On the eve of the third round of the 2024 FIA WEC season, the increase in the championship’s competitiveness, popularity and relevance is on full display, At Imola last month the crowd was enormous, with more than 70,000 fans in attendance over the …
On the eve of the third round of the 2024 FIA WEC season, the increase in the championship’s competitiveness, popularity and relevance is on full display,
At Imola last month the crowd was enormous, with more than 70,000 fans in attendance over the three days, and the racing on track was fierce in both classes. This week, the crowd is already building, with a strong turnout of fans for the practice sessions ahead of Saturday’s race, which is expected to be held in front of another record crowd.
Comparing the atmosphere at these early races to previous seasons, when the top class was smaller and fewer factories were activating the championship, in some areas it’s night and day. WEC meetings now feel like major sporting events on a regular basis.
In the past, the opening rounds of the season often felt purely like a table-setter for Le Mans rather than important in their own right, with few drivers or teams worried about the standings. Now, with a 19-car top class, the drivers appear more focused than ever before on scoring points consistently, keeping an eye on the championship fight to come later in the season. And the WEC is all the better for this shift in mentality.
Clearly, teams always want to win every weekend and to maximize their points haul. But the WEC has matured, growing from a series that was previously described to this writer by a former LMP1 program head as “a tax on competing at Le Mans,” to a world championship that is now seen as highly valuable to OEMs and worth fighting tooth and nail for.
Crowd-pleasing cars like Ferrari’s 499P Hypercar are making the FIA WEC a season-long draw. JEP/Motorsport Images
Evidence of this came in the pre-event press conference. When asked about his thoughts ahead of this weekend’s six-hour race, reigning drivers’ world champion Sebastien Buemi reflected on the challenges Toyota faced in the opening round at Qatar, making it clear how important it was to come away with an eighth-place finish.
“We didn’t have such a good start to the season — we were slow but we still managed to take a decent amount of points,” he said. “You still wait until Le Mans because it’s 50 points for a win (with a maximum of 90 points handed out through the first three races), but as a team, if one car is clearly ahead you end up supporting the sister car.
“We didn’t have such a good start in the No. 8, but we’ve scored OK.”
In simple terms, back in the LMP1 Hybrid days, a bad day might see you finish fourth or fifth. Now, an issue, crash, or error on strategy can see you finish outside the top 10 and come away with nothing.
The downside of the deeper class this year is being felt by teams like Cadillac Racing. The U.S.-flagged outfit, with a year of data to work with, headed into the 2024 season with high expectations after a strong run early in 2023 which saw the team finish regularly in the top five and on the podium at Le Mans. The V-Series.R has also become a race and title winning car in IMSA GTP, adding to the team’s level of confidence heading into year two of the global program.
Despite having the pace at Qatar to challenge towards the front of the field, it was disqualified post-race for a technical infringement. Then in Imola, the team struggled to find a strong base setup and finished 10th. This left it with just a single point on the board ahead of the trip to Belgium.
“We come here dreaming of securing a good result. Imola didn’t go our way so being competitive and scoring lots of points has to be the aim,” Cadillac driver Alex Lynn said. “It’s extremely difficult to make up the difference later in the season these days. The category is so strong, so if you have a bad start it’s difficult to catch up. You may need a great Le Mans to haul yourself into a championship fight if you struggle.”
Porsche Penske’s 963 Hypercar of Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor has set the pace thus far at Spa-Francorchamps but the team is thinking more long term. JEP/Motorsport Images
Currently, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 6 crew of Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Andre Lotterer hold a 16-point advantage in the drivers’ standings after a win in Qatar and second-place finish in Imola. This uptick in form has exceeded the team’s expectations and prompted its drivers to think longer term this weekend.
“We want to fight for the championship, so the mindset is consistency,” Vanthoor told RACER. “Last year we were never in the fight so we were targeting single races. This year I would say we have exceeded our expectations so far, but it’s a reward for the work over the winter. It’s paying off now.
“Porsche and Penske are two names that fight for wins and championships, but taking time to get it right is normal. It’s a long year but so far we’ve shown that we are there and we hope to continue the fight in Le Mans too.
“This weekend is difficult to predict. But looking back at Qatar we expected that circuit to be one of the best for the 963, Imola (a very different circuit) was one we were scared of but we were OK. That gives me confidence we will be there all year. I don’t expect dominance like Qatar, but if you can score a podium that’s great.
“Today, I’m not thinking about Le Mans being the next race.”
More evidence that while the 24 Hours is still the Big One, the other WEC races are building a rising cadence of their own.
Ahead of the FIA WEC weekend in Imola, reports emerged that a new rule mandating two cars for each Hypercar manufacturer from the 2025 season onwards was under consideration. RACER believes a vote on this is looming, leaving the current and future …
Ahead of the FIA WEC weekend in Imola, reports emerged that a new rule mandating two cars for each Hypercar manufacturer from the 2025 season onwards was under consideration.
