UK-based single-seater team Rodin Motorsport, which has fielded programs in Formula 2 (pictured above, with Zane Maloney), F3 and F1 Academy, among others, has become a surprise FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar prospect, with its founder …
UK-based single-seater team Rodin Motorsport, which has fielded programs in Formula 2 (pictured above, with Zane Maloney), F3 and F1 Academy, among others, has become a surprise FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar prospect, with its founder and CEO David Dicker actively looking at a potential entry into the championship in the coming years.
At a time when interest in the Hypercar marketplace for privateer teams appears to be waning — with budgets increasing and the number of privately entered Porsche 963s racing set to decrease in 2025 — Dicker views the WEC as a potential arena to show off his team’s capabilities ahead of a potential Formula 1 bid.
Speaking with UK radio station TalkSport about the team’s ambition to enter F1, Dicker said that he feels Rodin is capable of racing at that level and believes that a FIA WEC program could act as a stepping stone.
“We wouldn’t have put into it if we didn’t think we could do it,” Dicker said. “There’s nothing happening on the F1 front at the moment but we are trying to get into WEC.
“So, if we can get a car in that for next year, we will do that, then maybe we will look to build our own car longer term. WEC is the next step under Formula 1. If you can prove you can build a car and get outcomes, then you’ve got a strong case.”
These comments did not come entirely out of the blue as Rodin has been looking into joining the WEC for a number of months. RACER spotted Dicker in the WEC paddock at Fuji back in September, where he was understood to have had discussions with a number of parties.
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Off the back of that sighting and his conversation with TalkSport, RACER reached out to Rodin and asked for any further comment and details on the matter. In response Dicker made it clear that there is nothing to reveal at this stage but reiterated that the FIA WEC continues to be on its radar.
“It’s no secret that all the top teams are regularly evaluating new top-level championships to expand to, and Rodin Motorsport is no exception to that,” he told RACER. “The World Endurance Championship is one of those top-level championships that absolutely appeals to me and also to the general ethos of the team.
“I was in Fuji taking part in constructive talks and I’ve been chatting to multiple manufacturers but, at the moment, I don’t have anything concrete on the horizon. However, I’m keen to continue discussions to see what could be possible in the future.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing will contest the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season with an unchanged line-up in the Hypercar class. The team will attempt to defend its FIA WEC manufacturers’ title and claim its sixth Le Mans victory with Mike Conway, …
Toyota Gazoo Racing will contest the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season with an unchanged line-up in the Hypercar class.
The team will attempt to defend its FIA WEC manufacturers’ title and claim its sixth Le Mans victory with Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries in the No. 7 GR010 HYBRID and Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa in the No. 8.
The No. 7 trio look to build on their successes in the 2024 season which saw them claim a victory at Imola and fight for the drivers’ title all the way to the final round of the season in Bahrain.
“I am delighted to stay on car No. 7 with Mike and Kamui,” said de Vries, who is back for a second season with Toyota after transitioning from a Formula 1 drive to racing in Hypercar in 2024. “We have enjoyed a good first season together. Of course, we have had ups and downs but generally, it has been a great experience. I am looking forward to being part of this team in 2025, it is a true pleasure and honor.
“Toyota Gazoo Racing has a lot of history and a great track record in WEC, and we have a lot of ambitions in front of us. We are determined to keep fighting for wins and championships.”
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The No. 8 crew is looking to build on its impressive tally of two world titles and a Le Mans overall win in three seasons as teammates.
Buemi, the team’s longest-serving driver (who made his debut in its first race at Le Mans in 2012), says he is grateful for the chance to continue and add to his legacy within the team.
“This team is a big part of my family. I grew up around Toyota because my family has had a Toyota dealership for over 50 years, and I remember having my photo taken next to the GT-One at the Geneva Motor Show when I was a child,” he said.
