It’s difficult to say which was the first hypercar the term itself refers to a car with extremely high performance, beyond the normal performance limits of supercars. It could be based on a minimum power output, say 800 bhp, or it could be dependent on the era as technological levels have constantly advanced.
The Bugatti Veyron launched in 2005 with 987 bhp (1001 ps) could be a candidate for the first hypercar. In any case, there are now a number of models which produce in excess of 1000 ps and therefore qualify as hypercars.
The appearance of hypercars has inevitably led to the creation of a category in motorsport which has seen the first racing cars competing this year. The Hypercar category, a joint project of the FIA and the ACO, envisaged as the new top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, has attracted a number of carmakers with 13 full-season Hypercar entries from 7 manufacturers.
After making its competitive debut in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with the new Peugeot 9X8 at the Monza round in Italy two months ago, the Team Peugeot TotalEnergies is in Japan this week for a second 6-hour showdown. Two units of the new Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) will race at the Fuji Speedway this weekend to collect more information in racing conditions.
Commenting on the first race in Italy, Peugeot Sport Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie, said: “We needed that first race. We had achieved as much as we could in testing so, in order to ramp up our preparations and development, it was time to pitch ourselves directly against our opposition in a true race-weekend environment.”
Encouraged by the potential of a car whose homologation is now fixed (meaning that any further modifications will be strictly limited and regulated), the two driving crews were able to acclimatise to racing in traffic and compare the 9X8 to the championship’s other hypercars.
“We collected a great deal of information about the car and team. We also ran into a few problems that we hadn’t previously encountered in testing, some of which we were able to rectify on-site, others that we have been continuing to work on since Monza. This is a tried-and-tested process in motorsport,” Jansonnie explained.
“At this early stage, it should be noted that we are concentrating more on reliability and performance than on refining race strategies. That is perfectly normal for such a new project, up against rivals with – in some cases – more than 10 years of experience in the sport. We are all fiercely competitive here at Team Peugeot TotalEnergies and we recognise that both the car and team have scope for significant improvement, but we have yet to come across any issues that we cannot resolve, so that’s very positive,” he said.
Disappointed that the team was not able to take full advantage of the 10-minute qualifying session in Italy to properly demonstrate the 9X8’s potential, Jansonnie has since gone into even greater detail with his team in order to optimise its work on the car with the clock ticking down. It focused particularly hard on this aspect during two private tests carried out between Monza and Fuji.
“In Japan, we will be discovering the circuit for the first time, so we need to make sure we maximise every on-track session from Friday morning through to Sunday afternoon,” he stressed.
Preparing for Fuji’s challenges The 6 Hours of Fuji – Round 5 of the 2022 WEC – poses an altogether different challenge to Monza in a number of ways. Jansonnie and his team realise this, particularly as it is held halfway around the world. “For long-haul events like this, we need to adapt our procedures because we do not have the same regular facilities at our disposal – like motorhomes and trucks – as we do when we race in Europe,” he said.
The circuit and region’s unpredictable weather – with heavy and prolonged downpours likely – represent further unknowns for the team, although not for the whole team. Its drivers like Jean-Eric Vergne and Gustavo Menezes have raced at Fuji in the past, while Loic Duval and James Rossiter spent a part of their career based in Japan. The benefits of that experience will complement the data already acquired by the crews and their engineers from their work in the 9X8 simulator as they endeavour to prepare as well as possible for the unique demands of this iconic Japanese track.
The 4.563-km Fuji Speedway where the fifth round of the 2022 World Endurance Championship will be held. It was opened in December 1965 and has been owned by Toyota Motor Corporation since 2000.
“Monza could have gone better for us, but that was entirely to be expected at such an early stage of an ambitious project like this. Our car [#93] ran into problems in the race that led to our retirement. During the run that I completed in free practice, though, we were close to the Toyota in terms of pure pace, which proves that we are in the right ballpark with this non-conventional car. I’m completely convinced about that. Our first race was another significant milestone on this exciting journey and now, for Fuji, the goalposts shift again. But that’s what keeps the adrenalin flowing!” said Vergne who will share the racing car with Paul di Resta and Mikkel Jensen.
