2020 WEC: Hypercar Class

ACO confirms Hypercar regulations for 2020/2021 season



The ACO has confirmed that the newly-dubbed “Le Mans Hypercar Prototype” formula will be used for the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship from the 2020/21 season.

This means that the current LMP1 class will be replaced with this revamped ruleset for the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours, as forecast by RACER in recent weeks.

Now gone from reckoning are both the GTE Plus and DPi ‘Plan B’ options, with both Toyota and Aston Martin due to announce Hypercar Prototype programs as early as today. RACER believes that other major manufacturers are close to committing after privately expressing their interest in the new formula should the regulations prove capable of applying effective BoP and cost control.

https://racer.com/2019/06/14/aco-confirms-hypercar-regulations-for-2020-2021-season/

 

Toyota joins Hypercar class in WEC




Toyota Gazoo Racing has confirmed it will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship after next season in the new top class ‘Le Mans Hypercar Prototype’ category which will kick in for the 2020/21 season, confirmed today by the ACO at its annual Le Mans press conference.

The announcement means the Japanese marque will continue to race in International prototype racing, extending its program which began back in 2012, during the inaugural FIA WEC season.

With Toyota and Aston Martin (announced earlier today) on board, the new ‘Hypercar Prototype’ regulations have attracted two major manufacturers for Year 1 of the ruleset, which includes the 2021 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

https://racer.com/2019/06/14/toyota-joins-hypercar-class-in-wec/?utm_source=smg&utm_medium=wasabi&utm_content=recirc-auto-related

 

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Aston Martin first to confirm WEC Hypercar program

Aston Martin has formally confirmed that it will compete in the FIA WEC’s top class in the 2020/21 season, which includes the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours.

The British marque will enter at least two works non-hybrid Valkyrie race cars for the championship as it bids for overall victory at Le Mans once again in the new Le Mans Hypercar Prototype Class, which will replace LMP1.

https://racer.com/2019/06/14/aston-martin-first-to-confirm-wec-hypercar-program/?utm_source=smg&utm_medium=wasabi&utm_content=recirc-auto-related

 

ByKolles confirms 2020 Hypercar entry

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ByKolles Racing Team has confirmed that it intends to enter the 2020/21 FIA World Endurance Championship with a hypercar.

As a result of the decision to focus on the development of a car for the 2020/21 regulations, the team will not commit to a full-time entry for the upcoming 2019/20 WEC season, but will instead keep developing its ENSO CLM P1/01 and entering European rounds next season.

ByKolles has released a statement saying: "Having confirmed on several occasions its commitment to the new Hypercar regulations for 2020/21 FIA WEC, while waiting for the final version of technical regulations, ByKOLLES Racing is pleased to confirm its intention to build its own road-legal Supercar which will have its racing definition as a Hypercar."

"This plan, which involves all engineering and production resources at ByKOLLES, has led to the consequence that the Team opted for not to lodge a full-season entry for 2019/20 WEC in order to mainly focus on the Supercar/Hypercar which is planned to be unveiled in a ceremony to be held in occasion of the 2020 edition of the 24hrs of Le Mans."

The team also indicated that it intends to keep using its current LMP1 car next to the hypercar project:

"The ByKOLLES Enso LMP1 project will nevertheless continue to be updated and developed: not only for being entered in WEC of 2020/21 together with the hypercar but also because ByKOLLES Racing will lodge single-event entries, and in particular for the european rounds, for the WEC events of 2019/20."

This intention by the Austrian privateer suggests that current-gen LMP1 machinery will be allowed to run next to cars built according to the hypercar regulations. The team also intends to enter the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"Additionally, ByKOLLES Racing will lodge an entry for the 2020 edition of the 24hrs of Le Mans and it keeps the hope to see entries granted as per its requests."

https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/23205?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

WEC finalises hypercar regulations for 2020/21

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The FIA and ACO have announced finalised technical regulations for the top class of the World Endurance Championship, which has been dubbed 'Le Mans Endurance Hypercars'.

Plans have been afoot to allow the use of hypercars in the 2020/21 WEC season, effectively replacing the LMP1 class, but there has been fierce debate over the exact details of how this will work.

On Friday, ahead of the 87th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, the governing bodies held a joint press conference to confirm the new technical rules which will allow manufacturers or privateers to develop a 'clean-sheet prototype design of their own choosing' or develop an existing road-going hypercar.

If using an existing road car, a minimum of 20 units must be produced over a two-year period.