“It is amazing to be part of the team since the first season in 2012, having achieved a lot of good results in that time. Thank you to everyone at Toyota Gazoo Racing for giving me the opportunity to go for another win at Le Mans and the World Championship.”
Kamui Kobayashi, who also acts as team principal, said in summary: “We have a top driver line-up in both cars, and I am happy to be part of it again in 2025.
“The team spirit and cooperation among all the drivers, and the team in general, grows with every race and every season. Thanks to the great support of everyone at Toyota, as well as our partners, we have enjoyed some good results this year, but we are determined to achieve more.
“Competing in the Hypercar category in WEC is a big challenge and we are fighting against very strong competition, but as a team we continuously push ourselves to perform even better at every event.
“I expect this to continue next season, with a consistent line-up of drivers who understand how to work together — as a driver crew, as team members and as part of the Toyota family — to succeed in endurance racing. I know the whole team is excited by the challenge in 2025.”
All of a sudden, things are looking up for BMW’s M Hybrid V8 program on both sides of the Atlantic. With a second-place finish in the WEC race at Fuji and a 1-2 in the IMSA Endurance Cup round at Indianapolis, both WRT and RLL have found form at the …
All of a sudden, things are looking up for BMW’s M Hybrid V8 program on both sides of the Atlantic. With a second-place finish in the WEC race at Fuji and a 1-2 in the IMSA Endurance Cup round at Indianapolis, both WRT and RLL have found form at the same time.
Two races remain in 2024 — IMSA’s Petit Le Mans and the WEC’s 8 Hours of Bahrain — and they appear crucial for BMW as it sets its expectations for 2025. Are we witnessing a turning point, like the latter part of 2023 was for Porsche Penske Motorsport, or will this month’s results prove a flash in the pan? BMW believes it’s doing the right things to make it the former.
Either way, the standout September for the German brand’s top-class sports car program has been a long time coming. Prior to Indy, RLL had been fighting through a sophomore slump in IMSA GTP, with zero trips to the podium through the first seven races. WRT, meanwhile, had also been waiting for a breakthrough before arriving in Japan, after spending much of its maiden Hypercar campaign playing catch-up with its new package.
So, what has changed? According to BMW, what we are seeing are the results of incremental updates to the car.
In the current era — with manufacturers desperate to keep budgets under control — once an LMDh like the M Hybrid V8 is homologated, your options to take strides in performance and reliability terms are limited. The rule-makers must approve all updates and any changes to improve a car’s raw speed are unlikely to be granted as Balance of Performance — in theory — serves as a backstop.
As a result, manufacturers must develop their cars through marginal evolutions rather than frequent major updates and tread carefully when deciding which areas to spend their “Joker” tokens on. In both the WEC and IMSA, ensuring your car can look after its tires and maintain a steady pace over multiple stints is the key to success.
And that’s exactly what BMW has done with WRT and RLL over the past two years. Like the other LMDh manufacturers, when it comes to bringing evo Jokers, it has been apprehensive. But that doesn’t mean it has been twiddling its thumbs.
Andreas Roos, the head of BMW Motorsport, told RACER last month at Circuit of The Americas’ Lone Star Le Mans weekend that no major updates were in the pipeline. Instead, BMW has an off-season test plan mapped out and will stick with what it has for 2025.
“We are not where we want to be but there is room left in our package,” he said. “So we are trying to optimize this.
“The performance has spiked, like at Le Mans. So we know the potential is there, we just have to be more consistent and quick under all circumstances. But it’s clear with all these manufacturers that it’s not that easy to make steps.”
JEP/Motorsport Images
That begs the question: where exactly are the gains being made? According to Valentino Conti, BMW’s head of track engineering, much work has gone into fixing vibration issues that impacted a number of areas through the first season of the M Hybrid V8’s life.
He reveals that a change in engine concept from the current P66/3 eight-cylinder turbo (based on the DTM unit used in 2017-18) was even considered at one stage. But, like Porsche, BMW has decided to stick rather than twist, holding off on a major change. It’s also understood that developments from Bosch — the hybrid unit supplier for all LMDh cars — have made a big difference in this area and played a part in both BMW and Porsche’s decisions.
