Short answer: yes Longer answer: Hypercar has already surpassed the peak of LMP1 (usually considered to be 2015/2016) and is already rivaling group c (C1 class) in terms of manufacturers and grid sizes. This year has 19 full season Hypercars on the grid, which is almost equal to the amount of cars that F1 has at the current moment and is more than the LMP1 class could ever manage in the WEC era.
Counterpoint: LMH ruleset has already killed 2 teams in 3 years. One of which was moderately successful. The majority of the players are coming from the LMDh ruleset, which is a product of IMSA. Those cars came in last year thanks to IMSA also starting GTP this year. I would say LMH has not been successful as it has yet to match the team strength of LMP1, despite reducing costs significantly. I would say GTP is successful, and is carrying the via its ruleset. If it wasn't for GTP, Hypercar would be a 3 manufacturer race with only 1 in it because they can't spend the money on formula 1.
To recap: Toyota: LMH Ferrari: LMH Peugeot: LMH Glickenhaus: LMH (dead) Bykolles: LMH (dead) Isotta: LMH Caddilac: LMDh Porsche: LMDh BMW: LMDh Alpine: LMDh Lamborghini: LMDh Acura: LMDh Only one of the LMDh's isn't in IMSA, and that brand admitted it couldn't afford the LMH development budget. Which is already balanced out by the fact that GTP has acura, which isn't in WEC because of Acura being a N America brand, and hondas irrational fear of it being called a honda internationally devaluing the acura brand. Note 3 of those LMH's are by privateers who already invested into LMH before LMH/LMDh convergence was a thing and would have most likely gone the LMDh route if they could have.
@@asymsolutions a) It “killed” 1 team, that being Glickenhaus, the Vanwall is still very well up and running. The team didn’t make the entry list because they needed to re-homologate the car, the team could very well show up at Spa and Le Mans if room is available. Vanwall was also denied because of the legal stuff and the WEC would rather take a 3rd Ferrari than a Kolles operation. Glickenhaus only pulled out because they’re an extremely small operation, not to mention the manufacturer themselves don’t sell enough cars to have a stable cashflow. The class itself didn’t kill Glickenhaus, but the team not having enough income and money to begin with did. LMH and LMDh are the regs, just LMDh uses a next gen LMP2 chassis as a base while LMH lets teams have their own designs as long as they fit within the regulations, eg. Minimum drag coefficient and maximum downforce coefficient. The LMH ruleset is definitely working and is doing much better than LMP1 did. LMDh mainly has more cars because it’s ~3 million USD cheaper to build than an LMH. Overall the hypercar class is doing very well, since the class has BOTH LMH and LMDh regulations within the class itself. LMH has already nearly matched LMP1’s peak (2015/2016) within 4 years of the class being alive.
Been a race fan since 1970. I've watched them all: Trans-Am , Can-Am, IMSA classes, Indy Cars, NASCAR, and endurance prototypes. Hypercar is the most competitive and exciting racing I have ever watched in 50 years. Long live Hypercar!.
Dreaming back to the 1980s and 1990s, the golden era of group c. Many manufacturers participated in the 24h Le Mans. Looking forward to this year’s WEC Qatar 1812km race.
4:45 really good that you mention this. It's something that people crying about "toyota having better bop" don't realise. Balance of performance does not mean balance of experience, and toyota obviously has more than the rest
2023 IMSA and WEC seasons were stand-outs; fantastic to watch. However, imo, Hypercar has some growing-up to do. Toyota dominated 2023 largely due to their experience; that can't be argued. But no one can deny that their pace was suspiciously fast compared to the rest of the class. This was especially noticeable at Bahrain where they were easily passing their peers on the straights. Mike Conway recovered from his turn 1 mishap in ~45minutes, and the leading Toyota gained 15 seconds on 2nd place in 14 laps. Whatever was happening there didn't produce good racing; even the race announcers had trouble contextualizing the obvious difference in pace there. The best racing this season for Hypercar was, imo, at Le Mans and at any track when it was raining, although Sebring was exciting as the first race of the season.(And thst track is just wild to begin with!) The best racing was in LMP2, with GT being close behind, in my opinion. Next year, however, I have a feeling Hypercar will be better balanced, and there will be some great stories unfolding. Can't wait to watch!
I think that the general motorsports field needs to be taken into consideration as to why endurance racing is experiencing such a big boom. The discontent with F1 and F1 turning more into tribal warfare than I’ve seen in the last 33 years, with the overall quality of F1 drivers going down (mind you, Verstappen Hamilton and the likes are once in a lifetime talents but you had flukes like Mazepin stink up the joint for everyone). Le Mans having a big anniversary and the garage 56 entry brought the eyes of the casuals onto the scene, as did Peugeot’s wingless prototype getting a LEGO car. Videogames are also the entry point into Motorsport spectating and discovery for a lot of young fans, and the Forza series among others has done a great job showcasing the new prototypes along with the GT3 entries. If we’re looking at WEC, let’s be honest, Toyota wins all the time. Sure, Ferrari won LeMans but the season pace and experience of Toyota has felt nothing short of unfair. But if you’re into IMSA, every race felt like new grounds and we truly feel like we’re knee deep in a pioneer era. And yeah, as you mentioned having so many manufacturers just makes the grid feel like business is booming. Cars aren’t as fast as DPis but nobody’s going to tell that to the new fans and we have plenty more development time ahead of us. There will always be a barrier of entry to watching endurance racing, but I’ve personally converted a few people to checking out the new hypercars and just the volume of online discourse over the class has grown exponentially. Not to mention the fact that we’re mostly surrounded by a lot of hopefulness and positivity. Greta is trying to take away our cars and we’re doing our best to hold on to what we have, so we’re all in it together.
When the cost of entering is at a reasonable budget, it's almost always going to attract attention from keen racing manufacturers. Yes the cars aren't as fast as the lmp era, but the reality of most manufacturers just not having the funds to develop a winning formula, let alone a car at all is the main reason why this new regulated category will be soo successful. This era of world sports cars will be truly awesome. Talking about Toyota's dominance up until now, it's obvious that when you have been in the sport for so long you can build/establish such a well oiled car/team. If all teams were coming in new, then it would he a different story. 2024 and onwards should bring some of the most competitive top tier racing that we will have seen in years if not ever. I'm definitely looking forward to it. Avid Peugeot enthusiast 💚 🦁
Toyota ain't gonna let this slide that's for sure, especially after the #7 car get involved in a DNF inducing crash with the #66 488 GTE and #45 Alpine during the night and #8 car gets spun out during the last few hours during a battle for 1st with the #51 Ferrari
Well the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans was one of the most interesting races that I’ve got to watch. Especially with all of the diverse manufacturers battling each other out for the lead. I mean sure it’s always been like that, but this was on a different level than I haven’t experienced in a long time. So to make a long story short, yeah I think that Hypercar was a success and will hopefully continue to do so until it’s era comes to a close. Even if this means that I’ll have to stop calling them “LMP1” cars for awhile. 😅
like everyone else said, Ferrari may won the Le Mans, but the NASCAR car was truly showstopper, and the fact that it achieved something that 1976 car couldn't achieve, that is made it to the finish line helps a lot
I think the main thing that strikes me is that in the golden era of group C the gaps between the teams at somewhere like Le Mans were huge - 10 seconds a lap and maybe more. This era is so much closer and I hope we can see an LmDH car win a race next year. Would love to see one or two more manufacturers commit to the series perhaps Alfa Romeo, Ford or McLaren but this is a hugely exciting era for the sport and I am looking forward to it!
