The LMP2 class in the FIA World Endurance Championship is set to get some tweaks for the 2020/21 season, adapting it for the arrival of the new Le Mans Hypercar class.
These tweaks include both a reduction in power, as well as the return to a single tyre manufacturer.
A statement released by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest read: "To facilitate on-track cohabitation LMP2 will have a single tyre supplier and engine power will be reduced by 30kW as of next season. These measures will help keep costs under control."
LMP2 cars produce roughly 600 horsepower under current rules. Since the performance of the new Le Mans Hypercars is closer to LMP2 levels than LMP1, changes were necessary to ensure the performance and lap times of the two classes would not overlap.
30kW translates to a power reduction of roughly 40 horsepower, bringing the cars back to 560 horsepower. These rules would likely also be introduced into the European Le Mans Series. It is not yet clear if the Asian Le Mans Series or the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship would also be affected by these changes.
The changes to the tyre regulations will meanwhile mark an end to the tyre war in the LMP2 category, which is now the only class to have two tyre manufacturers in Michelin and Goodyear.
Michelin already exclusively supplies LMP1, GTE Pro and GTE Am, and has been confirmed as the official supplier for the Hypercar class, but the official tyre for LMP2 under these new rules is yet to be confirmed.