New era in endurance racing The 9X8 starts a new era for Peugeot in endurance racing, the motorsport category where it was previously victorious with the 905 and 908 in the 1990s and in 2009. Conforming to the regulations that govern the ACO and FIA’s new Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) category, the 4 wheel-drive racing prototype has a 2.6-litre bi-turbo V6 engine powering the rear wheels and a 200 kW electric motor driving the front wheels.
Inside the Peugeot 9X8.
The racing car, without a rear wing, measures 4.995 metres in length, has a width of 2 metres and is just 1.145 metres tall. With lots of lightweight materials in its bodywork, it weighs 1,030 kgs and its tank holds up to 90 litres of TotalEnergies’ 100% renewable Excellium Racing 100 fuel.
The completion of vital development and testing phases, necessary to achieving reliability and performance for the 9X8, led to its competitive debut being delayed until after the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours. Its first entry in the WEC was thus at the 6 Hours of Monza on July 10 and this weekend, it will be at the Fuji Speedway.
Last year, when Peugeot Sport announced its new program to develop the 9X8 hypercar for endurance racing, it expected to join the World Endurance Championship in 2022. However, the team decided to forego the first two rounds, at Sebring and this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, and was planning to debut at the classic Le Mans 24-Hour race in June. However, because it has not participated in the first two rounds, the organisers have said it cannot take part in Le Mans.
Accepting the ruling in a positive way, Peugeot Sport’s Technical Director of the WEC programme, Olivier Jansonnie, said that this would give them team additional time to achieve the necessary level of reliability. “Both operationally and from a reliability perspective, Le Mans is the most difficult race on the calendar. Our planning will enable us to put the full weight of our teams and resources behind our own test sessions, without the disruption of racing at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans. We will begin with some shorter races, which will allow us to progressively get up to speed in the championship. Like with our road-going cars when we have to choose between meeting a deadline or focussing on quality, we always prioritise quality,” he explained.
The homologation process
Before a car can enter competition, it must be homologated by the racing authorities. In the case of the new hypercar class, once homologation has been done, the design cannot be modified further until 2025 (except in very particular circumstances governed by strict conditions). Any such modifications will be counted as ‘EVO jokers’, which are limited to just five between 2021 and 2025 – aside from specific force majeure situations such as, for example, when the car’s safety or reliability is compromised.
“Restricting development in this way is important, since it would not be possible to adjust the performance of a car that is subject to constant technical updates through ‘Balance Of Performance’ (BoP) tweaks,” said Jansonnie. ”The homologation process itself consists of a series of milestones. Its schedule and execution are very precisely defined. The process concludes with the submission of a homologation file – describing in minute detail all of the vehicle’s components (with photos and weight measurements) – as well as a wind tunnel test of its aerodynamics and an inspection of the vehicle by the FIA/ACO. After this, its development is ‘frozen’. Its performance parameters are subsequently assessed in order to be able to adjust its power, weight and minimum speed of hybrid energy deployment, which are the key factors in Balance Of Performance.”
Peugeot Sport therefore has a little bit more time before it submits the 9X8 for homologation. A manufacturer judges that its car is ready to be homologated when it believes it has attained the required level of performance and reliability to be eligible for ‘Balance Of Performance’ evaluation. “That means it has the same theoretical chance of winning in the WEC and at the Le Mans 24 Hours as any of its competitors. It accepts from this point that its vehicle will not be able to undergo any further major technical changes until the end of the homologation cycle,” explained Jansonnie.
Initial existence in digital world
Prior to taking to the track for its pre-homologation test sessions, the 9X8 began life as a 51.1GB digital project, made up of 15,267 files stored on a hard drive. Digital advances have opened up a whole new realm of possibilities in motorsport, enabling Peugeot Sport’s engineers to visualise a truly disruptive concept for the new Hypercar – and validate it before manufacturing so much as a single physical component.
The sophistication of modern-day digital software makes it possible to conduct in-depth technological studies while saving significant time, money and resources, and the 9X8 lived an entirely ‘virtual existence’ for some time before finally turning its first wheel on-track. Peugeot Sport’s teams spent two years modelling and simulating it, utilising both existing software – adapted where necessary to suit the project’s specific requirements – as well as computer programs developed entirely in-house from scratch.