The Hypercars are the same best thing to happen for the WEC. Cheaper, but just as good, if not better for racing. Yes, LMP1 were much faster, more downforce, and 30% more power. But: Sooner or later the Hypercars will get even faster, and close the gap. I agree, the fight for overall Victory in its first two seasons were boring, but LMP2 and GTE stepped up and delivered insane battles, which kept us entertained. That's the beauty of Endurance Racing. If one category is predictable, there's at least one other race going on. And I'm also exited for the buffed GT3s. Looking at the new Corvette for example, that thing looks evil. I think that's something many don't know, but the LM GT3s are not regular GT3s, they are buffed up and have some Upgrades compared to the regular GT3s in DTM for example. Don't expect GTE laptimes, but I'm convinced, the quality of racing will be the same. These are exciting times in WEC.
There's no doubt that the FIA, ACO, WEC, and IMSA nailed the LMDH and LMH regulations. In the WEC, it's a matter of who can topple Toyota for this curent era to truly kick off, or else you'll have manufacturers question their involvement and leave. 2024 is a big year for the WEC and let's all hope it delivers
I think it has to be considered a success and it will probably only get better in the next few years. The only down side I can see is the loss of the LMP2 class
I expected, as you, this new regulation would offer a brighter future to endurance And when WEC/IMSA annonced to work together on that I definetely said "this is gonna so awesome" But NEVER in my life I would have expect this grid to become huge over the years... My head's in the clouds when I think about it My only wish is that this golden age keeps going as long as possible for us fans of racing
What i love the most apart from the points you mentioned is the looks. After so many years i can see genuine personality and unique chracter in every single car, i think that is important for the fans, the kids and newcomers to endurance racing
Been a long time f1 fan and only got into endurance racing last year but I think we can all agree that Le Mans 2023 alone was more interesting than the entire f1 season. Needless to say of series like IMSA that has had me off the edge of my seat numerous times. F1 for the past 10 years or so has just been new rules come in one team gets it right and they dominate for a few years until the cycle repeats. With endurance racing theres always something going on due to the multi-class format. Add double or sometimes even triple the amount cars that F1 has to the mix and you get constant entertainment from start to finish.
Race is going to be more interesting as more manufacturers means more competition and more competition means more fun and seeing excitement among racing fans .
In terms of bring Manufacturers: Yes,and I hope more manufacturers come in,and IF any manufacturers left,at least give to the customers,not left entirely (although this one is more likely for LMDh) In terms of competition: Absolutely yes,but in IMSA. For WEC however I still gonna see this year how it went
I personally hope that this will finally become a stable class that will rivale F1. As long as the regulations evolve to keep the class relevant with the manufacturers’ development interests, this can be achieved. They have also positioned themselves in a very interesting situation where we could eventually see ICE, hybrids and BEV contestants battling for victory. Long live Hypercar.
Having a manufacturer other than Toyota in the top class is already a success. Also the fact their were 3 different cars on the podium at Le Mans, and top class with 16 cars at Le Mans last year and 19 cars and 9 different manufacturers for the full season this year with a possibility of 23 at Le Mans this year (if Caddy and Lambo request a 2nd and Porsches request for a 3rd is allowed). Also Le Mans and the subsequent rounds showed that the BoP equation is getting better and better but also proves that teams do still male a difference when it comes to the knowledge of the cars, which should never go away.
Toyota finished Fuji with a 50+ second lead and lapped all competitors at Bahrain, post Le Mans races proved that LMH and LMDh CAN be balanced as we saw Ferrari and Porsche genuinely fighting but that Toyota is nowhere near balanced
@jaiganticpooey3012 While Toyota were far ahead, they didn't lap everyone at Bahrain the 51 Ferrari and Jota finished 1 minute 40 behind on the lead lap, I don't think the BoP was to blame. BoP is just making all cars maximum potential speed over the race equal and you can't blame Toyota for reaching 99.7% of that pace while everyone else only gets to 99.2% (not accurate numbers). The fact is Toyota is a very well oiled machine having 2 years of experience and has 240+ hours of just racing with GR010 not to mention that apart from Peugeot no other car has actually done any testing or racing at Fuji or Bahrain, so it's no wonder why Toyota were so quick at those races. Look at F1, this year at Miami all cars in qualifying were faster than Charles Leclerc's pole position time from the first race there so even in 1 year the knowledge gained is immense and leads to quicker times in slower cars, harder tyres and shorter DRS zones.
If we define brand participation as "success" one cannot easily disregard that Hypercar has finally gained some traction from 2023 onwards. But calling it "golden era" or comparing it to "successful" eras like Group C or certain LMP or GT periods is a long stretch. Cost reduction at 80% by default means that, all other things being equal, the stakes are lower for the teams. The value is different when one enters a very competitive championship in spite of knowing that he will pay dearly regardless of result, than when one enters a championship but without a major cost impact. This is typical case of easy-come, easy go. One other thing that makes such a comparison not accurate is the BoP. We cannot really talk about a golden era when BoP is there to manipulate the results and prevents the best from winning on pure merit. Especially when this is done with an overnight BoP adjustment prior to LeMan's. In other "golden eras" BoP would be unheard of, the teams were in it because they actually wanted to demonstrate how they would apply their expertise and experience to rub their rivals' noses in the dirt. By default this means one's commitment is much more serious than in a case when someone enters with a low cost and knows that with a decent car he might even have a chance at LeMan's if BoP is favourable enough. We cannot talk about how Ferrari was Fast and Furious at LeMan's or how Porsche rolled in Fuji and pretend that this was not almost purely due to BoP manipulation.
the only reason lmh and lmdh is successful is because of bop. without it the costs would get out of control and the series would go the way of lmp1. just because toyota was slowed down to be on the same level as the others doesn't mean it was "manipulation:" as that is literally how bop is supposed to work. for the nurburging 24 hours porsche had a bop adjustment the night before the race so last minute adjustments aren't uncommon
@@nuztuz903 I don't know how you end up figuring that "". What you describe is the of manipulation, no matter how you try to call it otherwise. Also, in practice BoP does not necessarily mean that costs cannot get out of control. Only a cost-cap can prevent costs getting out of control in a (very) definitive way. So, it is evident that keeping the cost low is not what is primarily on the minds of AFO, BoP is all about result manipulation and cost-reduction is a side-effect that could fade-away as soon as one or more teams start to pour money into their teams to catch-up and surpass Toyota. Second point, I do not know how long you have been watching the WEC, but overnight BoP adjustments uncommon. The regulations foresee that in such an event, teams can be consulted about such an action and that is reasonable, as the timing of the BoP adjustments are pre-scheduled and intermittent adjustments should be justified somehow. In 2023 the AFO decided to enforce the BoP regulations to the limit, i.e the unscheduled adjustment of the BoP and the teams. They enforced a balance that favoured Ferrari and in the following adjustment they overcorrected the balance to make Toyota even more dominant than pre-LeMan's and let Porsche catch up with Ferrari. This is from the side of AFO, especially since in the race in Spa Ferrari had already set a competitive pace against Toyota even with the first BoP adjustment. Finally, if it is true that "the only reason lmh and lmdh is successful is because of bop" then I am correct when I state that the "success" of the current form of the sport cannot really compare with the Group C, LMP1 or GT highs for the simple reason that in those cases Endurance Racing got successful because it attracted many brands to go all-out in order to win rival brands. Today they enter WEC because it is cheap (for the time being) and if they somehow get their way with the people tampering with the BoP they could win LeMan's and get an inversely large piece of publicity compared to the investment they will be required to make. This is not how such an established racing event should work. Endurance Racing has proved time and again that there is plenty of room for underdogs to claim victories on merit and not performance manipulation from AFO.
