24h Le Mans
Next year, the LM P2 class will be subject to new technical regulations which will go into effect January 1, 2017. The only engine supplier, Gibson Technology, the choice of which was approved last September, has begun delivering engines, called GK428, to each of the four constructors selected in July, 2015.
On its Twitter feed, Gibson Technology posted photos of the four atmospheric 4-liter V8 engines about to be shipped out from its workshops in Repton in Derbyshire (U.K.) heading to Italy (Dallara), North America (joint-venture with Riley Technology/Multimatic) and France (Oreca and Onroak Automotive). It has already been announced the first laps will take place in France in September for the Ligier JS P217, the name of which - as is the case for all creations of the marque founded by Guy Ligier - uses the initials JS for Jo Schlesser, deceased driver and friend of Guy Ligier, and keeps the P2 for LM P2. Onroak Automotive added the date of the car's release, 17 for 2017.
Recall that amidst concerns pertaining to cost reduction, technical regulation stability and balance of power with the LM P1 cars, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the IMSA (American sanctioning body) and the FIA decided to limit the quantity of constructors present in the LM P2 class and to opt for just one engine supplier and one electronics supplier, Cosworth Electronics. The new technical regulations will go into effect as of 2017 for the competitors in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the European Le Mans Series and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (sanctioned by the IMSA), whereas competitors in the Asian Le Mans Series will wait until 2019.
Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
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