Power games

There was some flesh added to the bones of the LMDh regulations at Le Mans, but the picture is by no means final

- ANDREW COTTON

Friday’s traditional ACO press conference at the 2020 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans saw the French organisation outline regulations for Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) and reveal partners for the project, including Xtrac for the standard gearbox, Bosch for the hybrid motor and Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) to provide the battery for the class that will be part of a global Prototype platform.

There are two ways of entering the top class that are already well documented. Either a manufacturer may build its own car, including chassis, suspension, brakes, engine and, crucially for some, the hybrid system. Or a second option will allow a manufacturer to buy an homologated chassis and fit its own engine and aero package (similar to the process allowed in the US by the IMSA organisation under its Daytona Prototype International (DPi) regulations) but fit a spec, low-powered hybrid system.

Global reach

The initial intention was that Le Mans Hybrid (LMH) cars run in the FIA’s World Endurance Championship, while the LMDh concept was developed by American organisation IMSA. However, manufacturers and governing bodies want to balance the two concepts to allow them all to compete globally, increasing return on investment and controlling costs.

Therefore, rather than differentiate between the LMH regulations the FIA and the ACO created, and the LMDh regulations (the h has never been officially identified), the top class in endurance racing will be called Hypercar and will incorporate both concepts.