Two-car Hypercar teams for ’25
Manufacturers competing in the
Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship are set to be required to enter two cars from next season. The new rule is under evaluation as part of a planned expansion of the WEC grid to a minimum of 40 cars for 2025 from the current 37-strong field.
It would remove the ability of a factory team to run a single car as Cadillac Racing has done since last season, Iron Lynx Lamborghini is doing this year and as the Heart of Racing Aston Martin squad has announced for next season. WEC promoter and co-organiser the Automobile Club de l’ouest has declined to comment on the prospect of a two-car rule, but it is looking increasingly certain to be implemented for the new season.
All the manufacturers with a one-car presence in Hypercar have outlined their aspirations to step up their programmes. Cadillac’s negotiations with a replacement for Chip Ganassi Racing, for example, are known to centre on two cars. Heart of Racing left the door open to fielding a pair of Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercars on the announcement of the programme in October. Garagiste Isotta Fraschini, meanwhile, has also talked about going to two entries, either with the Duqueine works team or a customer.
The new ruling could have implications on the independents in Hypercar, which compete in the FIA Endurance World
Cup for Teams rather scoring world championship manufacturers’ points.
It is understood that the privateers would not be subject to the two-car rule, but it could reduce space for them.
On the presumption that the grid expands to no more than 40 cars and that the WEC sticks with 18 machines in the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class, extra entries from Cadillac, Lamborghini and Isotta plus a two-car Aston squad would leave only two grid spots for customer teams in what would be a 22-car Hypercar field. This year there are four nonmanufacturer entries in Hypercar: two Jota Porsche 963s, one Proton Competition Porsche 963, and the solo AF Corse Ferrari 499P.