Seeing as many manufacturers have ended their World Endurance Championship (WEC) LMP1 programmes, the FIA has confirmed plans to introduce a new top class for hypercar concepts in the 2020/21 season.
While the FIA says these racing cars will cut “quite an imposing figure”, they will also retain the use of a hybrid system while leaving free the choice of combustion engine (consumption rules will ensure fair competition between different systems) at a “predetermined and fixed cost”.
The 2020-2024 plan will usher in a new era of endurance racing that the FIA says will feature an “ultramodern” style of prototype. Interestingly, the class has not yet been named, although officials say this will be determined by fans of the FIA WEC.
The cars will take to tracks such as Le Mans, Spa, Silverstone, Fuji and Sebring in all manner of weather conditions.
The top class vehicles will feature KERS and all-wheel-drive, which will help them achieve an expected average lap time of 3min 20sec on the Le Mans circuit with limited fuel.
The FIA says the vehicles will be “affordable”, requiring around a quarter of current budgets. Costly developments will be kept in check by a new homologation procedure and technical rules that it says will “naturally reduce budgets”.