RACER believes a vote on this is looming, leaving the current and future single-car OEMs in the FIA WEC working hard on solutions should they be required to expand their programs going forward to continue racing in the championship, and crucially the Le Mans 24 Hours.
If it is approved by the World Motor Sport Council, it would have an impact on three current Hypercar factories in the WEC: Lamborghini, Isotta Fraschini, and Cadillac, as well as Aston Martin, which originally planned to join the field next year with “at least” a single Valkyrie entered by Heart of Racing.
The good news off the bat, RACER understands, is that all of the OEMs concerned should be able to fulfil this requirement in time for next season. And any associated IMSA programs being run alongside them don’t appear to be under threat at this point either.
Starting with Lamborghini, Iron Lynx team principal Andrea Piccini told RACER during the Imola weekend that if the rule comes into force it “will run two cars”.
“This is a proper partnership (between Iron Lynx and Lamborghini) and any decision made is one we take together,” he said. “We are already thinking and talking about next year. And the WEC is talking about rules for next year, whether it might be mandatory to run two cars. If that is the case we are ready to do it.”
Crucially, Piccini explained that a second car in WEC wouldn’t necessarily come at the expense of its IMSA GTP program, which he says is very important to Lamborghini.
“It’s too early to say, but I think the idea would be in that case to run two (in WEC) and one (in IMSA),” he said. “It’s not easy, we are working on it. But if WEC says we need to run two cars, we will run two cars.”
Cadillac meanwhile, should be ready as it is poised to expand its V-Series.R program in the WEC regardless of the new rule being put in place. This follows its decision, which was first revealed by RACER, to cut ties with Ganassi Racing on both sides of the Atlantic at the end of the current season.
Cadillac is already set to expand its WEC effort. Jakob Ebrey/Motorsport Images
The process of selecting a new partner team for the WEC is well underway and in its final stages. The ultimate decision, plus the subsequent contract signing is not expected until sometime after the Le Mans 24 Hours.
As for Isotta Fraschini, while it is currently navigating the challenges of getting its single-car effort with the Tipo 6-C and partner team Duqueine up to speed, it is known to have ambitions to race with two cars. Ahead of the 2024 FIA WEC entry list reveal Isotta was understood to have made moves to run two cars, before being granted a single space on the grid for the season due to the entry being capped at 37.
Aston Martin is the final piece to this puzzle with its highly-anticipated Valkyrie LMH program that’s set to debut in the WEC and IMSA in 2025.
On the record, when approached for comment on its ability to field two cars next season, Aston Martin said simply:
“We are aware of the rule, we are keeping an eye on it, but we don’t comment on speculation.”
What is clear is that Aston Martin and Heart of Racing’s ambitions to race in both IMSA and the WEC off the bat will make it a hard task to increase its car count in Year 1.
There appear to be four scenarios to consider.
The first is that Heart of Racing operates two Valkyries next season in the WEC and races in IMSA with a single car as planned, though there have been no suggestions made to RACER in background conversations that this is on the cards.
The second is that Heart of Racing runs two cars in the WEC and zero in IMSA. Again, there appears to be no appetite for this. An IMSA GTP program for the Valkyrie is known to be an important part of Gabe Newell and Ian James’ plans.
Third is that Aston Martin pulls the plug on its WEC effort altogether because it cannot or will not commit to a two-car program. This is another highly unlikely scenario, given the amount of resources being poured into the Valkyrie project and the importance placed on competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In conversation with RACER, senior paddock sources appear confident that Aston Martin has a solution and would fulfil the two-car mandate if it is in place. Does that then, leave the potential for a second Valkyrie, operated by a second team, as the most likely solution? Could this be the answer?
For next year, with changes expected to come concerning the look and shape of the current set of teams racing in Hypercar, the grid size is also believed to be increasing to 40 plus.
The question of garage and paddock space at the circuits on the calendar is always a talking point, and there are likely to be some real pinch points going forward as the entry grows. Last weekend in Imola, as an example, multiple LMGT3 teams had to house their cars nose-to-tail in a single garage as a result of the limitations of the pit lane.
Either way, there appears to be no suggestion that factories will walk away if this new rule comes into play. Indeed, the bigger question may well surround the impact it has on the customer marketplace…
Toyota Gazoo Racing has some tough decisions to make regarding the future of its Hypercar program, as the FIA World Endurance Championship’s future ruleset to accommodate hydrogen-powered prototypes takes shape. Speaking with RACER in Qatar, Toyota …
Toyota Gazoo Racing has some tough decisions to make regarding the future of its Hypercar program, as the FIA World Endurance Championship’s future ruleset to accommodate hydrogen-powered prototypes takes shape.
Speaking with RACER in Qatar, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s chassis leader John Litjens explained that the Japanese manufacturer remains undecided on its strategy for life after the GR010. It has the choice of continuing to upgrade its current car until the hydrogen regulations debut or developing a brand-new one for the interim seasons after the GR010’s mandatory five-year homologation period ends.
