Less than two years out from the expected debut of the next generation of LMP2 cars at the 2026 edition of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the shape of the future ruleset for the category has never been more uncertain.
As it stands right now, LMP2 grids around the world are huge and are packed with high quality teams and drivers, with 22 cars racing in the European Le Mans Series and a further 11 in IMSA. And that’s before you look at the strong fields produced for the Asian Le Mans Series each winter.
But the current regulation set is heading towards the end of its life. Publicly, the plan is for a 2026 debut for the new-look cars that will be Gibson-powered and based on spines from LMDh chassis manufacturers. However, it’s not that simple.
It has become clear that the proposed timeline towards 2026 has never been set in stone, and still isn’t. In fact, it appears at present that a delay to the regulations being introduced is the most likely scenario, though how long that will be is not yet known.
There are signs that we are close to a final decision, but paddock sources in the LMP2 marketplace have suggested to RACER repeatedly that the situation remains fluid.
So how did we reach this point?
Around the time of the Sebring 12 Hours, RACER’s sources held that the new rules were still on track for 2026, though only the ELMS (and Le Mans) would adopt them. Instead, because of the complexities of the racing calendar, IMSA and the Asian Le Mans Series would wait until 2027 to introduce the new-look cars.
In IMSA’s case, using next-gen LMP2 cars in ’26 would mean a debut in January at the Rolex 24, shortening the timeframe for manufacturers to deliver cars to customers. It would also place the burden of debuting the new cars at a 24-hour race not organized by the governing body that controls the rules.
And in the case of the Asian Le Mans Series, should the calendar format remain the same by that point, the introduction would come halfway through the 2025/26 season. That’s not at all practical.
This consensus appeared to have changed by the week of the 2024 ELMS season opener in Barcelona in April. One source told RACER that “a total delay to 2027 or beyond seemed almost inevitable,” with an announcement expected imminently. That never came, though, and a technical working group meeting planned around the Paul Ricard round was understood to have been postponed following a significant meeting held elsewhere. This left the four LMP2 manufacturers and cabal of current teams to ponder whether or not this meant the ruleset would be delivered as planned for 2026.
Either way, the length of time it’s taking to draw up the ruleset is proving to be a source of frustration for just about everyone involved. There is a framework that is near-completion, with itemized costs and peripheral overarching regulations, meaning the green light could be given on short notice, depending on the ongoing tender for electronics coming to a close. But crucially, nothing has been signed off.
Therefore, with each week that passes without a decision, a 2026 debut for the new cars seems less likely. A delay to 2027 appears to be the most realistic scenario but still, a decision needs to come soon.
If everything is to come together for 2026, as planned, the manufacturers need to know how much time they have to play with to finish development work and build up a stock of cars to sell for Year 1. The teams also need time to make the sums work, too.
Is it still possible for the manufacturers to finish designing and building cars in time for 2026 at this point? The answer appears to be yes, though it would be extremely challenging and the feeling is that a firm decision needs to be made before the Le Mans 24 Hours gets underway next month.
The timeline of the new regulations may be the most pressing issue right now, but the actual ruleset being formed and the cost of the cars the teams will be investing in, is the crux of this story.
If forced, there will be teams that will come along for the ride come what may, in part because, as RACER has been told clearly by a senior source close to the ruleset, there will be at least 15 LMP2 spaces on the grid at Le Mans “indefinitely.” That is welcome news for teams and the future of the category. As long as entries for that race are on offer, teams will work overtime to make the sums work.
So what do we know about the new cars?
RACER has seen a breakdown of cost-capped parts for the cars and what stood out was the overall cost per car, which has been placed at a level not dramatically different to the current ruleset.
The car itself, including electronics (an exact figure isn’t yet available for that element as the tender is ongoing), is expected to be around 560-600,000 Euros ($609-653K). This means that teams are looking at roughly a million Euros per car, with spares. That may sound eye-watering, but an ORECA 07 without an engine, electronics kit or spares, right now will set you back 525,000 Euros ($571K). This is the current price following the permitted rise above the original capped cost to offset inflation.
Looking at the specific elements with costs placed on them, some are supposedly going to be capped at a lower price than the current formula. For instance, a front bodywork assembly is believed to be priced at 38,000 Euros, when it’s 50,000 now.
Another key element of the new ruleset, in which all four manufacturers (ORECA, Ligier, Dallara and Multimatic) are expected to produce cars for customers, is that there will be no Balance of Performance. At least not in a traditional sense. Instead, they will be homologated to sit inside a defined performance window — like LMDh cars right now. And, to keep all four manufacturers in the formula long-term and prevent the current situation (where almost every team competes with ORECA because it’s considered the best car) from re-occurring, a bi-annual “Adjustment of Performance” will be made. This will balance their weight and power. Is this “BoP” under a different guise? We will have to wait and see.
Going into further detail, the radiator dimensions will be mandated and each team will be forced to run to a compulsory ride height level, primarily to increase the life of specific components such as the splitter. Certain parts will also be designed to meet regulations that define specific areas permitted to experience “excessive” amounts of wear.
The weight of the cars is expected to come in lighter than current Hypercars but heavier than current P2s, at 980kg. There will be one homologated body kit for the cars globally and they will be expected to run to the same performance level as the current LMP2 cars at Le Mans. It seems this particular aspect is up for debate, though, as RACER has been given conflicting answers by sources close to the ruleset.
Beyond all this, the scope for the manufacturers to go in different directions conceptually has been squeezed further. They will run with spec exhausts, spec electronics, a spec gearbox and a spec engine from Gibson.
As for tires, Goodyear is set to supply spec compounds to the class in the ELMS and Le Mans through the start of the new era. Currently, the molds for the new sizes (that mirror LMDh tire sizes) have been produced, the first iteration of the tires has been prepped, simulation work is ongoing and Goodyear has told RACER that it will be ready to supply product to manufacturers for the start of track testing as soon as Q1 of 2025.
Michelin, meanwhile, already supplies tires for LMDh. It is ahead of the curve in that sense for its future LMP2 commitments in IMSA and the Asian Le Mans Series.
All this comes together to form the regulations for the new cars, in which the four manufacturers will be pitted against one another to secure customers.
