The FIA WEC has announced Hypercar manufacturers will have to enter at least two cars starting next season.
Plans for the rule change, which were initially revealed in March, were confirmed by the WEC’s organizers – the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest – at the former’s routine Friday press conference ahead of this weekend’s 24 Hours Le Mans.
It coincides with an increase in the number of grid slots for the entire season from 37 to 40 for the next season as a total of 22 slots are expected to be set aside for Hypercar teams.
It was also announced that Imola would remain on the calendar until 2028 and the venue plans to put up four more garages to handle the larger grid.
According to the ACO’s statement, the goal of requiring Hypercar manufacturers to enter a minimum of two cars is intended to ‘ensure a level playing field and improve sporting fairness’ with regard to the manufacturers’ championship.
“It makes sense for a world championship. Each manufacturer should have two cars,” the chairman of the FIA’s Endurance Commission Richard Mille said.
“We want manufacturers to bring something serious. Another factor is the Balance of Performance, you need the data of two cars.”
Additionally, it made it clear that additional cars from the same manufacturer will be included in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams. The only automakers now affected by the new regulation are Cadillac, Lamborghini, and Isotta Fraschini, as they only produce one car.
Lamborghini, which is represented by the Iron Lynx team, announced last July that it intends to enter two cars for the 2025 WEC.
Although Laura Wontrop Klauser, head of GM’s sports car racing program, has simply stated that Cadillac will adjust to the regulations as needed, it has been confirmed that the brand is already preparing for a two-car project with JOTA Sport for 2025.
The two-car rule also affects Aston Martin, but the company said on Friday that it will enter two of its new Valkyrie LMHs after previously only committing to a one-car effort.
If grid slots were distributed to all nine of the current Hypercar manufacturers as well as to Aston Martin, the number of available spots for privateer teams would drop to only two.
Isotta Fraschini – which joined the WEC this year alongside Duqueine – has also spoken about its intentions to add a second entry. Team Claudio Berro, stated that working with the French team on a second Tipo 6 Competizione LMH is his number one priority.
“It is not in our mind to look for another team at the moment,” he said.
However, securing the funding needed to expand to two entries may prove challenging.