This is a dilemma for Toyota, which is interested in racing a hydrogen-powered prototype but cannot make a final decision on a program because the timeline for the introduction of the regulations is not yet set. Currently, the ACO and FIA’s target is 2027 for the debut of the regulations — which are expected to accommodate both fuel cell and combustion technology — ahead of a planned shift to an all-hydrogen FIA WEC top class in 2030.
Is this realistic? Litjens is positive and feels the technology “should be” ready for use in top-class racing in time to meet the target. “Our colleagues in Japan are already running the Corolla on hydrogen and learning a lot there,” he said. “But it depends on how quickly the FIA comes up with the new regulations.”
It’s getting a little deep in the development cycle for Toyota’s GR010 HYBRID. Motorsport Images
The GR010 — now in its fourth season of competition — was heavily developed ahead of the 2023 WEC campaign, in which it won all but one of the races. As a result, the car has seen only minor updates ahead of the 2024 season. When asked about its plans for further upgrades to the GR010 for 2025 and development work on the next car, Litjens confirmed that work is being undertaken on both.
“We are looking at both, but we are discussing with the FIA about hydrogen regulations,” he said. “We have to keep our mind there. Yes at the moment we are at the top of the (performance) window, but if others make progress it could be too late.”
Assuming the WEC’s leap into hydrogen-powered racing is taken close to the proposed target date, the most likely scenario appears to be that Toyota would continue to race the GR010 until the new ruleset arrives.
“If the ruleset is not delayed too much we would hold on to the GR010, because if you do a full new car now and develop a hydrogen car in parallel, it would be too much,” Litjens explained. “For (the hydrogen rules to be introduced in) 2027 I think it should be OK, but if it gets 2029 or 2030 I think we have to do something in between.”
Progress, Litjens said, is being made on the regulations via a technical working group and that “the FIA are working hard” on it. He didn’t go into any detail but he did confirm that there is still more than one OEM seriously considering building a car for the new ruleset.
Is the other key player here Hyundai? The Korean manufacturer, which operates as a factory in the World Rally Championship, is known to be looking at sporting options to run parallel with its hydrogen roadmap for consumer vehicles.
Whatever happens, there are major hurdles for everyone involved to overcome. Leaving the timeframe for the ruleset’s debut aside, questions surrounding performance balancing, the maturity of the technology, the level of interest among current OEMs, the future of the current Hypercar ruleset, performance targets and proposed budgets all need answering.
Ideally, Litjens said, a hydrogen-powered Toyota would be able to race against cars competing in the LMH and LMDh ruleset, to ensure a healthy level of competition. However, he recognizes the complexity that would come with balancing LMH, LMDh and first-gen hydrogen-powered prototypes.
“If you see how long it took to get a bigger field (in Hypercar), I think the hydrogen we may have a few manufacturers that can come, but only with one or two cars because everything is new. I really think that the best first season to run is running Hypercar together with hydrogen cars, and then at a certain point switch.
“The most challenging aspect will be the weight of these cars,” he concluded. “I think it’s doable, but we can only judge it when we have more information.”
Toyota revealed its GR H2 Racing Concept last year at Le Mans.
The FIA released a bulletin concerning hydrogen technology following the latest World Motor Sport Council meeting. It puts a spotlight on liquid hydrogen technology as a potential solution for motorsport applications.
While it doesn’t directly reference the forthcoming hydrogen category for the FIA WEC, it is clearly relevant for the OEMs helping shape the future of the championship and represents another small step towards clarity on the direction of the forthcoming regulations.
“As part of the FIA’s energy transition road map, which defines the gradual introduction of sustainable power sources in motorsport, the FIA continues development of hydrogen-fueled power units across different disciplines and competitions,” the statement read. “As the next phase, the FIA will focus its efforts on contribution to the development and promotion of solutions based on hydrogen stored in liquid form (LH2).
“Given the tank’s characteristics, lower volume and weight compared to compressed gas tanks (CGH2), liquid storage form is better suited to the demanding environment of motorsport competitions, where optimization is key. This also allows the powertrain layout to remain closer to the one of a conventional combustion-powered car compared with vehicles accommodating compressed gas tanks.
“Solutions utilizing compressed gas storage type will be considered as interim solutions, provided minimum safety and technical requirements are met.”
The driver lineup for a third, privately-funded Ferrari 499P Hypercar for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship is set to be announced with the official full series entries on Monday, with a Formula 1 race winner leading the new trio of drivers. …
The driver lineup for a third, privately-funded Ferrari 499P Hypercar for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship is set to be announced with the official full series entries on Monday, with a Formula 1 race winner leading the new trio of drivers.
