In the 2024 season, Le Mans (France), Fuji (Japan) and six other races will be contested in eight countries.

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is a world endurance racing championship run by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and the races are contested in a format where prototype cars and GT cars run together. The current WEC was launched in 2012, and 2024 marks its 12th season.

In the Hypercar class competed by cars build around an LMH chassis, 2024 marks the second year since LMDh specification cars are also allowed to compete. In addition to the car makes that have been competing in the Hypercar class since last year, including Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, and Porsche, new makers such as BMW, Lamborghini, Isotta Fraschini and Alpine will be entering this season. This season, 19 cars will be competing in the class from nine season-entry manufacturers. As for the LMP2 class, it has been eliminated except for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and replaced by the LMGT3 class, which is competed by FIA GT3 cars that have become the international standard replacing the LMGTE am class. The 2024 WEC will be competed is two classes, the Prototype and GT classes. A total of eight races will be held this year, with the race in Portugal withdrawing to be replaces by new races in Qatar and Brazil. As for the Sporting Regulations, large-scale revisions have been adopted for the Qualifying format and there will be a Virtual Safety Car procedure introduced.

The Championship and its Titles

The regulations state that each race must be at least six hours long, and the longest race of the season is the 24 hour race at Le Mans. The 2024 WEC series will be contested in two classes: Hypercar class that TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will compete in and the LMGT3 class, with one Cup for each class. And as shown below, the number of championship points awarded will be different depending on the length of each race. The manufacturers (carmakers) competing in the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Championship can enter up to two cars. The Competition Rules stipulate that manufacturers entering more than two cars must compete in the FIA World Cup Hypercar Team Division. For the LMGT3 class, each maker is limited to entering up to two cars.

FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers Championship
FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturer’s Championship
FIA World Cup Hypercar Team Division
FIA Endurance Trophy LMGT3 Drivers Division
FIA Endurance Trophy LMGT3 Team Division

Drivers

A maximum of three drivers per car is allowed in each class. According to the FIA Driver Classification Regulations, drivers are classified into four categories based on their performance: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, and the possible line-ups of a team’s drivers from these ranks are designated for each class.

Qualifying

For 2024 the Qualifying format has undergone a major change by which the HyperPole format that had formerly been used only at the 24 hours of Le Mans will now be used in all WEC races. For the LMH and LMGT3 classes there will now be a 12-minute qualifying session, from which the top 10 finishers will move on the 10-minute HyperPole to determine the top ten positions on the starting grid.

Virtual Safety Car

This is a procedure that can be called into use when an accident occurs and the Race Director determines it necessary. When the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) is called, a signal will appear on a monitor in all the participating cars, and in response to it, all drivers must slow to a speed of 80 km/h and stay in line while maintaining the distance between the cars for two laps until the Safety Car (SC) comes onto the track. During the VSC it is possible to access the pit lane.

Tires

The Hypercar class and LMGT3 class both adopt one-make systems with a single designated supplier, Michelin or Goodyear respectively, will exclusively supply the tires for all cars in these classes.

Classes and participation car specifications

The WEC is competed in two classes, Hypercar and LMGT3. The LMP2 class has been eliminated from WEC as of 2023, but teams can continue to enter the 24 hours of Le Mans with LMP2 cars in its retained LMP2 class. Hypercar is the pinnacle class, and this is the class that the TOYOTA GR010 HYBRID competes in. Also, LMH vehicles and LMDh vehicles will be able to participate in the Hypercar class. As for GT cars, they must now compete in the LMGT3 class, due to the termination of the LMGTE Am class.

This is the pinnacle class of the WEC. In it, LMH and LMDh cars can also participate. The combined maximum output of the engine + hybrid system is limited to 520 kW. Performance Adjustment (BoP) is applied. All cars must be equipped with a driveshaft torque sensor and the BoP output will be constantly monitored by FIA/ACO. There are no limits concerning driver classification, but Bronze class drivers are not allowed to participate. The base color of the race number is red. The tires are one-make Michelin tires.

Le Mans Hypercar(LMH)

Cars that comply with the LMH technical regulations of the FIA and ACO are defined as prototype cars and can compete in Hypercar races run on public roads. Hypercars have a closed body, an overall length of less than 5,000 mm, an overall width of 2,000 mm or less, an overall height of 1,150 mm or more, excluding any antennas, and they have a minimum vehicle weight of 1,030 kg. There are no limits on engine displacement, number of cylinders, etc., and the adoption of a hybrid system is also permitted, and when a hybrid system is adopted, 4-wheel drive is also permitted.

Le Mans Daytona h(LMDh)

These are cars complying with the LMDh technical specifications of IMSA and ACO. While LMH cars can be designed and manufactured by the different car manufacturers, LMDh must be constructed around a chassis manufactured by one of the four companies, Oreca, Dallara, Ligier, and Multimatec, and they are required to be equipped with a standard hybrid system (consisting of a Bosch motor unit, Williams Advanced Engineering battery and an X-Truck gearbox). They have a closed body with an overall length of less than 5,100 mm, an overall width of 2,000 mm or less, an overall height of 1,150 mm or more, an overall height of 1,060 mm or more from the reference surface, excluding any antennas, and a minimum vehicle weight of 1,030 kg.

Le Mans Grand Touring Three(LMGT3)

The LMGT3 class is competed by cars based on the FIA GT3 cars that have become the international standard, but the technical regulations also dictate that they must also adopt WEC-exclusive equipment like a driveshaft torque sensor and a leader light panel, etc. Performance Adjustment (BoP) is applied. As with the LMGTE Am class until 2023, a great deal of focus is placed privateer teams and amateur “gentlemen drivers.” Concerning driver classification, at least one Bronze class driver must be included. Also, for cars entering the championship, a Success Ballast (weight) system is applied, except for the 24 hours of Le Mans. The base color of the race number is orange. The tires are one-make Goodyear tires.

RACES