There will be a minimum weight of 1,100 kg, with a powertrain average of 750 horsepower and a sole tyre supplier, with the ACO estimating a Le Mans laptime of 3m30s.

Hybrid systems will be optional and managed by "deployment thresholds" and can only be activated at speeds over 120km/h in dry conditions. They will be limited to 200 kW (270 HP).

Balance of Performance (BoP) will be utilised and can be adjusted throughout the season to ensure a level-playing field.

It's hoped the introduction of hypercar regulations will attract a number of new manufacturers, with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin having already shown an interest.

"There has been a lot of hard work by many people and today we have been able to present the new 2020 Hypercar regulations," Richard Mille, president of the FIA Endurance Commission said.

"The guiding principles are guaranteed competition between the competitors, a controlled budget and spectacular racing cars and the hypercar regulations will deliver on all three principles."

"There has been a lot of interest from manufacturers and fans will be able to identify easily with the new cars that will be seen on track at the start of the 2020/21 season."

https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/23209?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

what about ferrari? they were at the discussion table. aren't they joining? maybe from 2021-2022?

 

I'm not really interested in the format itself but I'm glad to see multiple manufacturers back in the top class of endurance racing. should be a great show.

 

Nothing yet.

 

Where does this leave LMP2 then is what I want to know. Pole in P2 for this year is at 3:25 which is 5 seconds faster than the projected Hypercar lap time. I suppose you could slow P2 down as there is a bit of a gap back to the fastest GTE car at 3:48.

 

I am very skeptical about these new rules, and I am afraid they won't deliver what they promised.
The ACO seems to have fudged the issue and listened to too many parties.

The original idea was to create a categorie for supercars that presently don't fit in anything category existing.
The like of Ferrari Enzo, Koenigswegg, Apollo, Bugatti Veyron and Chiron, Aston Walkyrie, Zenvo, etc... can't enter competition at the moment.
They are high end road supercars built and marketed in limited quantity and it was thought that now they would become the top category at Le Mans.

But I cannot see that being the case, since the proposed rules will accept some purpose-built race cars like the existing prototypes to compete alongside.
If it is true that By Kolle and Toyota will be allowed to bring prototypes in this "Hypercar" category, that puts the cat among the pigeons .
A vehicle that has to satisfy many different régulations to be homologated and marketed as a road car will always be at a disadvantage compared to another one purely designed for racing.
The ACO made that mistake already years ago when it allowed a Porsche 962 disguised as a"Dauer" to race and win at Le Mans against genuine GTs.

Also, imposing technical définitions (like the location of electric motors?) indicate that the rules will favour a prototype rather than a street car.
And why impose a tyre manufacturer as well ?

 

Very good point !
The ACO is very good at slowing down cars.
I Wonder why they want to limit cars to an arbitrary lap time.
Are they afraid of speed ?

 

Interesting but as William said if they allow purpose built cars in that would be unfair. Maybe they plan on making calculations based on what hybrid system and how much horsepower you have. Sounds kind of open still. They need to get the rules more defined and set.

 

Yes they are.

The shunts of Loic Duval (2014 practice) McNish 2011 (early in the race) and Marc Gene (2008 practice) were airborne the fence got severely damaged each time and the great fear of Le Mans organizers has always been a 1955 tragedy repeat (for those who don't know a car went in the crowd there were 80 fatalities, the worst in the history of motosport... Why do you think the 7 liter cars were banned after the late 60's? Le Mans has the biggest crowd of any event in Europe every year and they can't have another multiple fatality event. For a start the permission to close private roads would no longer be given and the small circuit would be utterly inadequate so it would be the end of Le Mans specially with the anti car feeling here in France now.

 

According to this year's Grand Marshall, Hurley Haywood (three time winner), Le Mans has
needed a safety upgrade since his first race there in 1977.

Hurley states that some of the wood pilings holding up the armco barriers are the same that
were put there in 1970 and rotting in the ground. Likewise, as we found out when we lost
poor Simonsen, the armco at Tetre Rouge is secured to the big trees there which explains
how Simonsen's Aston Martin buckeled on impact.

BHW

 

The announcement I saw on ByKolles was that they would build a road going hypercar to use as the basis.

As for tires, I would love to see that open. I wonder if Michelin (or someone else) offered enough money for the contract.

 

Ok pure hypothetical here, and I am sure this will depend on the technical regs.

Can Cadillac take their DPi, and enter it as the hypercar prototype (since it can be either a full prototype or a street based car) and run a few WEC events to qualify for Le Mans. They are slowing this class to less than what the P2 cars are doing now, and DPi is faster than P2. Just thinking outloud.

