EoT significantly corrected ahead of the 6 Hours of Silverstone

Technology Equivalence (EoT) has often been talked about at the start of the 2018-19 World Championship Super-Season.Endurance (WEC). Modified shortly before the Test Day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (Sarthe), the regulations had according to the competitors of the private LM P1 withdrawn the small aids supposed to bring them closer to the Toyota hybrids.

For the third round scheduled for Silverstone (Great Britain, August 19), the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) as well as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) have revised their copy. “Following the studies carried out this winter, we gave a fuel flow to private teams in order to position them close to the performance of hybrid cars, explains Thierry Bouvet, the technical delegate of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

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We then benefited from real information during the Prologue, the first race at Spa as well as the test day at Le Mans. And as competitors know, at Le Mans, not everything can be anticipated. » The ACO explains an unforeseen change of pace between LM P2 and non-hybrid LM P1 (Rebellion, ByKolles, DragonSpeed, SMP Racing, Manor).

“Between the test day and Le Mans qualifying, the best time for the LM P2s was improved by 2,4 seconds compared to 0,2 seconds for the non-hybrid LM P1s. The reasons can be varied, different track conditions, or even the teams wanted not to neglect reliability. Eventually, multiple contextual parameters may have affected some EoT estimates. »

So here are the changes to the EoT:  « The performance gap of 0,25% is reduced to 0%. (thus the 0,5 seconds difference per lap at Le Mans between hybrids and non-hybrids no longer applies). The fuel flow of private LMP1s increases from 108 kg/h to 115 kg/h, compared to 80 kg/h for hybrids. On the other hand, the flow rate of the private LMP1 refueling system has been increased. And finally a reduction of 15 kg for machines powered by atmospheric engines. »

Enough to perhaps allow private LM P1s, notably the Rebellion, on the Le Mans podium thanks to the No. 3 of Laurent-Menezes-Beche, to catch up with the duo of hybrid Toyotas, which were never worried, both at the 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) and in Sarthe .