The third Ferrari, which will race alongside the pair of full works cars from Ferrari AF Corse, will compete under the AF Corse SRL banner and is set to feature former F1 star Robert Kubica (pictured above) — who was announced as an AF Corse driver for 2024 earlier this week and tested a 499P at Imola that same day — and Chinese driver Yifei Ye.
“I’m happy that my path and the path of AF Corse will be the same next season,” said Kubica, who raced with the WRT team in LMP2 in the WEC this year. “AF is one of the most successful teams ever in motorsport: I’m sure we’ll do a great job together. What’s more, I’m back in an Italian team, which is no small matter.”
Initially, it was expected that the third car would feature backing from Richard Mille, the watchmaker and FIA Endurance Commission president, following his GTE Am effort with the Italian brand in 2023. However, the funding package is now believed to be from Asia, bringing Ye into the program.
Ye, who competed with Hertz Team JOTA’s Porsche 963 in the WEC this season, will therefore compete against his former team in the WEC’s Hypercar teams’ championship for privately entered Hypercars next season. His move leaves JOTA — which is set to scale up to a two-car Hypercar effort in 2024 — with another seat to fill for the forthcoming campaign, as Antonio Felix da Costa has also been pried away from the British team due to his Formula E commitments with Porsche.
In the third Ferrari Ye is set to be joined by former Formula 1 star Robert Kubica, who was announced as an AF Corse driver for 2024 earlier this week and tested a 499P at Imola that same day.
The driver trio is expected to be completed by Ferrari F1 reserve driver Robert Shwartzman. The Russo-Israeli driver also has experience behind the wheel of a 499P, having sampled the car at the post-season Bahrain rookie test earlier this month, where he confirmed to RACER his interest in a race seat.
“I am open to everything — I am not just focused on F1,” he said. “I really hope that after this test there will be an opportunity to try and race the Hypercar and get the whole experience in endurance racing.”
The 2024 FIA WEC entry to be released on Monday is expected to include 37 cars overall.
Ferrari AF Corse driver James Calado says the team’s struggles for outright performance in Bahrain haven’t come as a surprise. In the three practice sessions, Ferrari’s 499Ps didn’t come close to setting the best lap time, and wound up with the No. …
Ferrari AF Corse driver James Calado says the team’s struggles for outright performance in Bahrain haven’t come as a surprise.
In the three practice sessions, Ferrari’s 499Ps didn’t come close to setting the best lap time, and wound up with the No. 50 qualifying ahead of the No. 51 in fifth and sixth respectively, both cars over a second off the pole time. With the drivers’ title on the line, things will need to turn around rapidly if Ferrari’s drivers are to challenge Toyota’s crews in the finale.
The Bahrain circuit is notoriously tough on tires, though. This is due to its abrasive tarmac, which has never been resurfaced since the circuit opened, and the nature of the layout, which features a lot of heavy braking and hard acceleration. Couple that with the fact that over a stint, the 499P has often struggled to look after its tires during the season.
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From the start of practice in Fuji the 499Ps have not shown the same level of outright performance as they did in the run from Sebring to Le Mans, which was of course highlighted by the historic victory at La Sarthe in June. Calado, though, says this is in line with the team’s expectations, due to the nature of the circuits since Le Mans and the steps made by its Hypercar competitors.
“We knew this track would hurt us a lot in terms of performance but the gap has been big so far and we are scratching our heads,” he told RACER. “There is no doubt we are struggling and trying to improve.”
Part of that effort is focused on maximizing the car’s performance over a stint.
“We’ve written off one-lap performance — we don’t think we can beat Toyota on one lap,” Calado continued. “In the past, we could compete and get poles, but we’ve changed the car a bit to improve tire degradation and long runs.
“With the weather and red flags so far this week, though, it’s disrupted our plans. Before the final practice we weren’t able to complete long runs so we didn’t know where we are. When you look at numbers, it’s no surprise for me. We are doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”
It’s a similar story for the drivers in the sister No. 50 Ferrari, who are still mathematically in the hunt for the drivers’ title but 36 points adrift from the No. 8 Toyota drivers in the standings with just 39 points available. Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovanazzi are 31 points back in the No. 51. Thus, Nicklas Nielsen says he and his teammates are forced to take a wait and see approach to the race.
“I think under the circumstances here it’s quite difficult for us, like it was in Japan,” he told RACER. “We have to push a lot to keep up with the others now, which is making it harder for us on the tires.
“In terms of lap time, there isn’t a big difference between the two compounds available (from Michelin). In the race, I think we will see teams change between them. We saw yesterday that some used hards, some mediums, some mixed. For most of the race, though, I think we will see most cars use the hard tires.
“It’s going to be difficult for either car to do anything in terms of the championship,” he admitted when asked about the No. 50’s chances of fighting for the title. “Especially for us, the chances of winning are very slim. We will have to see where we are after a couple of hours. If the other car is far ahead, that’s how it will end, but if there is a chance for us we will go for it.”