These top class sports cars can be a long reign as long as they keep the costs down like what caused the downfall of LMP1, GT1 and Group C that came before it.
I think the use of BOP to even out the disparity between LMH and LMDh really helps in the growth and popularity of WEC. The difference in stakeholders mindset also helps in this regard; unlike F1 where each and every competitor will use whatever they can and have to their advantage while vetoing anything that did not serve their interest nor making them uncompetitive (which in turn making others less competitive) turning F1 into a one or two horse race, competitors in LMH and LMDh seems far more willing to give and take between them for the sake of the championship and fairly even competition between them. With BOP everyone starting from the same point despite the differences yet leaving the end relatively open.
There needs to be a separate Hypercar championship, a revival of Imsa GTP "sprint" races. These cars racing all out over a short 300km race would be amazing.
Hypercar is something good and fun but only since this year with more competition for Toyota and i hope they have a difficult year this year not only at le mans but also during the entire season
Definitely yes, not only do we have more manufacturers coming in but we also have more variety in terms of styling, sounds and performance, and overall presence which makes it hard to only just like one but makes you wish that any of them will win but even so we are definitely gonna see a new golden age of Prototype endurance
I think it should reduce the yearly budget more and due away with all car rebalance, just let everyone build their cars within the parameters of the class and may the most efficient win the game.
@@Iangamebr Yeah but if there is a yearly budget and one team is ahead the other teams can't put anymore money in to catch up again. It also kills of all the privateer teams. You would be in a very similar situation.
@@xnotasweatx Yeah but the GT2 do not have the same aerodynamics of the GT3s and I think the power levels in racing nowadays aren't as industry moving as the group C were at their time
@@xnotasweatxBut paradoxally LMP1 gave us the most exciting and beautiful battles. We have more cars but less action. Also changing BoP almost every race is kinda turn off for me. You can't nerf top cars just like that in the middle of a championship it feels like cheating and it is unfair and insulting to all the work done to build the best car.
@@arkeusalexander9054and we also had audi what’s your point i think that they could do something towards faster track times but it’s not worth to force complete freedom when low expenses are what allowed us to have this grid in the first place
Hello, Yes Hypercar is the savour of endurance racing, F1 should be looking over its shoulder as the racing series gets better and better, it is a shame that no one from WEC is not going for Daytona 24 hrs esp from hypercar considering they could
Happy new year FJ! Interesting video, yes I think Hypercar has been a success but I think there is some work to be done balancing LMH with LMDH. I’m hoping the performance gaps between LMP1 and Hypercars can close over time without the costs spiralling out of control.
As a bystander who hasn't watched a single LMDH race, no. It's a Nerf version of LMP1, and has nothing to do with road going 2 seat hypercars like the mfgs and sanctioning body was teasing.
Sure it may be early, but so far lmh/lmdh is being succesful and i think the future looks good. The competion will get better, this year is going to be great and I hope this will last dor long.
Short answer: Yes Long answer: No. Concerns still lie on unfair and unbalanced BOP especially for Toyota bias. Also will cost capping survive or will it end up as Gorup C or LMP1.
@@phildunne7260 Yes I agree but they are tied up with F1 right now, which to me make sense of why they sent Lamborghini instead. Lamborghini is a subsidiary of Audi.
I sincerely believe that to join the 2 regulations both the le mans hypercars (lmh) and the le mans daytona hybrid (lmdh) has been a complete success because without costs as high as those of the lmp1s, teams have had some freedom to create cars with designs that really have brand language and also another important point is It is also very important that there are differences in concepts between cars that is to say each car has its own identity .i also personally feel that hypercar It is the modern version of other regulations that also had great results not only in le mans also in resistance in general as the group c or gt1 I also consider that hypecar has given us the current essence of the resistance but with things that remind us of other great eras, for example group c at the end of the 80s. at that time they competed porsche , jaguar , nissan , toyota , mercedes , madza among others another era that many remember is with the gt1 in the late 90's at that time only in gt1 they competed mclaren, porsche, mercedes, toyota, nissan and panoz but also competed at that time the lmp in that category also competed bmw with the v12 lmr.
It's been a success but I don't think you can reach the highs of old as long as there is a BoP in place. The core idea behind the hypercar class of setting performance caps and allowing the teams to get to said performance in any way they want is cool, but it starts falling apart when you take the cars and meddle with them to get them "even." That just cheapens everything in my eyes, its not fair. I've still had a decently good time just trying not to think about it too hard, but I don't think I can get very passionate about Hypercar knowing that it's getting manipulated. It'll never be Group C. I think F1 got it right with no performance caps, no BoP, but a budget cap to prevent cost spiraling and sliding scale development limits to allow backmarkers to catch up. The effectiveness of these rules I think has been masked by every single team but Red Bull completely failing to get to grips with the ground effect regulations. Red Bull had the advantage in that their lead designer was around for the last ground effect era and is in every respect an expert of experts in ground effect, allowing them to just run away with it all while everyone was left porpoising in the dust. But I think the rise of Aston Martin and McLaren to podium contention above Ferrari and Mercedes shows the potential of the sporting regs, it allowed them to outwit teams that previously could just outspend them, creating close racing between them without any kind of BoP. As ground effect expertise grows in the other teams I believe F1 could see some really good championship battles, all without that manipulated aftertaste of BoP. But I what do I know, could be wrong.
Ferrari is Ferrari and Merc had a really bad year, it shouldn't be too surprising that other teams also got chances to be on the podium. Aston Martin was already on the podium as Racing Point before so I'm not sure it's really the regulations, McLaren also is one of the better funded teams, they shouldn't really have to rely on regs either. While a cost cap solution might seem more "fair" it would kill basically any other series that isn't F1. Red Bull ran away with it with very little competition, if any manufacturer did that in the endurance racing world it wouldn't be worth it to continue. There would be very little hope to catch them, leading to most manufacturers leaving. It would also be very hard for a new manufacturer to find pace without having any experience.
Yes they massively did, just look at the amount of entrants we got, BMW, Alpine, Lamborghini, and the simple fact we got Porsche and Ferrari back should say something, not to mention we got the Peugeot 9x8, probably one of the most unique cars i have seen entered in the sport.
I think this rule set has struck a great balance between keeping costs low while keeping creativity and some innovation. As long as GT3 continues to work, hypercar will work as well. Sports car racing needs bop to survive in order to attract manufacturers. If people want to watch non bop racing they can watch F1. If people want to watch spec racing they can watch IndyCar. This is the perfect compromise.
