

It was also announced that the garage area at Le Mans will expand to 58 cars in 2016 and 60 cars in 2017.

“We can not achieve the full project in one winter,” Beaumesnil explained. “We will build four garages, but to move the scrutineering area, we will need more time because it will go to the current medical center, so we need to build a new medical center. It’s a two-year program to make it all final.”

For 2017, Garage 56, a space for innovative technical design, will go to Welter Racing and their biomethane-powered vehicle. Next year’s Garage 56 was already announced as going to Sausset Racing Team 41 and their car dedicated to disabilities for Frédéric Sausset, a quadruple amputee, who was present at the press conference.

Additional guests introduced at the press conference included race Grand Marshal Tom Kristensen, Spirit of Daytona Award recipient Yoshiaki Kinoshita (Toyota) and ISC CEO and Vice Chairperson of NASCAR Lisa France Kennedy.

Erin Cechal / ACO

Photo Copyright Arnaud Cornilleau / ACO
 

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, THURSDAY 11 JUNE 2015. The Thursday press conference held by the ACO.