With just one race remaining in the 2023 season, the FIA WEC’s current crop of Hypercar teams have eyes on next season, with many of the teams filling the weeks between races with tests for their brand-new or improved machinery. Of the teams …
With just one race remaining in the 2023 season, the FIA WEC’s current crop of Hypercar teams have eyes on next season, with many of the teams filling the weeks between races with tests for their brand-new or improved machinery.
Of the teams currently on the grid, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Porsche have all been on track in recent weeks with their maturing prototypes and all four are either evaluating or working on upgrades to their cars before the next tranche of factories arrive in 2024.
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Cadillac was out testing in Imola just two weeks ago for two days in mixed conditions. There, all three of its full-season drivers turned laps, with Alex Lynn hopping between Belgium and Italy midweek due to a clash with his European Le Mans Series commitments with Algarve Pro Racing and Ganassi development (and 2024 IndyCar) driver Kyffin Simpson.
The feedback has been positive, the Ganassi-run team completing a significant amount of mileage without any incidents or mechanical delays, gathering data ahead of the FIA WEC’s debut at the circuit next season.
However, while RACER understands that multiple current LMDh manufacturers are currently making progress working on upgrades for their cars ahead of next season, it is unclear whether Cadillac is one of them.
The GM brand’s track time at Imola was spent with chassis 003, in bare carbon. Chassis 003 is the No. 3 Cadillac that took part in the 6 Hours of Spa, and crashed heavily with Renger van der Zande at Eau Rouge at the wheel back in April, just with a new set of bodywork. Since being rebuilt, it has been acting as the spare for the team’s full-season WEC No. 3 V-Series.R.
A Cadillac spokesperson told RACER that it was not trialing new-for-2024 solutions at that test, or at its recent run at CoTA, during which it shared the Texas circuit with two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, one run by Pratt Miller, the other by new WEC LMGT3 customer team TF Sport.
The other question mark surrounding Cadillac for 2024 is the potential for a second Ganassi-run V-Series.R in the world championship. While Cadillac confirmed to RACER back in June that it will be back in the FIA WEC in 2024, the number of cars wasn’t and still isn’t set in stone.
RACER knows it has been working hard in the background to secure funding for a second factory car in Year 2 of the programme, but the likelihood of this addition is firmly up for debate. As recently as early September it appeared that in the background the efforts to convince the board at GM that a second car was necessary for Cadillac to achieve its sporting goals were paying off. This month however, sources around the time of the 6 Hours of Fuji have indicated that the second car is now unlikely, with no customer cars available until 2025 at the earliest.
Ask Cadillac directly and the official line remains: “How many cars and all that stuff hasn’t been announced, but the intent is to continue.” It will be interesting to see if this week’s news regarding the Andretti Formula 1 bid, which Cadillac is a part of, has an impact on the final decision.
Cadillac could expand its WEC operation next season. Motorsport Images
Meanwhile, the other current WEC LMDh manufacturer, Porsche, has been out testing recently too. It shared Spa with WRT’s test BMW M Hybrid V8 chassis ahead of its 2024 WEC debut and is known to be testing in Qatar after the season finale in Bahrain.
In the background, it is known to be working on updates to its LMDh-spec 963, primarily to enhance the car’s reliability ahead of next season, and has already begun testing its 2024 solutions on track.
To ensure it can make its desired improvements to the car in time for the start of the 2024 IMSA season in January and the WEC campaign in March, it needs to be ready to homologate the new components in time for the IMSA Daytona test in December. This allows enough time to gain approval from the ACO, FIA and IMSA in time for the Rolex 24.
Should Porsche receive approval for its improvements, then by regulation its customer teams will also need to race with the new upgrades applied to their cars with immediate effect.
This is proving to be a headache for Proton Competition, which like HERTZ Team JOTA, is committed to a full-season WEC campaign in 2024 with the 963 platform, after partial season campaigns in 2023 due to the late delivery of their cars.
Proton boss Christian Ried’s plan, in an ideal world, is to run a pair of 963s for the full WEC and IMSA seasons next year. But as he recently told RACER, the team is currently in a race against time.
Currently, Proton is in possession of two 963s, one which it received before the WEC race at Monza in July and another which was delivered just before the race at Fuji. If Proton doesn’t take delivery of its third and fourth 963s before the start of next season, then it will have to shift to ‘Plan B’.
“We still are in discussion with Porsche about when we can have number three and four,” Ried said. “But it looks difficult to get them for the beginning of the season. So it looks like we will be running one car in the FIA WEC and one in IMSA.
“When we got the calendar it was a big surprise to see so many clashes. It makes it very complicated. If we don’t get the extra cars we will do one in each and then maybe we can enter in IMSA endurance races like Watkins and Petit with a second car, and maybe a second car for Le Mans.”
The reason Proton hasn’t received its third and fourth cars, Ried added, “is due to the 2024 upgrades and supply issues. It’s complicated. But everyone in the paddock is struggling in this way.”