“Thanks to all of our software, we can envisage a wide range of dimensions, shapes and materials, and work on the weight of the car in-line with the technical regulations,” said Francois Coudrain, Powertrain Director of the WEC programme. “As with the choice of base concept, being able to take a purely digital approach to trialling systems and components allows us to assess a large number of potential solutions, which would quite simply be impossible to achieve in the real world.”
Digital simulations also allow for customisation where necessary – for example, what material to use around the exhaust outlets. Here, the heat levels are very high, and simulations revealed that the carbon bodywork needed to be either protected or even replaced by aluminium or titanium. Initially highlighted for attention in the design brief, this was corroborated during the simulation phase and then again in the first real-life test session.
From hard drive to racetrack
Following its digital development, the hard drive containing all the technical data of the Peugeot 9X8 provided the basis for the creation of an initial 1:1 scale model for wind tunnel use and, subsequently, a physical race car, whose ongoing development is taking place on the track.
‘9X8’, the designation, is derived from a combination of the brand’s motorsport heritage and vision for the future. The ‘9’ continues the series used by Peugeot on its previous endurance racing cars. The ‘X’ refers to the all-wheel drive technology and hybrid powertrain. The ‘8’ is common across all of Peugeot’s current models – from the 208 and 2008 to the 308, 3008, 508 and 5008.
No rear wing
Unique to the hypercar’s design is the absence of a rear wing – an aerodynamic feature that has long been thought necessary for racing cars. Rear wings were first seen at the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours on the Chaparral 2F but now, after half a century, the necessity is questioned and the 9X8 has been designed without a rear wing.
“The absence of a rear wing on the Peugeot 9X8 is a major innovative step. We have achieved a degree of aerodynamic efficiency that allows us to do away with this feature. Don’t ask how, though! We have every intention of keeping that a secret as long as we possibly can!” said Jean-Marc Finot, Senior Vice-President of Stellantis Motorsport (Peugeot is part of the Stellantis Group).
Peugeot HYBRID4 powertrain
The 5-metre long racing car has a rear-mounted, 2.6-litre, bi-turbo, 680-bhp 90-degree V6 as part of the Peugeot HYBRID4 powertrain. The system output gets another 200 kW from the front-mounted 200kW motor-generator unit powered by a high-voltage 900V high-density battery pack.
The battery pack is located in a carbonfibre casing inside the car’s monocoque structure, behind the driver and underneath the fuel tank. It has been designed to combine durability with consistent performance during races of durations of up to 24 hours, and even beyond.
Although the system output is over 500 kW, the regulations set a maximum power output of just 500 kW during races. The regulations also forbid the use of electrical energy below 120 km/h, so the motor generator unit only engages once this speed has been reached. The car must pull away from standstill under the power of its internal combustion engine alone.
At full power, the power output is limited to 300 kW and adjusted as a function of the power delivered by the motor generator unit at 200 kW which is directly dependent on the battery level. When the motor generator unit comes into use, the car automatically switches to 4-wheel drive, thereby modifying its drivability.
When the battery pack is empty, the engine reverts to 500 kW power output and the drivetrain reverts to rear-wheel drive. During races, the battery will be fully charged prior to the start by means of a mains-connected plug-in hybrid charger. Once on the track, the battery will function completely independently and be charged only by the kinetic braking energy recovery system.
The Technology Transfer Apprenticeship Programme (TTAP) developed by Malaysia Automotive Robotics & IoT Institute (MARii) and Persona Energy Sdn Bhd reached its completion through the TTAP appreciation awards and handover ceremony, held at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), recently.
The TTAP is a unique technology transfer programme to develop local automotive talent, expertise and technology value chain through apprenticeships of selected local engineers to procure important engineering insight within endurance racing technology at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
In June this year, 4 TTAP apprentice engineers were sent to be part of the JOTA team at the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship, to enhance automotive skills and knowledge of local talents through apprenticeships with experienced race engineers, in international racing events with professional motorsport teams.
Throughout the programme, the apprentices are considered as team members, and were given real-time engineering responsibilities on certain segments of vehicle development for each race. These responsibilities include collection and analysis of the performance of race car components, design and layout of workshop equipment and tools during races, repair and maintenance of race cars, and other engineering activities that are required during the development and race day.