“We have had vibration issues not only affecting the hybrid system, but various other parts on the car,” he says. “We did a thorough analysis and we were thinking of a change (like Porsche) on the engine concept, but we identified all the areas and found solutions, which means we can stick to the concept.
“We never had many issues with the MGU; it was other parts of the car where we had issues that we had to fix. One part was the steering wheel. We were analyzing vibrations in the whole car, and one part was the steering wheel.”
Software is another area in which BMW has made progress with the M Hybrid V8. The complex systems behind the current set of LMH and LMDh cars can be tweaked and refined pretty freely. And, as Conti explained, there’s far more to it than just updating the car’s traction control.
“TC is one part for sure; you can always work on that and improve, and that’s critical for us,” he says. “But there are other functions on the car that you want to develop. You can influence the balance and also its performance under braking because it’s hydraulic, it’s in combination with the hybrid system and the re-gen. You want to play with these areas.
“You also have a power curve which you have to follow and with vibrations and oscillations, and it’s very hard to match the power. Sometimes, you overshoot, you undershoot, and you have to work out the margins and reduce them. Software never ends.
“And on this car, opposite to Formula E, it’s very aero-driven, and this is where we have to learn. The aero is frozen but you have to find the optimal window to run the car on the track and the differences here are the three types of tires and sometimes it’s not clear.”
Managing tire warm-up is a critical part of the performance equation in both IMSA and WEC. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images
As BMW and its teams have learned more about the M Hybrid V8, they have found ways to improve tire warm-up, too.
With no tire warmers in either IMSA or the WEC, every manufacturer has had to find ways to get their cars up to speed as quickly as possible after each pit stop, to avoid bleeding away time on out-laps. There is still room for improvement in this area, though.
“Tire warm-up is a big thing,” Conti stresses. “With LMH and LMDh, there are differences because they have the MGU at the front and when they get away they can spin the front wheels, so for us bringing the front wheels up to temperature is still a struggle. And that’s not the only advantage.”
So while no evo Jokers are expected anytime soon — in part because the M Hybrid V8’s reliability is “knock on wood, OK” and in a “stable window” according to Conti — there’s cause for optimism. There is the belief that this uptick in form from BMW can and will carry over to the 2025 season, where expectations will be even higher.
Will we see BMW challenge for titles and major race wins at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans? Taking that step, according to Roos, is going to take “something from everyone to give the drivers what they need to be consistently fast.”
Aston Martin’s IMSA GTP and FIA WEC Hypercar-bound Valkyrie AMR-LMH has completed its first shakedown tests in the UK ahead of a full development program over the summer. The new Hypercar, which is being developed by Aston Martin Performance …
Aston Martin’s IMSA GTP and FIA WEC Hypercar-bound Valkyrie AMR-LMH has completed its first shakedown tests in the UK ahead of a full development program over the summer.
The new Hypercar, which is being developed by Aston Martin Performance Technologies and U.S.-flagged works team The Heart of Racing, has completed shakedown runs and initial evaluation testing in the UK at Silverstone and Donington Park.
At this early stage, the V12-powered prototype has been driven by Aston Martin development driver Darren Turner, Heart of Racing regular Mario Farnbacher and Multimatic driver Harry Tincknell, who won the LMGTE class of the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin. (No drivers have yet been named for Heart of Racing’s IMSA or WEC efforts.)
Aston Martin with Heart of Racing will now commence a full development program to prepare the car ahead of its FIA homologation in the autumn. The development and test program is set to include track time on multiple circuits in the UK and continental Europe over the summer, with Heart of Racing overseeing the running every step of the way.
The car’s competitive debut will then follow next year and is expected to come in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. In IMSA will become the first LMH-spec prototype to compete in GTP, and race against the current crop of LMDh prototypes from Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche and Lamborghini.
