New LMP2 Regs Delayed Until 2028

Photo: Javier Jimenez/DPPI

The new LMP2 regulations have been delayed a further two years to 2028, officials from the ACO confirmed on Friday during its annual press conference at Le Mans.

It marks the third delay for the new regulations that were originally due out in 2024, before initially facing a one-year delay before a further year added to the current formula, announced at the end of 2022.

Current LMP2 cars will continue to be eligible in the European and Asian Le Mans Series, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the latter series which has currently confirmed eligibility through the end of the 2025 season.

The move, according to the ACO, was made due to the “ongoing popularity” of the class.

Last year, Gibson Technology was announced as the spec powerplant supplier for the next-gen rules through at least 2030, while it’s understood that LMDh constructors ORECA, Dallara, Multimatic and Ligier will be eligible to build cars.

It will, however, come with a downsized engine and reduced weight compared to the current formula.

LMP2 team owners and constructors have been left with mixed views over the latest delay.

“I can see on both decisions there’s positives and negatives,” United Autosports CEO Richard Dean told Sportscar365.

“This decision to extend the [current] car takes the pressure off financially, in particular ourselves, who are one of the few teams that have European Le Mans and IMSA [programs].

“It’s a big investment to [make] a wholesale change of cars to go straight back at that level. We’ve got six cars at the moment.

“Despite the popular opinion that racing teams are making pots of money, there’s not that sort of money sat there.

“We have work to do if we’ve got to buy new cars, in figuring out how we fund that. It’s nice to have that pressure taken away.

“But on the other side, it would be an interesting new technical challenge with a new car. I think we’re well-equipped to probably extract performance out of a new car.

“I would have gone with either decision and had figured out a solution. It is what it is. I understand why they’ve done it.”

TF Sport team principal Tom Ferrier, meanwhile, said there’s many different opinions on the current matter.

“I think a lot of the current teams are going on the approach of ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,'” Ferrier told Sportscar365.

“The cars are great, and everybody’s got all their kit, the racing’s really good and the performance is good in the car.

“Do we need a brand new car? On the flip side, a new car has got to come somewhere. So we’re all going to have to bite the bullet at some point, as well.

“To be honest, I’m a little bit on the fence with it. I’ll do as I’m told, almost.”

Dallara is understood to have been one of the chassis constructors that had been in favor of the introduction of the new regulations sooner, owing to the fact that the current is nearly completely made up ORECA machinery.

“We made our position very clear, all along,” Dallara’s Max Angelelli told Sportscar365. “No. 1, we support the committee. We support all of the technical work we did. We support the ACO and FIA.

“We wanted the [new] LMP2 [regulations] to be confirmed. They decided to [delay them again].

“We respect their decision. The racing fight will be postponed but there will be a racing fight. Whatever it now is, we feel like we lost an opportunity to compete because we love the competition.

“We want to compete.”

Davey Euwema contributed to this report

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