Seriously looking forward to this new golden age of Le Mans class racing. I hope the new formula 1 regulations for 2025 and onward help bring it out of the funk it’s in rn
I think the Hypercar class has started on the way to success since last year. Since 2023 we have more manufacturers, and that is very good for the class. There are still some things to be worked on. For example, I think the BoP is a working point. But I get why it is difficult, as manufacturers will always try to get the best BoP for them. The grid for 2024 is full, with some races where it's possible to expand with a car or 2. This get me wondering. Aston Martin is set to join in 2025, maybe a 2nd caddy, lambo that is interested in a 2nd lmdh. Then we have the possibility that acura/honda wants to join WEC. McLaren boss Zak Brown how said that it isn't the question of if Mclaren will join, but more when. I see a shortage of space on the grid for all of them. I hope all parties are looking into this to find solutions. I don't wanna see just 1 class, WEC is a multiclass series in my eyes. That's also what makes it so great. Maybe they have to look to see if we can have 2 pitlanes, one for hypercar and one for lmgt3, for some tracks. Or maybe there are other solutions I'm not thinking of. I see a great future for hypercar and I'm excited to see the 2024 season start. This was mine 5 cents on the topic
As Toyota fan i hope they win at least Le Mans in 2024. But i'm rooting for other races to see Penske/Porsche, Cadillac and Peugeot wins or many differente manufacturers victory.
LMH cars are already close to the quality of Group C cars, there's no doubt about that, I also hope that the same fate of cars from group C happens to these LMH cars, that a few are "turned" into road cars, like the Jaguar, that would be cool AF.
No racing will ever be perfect. Fallible humans operate everything from the series/track down to sweeping the floors at team shops. Mistakes will always be made, and the BoP will never make a non spec series race exactly like a spec series. I think the rules set the cars are built under is the best compromise one could possibly hope for, and frankly, I know they aren't as large a budget as F1, but with the relevant technologies and rule book written in a way that there are still BIG differences in design between the cars, WEC AND IMSA are both kicking the crap out of F1 as far as pure racing is concerned. It's quickly become my favorite series in road racing and I personally can't wait to get to Daytona in a couple weeks time for the Rolex 24.
Being the current championship with the most manufacturers involved and maybe in the history of motorsport is for me what resumes its success, after hydrogen which will be added in 2027 where I am a little less optimistic, not all current manufacturers are going to focus on technology, there is only Toyota which has started working, and BMW would be interested.
One the Hydrogen part, it won't be a full takeover right away. From what I have read, it is just going to be a 3rd ruleset alongside LMH and LMDh atleast at the beginning and be able to fight for overall wins.
Yes, the Hypercar class is awesome. But there are two things which annoy me and these are the drag coefficient and the energy usage per stint. These are the deciding factors why the FIA is able to play with the BOP, because the manufacturers aren't able to improve on their potential without being nerved. I think these factors should be dropped, so that the BOP can be set by qualifing pace and the most efficient car is winning the race
The racing in WEC Hypercar is best viewable on the WEC app. But as for content on the Hypercar category, I think here on this channel we cover A LOT of content relevant to these new regulations. New videos come out more then weekly on this type of endurance racing!
I am against the tend, i view it as make it cheap and they will come. From an engineering perspective it is light years behind LMP1. i accept that they had no choice to keep endurance racing alive. As an Aston fan i am excited to see a real Hypercar compete.
its like a GT3 logic applied to prototype, and its worked for grid counts. the real question is, is it legit, as in is it as cool to watch? So far its been ok for me, but still can't hold a candle to peak LMP1 in terms of the technical arms race and on track excitement
Let's look at the big picture here people, on one side of the world, we have the Americans, the French and soon to be the Brits going up against the Germans, Italians and Japanese. Battles will rage on multiple continents and it will be remembered by a major battle in France. The world war of motorsport is about to begin!
I don't understand why everyone says the hypercar class is so amazing. The racing has been shit, with the exception of a few rare battles scattered across the different races. It's a lot better than it was the first two seasons, but it's still not good. The BOP needs to be better, and the WEC needs to learn how to use a safety car to keep the field bunched up. The hype is undeserved in the WEC, IMSA is far better.
No. Most manufacturers are running LMDh regulations, and the chassis configuration is causing uniformity. Balance of performance and uniform vehicles is not making the grade. Peugeot is the only manufacturer doing it right. When the manufacturers build bespoke cars using their unique power plants and styling, WEC will start moving towards legendary status.
@@pmayo7894 That’s what Zales tells Diamond buyers ! Hallmark tells people that about Valentine’s Day. You keep listening to them OK? 👍 Good boy! If the market interest was there they would find a way to accommodate it I’m sure. Logic tell us the interest isn’t there. Its the AOC. Arrogant fancypants racing that knows more than anybody and listens to no one! If the WEC could hold 9 races and make money THEY WOULD. They don’t. Logic!
toyota didint win le mans coz they hit a squirrel on the number 8 and they got hitted by 2 cars in the number 7 car, the BOP is hitting hard the toyota and the LMDH are getting 8 killos les at baharain
Short answer: yes
Longer answer: Hypercar has already surpassed the peak of LMP1 (usually considered to be 2015/2016) and is already rivaling group c (C1 class) in terms of manufacturers and grid sizes. This year has 19 full season Hypercars on the grid, which is almost equal to the amount of cars that F1 has at the current moment and is more than the LMP1 class could ever manage in the WEC era.
Hypercars will become F1s rival and wiþ ðe F1 2026 regulations it will br a close battle
Counterpoint: LMH ruleset has already killed 2 teams in 3 years. One of which was moderately successful.
The majority of the players are coming from the LMDh ruleset, which is a product of IMSA. Those cars came in last year thanks to IMSA also starting GTP this year.
I would say LMH has not been successful as it has yet to match the team strength of LMP1, despite reducing costs significantly.
I would say GTP is successful, and is carrying the via its ruleset. If it wasn't for GTP, Hypercar would be a 3 manufacturer race with only 1 in it because they can't spend the money on formula 1.
To recap:
Toyota: LMH
Ferrari: LMH
Peugeot: LMH
Glickenhaus: LMH (dead)
Bykolles: LMH (dead)
Isotta: LMH
Caddilac: LMDh
Porsche: LMDh
BMW: LMDh
Alpine: LMDh
Lamborghini: LMDh
Acura: LMDh
Only one of the LMDh's isn't in IMSA, and that brand admitted it couldn't afford the LMH development budget.
Which is already balanced out by the fact that GTP has acura, which isn't in WEC because of Acura being a N America brand, and hondas irrational fear of it being called a honda internationally devaluing the acura brand.
Note 3 of those LMH's are by privateers who already invested into LMH before LMH/LMDh convergence was a thing and would have most likely gone the LMDh route if they could have.
@@asymsolutions a) It “killed” 1 team, that being Glickenhaus, the Vanwall is still very well up and running. The team didn’t make the entry list because they needed to re-homologate the car, the team could very well show up at Spa and Le Mans if room is available. Vanwall was also denied because of the legal stuff and the WEC would rather take a 3rd Ferrari than a Kolles operation. Glickenhaus only pulled out because they’re an extremely small operation, not to mention the manufacturer themselves don’t sell enough cars to have a stable cashflow. The class itself didn’t kill Glickenhaus, but the team not having enough income and money to begin with did.
LMH and LMDh are the regs, just LMDh uses a next gen LMP2 chassis as a base while LMH lets teams have their own designs as long as they fit within the regulations, eg. Minimum drag coefficient and maximum downforce coefficient. The LMH ruleset is definitely working and is doing much better than LMP1 did.
LMDh mainly has more cars because it’s ~3 million USD cheaper to build than an LMH. Overall the hypercar class is doing very well, since the class has BOTH LMH and LMDh regulations within the class itself. LMH has already nearly matched LMP1’s peak (2015/2016) within 4 years of the class being alive.
