During its meeting on Friday 27th September in Dubrovnik (Croatia) the FIA World Motor Sport Council validated the decisions taken by the FIA Endurance Commission during its meeting on 23rd August. Here are the main elements.
LMP prototypes
In order to increase competitiveness, from 2014 the title of FIA World Endurance Manufacturers’ Champion will be awarded to the manufacturer scoring the greatest number of points with two cars and not one as is currently the case. Should a third car be entered it will not to eligible to score points in the manufacturers’ championship in which the points will be awarded to the two highest-placed cars. However, the drivers of the third car can score points in their own classification.
The 2014 sporting regulations will be adjusted in the LMP1 category to take into consideration the new technical regulations, which will be implemented next season. In addition, in order to define the two types of engines taking into consideration the new distinction between non-hybrid cars (reserved for private teams) and hybrids (open to private and works teams), the former will be called LMP1-L (Le Mans Prototype 1 – Light) and the latter LMP1 – H (Le Mans Prototype 1 – Hybrid). In 2014, a mechanism will be implemented to control the fuel consumption of the LMP1s. A quantity, usable per lap in all cases, will be defined on the base of the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit depending on the engine used. Fuel consumption will be calculated in permanence on an average of three laps. If it exceeds the quantity allocated, sanctions will be applied, the system of which is currently under study.
LMP2: a reminder: on Friday 20th September a joint decision was taken by the ACO and IMSA in Austin (Texas) that the category would remain unchanged until the end of the 2016 season. The regulatory authority is working on reducing the number of tyres used per race in 2014.
LMGTE Categories
Technical discussions are advancing quickly concerning the creation of a new GT category in 2016. The principles of a convergence between the current LMGTEs and the FIA GT3s was agreed by the ACO and the FIA and validated by the different GT manufacturers. The aim is to present the new technical regulations, which will govern the future GT categories (provisionally called GT and GT+), at the FIA World Motor Sport Council in June 2014 for implementation in the 2016 season.
In order to reduce running costs, the cars in the LMGTE Am category will all be supplied by a single tyre manufacturer next season. A tender will be put out in the near future. The next meeting of the FIA Endurance Commission will take place on 24th October, and that of the FIA World Motor Sport Council on 4th December.
