New in LM P1 from 2018

The 28 last July, Porsche formalized its withdrawal from LM P1 at the end of the 2017 financial year. A withdrawal which prompted the governing bodies to somewhat review the technical regulations of the premier category, in order to keep it as attractive as possible.

Four measures, announced at the same time as the 2018-2019 calendar, were taken:

– From 2018-2019 and thereafter, there will only be one category in LMP1 (and therefore one general classification).

– In order to make access to this category possible from the 2018-2019 season, the performance level of current non-hybrid prototypes, managed by technological equivalence, will be aligned with the current LMP1 hybrid regulations.

– Each competitor entered in LMP1 will have the same potential, regardless of the type of engine used. But a slight advantage will remain in favor of hybrid thrusters in terms of autonomy, thanks to their lower fuel consumption.

– No changes will be made to the current chassis regulations (only LMP1 chassis are eligible) but, in order to facilitate access to the LMP1 category, a wider choice of chassis and engines will be offered. Depending on the selected criteria, Technology Equivalence will be implemented between turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines (as was the case in the past between gasoline and diesel engines).

All these decisions will be applied for the next two seasons. Other regulatory decisions, which have yet to be finalized, will be announced in the future, such as a reduction in the number of private and collective trials.

Furthermore, the 1 LMP2020 regulations will be modified compared to what was announced on the sidelines of the last 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the ACO and the FIA ​​remain convinced that hybridization must retain a place of choice in endurance, but not at any cost. The budgets invested in recent years in LMP1 are no longer possible and a return to reasonable budget values ​​should allow all manufacturers to race in this discipline.