Sportscar racing is in a very good place. Thanks to some cooperation between Europe’s ACO and America’s IMSA governing bodies; and the sister technical regulations born of that cooperation, we now have Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Cadillac, Acura, Glickenhaus, Toyota and Peugeot competing at the highest level of international sportscar racing.
Before this convergence, top-flight sportscar racing was in crisis and a shell of its former self. Yes, the GT classes looked after themselves and will always be competitive and popular, but the number of entries in the top level prototype classes, particularly in the World Endurance Championship’s LMP1 (as it was known) category, were scant.
But now the discipline has recovered, and with other manufacturers including Lamborghini and Alpine set to introduce their own cars in the hopes of winning the big prize: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Despite this, there is still a feeling that the top class cars are under threat. The threat does not lie in the form of a last-minute change to regulations or any other external pressure, but from within. The biggest threat to the top flight endurance racers; the GTP class in America, and LMDh/LMH class in the World Endurance Championship is from the class immediately below them: LMP2.
LMP2 has been a stalwart in contemporary endurance racing and the category has always produced good racing due to teams being limited to spec chassis and prevented from developing their cars independently. The price of an LMP2 car is significantly less than a GTP/LMDh/LMH making the category an easier point of entry for teams, and due to reduced scope for development it really is only the best teams that claim victory.
If we roll back the clock a few years to 2017 there was a huge difference between LMP1 and LMP2. LMP1s were massively expensive, 1000bhp technological tour de forces, and LMP2s helped to pad out the prototype field. This difference in pace was massive; around Silverstone an LMP1 would be clocking a 1:40 lap time, and the LMP2s were around six seconds slower.
Now, the difference is far less. In an effort to cut costs for top flight sportscar racing, budget caps and spec parts have been introduced. GTP/LMDh/LMH cars are limited to around 700bhp and even the lightest car on the grid weighs over 1000kg. In comparison LMP2 cars have around 560bhp, but are lighter with a minimum weight of 900kg. At the 2023 Daytona 24 Hours, the difference in fastest laps between a GTP and LMP2 car was four seconds which makes sense on a horsepower-heavy circuit such as Daytona, but at Sebring – a far more technical circuit – the difference in lap time is just over two seconds.
When you factor in slower traffic; variable weather conditions; unexpected safety cars and yellow flag periods, and the other perils of endurance racing, there is a real risk of an LMP2 car taking an overall victory somewhere. Whilst the increased depth of field of the top class cars will help to minimise that risk, the risk still exists, and whilst there is a sort of base thrill when a car that isn’t in the top class takes an overall victory, if LMP2s are consistently in with a chance of overall victory then something needs to change.
Simply put: GTP/LMDh/LMH cars need to have more horsepower. A bump of 150 to 200 horsepower would ensure the cars of this class would simply disappear from LMP2s on any circuit on the calendar. It would also reintroduce an era of seriously fast racing cars, that reach top speeds that are once again inspiring. For too long, top flight endurance racers have barely squeaked passed 200mph even at their fastest circuits. The increased downforce required to make the cars fast in the twisties is partially to blame, but with the less complex bodywork that the latest regulations enforce and an additional 150 or 200 horsepower, we could once again see top-flight endurance racers approach and pass speeds of 220mph. Higher horsepower would also make passing slower cars safer and it would certainly put LMP2s back in their place.
Perhaps LMP2s will come close to taking a few too many victories and the regulations will change to allow more horsepower and higher top speeds: let’s hope so.
Kerbside 