It will also become the first non-hybrid prototype to compete in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s current top class. The Valkyrie AMR-LMH is powered by a modified, lean-burning version of a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, which in standard form revs to 11,000rpm and produces over 1000hp.
“The Valkyrie AMR-LMH sets its own standard as a thoroughbred endurance competition car. It is a pure, leading-edge racing machine, and while it is very early in the testing cycle, from what we have witnessed so far, we are satisfied that it is achieving the targets and criteria we have set out for it to accomplish,” said Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s head of endurance motorsport.
For its WEC effort, Heart of Racing recently established a UK team headquarters located in Brackley next to Multimatic Motorsports Europe, which is collaborating on the project. According to Heart of Racing team principal Ian James, Multimatic has been tasked with building the Valkyrie. The IMSA GTP effort, meanwhile, will be run out of a shop in Phoenix, Ariz.
“The first runs for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH have been an immensely proud moment in the program,” said Heart of Racing’s James. “The birth of this project has been a couple of years in the making, so to get it to the track and to see it going around in the flesh, feels momentous for The Heart of Racing. We’re looking forward to the journey ahead — it’s a steep hill to climb for everyone involved in this project.
“We are at the pinnacle of sports car racing, the competitors are formidable, and they have been doing it a long time. Some of them have endless resources. We know we are going up against the best, so we intend to represent Aston Martin at the same level.
“I believe, from what we have seen so far, and with the DNA of where this car came from, I think we have the right tools to be able to do this successfully.”
BMW has ruled out updating its M Hybrid V8 with any “Joker” upgrades in the foreseeable future, as the second half of its inaugural WEC Hypercar campaign beckons in Brazil. BMW Motorsport Andreas Roos told RACER that he does not feel it is necessary …
BMW has ruled out updating its M Hybrid V8 with any “Joker” upgrades in the foreseeable future, as the second half of its inaugural WEC Hypercar campaign beckons in Brazil.
BMW Motorsport Andreas Roos told RACER that he does not feel it is necessary yet to bring changes to the car, which has been competing in IMSA GTP with Team RLL since January 2023 and in the WEC with Team WRT since the start of the current season.
One of the interesting storylines to track over the past season has been the stance each Hypercar and GTP manufacturer is taking to car evolutions and updates. This week Ferrari became the latest manufacturer to introduce “Joker” updates to its car, with improved brake cooling ducts and new dive-planes now installed on the three 499Ps in time for this weekend’s race. This follows the substantial updates introduced for the Peugeot 9X8 earlier this year and the suite of changes Toyota developed for the GR010 HYBRID ahead of the 2023 season.
There are two clear camps. Some manufacturers are keen to push the rule-makers for permission to improve their cars while others maintain that in a Balance of Performance formula, it should not be necessary to enter an arms race unless there are fundamental reliability issues to address. And BMW, it appears, falls in the latter camp, along with Acura (HRC USA), which has previously expressed concerns over escalating costs associated with car updates.
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“To be honest (updating the car) is not on the radar,” Roos said. “We are looking at areas we can improve. I am of the opinion that we entered a BoP championship, so as long as you can adapt the cars in the BoP window to be equal in terms of lap time performance, it should be done that way. If you struggle in certain areas, that cannot be adjusted by BoP, then it’s correct to use a Joker, but we are not there yet.
“We are still understanding the car and developing it in the areas that homologation allows. When we reach a point where we realize an area we need to improve, we will investigate what we can do. You generate a list with points where you could do better. But is it valid as a Joker, yes or no? We are not there yet. Nothing is planned at the moment.
“In the first three races, we’ve had two LMDh cars win and the field is close between LMDh and LMH. It’s a quite level playing field and we have to look not only at pure lap time figures but also at how cars use tires, these are things that you need to check.
“I have to say, this year we can’t complain generally — we see good competition between the manufacturers.”
