The FIA World Endurance Championship will be adding a new prize in the LMP2 category for the 2019/20 season.
Starting this season, the championship will be awarding a prize to the highest classified bronze-rated driver. The top three regular podium finishers will be joined by the top bronze driver, but not the rest of his team.
Racing Team Nederland, High Class Racing, Cetilar Racing and Cool Racing all have a bronze-rated driver in their line-up, which means that half of the LMP2 field will be eligible for this new prize. The eligible drivers are Frits van Eerd, Mark Patterson, Roberto Lacorte and Alexandre Coigny.
LMP2 teams in the WEC have the freedom to run either a silver or a bronze-rated driver as part, which explains why only four out of eight teams are eligible for this prize. Signatech Alpine Elf, Jackie Chan DC Racing, JOTA Sport and United Autosports do not have a bronze-rated driver in their 2019/20 line-up, which means they are not eligible for the prize.
The 4 Hours of Shanghai will only have three drivers competing for the new prize, as Van Eerd will be sitting out the round and will be replaced by silver-rated Job van Uitert.
The new prize is believed to be a response to the fact that a bronze-rated driver only appeared on the podium once during the 2018/19 Super Season, when TDS Racing's Francois Perrodo came third during last May's 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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