An important aspect of TTAP is the collection of vehicle data during the six legs of races throughout the WEC, which provides important information from high performance vehicles that can be utilised in the development of future vehicles and components. This data includes durability, performance, and many other forms of information that can be used in engineering analysis of future vehicle technology including autonomous and electric vehicles.
As technology in motorsports are far more advanced than that in the manufacturing line, such information procured through the TTAP program will bring a new dimension to the development of the automotive dan mobility sector, either at the vehicle assembly level, or component manufacturer.
At the WEC, the JOTA team clinched a 1-2 finish in the 8 Hours at Portimao leg in Portugal, and achieved a podium finish in every race in the WEC.
Porsche has been one of the regular names at the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans, with outright victories from as far back as 1970. And even though the top-level involvement ceased after 2017, Porsche cars have still been strong contenders in the event. It will be no different when the 2021 event is run this weekend and with two 911 RSRs, Porsche hopes to lay the foundation for yet another title win in France. This marks the second time that the latest generation 911 RSR tackles the world’s greatest endurance race.
So far in this season’s World Endurance Championship (WEC), the factory squad has secured two class wins from three races. A total of twelve 911 RSRs will tackle the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes at the 89th edition of the world’s fastest endurance race. With 19 overall victories and 108 class wins to its credit, Porsche is by far the most successful manufacturer at Le Mans.
“We contested Le Mans for the first time last year with the Porsche 911 RSR-19 and we struggled a bit against the fierce competition in the GTE-Pro class,” recalled Pascal Zurlinden, Director Factory Motorsport. “I’m positive we’ll be significantly more competitive this year. We’ve gathered a huge amount of data and experience with our works team and our customer squads, who get the chance this year to field the latest version of the nine-eleven in the WEC. These insights help us find the perfect setup. We also performed strongly on the high-speed track at Monza. Our success there gave us an extra boost for Le Mans.”
The legendary 24-hour race
The event on the 13.626-km circuit is extremely popular with motor racing fans and is the highlight on the WEC calendar. Located to the south of the city of 150,000 inhabitants, it consists mainly of public roads. Normally, hundreds of trucks and cars drive over the legendary Mulsanne straight every day on their way from Le Mans to Tours. Treacherous ruts present special challenges, especially in the rain.
Contrary to the original plan, which included a mid-June date for the long-distance classic, the 89th running of the Le Mans 24-hour race is being run in August this year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike last year, up to 50,000 fans can watch the action live alongside the racetrack.
“I’m convinced that we’ll be much more competitive this year,” says Alexander Stehlig, Head of Operations FIA WEC. “In the meantime, we’ve gathered considerably more experience with the car, and the successes at Spa and Monza have been hugely encouraging. There’s no better incentive for us than a win on the high-speed circuit in Italy. What’s important at the 24-hour race is to maintain contact with the leading pack at all times so that we’re in a position at the end to fight for victory. This means that we have to attack right from the start. I think this a promising recipe for success.”
Due to the length of the Le Mans race, double the usual points are awarded compared to a conventional 6-hour WEC race. As such, the race has often proven to be decisive in terms of the WEC Manufacturer and Driver standings. Moreover, the highlight of the year also features a special qualifying modality: in the Pro class, only the 6 fastest cars from the 1-hour qualification session are permitted to take part in the so-called Hyperpole which determines the best grid positions for the race.
Porsche GT Team drivers
The regular WEC drivers Gianmaria Bruni from Italy and Richard Lietz from Austria join forces with Frenchman Frederic Makowiecki in the cockpit of the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR. The Frenchman, who contested this year’s 8hour race in Portugal, brings a wealth of experience with him. Makowiecki has contested the Le Mans no less than 10 times – for the last 4 years sharing driving duties in the factory-run vehicle with Bruni and Lietz. In the No. 92 sister car, Frenchman Kevin Estre and Neel Jani from Switzerland will be supported by Michael Christensen. The trio used the WEC race in Portimao in June to get in sync with each other. Estre and Jani currently lead the Drivers’ championship after scoring 2 class wins from three races. In the Manufacturers’ classification, Porsche ranks second just seven points behind the leader, Ferrari.