It appears that customer M Hybrid V8s are unlikely to be introduced any time soon either. BMW is exploring the potential of adding a customer program and acknowledged that there has been demand from private teams to race the M Hybrid V8 independently from the factory. But Roos and his colleagues are not yet convinced that it makes business or sporting sense.
“With new manufacturers bringing two cars (by rule) in the future it will be difficult to have grid space (in the WEC’s Hypercar class),” he said. “We have requests from potential teams and customers. But our approach is a bit like what we do on the GT3 side.
“We limit ourselves to the amount of cars we want to have because we clearly want to have quality cars. It’s not only where the cars are running, but how you support them. If you want to do it, you want to be competitive, with happy customers. This is very important. If you bring multiple cars and they are not supported and the cars are too complex, it needs a lot of effort.
“We are focused on our (factory) cars now, and to make everything in the window where we need to be. We will have internal discussions about possible customer cars next year and take a decision from there. I don’t want to say yes, or no. It’s something we will look at next year, but we want quality, not just quantity.
“And it’s clear to me on the commercial side that it (customer cars) will not help to finance the general operation. We have found a formula that works because if it didn’t you wouldn’t see nine manufacturers.
“We made the right steps in bringing the cost down, but there’s a lot of money involved and one, two or three customer cars will not help you to fund it. The costs are so high that I wouldn’t feel comfortable telling a customer that they are financing our factory cars.
“It’s not about the money — you just want a competitive car on the grid, that is the first goal. Of course, you need to talk about money, but the first goal is how you want to run the program.”
For BMW, the strength of the WEC’s fan appeal is matched by the technical showcase it provides the company. Jakob Ebrey/Motorsport Images
Despite BMW’s apprehension when it comes to evo Jokers and customer cars, Roos reiterated that the brand is fully committed to a multi-year program in the WEC. He was keen to emphasize the success of the ruleset and the championship’s growth.
“We are definitely satisfied,” he said. “The championship has taken a step from 2023 to 2024 with record crowds at Imola and Spa. And there were so many people going to Le Mans Test Day. Le Mans is obviously key, too, and it was a sellout with more than 300,000 tickets sold months in advance for what is one of the greatest and most important races worldwide.
“For us, this is definitely not a one-year thing. We want to do more here and it’s something we are committed to so we can showcase what we do and our technology. And this ruleset came at the right time, with cars like the BMW M5 which is a V8 hybrid, like what we run in the WEC. That road relevance is important. The GT3 car is close to the road car — you use the road car to develop the race car, but on the LMDh side we develop technology and we can showcase it. This platform gives us everything we need at the moment.”
Heart of Racing has already sealed its place in North American sports car racing history, but the team could be on the cusp of creating a worldwide motorsports dynasty. Heart of Racing returned to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition …
Heart of Racing has already sealed its place in North American sports car racing history, but the team could be on the cusp of creating a worldwide motorsports dynasty.
Heart of Racing returned to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition with Aston Martin in 2020, starting with a single Vantage GT3 in the GTD class. Since then, the team has expanded to a second car in IMSA running GTD PRO, into SRO Pirelli GT4 America and GT America, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and even the 24h Series, drifting, and Fun Cup.
Next year, however, is when the team will make its mark in the top level of sports car racing, running Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercars in WEC and the WeatherTech Championship GTP class.
“I’m living my dream,” says team principal and driver Ian James. “Even when we started and we had one GT car, that was an amazing feat. It was just an amazing realization of getting a team up and running and competing. To have two cars here, to have one car in WEC this year, to have the GT4 program — and I’m very proud of our female initiative — running some Creventic races … and in all those arenas, typically running towards the front with some of the mainstays of GT racing. So I’m very proud of the men and women of the team that that make this happen. And to be breaking into the top line, it’s just an amazing feeling. I feel very honored and proud and lucky to be able to spearhead that effort.”
