LMP1 Regulations Freeze Confirmed Through 2019

Photo: Porsche

The current LMP1 ruleset have been extended for two additional years, following the WEC’s decision to freeze the technical regulations through the end of the 2019 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

The announcement came Sunday in Bahrain, on the day after Audi’s final race in LMP1 competition.

The FIA and ACO announced in June plans to adopt new LMP1 regulations for 2018, featuring a third hybrid system and expansion to a fifth hybrid subclass of 10MJ, as well as a revised seating position and other safety improvements.

It’s understood both Toyota and Porsche agreed to the regulations freeze, in principle, over the Bahrain weekend, in the hopes of attracting new manufacturers in the short-term.

The commitments made by the LMP1 hybrid manufacturers will be put before the FIA World Council meeting in two weeks for final approval.

“It’s clear that we if we want to attract newcomers, to have a baseline car with three ERS is very complex,” Toyota’s Pascal Vasselon told Sportscar365 on Friday, prior to the announcement.

“That’s stating the obvious: three ERS systems is quite ambitious and for a newcomer it may be a bit frightening.”

Porsche LMP1 team principal Andreas Seidl added: “Our personal preference is to attract a manufacturer but at the same time to keep this level of high technology in the WEC because that’s one of the main reasons why we’re in this business.

“This is something we definitely should not give up. But this is also not a topic because this series is also attractive because we have this top class.”

Both manufacturers were understood to have already been working on 2018 cars.

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