The FIA World Endurance Championship has confirmed it will not feature the LMP2 class at any rounds other than the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year.
The news, which was expected, will see the championship drop down to 2 classes — Hypercar and LMGT3. LMP2 will continue to be featured at the Le Mans 24 Hours, with a possible 15 car limit.
While WEC CEO Frederic Lequien would not confirm the amount of Hypercars expected for 2024, he did confirm the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class, replacing GTE, will feature a 2-car manufacturer limit.
This will see each GT3 manufacturer limited to 2 cars each in the championship. However, contrary to rumours in recent months, the class will not be limited to manufacturers competing in the Hypercar class, with the manufacturer selection “open” according to Lequien, rather than giving priority to Hypercar manufacturers.
“It’s through the selection committee, but I think that when you are Hypercar manufacturer, I do not see how it’s possible to refuse the entry for a GT3,” said the Frenchman.
When asked why the ‘priority’ for Hypercar manufacturers in LMGT3 idea had been abandoned, he said, “One of the strengths of the championship is to have diversity and different car manufacturers. So the question is, number of places available on the grid. If we had enough places, I would say that we would be happy to welcome all the GT3 manufacturers. At the moment, they all want to come.”
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