LMDh manufacturers do not need to factor in a limit on the number of ‘Joker’ performance updates permitted for their cars like LMH manufacturers do, but the process of gaining approval for any revisions is still a lengthy and challenging one.
Porsche is working primarily on reliability improvements, while few major changes are expected of Toyota’s class-leading Toyota GR010 Hybrid. Motorsport Images
All changes made to LMDh cars need to be justified via lengthy and periodical discussions with the rule-makers, endurance tested and put through wind tunnel tests in Europe and the USA to ensure the car still fits inside the formula’s designated performance window. Working out how far the envelope can be pushed and how much resource and time is needed to develop and test revisions is the top priority for the parties in play right now.
Then there’s the current band of factories with LMH-spec prototypes.
Little is expected from Toyota regarding GR010 updates after it made heavy revisions to the GR010 HYBRID in the 2022 off-season (essentially bringing a brand new car to the class). It has wins at each circuit except Le Mans, plus a manufacturer’s championship to show for its efforts this year. Its driver line-up may have a new look to it though, with Nyck de Vries rumored to be part of the full-season crew following his departure from Alpha Tauri’s F1 programme.
The competition isn’t standing still, however, as Peugeot and Ferrari are exploring what’s next for their prototypes.
Ferrari is evaluating potential upgrades for its 499P, according to Giuliano Salvi, the GT and sports race cars race and testing manager.
The 499P could potentially benefit from the aforementioned ‘Joker’ upgrades next season. But Ferrari hasn’t yet finalized the extent of the evolutions it could make, which are subject to both internal decisions and negotiations with the FIA and ACO.
“We are evaluating everything at the moment, I can’t disclose the conclusions as it is all still under discussion internally,” Salvi told the media at Fuji. “After our first phase, which was dedicated to working out the big problems we face, now we are trying to evaluate our weaknesses with the car. At the moment we haven’t decided everything.”
So far Ferrari says it hasn’t yet track-tested any significant 2024 revisions or evolutions to the 499P which would count towards the five permitted ‘Jokers’ allowed for each LMH-spec car during its lifecycle. (Upgrades that are focused on safety or reliability do not count towards the five.)
“We already understand where we should improve,” Salvi continued. “We haven’t tested (new components) in the car yet, but we have evaluated different solutions. It’s a championship with a few races, so for us to understand if something is a real problem or if it’s the car not being set up properly is something we are gaining experience with all the time.”
Whether any upgrades prove to be significant or not, Ferrari is set to embark on an “intense testing programme” to the end of the calendar year. This follows recent tests at Barcelona and Bahrain, ahead of the final race of the season on the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain.
The team still has multiple days of testing left from its 2023 allocation and intends to use it all. After the 8 Hours of Bahrain Ferrari will pivot to its winter testing programme ahead of the 2024 season. The day after the race it will take part in the annual postseason Rookie Test, though it hasn’t yet been confirmed which drivers will turn laps. Following that, Ferrari expects to take part in the winter test in Qatar being organized by Penske.
This view of the Peugeot 9X8 could look different next season. Nikolaz Godet/Motorsport Images
Peugeot’s stance and narrative on upgrades is rather different. As previously reported by RACER, it too is exploring potential opportunities for next year for its 9X8, which could range from “a very basic update of the current package or a very significant development of the car.”
Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport’s technical director, feels more clarity is needed from the organizers on how far the LMH manufacturers can push the envelope.
“Our position is the same. We still want more transparency and cannot make upgrades without their agreement, it’s not frozen yet what we could do with them, we are still discussing it,” he said to the media in Japan
“We have had private discussions with the ACO and FIA, they know our opinion on the topic and we know theirs.”
In the background though, it appears to have settled on a very substantial reworking of the car, which RACER understands via multiple sources, has been in the works since the start of the year. The 2024-spec 9X8 is believed to be based around the same monocoque but with a major change to its aero concept.
We now wait to see whether or not the 9X8 is spotted out testing with a rear wing and flat floor before the end of the year. The target is believed to be December.
Alpine revealed today at Le Mans its A424_β, the launch version of its forthcoming LMDh Hypercar, with which it will compete in the top FIA World Endurance Championship category in 2024. The French manufacturer has partnered with ORECA for this new …
Alpine revealed today at Le Mans its A424_β, the launch version of its forthcoming LMDh Hypercar, with which it will compete in the top FIA World Endurance Championship category in 2024.
The French manufacturer has partnered with ORECA for this new chassis, which will be powered by a 3.4-liter V6 turbocharged engine developed in collaboration with Mecachrome. The factory program in the WEC is set to be run by its longstanding partner team Signatech out of its base in Bourges, with a customer operation expected to follow later down the line.
This new program will mark the return of Alpine to the top class, after spending both the 2021 and ’22 seasons in Hypercar with a grandfathered A480 LMP1 chassis powered by a Gibson engine.