@@asymsolutions *ahem* Aston Martin where? That’s 6/6 since the “Vanwall” is still very well up and running
Been a race fan since 1970. I've watched them all: Trans-Am , Can-Am, IMSA classes, Indy Cars, NASCAR, and endurance prototypes. Hypercar is the most competitive and exciting racing I have ever watched in 50 years. Long live Hypercar!.
Yes, and it will continue to grow amd succeed!
Dreaming back to the 1980s and 1990s, the golden era of group c. Many manufacturers participated in the 24h Le Mans. Looking forward to this year’s WEC Qatar 1812km race.
4:45 really good that you mention this. It's something that people crying about "toyota having better bop" don't realise. Balance of performance does not mean balance of experience, and toyota obviously has more than the rest
2023 IMSA and WEC seasons were stand-outs; fantastic to watch.
However, imo, Hypercar has some growing-up to do. Toyota dominated 2023 largely due to their experience; that can't be argued. But no one can deny that their pace was suspiciously fast compared to the rest of the class. This was especially noticeable at Bahrain where they were easily passing their peers on the straights. Mike Conway recovered from his turn 1 mishap in ~45minutes, and the leading Toyota gained 15 seconds on 2nd place in 14 laps. Whatever was happening there didn't produce good racing; even the race announcers had trouble contextualizing the obvious difference in pace there. The best racing this season for Hypercar was, imo, at Le Mans and at any track when it was raining, although Sebring was exciting as the first race of the season.(And thst track is just wild to begin with!)
The best racing was in LMP2, with GT being close behind, in my opinion.
Next year, however, I have a feeling Hypercar will be better balanced, and there will be some great stories unfolding. Can't wait to watch!
Spa was really cool too. Monza wasn't bad either. Plus don't forget the five diferent manufacturers in the first five positions in Portimao.
I think that the general motorsports field needs to be taken into consideration as to why endurance racing is experiencing such a big boom.
The discontent with F1 and F1 turning more into tribal warfare than I’ve seen in the last 33 years, with the overall quality of F1 drivers going down (mind you, Verstappen Hamilton and the likes are once in a lifetime talents but you had flukes like Mazepin stink up the joint for everyone).
Le Mans having a big anniversary and the garage 56 entry brought the eyes of the casuals onto the scene, as did Peugeot’s wingless prototype getting a LEGO car.
Videogames are also the entry point into Motorsport spectating and discovery for a lot of young fans, and the Forza series among others has done a great job showcasing the new prototypes along with the GT3 entries.
If we’re looking at WEC, let’s be honest, Toyota wins all the time. Sure, Ferrari won LeMans but the season pace and experience of Toyota has felt nothing short of unfair. But if you’re into IMSA, every race felt like new grounds and we truly feel like we’re knee deep in a pioneer era.
And yeah, as you mentioned having so many manufacturers just makes the grid feel like business is booming.
Cars aren’t as fast as DPis but nobody’s going to tell that to the new fans and we have plenty more development time ahead of us.
There will always be a barrier of entry to watching endurance racing, but I’ve personally converted a few people to checking out the new hypercars and just the volume of online discourse over the class has grown exponentially. Not to mention the fact that we’re mostly surrounded by a lot of hopefulness and positivity.
Greta is trying to take away our cars and we’re doing our best to hold on to what we have, so we’re all in it together.
¿Como 33?
The "good old days" are literally now 😍
LMH / LMdH has so far been HUGE success!
When the cost of entering is at a reasonable budget, it's almost always going to attract attention from keen racing manufacturers.
Yes the cars aren't as fast as the lmp era, but the reality of most manufacturers just not having the funds to develop a winning formula, let alone a car at all is the main reason why this new regulated category will be soo successful.
This era of world sports cars will be truly awesome.
Talking about Toyota's dominance up until now, it's obvious that when you have been in the sport for so long you can build/establish such a well oiled car/team.
If all teams were coming in new, then it would he a different story.
2024 and onwards should bring some of the most competitive top tier racing that we will have seen in years if not ever.
I'm definitely looking forward to it.
Avid Peugeot enthusiast 💚 🦁
The Winged 9X8 is coming...
Toyota ain't gonna let this slide that's for sure, especially after the #7 car get involved in a DNF inducing crash with the #66 488 GTE and #45 Alpine during the night and #8 car gets spun out during the last few hours during a battle for 1st with the #51 Ferrari
Vanthoor’s opening stint and Estre’s defense at Fuji was awesome.
Well the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans was one of the most interesting races that I’ve got to watch. Especially with all of the diverse manufacturers battling each other out for the lead.
I mean sure it’s always been like that, but this was on a different level than I haven’t experienced in a long time. So to make a long story short, yeah I think that Hypercar was a success and will hopefully continue to do so until it’s era comes to a close.
Even if this means that I’ll have to stop calling them “LMP1” cars for awhile. 😅
like everyone else said, Ferrari may won the Le Mans, but the NASCAR car was truly showstopper, and the fact that it achieved something that 1976 car couldn't achieve, that is made it to the finish line helps a lot
@@adlibbed2138 That’s right! I’m glad to hear that you remember the old NASCAR that competed there previously. 👍
That car is going to be in the conversation for a while.. that star ain’t burning out yet
I think the main thing that strikes me is that in the golden era of group C the gaps between the teams at somewhere like Le Mans were huge - 10 seconds a lap and maybe more. This era is so much closer and I hope we can see an LmDH car win a race next year.
Would love to see one or two more manufacturers commit to the series perhaps Alfa Romeo, Ford or McLaren but this is a hugely exciting era for the sport and I am looking forward to it!
The Hypercars are the same best thing to happen for the WEC. Cheaper, but just as good, if not better for racing. Yes, LMP1 were much faster, more downforce, and 30% more power. But: Sooner or later the Hypercars will get even faster, and close the gap. I agree, the fight for overall Victory in its first two seasons were boring, but LMP2 and GTE stepped up and delivered insane battles, which kept us entertained. That's the beauty of Endurance Racing. If one category is predictable, there's at least one other race going on. And I'm also exited for the buffed GT3s. Looking at the new Corvette for example, that thing looks evil. I think that's something many don't know, but the LM GT3s are not regular GT3s, they are buffed up and have some Upgrades compared to the regular GT3s in DTM for example. Don't expect GTE laptimes, but I'm convinced, the quality of racing will be the same. These are exciting times in WEC.
There's no doubt that the FIA, ACO, WEC, and IMSA nailed the LMDH and LMH regulations.
In the WEC, it's a matter of who can topple Toyota for this curent era to truly kick off, or else you'll have manufacturers question their involvement and leave. 2024 is a big year for the WEC and let's all hope it delivers
Yes,
If not it will be
This is exactly what we've been wishing for and its about to happen
I think it has to be considered a success and it will probably only get better in the next few years. The only down side I can see is the loss of the LMP2 class
This brings me back to the golden era of Group C racing
I expected, as you, this new regulation would offer a brighter future to endurance
And when WEC/IMSA annonced to work together on that I definetely said "this is gonna so awesome"
But NEVER in my life I would have expect this grid to become huge over the years...
