What will change in WEC from 2023

THEEndurance evolves and with it, the rules that go with it. In 2023, the World Endurance Championship (WEC) will experience several significant changes, linked to the new “golden age” of the category and the massive arrival of new manufacturers, in Hypercar and GT. Meeting on Wednesday in Bologna (Italy), the FIA ​​World Motor Sport Council communicated the (numerous) modifications concerning the WEC regulations, applicable from 2023, in collaboration with the ACO.

Separate qualifications for each category

In order to facilitate the monitoring of qualifications, to guarantee competitors sufficient driving time and to widen the window of optimal conditions for establishing times, qualifications will be made up of three separate 15-minute sessions, with one dedicated session per class ( GT – LM P2 – Hypercar). Previously, qualifying consisted of just two sessions, one for prototypes (Hypercar and LMP2) and one for GT cars (GTE-Pro and GTE-Am).

Maximum two cars per manufacturer in Hypercar

Manufacturers participating in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in the Hypercar category must enter at least one and a maximum of two cars. Any additional cars from the same manufacturer must be entered into the rankings for the all-new Hypercar Team World Cup. Each manufacturer must therefore indicate in advance which cars will be entered in the World Championship and the World Cup.

The new Grand Touring category will be called LMGT3

Further principles of the future GT class of the World Endurance Championship, which will be introduced in 2024, have been approved. The category based on the current GT3 technical platform will be called LMGT3. In accordance with Hypercar class regulations, torque sensors will be mandatory to enable live monitoring of powertrain performance. Dedicated body conversion kits will be permitted but not required.

Electric blankets are over

Any form of tire heating will not be permitted in 2023. This decision will also be implemented in ELMS from next season, and in the Asian Le Mans Series from 2024. Still regarding tires, the quantity of rubber specifications available in the Hypercar class will be reduced to two specifications per circuit in 2023 (and three for the 24 Hours of Le Mans), and a single specification per circuit (and two for Le Mans) the following year, in 2024.

LM P2 excluded from the WEC in 2024… 

The success of the Hypercar regulations, the enthusiasm of manufacturers and the introduction of LMGT3 in 2024 lead to logical adjustments to the grids of the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Faced with these new elements and in order to welcome these two categories in the best conditions, the ACO and the FIA ​​reserve the possibility of admitting only these to the World Championship.Endurance of the FIA ​​from 2024. A potential goodbye to the LM P2 category therefore...At least in WEC, since LM P2 will still constitute the premier category of the European Le Mans Series from 2024, as well as in Asian Le Mans Series.

...but 15 places guaranteed at Le Mans

The ACO will reserve 15 places (minimum) on the 24 Hours of Le Mans grid for LM P2. These places will be allocated to teams participating in ACO-labeled series. Finally, as approved by the World Motor Sport Council, after consulting competitors and in order to offer them more flexibility, the ACO and the FIA ​​have taken the decision to postpone the introduction of the new generation of LM P2 to 2026. 

The power of the revised LM P2

For the 2023 WEC season, the power and speed of engines in the LM P2 category will be slightly revised downwards by the ACO and the FIA ​​(-10KW; -500 rpm). A reasoned decision to guarantee the best balance between the Hypercar category and the LMP2 category, which will therefore apply to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the European Le Mans Series, where the LM P2s represent the premier category, the power will be increased on average by ~15 KW compared to the 2022 power.

Prohibition on criticizing the Balance of Performance

In the latest FIA Sporting Regulations concerning the WEC, “manufacturers, competitors, pilots and all persons or entities associated with their commitments must not seek to influence the establishment of the BoP or comment on the results, in particular through public statements, the media and social networks. Any infringement of the above principles will be sanctioned by the Sporting Stewards, at any time during any competition, including after the race. » So no more reproaches and criticism from the teams via the media regarding the BoP, which will most likely be at the heart of the debates in 2023...

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