— Alpine Endurance Team (@SignatechAlpine) June 9, 2023
“Today we unveil the Alpine A424_β, the forerunner of our Hypercar designed to challenge the best competitors starting next year,” said Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi. “True to our values, this new prototype takes the A-arrow brand into the future; while following in the footsteps of our creations, beginning with Alpenglow and the A290_β. The Alpine A424_β is racy, elegant and distinctive with its iconic and emblematic design. It embodies both our present and our future thanks to the involvement and investment of our designers in its development.”
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The car underwent its first wind tunnel test last July, before engine testing began in December. Engine and gearbox coupling took place last month.
Signatech boss Philippe Sinault says the car will compete as the A424 (without the beta symbol), and is set for its first fire-up on June 28th, before a further shakedown in July and a first full track test at Paul Ricard during August.
“We will operate the tests with our current LMP2 team, with additional people and the full support of Alpine Racing and ORECA,” Sinault explained. “We plan to have many test drivers.”
Whether or not the A424 will compete in IMSA’s GTP class is not yet clear. RACER asked Sinault whether or not Signatech had aspirations to take the A424 to the WeatherTech series. “If Alpine asks, I would consider it,” was the answer. Currently Alpine does not sell road cars in North America.
Porsche revealed an updated livery for the trio of 963 Hypercars that it will run at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June. The base design that Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963s currently sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship will remain, but the …
Porsche revealed an updated livery for the trio of 963 Hypercars that it will run at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.
The base design that Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963s currently sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship will remain, but the update — revealed ahead of tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps — adds stripes to the cars to pay tribute to the brand’s motorsport successes in sports car racing as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations.
The Le Mans-only livery will feature 15 stripes in seven different colors, that will run from the front to the rear of the cars.
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) April 28, 2023
The stripes feature colors from iconic Porsche liveries from the past including the Gulf, “Pink Pig,” “Hippie” and Salzburg 917s, Rothmans 956s, Martini-backed 936s, and Penske-run RS Spyders from the American Le Mans Series.
To differentiate between the three 963s, the fins on each engine cover will be painted in different colors: black for the No. 5 car, white for the No. 6 and red for the brand’s third car, the No. 75.
“In Le Mans, our three Porsche 963 will be truly eye-catching at the 75th anniversary of our brand and the 100th anniversary of the 24-hour race. I do not doubt that this design will immediately win the hearts of fans,” said Porsche’s vice president of motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach.
“We embraced the vehicle designs from Porsche’s rich and illustrious history at Le Mans,” he added. “The 917 as a pink ‘pig’ and the ‘hippie car’ from 1970 — these liveries have made racing history and are still popular today. With our special design on the three Porsche 963, we’re continuing this great tradition at Le Mans.”
“The Porsche 963 has a very long wheelbase, so we had to play with the proportions a bit,” explained Stephane Lenglin, Porsche exterior designer. “The lines of color fanning out to the rear lend beautiful dynamics and harmonious proportions.
“Working on this design was a lot of fun. We played with many different color combinations and finally settled on seven color schemes that allow an immediately recognizable look into Porsche’s long and illustrious history and the special Le Mans liveries. I’m sure that the cars will be well received by the fans.”
Ferrari AF Corse’s pair of 499Ps topped the times in the second practice session of the FIA World Endurance Championship meeting at Spa this afternoon, the No. 51 finishing up 1.2 seconds quicker than the No. 50 sister car after a 2m01.871s from …
Ferrari AF Corse’s pair of 499Ps topped the times in the second practice session of the FIA World Endurance Championship meeting at Spa this afternoon, the No. 51 finishing up 1.2 seconds quicker than the No. 50 sister car after a 2m01.871s from Antonio Giovinazzi. The Italian’s tour of the circuit was the fastest time of the weekend so far, and almost a second quicker than last year’s pole time.
Third in the times during what turned out to be an incident-filled session, disrupted by two red flags and three full-course yellows, was the No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, which set a best time of 2m03.338s. The quickest of the Toyotas was the FP1-topping No. 8, which slotted in fourth with a 2m04.380s.
It was a messy 90 minutes for more than one of the Hypercar teams. Porsche Penske Motorsport’s pair of 963s managed a combined seven laps after issues early in the running. The No. 5 stopped on the Kemmel Straight at the hands of Dane Cameron with a driveshaft issue, while the No. 6 had a hybrid system failure at La Source which required a reset. Neither car would go on to set more laps after their respective issues.
Porsche has told RACER that the No. 5’s issue, which was a broken connection to the wheel at the driveshaft’s mounting point, has been repaired. The team is currently working on the No. 6 and investigating the root cause of its issue.
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Cadillac Racing’s brand-new No. 3 V-Series.R, which was finished being built up just before Free Practice 1, also lost most of the session to an issue. Renger van der Zande was forced to stop the car due to a small fire after just two laps.