My head's in the clouds when I think about it
My only wish is that this golden age keeps going as long as possible for us fans of racing
2023 was the pressure under the cork after shaking the bottle of champagne; 2024 will be the cork popping with excitement
What i love the most apart from the points you mentioned is the looks. After so many years i can see genuine personality and unique chracter in every single car, i think that is important for the fans, the kids and newcomers to endurance racing
If Audi and mercedes Benz joined as HyperCar or Bugatti
Been a long time f1 fan and only got into endurance racing last year but I think we can all agree that Le Mans 2023 alone was more interesting than the entire f1 season.
Needless to say of series like IMSA that has had me off the edge of my seat numerous times.
F1 for the past 10 years or so has just been new rules come in one team gets it right and they dominate for a few years until the cycle repeats.
With endurance racing theres always something going on due to the multi-class format.
Add double or sometimes even triple the amount cars that F1 has to the mix and you get constant entertainment from start to finish.
We totally agree with you!
These videos are so good you deserve more views my friend 💯
Race is going to be more interesting as more manufacturers means more competition and more competition means more fun and seeing excitement among racing fans .
In terms of bring Manufacturers: Yes,and I hope more manufacturers come in,and IF any manufacturers left,at least give to the customers,not left entirely (although this one is more likely for LMDh)
In terms of competition: Absolutely yes,but in IMSA. For WEC however I still gonna see this year how it went
Nice video. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much!
I personally hope that this will finally become a stable class that will rivale F1. As long as the regulations evolve to keep the class relevant with the manufacturers’ development interests, this can be achieved. They have also positioned themselves in a very interesting situation where we could eventually see ICE, hybrids and BEV contestants battling for victory. Long live Hypercar.
love the videos man, your one of the few people on this platform that makes this type of content and I appreciate that. Keep it up brotha!
Thanks dude! I really appreciate this. More content to come!
Having a manufacturer other than Toyota in the top class is already a success.
Also the fact their were 3 different cars on the podium at Le Mans, and top class with 16 cars at Le Mans last year and 19 cars and 9 different manufacturers for the full season this year with a possibility of 23 at Le Mans this year (if Caddy and Lambo request a 2nd and Porsches request for a 3rd is allowed).
Also Le Mans and the subsequent rounds showed that the BoP equation is getting better and better but also proves that teams do still male a difference when it comes to the knowledge of the cars, which should never go away.
Toyota finished Fuji with a 50+ second lead and lapped all competitors at Bahrain, post Le Mans races proved that LMH and LMDh CAN be balanced as we saw Ferrari and Porsche genuinely fighting but that Toyota is nowhere near balanced
@jaiganticpooey3012 While Toyota were far ahead, they didn't lap everyone at Bahrain the 51 Ferrari and Jota finished 1 minute 40 behind on the lead lap, I don't think the BoP was to blame. BoP is just making all cars maximum potential speed over the race equal and you can't blame Toyota for reaching 99.7% of that pace while everyone else only gets to 99.2% (not accurate numbers). The fact is Toyota is a very well oiled machine having 2 years of experience and has 240+ hours of just racing with GR010 not to mention that apart from Peugeot no other car has actually done any testing or racing at Fuji or Bahrain, so it's no wonder why Toyota were so quick at those races. Look at F1, this year at Miami all cars in qualifying were faster than Charles Leclerc's pole position time from the first race there so even in 1 year the knowledge gained is immense and leads to quicker times in slower cars, harder tyres and shorter DRS zones.
If we define brand participation as "success" one cannot easily disregard that Hypercar has finally gained some traction from 2023 onwards. But calling it "golden era" or comparing it to "successful" eras like Group C or certain LMP or GT periods is a long stretch. Cost reduction at 80% by default means that, all other things being equal, the stakes are lower for the teams. The value is different when one enters a very competitive championship in spite of knowing that he will pay dearly regardless of result, than when one enters a championship but without a major cost impact. This is typical case of easy-come, easy go.
One other thing that makes such a comparison not accurate is the BoP. We cannot really talk about a golden era when BoP is there to manipulate the results and prevents the best from winning on pure merit. Especially when this is done with an overnight BoP adjustment prior to LeMan's. In other "golden eras" BoP would be unheard of, the teams were in it because they actually wanted to demonstrate how they would apply their expertise and experience to rub their rivals' noses in the dirt. By default this means one's commitment is much more serious than in a case when someone enters with a low cost and knows that with a decent car he might even have a chance at LeMan's if BoP is favourable enough. We cannot talk about how Ferrari was Fast and Furious at LeMan's or how Porsche rolled in Fuji and pretend that this was not almost purely due to BoP manipulation.
the only reason lmh and lmdh is successful is because of bop. without it the costs would get out of control and the series would go the way of lmp1. just because toyota was slowed down to be on the same level as the others doesn't mean it was "manipulation:" as that is literally how bop is supposed to work. for the nurburging 24 hours porsche had a bop adjustment the night before the race so last minute adjustments aren't uncommon
@@nuztuz903 I don't know how you end up figuring that "". What you describe is the of manipulation, no matter how you try to call it otherwise. Also, in practice BoP does not necessarily mean that costs cannot get out of control. Only a cost-cap can prevent costs getting out of control in a (very) definitive way. So, it is evident that keeping the cost low is not what is primarily on the minds of AFO, BoP is all about result manipulation and cost-reduction is a side-effect that could fade-away as soon as one or more teams start to pour money into their teams to catch-up and surpass Toyota.
Second point, I do not know how long you have been watching the WEC, but overnight BoP adjustments uncommon. The regulations foresee that in such an event, teams can be consulted about such an action and that is reasonable, as the timing of the BoP adjustments are pre-scheduled and intermittent adjustments should be justified somehow. In 2023 the AFO decided to enforce the BoP regulations to the limit, i.e the unscheduled adjustment of the BoP and the teams. They enforced a balance that favoured Ferrari and in the following adjustment they overcorrected the balance to make Toyota even more dominant than pre-LeMan's and let Porsche catch up with Ferrari. This is from the side of AFO, especially since in the race in Spa Ferrari had already set a competitive pace against Toyota even with the first BoP adjustment.
Finally, if it is true that "the only reason lmh and lmdh is successful is because of bop" then I am correct when I state that the "success" of the current form of the sport cannot really compare with the Group C, LMP1 or GT highs for the simple reason that in those cases Endurance Racing got successful because it attracted many brands to go all-out in order to win rival brands. Today they enter WEC because it is cheap (for the time being) and if they somehow get their way with the people tampering with the BoP they could win LeMan's and get an inversely large piece of publicity compared to the investment they will be required to make. This is not how such an established racing event should work. Endurance Racing has proved time and again that there is plenty of room for underdogs to claim victories on merit and not performance manipulation from AFO.
These top class sports cars can be a long reign as long as they keep the costs down like what caused the downfall of LMP1, GT1 and Group C that came before it.
This year is going to be so good. Can't wait to see Lambo and Ford come race.
Is Ford entering the hypercar class? That would be incredible, but I haven't heard them mention it if that's the case.
I think the use of BOP to even out the disparity between LMH and LMDh really helps in the growth and popularity of WEC. The difference in stakeholders mindset also helps in this regard; unlike F1 where each and every competitor will use whatever they can and have to their advantage while vetoing anything that did not serve their interest nor making them uncompetitive (which in turn making others less competitive) turning F1 into a one or two horse race, competitors in LMH and LMDh seems far more willing to give and take between them for the sake of the championship and fairly even competition between them. With BOP everyone starting from the same point despite the differences yet leaving the end relatively open.
