WEC ‘Needs to Look at How to Balance Places’ on 2024 Grid – Sportscar365

FIA World Endurance Championship CEO Frederic Lequien says the series needs to “reflect on how to balance places on its 2024 grid” as it is proposed that the LMP2 class will be phased out after next season.

Increasing participation in the top hypercar division and expected high interest in the GT3 class, which will replace GTE after next year, should impact where LMP2 is active beyond 2023.

Lequien told Sportscar365 that LMP2 will have a long-term spot in the Le Mans 24 Hours, but declined to say if it will be removed from the rest of the WEC.

No announcement has been made but it is understood that in Europe after next year the platform will focus on the European Le Mans Series, with a selection of these teams also competing at Le Mans where there is maximum grid and space for 62 cars are more than two classes.

However, the maximum field size of the WEC is just over half the Le Mans number, as the championship is held at circuits with fewer pit spaces.

Based on currently confirmed programs, at least 15 factory hypercar entries are expected in 2024, while a small number of customer efforts and potential cars from companies like Glickenhaus and ByKolles would push the total to 20 and possibly beyond.

“What do we know today about the next few years? We’re going to see more hypercars,” Lequien said.

“We have to see how we can equalize the places in the other classes.

“In terms of LMP2, we just believe it’s a fantastic class and that this class will be eligible for the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a long time. This is a very important category for us.

“I say that for the sake of full transparency, it is too early to talk about the composition for 2024 at the moment.

“I can’t say if we will have LMP2 in the WEC or not but everyone understands that we will have more and more hypercars and the GT3 regulations will bring some new brands into the WEC.

“Then we’ll take care of it. Whatever the decision, we will protect the LMP2 category.”

LMP2 will be active in the WEC next year, with several teams already committed or planning to race there.

Alpine will join the class next season once its hypercar-class LMP1 machine retires following the Bahrain 8 Hours season finale next month. However, the French manufacturer will then return to the top flight when its ORECA-based LMDh arrives in 2024.

Additionally, Team WRT will continue its two-car LMP2 effort next season, but then move up to hypercar as a works team for the BMW LMDh program.

Another prominent LMP2 team, JOTA, will use a Porsche 963 LMDh in the WEC from next year and thus call its commitment in the second division into question.

Richard Dean, whose United Autosports team is maintaining its two-car LMP2 effort in 2023, told Sportscar365 that the growth of hypercar naturally means that changes are expected in the ORECA-dominated category.

“When you’re as involved with the sport as we are with LMP2, you can’t help but ask a lot of questions about what’s coming and what the future is,” he said.

“You don’t have to be a mathematician to know that there are many cars that can fit into the grid in the WEC and that could potentially have a knock-on effect on ELMS.

“It’s a nice problem for the promoter that they might have more cars.

“Everyone is fascinated to know what decisions are involved. These aren’t easy decisions, but I’m not sure we have to wait for too much clarity.”