The customer teams
A total of 8 of the latest generation 911 RSRs contest the GTE-Am category, in which amateur drivers with a Bronze or Silver FIA status share a car with professionals.
Porsche’s two customer teams will also tackle the race with the 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro class – a category that is usually the domain of factory teams. WeatherTech Racing puts its trust in Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium, Earl Bamber from New Zealand and the American amateur driver Cooper MacNeil. Sharing the cockpit of the identical vehicle campaigned by HubAuto Racing from Taiwan are Maxime Martin from Belgium, Alvaro Parente from Portugal and Dries Vanthoor. The Belgian is the younger brother of Porsche works driver Laurens Vanthoor.
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Peugeot, which won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1992 and 1993 as well as in 2009, will return next year to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its new-generation hypercar, the 9X8. Now under development, the 9X8 showcases Peugeot’s Neo-Performance strategy which combines technology and sportiness in both the carmaker’s road and racing cars.
A project between Peugeot Sport and Peugeot Design, the 9X8 is a direct successor of the Peugeot 905. The designers worked closely with engineers to explore new aerodynamic solutions and styling ideas. Greater flexibility, allowed by the WEC’s new technical rules regarding aerodynamics, permits new thinking that favours the emergence of innovative cars, allowing for new creative processes and a break away from established procedures to produce a hypercar for a completely new era.
What ‘9X8’ means
‘9X8’, the designation, is derived from a combination of the brand’s motorsport heritage and vision for the future. The ‘9’ continues the series used by Peugeot on its previous endurance racing cars. The ‘X’ refers to the all-wheel drive technology and hybrid powertrain. The ‘8’ is common across all of Peugeot’s current models – from the 208 and 2008 to the 308, 3008, 508 and 5008.
The 9X8’s front and rear lighting signatures, which take the form of three claw-like strokes, are familiar Peugeot trademarks, while the brand’s new lion’s head logo features at the front and on the sides of the car. “Since the 9X8 is a Peugeot, the original sketch that steered our work portrayed a big cat ready to pounce, a stance which we have suggested by the slightly forward-tilting cockpit. The overall lines of the Peugeot 9X8 express the brand’s styling cues, while its sleek, racy, elegant forms inspire emotion and dynamism,” explained Peugeot’s Design Director, Matthias Hossann.
No rear wing necessary
The finely-chiselled details of the rear-end design includes the quip ‘We didn’t want a rear wing’ above a wide diffuser. Rear wings were first seen at the Le Mans 24 Hours on the Chaparral 2F which contested the race in 1967, meaning this is the first time their use has been questioned in more than half a century. The 9X8’s innovative rear stems from research carried out by Peugeot Sport’s engineering team as they worked to ensure the model was as aerodynamic as possible, whilst maintaining an eye-catching style.
“The absence of a rear wing on the Peugeot 9X8 is a major innovative step. We have achieved a degree of aerodynamic efficiency that allows us to do away with this feature. Don’t ask how, though! We have every intention of keeping that a secret as long as we possibly can!” said Jean-Marc Finot, Motorsport Director of Stellantis (Peugeot is part of the Stellantis Group).
Distinctive cockpit colour scheme
“Inside, we wanted to take a special approach to the cockpit which, until now, has tended to be a purely functional and indistinctive aspect of racing cars, with no brand identity whatsoever. The combination of our colour scheme and Peugeot’s i-Cockpit interior styling signature have provided the 9X8’s cockpit with a distinctive feel and make it immediately identifiable as a Peugeot.”
Peugeot HYBRID4 powertrain
The 5-metre long racing car has a rear-mounted, 2.6-litre, bi-turbo, 680-bhp 90-degree V6 as part of the Peugeot HYBRID4 powertrain. The system output gets another 200 kW from the front-mounted 200kW motor-generator unit powered by a high-voltage 900V high-density battery pack.
The battery pack is located in a carbonfibre casing inside the car’s monocoque structure, behind the driver and underneath the fuel tank. It has been designed to combine durability with consistent performance during races of durations of up to 24 hours, and even beyond.
Although the system output is over 500 kW, the regulations set a maximum power output of just 500 kW during races. The regulations also forbid the use of electrical energy below 120 km/h, so the motor generator unit only engages once this speed has been reached. The car must pull away from standstill under the power of its internal combustion engine alone.