 

By Kolles is not even a roar car manufacturer
Suddenly they will build a road going hypercar as a basis to go racing.

Who are they kidding ?
Genuine street-based cars will have a massive disadvantage compared to these disguised protos.

That reminds me of the GT1 category circa 1990, where only 1 road version sample neeed to be shown to obtain homologation.
It turned out that most of the GT1 where in fact protoypes.

 

I think the ACO makes enough money to upgrade safety around the Le Mans circuit. They should be challenged about that.

To be honest, a car that laps the circuit in 3mn45 only, can have a very bad shunt, just like another car that laps at 3mn25.

In fact, the Aston you are refering too, was far from being a very fast car, coming from the slower category GTE AM.

 

Huge fatalities are unlikely to happend on the sections of the track where the cars go at their top speed: on the Hunaudieres and the portion between Mulsane and Arnage, because no public is allowed there. .
The risk is mostly on the pit straight, but the Ford Chicane has considerably reduced the speed there.

 

I still can´t understand how this stuff of the Hypercars work, and what´s exactly the difference between a Hypercar and a prototype with a license plate. Also, every time a read the word BoP I feel the urge to puke.

But at least there will be an Endurance championship next year instead of another season of Formula Toyota, so I suppose it´s good news.

 

Hi Barton,

Hurley will have been shown the ANNUAL safety upgrades by the ACO this week as he prepares to give the start today. That statement is so wrong it is in total contrast with his professionalism; There hasn't been anything else than steel used to support the guardrails in decades and there are annual safety improvements with big budgets, see this article and the video in it; at 44 to 49 seconds you can clearly see the steel posts for the guardrails and in the article they explain about the safer barriers in the Porsche curves.

http://www.les24heures.fr/2016/264-2016-histoire/2063-24h-du-mans-2016-amenagement-du-circuit-et-securite

Note that the Porsche curves exist because they cancelled the Maison blanche section -deemed too dangerous- after 1971 so the circuit is always pro active.

Regarding Allan Simonssen the guardrail on the beginning of the Mulsanne straight was never affixed to the trees, never ever, however the extreme angle which his tankslapper gave his car's trajectory after he lost control on the damp track did push the guardrail into a tree, yes, a million to one scenario. Exactly like Stefan Bellof's fatal accident at Spa where his car's nose pushed the guardrail against the corner of a concrete grandstand. Major safety improvements were carried out before the following LM 24 edition: I got to Le Mans Classic every two years, I raced in the 2008 edition and go round the circuit one way or another every time and never fail to see major security upgrades. I specifically walked to that spot (when the road was open to normal traffic), even though you are not supposed to, as I wanted to inspect what they had done and it was very thorough.

Funnily enough the only time I met Haywood was in 2004 in...Lexington Kentucky for a concours where he was guest of honor along with his long time team boss (Snodgrass IIRC?) and I was invited to be emcee. The organizer picked us up simultaneously at the airport and so we met in his RR Silver Shadow, that was a fun weekend

 

William that is not true look at how close we were to half a dozen marshal & photographer fatalities in the McNish accident, he only just did not clear the barriers. Had he done so leftist green politicians would have made it their ticket to clamor for the definitive ban of the 24 hours.

Remember the uproar and massive pressure on the FIA after the Ratzenberger, Senna fatalities and the Wendlinger coma in Monaco 2 weeks later. Just a few casualties would trigger major attacks on the race's future.

 

Spectators fatalities is what is important.
Marshals and journalists always go to dangerous or unprotected areas because it's their job to covert potential accidents, or get better photos.
That's the risk of the job, I am afraid.
Having said that, I don't think Le Mans will ever see 85 casualties like it did in 1955.
Motorsport suffers from double standards from the media, be.cause it is broadcasted live.
There are less casualties on circuits than in the Alps each year, but the exposure is soon exploited by people with an agenda to ban motor racing.

 

A Hypercar would be a high-end road-legal supercar like the Aston Valkyrie, the Ferrart SF90, the McLaren Senna, the Porsche 918, the Bugatti Chiron, etc ...
These cars are designed to meet homologation requirements to be marketed in different countries.

A prototype would be a purpose-built racing car that has only to meet FIA safety standards to be accepted to race by the sporting authorities.
Some prototypes could be conversted to be used on the road in countries or states that could grant them exception from the Road Type Approval.

That's my understanding.

 

As a representative of the "mashals and journalists" I thank you that you only consider the spectator fatalities as important. Another william quote at its best...Thank you very much