There needs to be a separate Hypercar championship, a revival of Imsa GTP "sprint" races. These cars racing all out over a short 300km race would be amazing.
New tracks, new competitors, more fans. Nuff said
Hypercar is something good and fun but only since this year with more competition for Toyota and i hope they have a difficult year this year not only at le mans but also during the entire season
Damn four years already?
Definitely yes, not only do we have more manufacturers coming in but we also have more variety in terms of styling, sounds and performance, and overall presence which makes it hard to only just like one but makes you wish that any of them will win but even so we are definitely gonna see a new golden age of Prototype endurance
I think it should reduce the yearly budget more and due away with all car rebalance, just let everyone build their cars within the parameters of the class and may the most efficient win the game.
Well we had that with LMP1 and that didn't work.
@@Maenfy that was more than 5 times more expensive... Obviously it didn't work.
@@Iangamebr Yeah but if there is a yearly budget and one team is ahead the other teams can't put anymore money in to catch up again. It also kills of all the privateer teams. You would be in a very similar situation.
@@Iangamebr without balance it will start spending war, and we will back at the same point again...and again
I just think they should bump up the total power output to 800bhp and the GT3 to 600bhp
Absolutely not, it would just turn into LMP1 again, and there’s already a 600 HP GT class, it’s called GT2
@@xnotasweatx Yeah but the GT2 do not have the same aerodynamics of the GT3s and I think the power levels in racing nowadays aren't as industry moving as the group C were at their time
@@xnotasweatxBut paradoxally LMP1 gave us the most exciting and beautiful battles.
We have more cars but less action.
Also changing BoP almost every race is kinda turn off for me. You can't nerf top cars just like that in the middle of a championship it feels like cheating and it is unfair and insulting to all the work done to build the best car.
@@arkeusalexander9054 there were boring races in lmp1 too where the 919 simply added up compared to the ts050 and the r18
@@arkeusalexander9054and we also had audi what’s your point i think that they could do something towards faster track times but it’s not worth to force complete freedom when low expenses are what allowed us to have this grid in the first place
Hello,
Yes Hypercar is the savour of endurance racing, F1 should be looking over its shoulder as the racing series gets better and better, it is a shame that no one from WEC is not going for Daytona 24 hrs esp from hypercar considering they could
2023 was fantastic and I can’t wait for the ‘24 season to begin on my birthday 😎 I just wish Mazda would join in too.
Happy new year FJ! Interesting video, yes I think Hypercar has been a success but I think there is some work to be done balancing LMH with LMDH. I’m hoping the performance gaps between LMP1 and Hypercars can close over time without the costs spiralling out of control.
Fully agree with you Phil! Happy New Year to you as well!
As long as they don’t restrict too much
As a bystander who hasn't watched a single LMDH race, no. It's a Nerf version of LMP1, and has nothing to do with road going 2 seat hypercars like the mfgs and sanctioning body was teasing.
Sure it may be early, but so far lmh/lmdh is being succesful and i think the future looks good. The competion will get better, this year is going to be great and I hope this will last dor long.
It's gonna be crazy 🤩
way more entertaining than Formula Snore
Short answer: Yes
Long answer: No. Concerns still lie on unfair and unbalanced BOP especially for Toyota bias. Also will cost capping survive or will it end up as Gorup C or LMP1.
If Mercedes joins with a LMH it will be amazing
I think Audi, with their history at Le Mans would be a huge addition also.
@@phildunne7260 Yes I agree but they are tied up with F1 right now, which to me make sense of why they sent Lamborghini instead. Lamborghini is a subsidiary of Audi.
LMP1 was more competitive than hypercars have been so far, but maybe that'll change.
I sincerely believe that to join the 2 regulations both the le mans hypercars (lmh) and the le mans daytona hybrid (lmdh) has been a complete success because without costs as high as those of the lmp1s, teams have had some freedom to create cars with designs that really have brand language and also another important point is It is also very important that there are differences in concepts between cars that is to say each car has its own identity .i also personally feel that hypercar It is the modern version of other regulations that also had great results not only in le mans also in resistance in general as the group c or gt1 I also consider that hypecar has given us the current essence of the resistance but with things that remind us of other great eras, for example group c at the end of the 80s. at that time they competed porsche , jaguar , nissan , toyota , mercedes , madza among others another era that many remember is with the gt1 in the late 90's at that time only in gt1 they competed mclaren, porsche, mercedes, toyota, nissan and panoz but also competed at that time the lmp in that category also competed bmw with the v12 lmr.
Hypercar so successful that it got me into endurance racing both WEC and IMSA 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Great to hear!
We have to thank FIA, ACO and IMSA for this!
Indeed!
It's been a success but I don't think you can reach the highs of old as long as there is a BoP in place.
The core idea behind the hypercar class of setting performance caps and allowing the teams to get to said performance in any way they want is cool, but it starts falling apart when you take the cars and meddle with them to get them "even."
That just cheapens everything in my eyes, its not fair. I've still had a decently good time just trying not to think about it too hard, but I don't think I can get very passionate about Hypercar knowing that it's getting manipulated. It'll never be Group C.
I think F1 got it right with no performance caps, no BoP, but a budget cap to prevent cost spiraling and sliding scale development limits to allow backmarkers to catch up. The effectiveness of these rules I think has been masked by every single team but Red Bull completely failing to get to grips with the ground effect regulations. Red Bull had the advantage in that their lead designer was around for the last ground effect era and is in every respect an expert of experts in ground effect, allowing them to just run away with it all while everyone was left porpoising in the dust. But I think the rise of Aston Martin and McLaren to podium contention above Ferrari and Mercedes shows the potential of the sporting regs, it allowed them to outwit teams that previously could just outspend them, creating close racing between them without any kind of BoP.
As ground effect expertise grows in the other teams I believe F1 could see some really good championship battles, all without that manipulated aftertaste of BoP. But I what do I know, could be wrong.
the fact you call BOP manipulation means you don't under stand what wec and imsa are trying to achieve
Ferrari is Ferrari and Merc had a really bad year, it shouldn't be too surprising that other teams also got chances to be on the podium. Aston Martin was already on the podium as Racing Point before so I'm not sure it's really the regulations, McLaren also is one of the better funded teams, they shouldn't really have to rely on regs either.
While a cost cap solution might seem more "fair" it would kill basically any other series that isn't F1. Red Bull ran away with it with very little competition, if any manufacturer did that in the endurance racing world it wouldn't be worth it to continue. There would be very little hope to catch them, leading to most manufacturers leaving. It would also be very hard for a new manufacturer to find pace without having any experience.
Yes they massively did, just look at the amount of entrants we got, BMW, Alpine, Lamborghini, and the simple fact we got Porsche and Ferrari back should say something, not to mention we got the Peugeot 9x8, probably one of the most unique cars i have seen entered in the sport.
It feels like group C again. So yes.
More manufacturers vs. slower, cheaper, less exciting cars, not a easy yes or no. Anyway better than the toyota-only years.
I think this rule set has struck a great balance between keeping costs low while keeping creativity and some innovation. As long as GT3 continues to work, hypercar will work as well. Sports car racing needs bop to survive in order to attract manufacturers. If people want to watch non bop racing they can watch F1. If people want to watch spec racing they can watch IndyCar. This is the perfect compromise.
Great points!