At full power, the power output is limited to 300 kW and adjusted as a function of the power delivered by the motor generator unit at 200 kW which is directly dependent on the battery level. When the motor generator unit comes into use, the car automatically switches to 4-wheel drive, thereby modifying its drivability.
When the battery pack is empty, the engine reverts to 500 kW power output and the drivetrain reverts to rear-wheel drive. During races, the battery will be fully charged prior to the start by means of a mains-connected plug-in hybrid charger. Once on the track, the battery will function completely independently and be charged only by the kinetic braking energy recovery system.
‘An extreme laboratory’
Peugeot’s CEO, Linda Jackson, says there’s more to the company’s involvement in endurance racing than the sporting aspect. “Endurance racing is a form of motorsport that provides us with an extreme laboratory, which explains why our association with Le Mans is so strong. More significant perhaps than the results we obtain on the racetrack are the opportunities it provides to prove our technology and the fruit of our research work in a race that throws extreme conditions at you for 24 hours,” she said.
“Le Mans gives us a competitive environment to validate the hybrid systems and technologies we are currently developing to reduce the fuel consumption – and therefore CO2 emissions – of our road cars. The teams at Peugeot Sport are proud when they see their research carried over to our production models,” she added.
Peugeot last raced and won at Le Mans in 2009 with the 908 HDi FAP which had a 5.5-litre V12 turbodiesel.
The signs were good when TOYOTA GAZOO Racing earned a historic first-ever Hypercar pole position as the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) began its new era. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, an early entrant in the Hypercar category, had its new GR010 HYBRID ready to go and locked out the front row in qualifying for the first round of the ninth season – the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Almost 15 hours of testing and free practice sessions had taken place earlier in the week when the #7 Hypercar of World Champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose María Lopez led the field away, trailed by the #8 car of the team which had Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley.
Close challenge from Alpine team
After a dramatic and tense battle at the front, overcoming a close challenge from the #36 Alpine in second and their own team-mates in the #7 car, it would be the #8 car that won the race, getting place in the motorsport record books.
The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the first of six in a revised 2021 WEC calendar, was an incident-packed race. The Hypercars fought relentlessly from the moment the race started. The #7 Toyota was in the lead but by lap 11, #8 took over and the pair of GR010 HYBRIDs were hotly pursued by the #36 Alpine.
As the first pit stops approached, the race took its first dramatic turn when the #7 car was in the pits. Time was lost when the car did not leave cleanly, before Sebastien visited the pits a lap later. At the end of that stop, the fuel nozzle was removed from the #8 before the 35-seconds minimum refuelling time had elapsed, breaking a new regulation. This resulted in a 30-second penalty, taken at the car’s next pit stop, when Brendon took the wheel.
Drama in closing hour
With the #7 requiring a fluid refill when Mike handed over to Jose, the #36 Alpine took over at the front. At half distance, Jose was closing in and just a few seconds behind, with Brendon further back in the third-placed #8 car.
The battle showed no sign of easing off, and neither did the drama. Jose made contact with a GT car, slightly damaging the front bodywork. Then with just under 2 hours remaining, the #7 slid off the track and got stuck in the gravel, requiring a rescue vehicle to recover it before he resumed in third. It was the position that would remain till the end of the race, with the Alpine splitting the two Toyotas.
A United Autosports Oreca 07 finished among the top five in the first race of the 2021 WEC season.
“What a dramatic and unpredictable start to this new era for our team. Today was a strong start for our next generation of Racing Hybrid technology but we are still learning and improving with our GR010 HYBRID. It has not been the smoothest week for the team at Spa but this has highlighted areas to improve so we will work hard to do this before the next race, and particularly before Le Mans,” said Hisatake Murata, Team President.
The competitiveness of the Alpine A480 (above) was clear, and will be a force to be reckoned with throughout the season. “We had the satisfaction of battling with the Toyotas even though the strategies are obviously different because of the different technologies we use,” said Philippe Sinault, Team Principal of the Alpine Elf Matmut Endurance Team Principal. “Our first target was to reach the finish, and we did so. Although the podium was predicted by many, we managed to finish second by pushing the Toyotas. The assessment of this first race is positive, and we will work hard to aim higher at the next round in Portugal.”
