The FIA World Motor Sport Council has confirmed plans for the World Endurance Championship to move its top tier class towards ‘hypercar’ style vehicles from the 2020/21 season.
Currently LMP1 is the endurance championship’s top class, though boasts only Toyota in a manufacturer capacity after Porsche and Audi withdrew from the sport in recent years.
The balance of the LMP1 field has been filled with privateer entries, who have purchased factory cars and engines, and do not run hybrid systems.
With reduced manufacturer interest, and the strength of the Daytona Prototype (DPi) racing in the United States, organisers of the World Endurance Championship have come under pressure to find a solution to boost outright LMP1 numbers.
It was expected that the sport would look to move towards the DPi style designs popular in the States, but instead the FIA has announced a new ‘hypercar’ style platform.
The “freedom of design for brands based on a ‘Hypercar’ concept” in theory opens the door for cars such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie, or the McLaren Senna, in the top class.
Though discussions remain ongoing, the World Motor Sport Council has confirmed that it is also targeting a budget of a quarter of that currently needed to field an LMP1 team.
Further details will be released over the course of the 24 Hours of Le Mans next weekend, along with plans design to encourage the participation of female drivers in the WEC.
Also confirmed was the reduction in length of the Sebring event next March, which was initially slated to last 1500 miles but will now last 1000 miles as previously reported.
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