LMP1 Performance Cuts Confirmed for 2016

Photo: Audi

LMP1 cars will face a reduction in performance, fuel capacity and increase in minimum weight in next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship, following the release of the 2016 technical regulations.

As previously announced, all hybrid-powered cars will have a 10MJ reduction of fuel per lap of Le Mans, which has translated to roughly a 7 percent decrease in fuel allowance in the FIA’s latest Equivalence of Technology that was confirmed following this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A 300kW limit of released hybrid power, meanwhile, has also been imposed for all FIA Grade 2 tracks, which only impacts Le Mans.

Additionally, gasoline-powered hybrid LMP1 cars will have a 4.9-liter reduction in fuel capacity, with the diesel-powered Audi R18 having 3.8-liter cut in capacity for 2016.

While no performance or fuel capacity changes have been made to the non-hybrids, all LMP1 cars will have a 5kg increase in minimum weight, to account for the installation of new headrests that will become mandatory next year.

Other safety-related changes for LMP1 cars include larger wheel arch cutouts, aimed to help prevent airborne accidents.

The FIA has also confirmed the technical regulations for LMP2, GTE-Pro and GTE-Am, the former two sets of regs also being enforced the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year.

No major changes have been made to P2 cars, while the new-for-2016 GTE regulations sees the introduction of performance windows, in balancing the baselines for each car in the production-based class.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John