Ferrari will join the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class from 2023. This is a new class which has attracted the interest of manufacturers and it will be the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Companies that have announced vehicle development programmes include Porsche, Peugeot, Audi, and Toyota – all veterans of the WEC with championship victories at different periods in time.
Following a period of study and analysis, Ferrari confirmed its participation and has started a development programme for an all-new LMH car. It is known that there is already a design and simulations have been run in recent weeks.
The time-frame for building running prototypes has not been mentioned, nor the name of the car and the drivers who will make up the official crews.
While Ferraris are regularly seen racing at Le Mans, it has been almost 50 years since the factory’s last official participation in the premier class of the World Sports Car Championship. It has a respectable record in closed-wheel competition with 24 world titles (most recently in 2017) and 36 victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“In over 70 years of racing, on tracks all over the world, we led our closed-wheel cars to victory by exploring cutting-edge technological solutions: innovations that arise from the track and make every road car produced in Maranello extraordinary. With the new Le Mans Hypercar programme, Ferrari once again asserts its sporting commitment and determination to be a protagonist in the major global motorsport events,” said Ferrari President, John Elkann.
Overview of the Le Mans Hypercar class
The LMH ruleset represents a major shift in philosophy compared with the LMP1 class it is replacing. It allows for a greater variety both in terms of technical approaches as well as the aesthetics of the cars, at the same time ensuring sporting equality and preventing cost escalation through the concept of ‘performance windows’.
Technical Regulations are focused on controlling performance outcome, instead of setting design or geometrical restrictions, allowing manufacturers to choose cost-effective solutions as significant expenditures will not bring performance gains.
The autonomy also allows them not only to replicate brand identity and genuine architecture, maintaining the spirit of the brand and remaining relevant to their road car philosophy, but also to express true potential in terms of creativity and innovation. Less rigid aerodynamic constraints established for the cars give them the option to incorporate styling elements to the design.
Similarly to the LMP1 class, both hybrid or non-hybrid power units with transmission to either rear or both axles are allowed.
As avoiding cost escalation is one of the key targets behind the LMH concept, several other cost-saving measures have been undertaken. With the 2021 season being the first one in the LMH homologation cycle, testing is supervised. The use of expensive materials and technology is greatly limited. The minimum weight for gearbox is set at 75 kgs, with the use of magnesium or aluminium casing and bellhousing mandatory.
The suspension is also simplified, with a double-wishbone design compulsory and aids such as active systems and mass dampers forbidden. There is also a single aero kit permitted, without the distinction for Le Mans and the other races.
In order to avoid development costs, the tyres are exclusively supplied by Michelin with different dimensions dedicated to rear and 4-wheel-drive cars. Furthermore, lower power output results in lower power unit development costs.
“Le Mans Hypercar should please both manufactures and fans, resulting in spectacular cars and high level of competition. We’ll see greater variety across the competitors while the more cost-effective regulatory approach is something much needed in the current economic climate,” said Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President.
Apart from its greater involvement in Formula 1 this year with a team bearing its name, Aston Martin will also be no less active in international GT racing season. In fact, 2021 marks a new chapter in the history of Aston Martin Racing (AMR) as it engages the full weight of its world championship-winning experience and pedigree on its Vantage GT customer programmes.
Aston Martin aims to build on the 26 titles the car delivered in 2020, with an extensive and wide-ranging race programme that spans the full spectrum of the GT racing ecosystem. An ever-expanding number of partner Vantage GT3 and GT4 teams are poised to contest more than 20 major international series globally this season, and they do so with access to an unprecedented level of support from the factory.
A significant number of engineers and technicians responsible for winning the 2019/20 GT FIA World Endurance Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ championship titles have been deployed to assist key partners, including those participating in the Asian Le Mans Series in Dubai.
Strategic and engineering support hub
Moreover, in a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has necessarily restricted international travel, AMR has moved to minimise this disruption for its teams by creating a strategic and engineering support hub, operated in real-time out ofAston Martin Racing’s headquarters in England.
“We are still able to fully support our customers, wherever they are racing in the world,” said AMR Head of Performance, Gustavo Beteli, “as was the case in Daytona recently. In many of these cases, we are using the remote-support hub, where we are able to collect live data from the cars, timing and keep a direct link with the teams to be able to provide the best service and guidance possible.”