Seriously looking forward to this new golden age of Le Mans class racing. I hope the new formula 1 regulations for 2025 and onward help bring it out of the funk it’s in rn
I think the Hypercar class has started on the way to success since last year. Since 2023 we have more manufacturers, and that is very good for the class. There are still some things to be worked on. For example, I think the BoP is a working point. But I get why it is difficult, as manufacturers will always try to get the best BoP for them.
The grid for 2024 is full, with some races where it's possible to expand with a car or 2. This get me wondering. Aston Martin is set to join in 2025, maybe a 2nd caddy, lambo that is interested in a 2nd lmdh. Then we have the possibility that acura/honda wants to join WEC. McLaren boss Zak Brown how said that it isn't the question of if Mclaren will join, but more when. I see a shortage of space on the grid for all of them. I hope all parties are looking into this to find solutions. I don't wanna see just 1 class, WEC is a multiclass series in my eyes. That's also what makes it so great.
Maybe they have to look to see if we can have 2 pitlanes, one for hypercar and one for lmgt3, for some tracks. Or maybe there are other solutions I'm not thinking of.
I see a great future for hypercar and I'm excited to see the 2024 season start. This was mine 5 cents on the topic
Fully agree with everything you said!
As Toyota fan i hope they win at least Le Mans in 2024. But i'm rooting for other races to see Penske/Porsche, Cadillac and Peugeot wins or many differente manufacturers victory.
LMH cars are already close to the quality of Group C cars, there's no doubt about that, I also hope that the same fate of cars from group C happens to these LMH cars, that a few are "turned" into road cars, like the Jaguar, that would be cool AF.
If the rules are strict enough like F1, you might find that GR010 could dominate until a rule change.
No racing will ever be perfect. Fallible humans operate everything from the series/track down to sweeping the floors at team shops. Mistakes will always be made, and the BoP will never make a non spec series race exactly like a spec series. I think the rules set the cars are built under is the best compromise one could possibly hope for, and frankly, I know they aren't as large a budget as F1, but with the relevant technologies and rule book written in a way that there are still BIG differences in design between the cars, WEC AND IMSA are both kicking the crap out of F1 as far as pure racing is concerned. It's quickly become my favorite series in road racing and I personally can't wait to get to Daytona in a couple weeks time for the Rolex 24.
Yes
WEC is the Motorsports top 🔝
Hypercar as an individual class not really. No road cars spawned from it. But the merger of LMDH with the LMH regulations have been fantastic!
Yes and Hopefully Porsche can't Score points with Jota and Proton for Manufactures Championchip, because it would be really unfair
The FIA and ACO might increase the grid in 2025 due to Aston Martin joining the LMH class.
That exactly what they doing. So far the grid is limited by maximum number of pit garage in certain circuits
some are going for lmdh due to cost....my guess....
Being the current championship with the most manufacturers involved and maybe in the history of motorsport is for me what resumes its success, after hydrogen which will be added in 2027 where I am a little less optimistic, not all current manufacturers are going to focus on technology, there is only Toyota which has started working, and BMW would be interested.
One the Hydrogen part, it won't be a full takeover right away. From what I have read, it is just going to be a 3rd ruleset alongside LMH and LMDh atleast at the beginning and be able to fight for overall wins.
Man does anyone else want Mazda to join lmh/lmdh
🙋♂️
Hypercar made me start watching sportscar racing after only watching formula racing
Hope that mclaren uses the solus gt
Yes, it's a success
Personally i’m scared of the Hydrogene class that may kill the Hypercar class
Yes, the Hypercar class is awesome. But there are two things which annoy me and these are the drag coefficient and the energy usage per stint. These are the deciding factors why the FIA is able to play with the BOP, because the manufacturers aren't able to improve on their potential without being nerved. I think these factors should be dropped, so that the BOP can be set by qualifing pace and the most efficient car is winning the race
Dumb question. What's the best place to watch hypercar stuff?
The racing in WEC Hypercar is best viewable on the WEC app. But as for content on the Hypercar category, I think here on this channel we cover A LOT of content relevant to these new regulations. New videos come out more then weekly on this type of endurance racing!
even if it isnt, my only interest peak in edurance racing has risen due to it.
Same for me
I am against the tend, i view it as make it cheap and they will come. From an engineering perspective it is light years behind LMP1. i accept that they had no choice to keep endurance racing alive. As an Aston fan i am excited to see a real Hypercar compete.
have you seen them in person? have you seen the crowds? there's your answer.
its like a GT3 logic applied to prototype, and its worked for grid counts. the real question is, is it legit, as in is it as cool to watch? So far its been ok for me, but still can't hold a candle to peak LMP1 in terms of the technical arms race and on track excitement
I fail to see how this isn’t a success
Not until this season
Let's look at the big picture here people, on one side of the world, we have the Americans, the French and soon to be the Brits going up against the Germans, Italians and Japanese. Battles will rage on multiple continents and it will be remembered by a major battle in France. The world war of motorsport is about to begin!
I don't understand why everyone says the hypercar class is so amazing. The racing has been shit, with the exception of a few rare battles scattered across the different races. It's a lot better than it was the first two seasons, but it's still not good. The BOP needs to be better, and the WEC needs to learn how to use a safety car to keep the field bunched up. The hype is undeserved in the WEC, IMSA is far better.
Is it true what I’ve heard that Aston Martin won’t be running a V12
No, they still running V12, but gimp V12 that run regulations power instead of 1200hp
@@kidpagronprimsank05 oh I thought so I think some one was on about they pulled out
@@kidpagronprimsank05 still going to rev insane . You think it’s going sound better than the aston martin lola lmp1 ?
Alfa Romeo in coming............. 😄🍀
No. Most manufacturers are running LMDh regulations, and the chassis configuration is causing uniformity. Balance of performance and uniform vehicles is not making the grade. Peugeot is the only manufacturer doing it right. When the manufacturers build bespoke cars using their unique power plants and styling, WEC will start moving towards legendary status.
Red Bull will present a Hypercar 💀
8 races a year?
Fail!
"Fail" - nope. There's a lot more nuance regarding the number of races.
@@pmayo7894 That’s what Zales tells Diamond buyers !
Hallmark tells people that about Valentine’s Day.
You keep listening to them OK? 👍
Good boy!
If the market interest was there they would find a way to accommodate it I’m sure.
Logic tell us the interest isn’t there.
Its the AOC. Arrogant fancypants racing that knows more than anybody and listens to no one!
If the WEC could hold 9 races and make money THEY WOULD.
They don’t.
Logic!
The name is ridiculous! Just call them race cars. What is next, the superfrajilistic-super-duper car?
What do you mean? Hypercar is the name of the class
It’s just a term, like V8 supercars
@@fdcerroni You are an illiterate. It is obvious to anyone with a couple of neurons which fire.
@@xnotasweatx A silly, ridiculous term. For obvious reasons.
@@stephencurry8552 well they can’t call them LMP1 again, what do you think they should be called
Yes of course Lmp1 was garbage compared to hypercar
toyota didint win le mans coz they hit a squirrel on the number 8 and they got hitted by 2 cars in the number 7 car, the BOP is hitting hard the toyota and the LMDH are getting 8 killos les at baharain
Absolutely NOT... WEC without GTE Pro is rubbish. Not watching WEC anymore (better GTE racing elsewhere)
"WEC without GTE Pro is rubbish." - not quite.
Yes
Yes