In its four years of IMSA competition with Aston Martin, there have been numerous wins for the Phoenix-area-based team, including double GTD PRO and GTD victories at Watkins Glen in 2022 and Lime Rock Park in 2023, and wins in the big bookend races of the season, the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Motul Petit Le Mans. HoR secured the GTD team championship and the driver championship for Roman De Angelis in 2022.
In 2024 it introduced the Vantage GT3 Evo to competition, and while the transition to the new car hasn’t been flawless, the team took a strategy-fueled victory for Alex Riberas and Ross Gunn in last month’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. Gunn and the team are solidly in the GTD PRO championship fight — Riberas is doing double duty in WEC and has missed some IMSA races — sitting third in the points ahead of the race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
“I would say it’s without a doubt one of my proudest wins, because it was such a big team effort,” said Riberas after the Glen victory. “We were down for a bit. We did some mistakes. And I would say that that really is a test for the team. It’s never the first mistake that is the costly one. It’s always the second and the third mistake, and today we didn’t let the first mistake dictate our fate for the rest of the race. We stayed together. We didn’t point fingers or panic. We stayed focused on controlling what we could control and making the most out of it. Ultimately, that ended up leading to making a decision that had a big impact in the outcome of the race. And with the luck on our side, we ended up in in victory lane which is really amazing.”
Heart of Racing’s GTD PRO victory at Watkins Glen with its Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo was a testament to the team’s character, says Riberas. Richard Dole/Motorsport Images
In other arenas, Riberas, James and Daniel Mancinelli were running second in LMGT3 at Le Mans when Mancinelli had to go off the dry line on Sunday morning to avoid contact and ended up sliding off track and into a tire barrier at Indianapolis corner, ending their chances. Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier have an Am victory in Pirelli GT4 America in 2024, although that series changed driver rankings mid-season and moved them to Pro-Am, where Gray Newell and De Angelis are third in the points.
And then there’s the VW Fun Cup, where Grisham and Greenemeier recently ran a four-hour race at Le Mans. Based (loosely) on the Volkswagen Beetle, the Fun Cup has become quite a phenomenon. The series runs it own 25-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps, and Heart of Racing has used that race to provide a unique experience for guests.
“Last year we did the Fun Cup, the 25 hours and we run the two seater car there. It’s a chance to move 30 to 35 guests through a car and actually participate in a race in the passenger side,” says James. “So we’re familiar with that that car and then when the Fun Cup race came up at Le Mans, it was a chance to get the two Hannahs in there. Our goal is to try and promote them as far as we can, so as long as they keep delivering, which they are and they’re doing a great job. I’d like to think one day we can get get them to Le Mans.”
And in all this, the team has continued to pursue what team founder Gabe Newell envisioned from the start, raising money for Seattle Children’s Hospital. That amount is somewhere north of $10 million.
The Valkyrie is a natural next step for HOR’s partnership with Aston Martin.
The future certainly holds a host of unknowns for Heart of Racing as it expands into GTP and Hypercar. The short term future, though, is going to be quite busy as the team and Aston Martin try to form the Valkyrie into a fast and reliable race car, and on-track testing is expected to begin this month, first in Europe out of its base in Brackley, UK and later in the U.S. as the weather changes.
“We’ve gone through the mule testing stage and verification of a lot of the systems. The design is basically finalized. All the wind tunnel and CFD work is is complete. I believe most of the sign-off stuff is done with the ACO and FIA and we should have the first car on the ground in July for its for its rollout,” James says.
When the Valkyrie makes its competition debut, Aston Martin will be one of the few manufacturers to have nearly every level of sports car racing covered. For James, its a source of pride that Heart of Racing is representing them on the worldwide stage.
“If you look at Aston’s commitment, they are one of the only manufacturers that has every tier of sports car racing covered when the Valkyrie comes online — GT4 all the way to Hypercar,” he says. “It’s a small brand, but motorsport is a big part of their identity. So I’m grateful that the leadership there has that, and with Gabe’s help we’re managing to race all around the world and represent them.”
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.