Works drivers available for teams
Partner teams will also be able to call on the use of an extensive and decorated list of works drivers to support their line-ups in 2021, if required. While the US endurance racing season may have already begun with the Rolex 24, the 2-round, 4-race Asian Le Mans Series provides another starting gun for the international calendar.
The opening double-header, at the Dubai Autodrome this weekend, features no less than 5 examples of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 – a car which shares the same design principals and philosophy as the world championship-winning GTE and is in contention for its first Asian LMS title, thanks to several strong team and driver line-ups.
Aston Martin Racing has a long background of winning races and can offer its world championship-winning experience and pedigree to its Vantage GT customers.
David King, President of Aston Martin Racing, said: “The exceptionally strong Asian Le Mans Series entry is a clear message of intent from Aston Martin Racing and defines our objectives for 2021. This year is about our partners and their continued success, and through them we intend to demonstrate why Vantage is an excellent platform to build an international GT campaign on. From WEC and IMSA, through the full spectrum of international and domestic GT3 and GT4 series, we expect to see Aston Martins racing and winning. Our clear aim is to build on the excellent tally of 26 championships titles in 2020.”
Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) will enter its ninth season in World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a brand new racing car – the GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar. The reigning World Champions and 3-time Le Mans winners will defend those titles in the 2021 championship against new manufacturer competitors using a racing version of the upcoming hypercar road car.
The GR010 HYBRID is a prototype racer developed over the last 18 months in partnership by engineers at TGR’s headquarters in Germany, and the electric hybrid powertrain experts at Higashi-Fuji in Japan. It confirmed to regulations that herald a new era in WEC competition.
The GR010 HYBRID incorporates a 4-wheel drive racing hybrid powertrain, with a 3.5-litre V6 twin turbocharged petrol engine. The electrified powertrain generates 680 ps to the rear wheels, together with a 272 ps motor generator unit on the front axle. Total output is capped at 500 kW (680 ps), meaning the sophisticated electronics reduce engine power according to the amount of hybrid boost deployed.
The GR Super Sport hypercar which made its public debut last year.
The appearance of the racing prototype has been inspired by the GR Super Sport hypercar which made its public debut during a demonstration run and ceremonial trophy return at the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours and is currently in development. To mark this new era for TGR, a new livery includes the iconic GR lettering to indicate the strong link between race and road cars.
As part of a cost-cutting initiative incorporated in the regulations, the new GR010 HYBRID is 162 kgs heavier and with 32% less power than its TS050 HYBRID predecessor. It also has bigger dimensions – 250 mm longer, 100 mm wider and 100 mm higher. The implication of this is that Le Mans lap times are expected to be around 10 seconds slower.
For the first time since the beginning of its WEC project, TGR will participate without a rear motor generator unit (MGU), with the single permitted MGU located on the front axle. This means a starter motor must be fitted on the GR010 HYBRID while fully hydraulic rear brakes are also required.
The racing car’s aerodynamics, optimized for efficiency, have been developed using powerful Computational Fluid Dynamics software and extensive wind tunnel testing. The new technical regulations permit only a single homologated bodywork package, with only one adjustable aerodynamic device. The GR010 HYBRID will therefore compete in the same specification at both low and high downforce circuits, with an adjustable rear wing modifying the aerodynamic characteristics.
For the first time too, the top class of WEC and Le Mans will feature a balance of performance, meaning organisers will modify the performance of each car on a race-by-race basis, regulating energy usage and weight, targeting identical performance potential from each Le Mans Hypercar. That should ensure close racing between TGR and its hypercar competitors Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and ByKolles Racing, as well as Alpine, which will present an additional challenge with its LMP1 car.
The TGR Team is reigning WEC Champion and 3-time Le Mans winner.
The championship will be fought over 6 races on three continents, beginning with the 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 19, followed by the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 1. The traditional season highlight – the Le Mans 24 Hours – will take place on 12-13 June. The first World Championship endurance race in Monza since 1992 takes place on July 18 before trips to Fuji Speedway (September 26) and Bahrain (November 20), all of which are 6-hour races.