A statement from the team after the session revealed that the fire (put out by Renger) was caused by a “self-induced” mistake which the team was not comfortable explaining in further detail. “We are going to have some extra work to do tonight,” the team added.
The most significant incident came with 14 minutes remaining in the session, when the No. 21 and No. 54 GTE Am class Ferrari 488s had a huge off at Raidillon. The cars, driven by Diego Alessi and Thomas Flohr respectively, were damaged severely after contact with the barriers on driver’s right after Flohr reported he was rear-ended by the No. 21.
Both drivers exited their cars without outside assistance, although there was no information immediately available on their condition. The No. 21 sustained heavy right-side and rear-end damage, while the No. 54 sustained front-end damage.
In LMP2, Team WRT’s No. 31 ORECA set the pace with a 2m06.108s from Robin Frijns, who was quicker than the six of the 13 Hypercar class cars. United Autosport’s No. 22 and the No. 41 sister WRT ORECA completed the top three with times four and five-tenths off the Dutchman.
The No. 54 AF Corse Ferrari, which was damaged in the Raidillon incident, led GTE Am with a 2m15.736s from Davide Rigon. The No. 57 Kessel Ferrari and GR Racing Porsche finished the day second and third.
UP NEXT: Free Practice 3 is set to get underway at 11:00am local time Friday.
Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti says his campaign with Prema Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship this season is a vital part of the build-up to the debut of the Lamborghini LMDh prototype in 2024. The Italian, who is driving …
Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti says his campaign with Prema Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship this season is a vital part of the build-up to the debut of the Lamborghini LMDh prototype in 2024.
The Italian, who is driving the No. 63 Prema Racing ORECA with Doriane Pin and fellow future Lamborghini LMDh driver Daniil Kvyat, is using the WEC program as a chance to get track time in a prototype alongside his development work behind the scenes on the forthcoming Ligier-based car.
While the unnamed Lamborghini LMDh isn’t ready to race yet, Bortolotti says he has already been spending significant chunks of time undergoing simulator work as the team finalizes the concept for the car, which RACER understands will begin testing this summer.
“We are working on the car intensively,” he said. “There will be news soon. I am deeply involved in the car’s development — we are using every free day of the week on it, mainly on the simulator at the moment.
“I am not the only driver involved in development, because my schedule is quite busy I am trying to find a compromise between racing and being involved in the development of the car. I have had to step out of some important races this year to free up time for LMDh development.”
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Alongside that, competing alongside Kvyat — who was confirmed as an LMDh driver for Lamborghini just this month — is very important for him as he prepares to immerse himself in the factory team project. Kvyat is the fourth driver confirmed for the program, following the news from last year that Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean would be part of the team.
Bortolotti told RACER he knew going into the season that Kvyat would be confirmed as a driver for 2024 long before it was made public ahead of the 6 Hours of Portimao and has made a point of getting acquainted with the former F1 racer.
“We want to get to know each other, to start working on procedures, to have a season together. Whatever we do, it doesn’t matter if it’s for Prema or me, what matters is that it’s a winning mentality.
“We haven’t known each other for long. But I knew him obviously from his Formula 1 career — he doesn’t need an introduction, we know how good he is. We are really happy to have him as part of the team, it’s a privilege. We are a strong team together and we are looking at the future.”
However, Bortolotti doesn’t yet know whether he will share a car with Kvyat in 2024, as Lamborghini hasn’t yet decided on its driver lineups.
The plan is rapidly coming together, though. The Iron Lynx-run effort will compete in the full WEC and in IMSA’s endurance races, both with a single car, with a second car planned for the major races like the Le Mans 24 Hours and Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Customer cars will also be made become available, though the timeline for this hasn’t yet been made clear by the Italian marque. It also isn’t yet entirely clear whether or not the car will be ready to compete at the 2024 Rolex 24 in January. The amount of progress made in the coming weeks will be the deciding factor.
Prema Racing’s LMP2 effort with drivers (left to right) Doriane Pin, Mirko Bortolotti and Daniil Kvyat is laying the groundwork for the forthcoming Lamborghini Hypercar program. Motorsport Images
Before that, Bortolotti is focused on getting the most out of his 2023 LMP2 program in the WEC. After a podium at Sebring and a fourth-place finish in Portimao, he and his teammates are firmly in championship contention.
“It’s been really good,” he said when asked to assess the season so far. “We have Doriane (Pin), who has a lot to learn, but she is very mature and quick. She is in the perfect environment with us. I look forward to her development this year. We have had a good start to the season so it would be a lie to say we don’t want to do well in the championship. It’s important to build. We will see where we are in the standings at the end of the year.
“We need to be honest that our main target this season is to work together. The best team-building, though, is being successful. It’s a great opportunity.
“I have been with Lamborghini since I was in Super Trofeo in 2014, which was almost a road-legal car. This journey through thick and thin and being successful internationally at big races and championships brought us here now, and we are really proud to make this big step into Hypercar.”
