Update: It is now clear that the FIA WEC points system has been amended. Points for finishing outside of the top ten (formerly 1 point for eight-hour and 24-hour races and 0.5 point for six-hour races) will no longer be awarded.
I respect your WEC technical expertise, so I’ve got a question for you… Could a manufacturer build a hypercar with enclosed rear wheels (like an old group C car) or with F1 style wheel covers to reduce drag?
Article 3.4.3 of the 2023 LMH technical regulations states "As viewed from the side, the bodywork must cover the complete wheels above the axle centrelines and it must be possible to see the circumference of the complete wheels" So the answer to your question would be no😀
The regulations being more open even that in F1 is something you can greatly appreciate as a motorsport fan UNTIL you realise BOP is put in top of that for manufacturers that decided to create a car based on the same rules as the others, so, basically whoever did a better job interpreting and executing gets penalised. On top of that the BOP freeze agreement until the end of Le Mans was broken. The more you know from WEC top class, the less exciting it becomes. I can see why keeping technical info not to available for the public is actually good publicity for the series. Thanks for this cool video.
I think a BOP between LMH and LMDh would make sense, as it was officially plannd. But they balance every car out, and still no LMDh eben close to win a race
I was a massive fan of WEC in the glory days of the 1980s with the iconic Group C Porsches, Lancias, Jaguars, Mercedes, Mazdas etc (all hypercars before the term hypercar was even coined) and went to several races including Le Mans but got bored when the class was abolished and never really got back into endurance racing, apart from watching the occassional Le Mans coverage on tv until a couple of years ago when I got Eurosport, which has excellent coverage, and now I'm really looking forward to seeing a full grid of Hypercars! This guide has really helped me get a good background into what I can expect from the season to come so thank you for this! I'm also returning to F1 again after a ten year absence so I could do with a similar F1 guide, oh and I get to watch my first entire Indycar season too since I got a brilliant cheap 1 year deal with Sky Sports! Going to be a bumper year of motor racing for me with full season coverage of WEC, F1, Indycar, Formula E and Nascar too!
You all should really lol into the IMSA championship in North America. It is a fantastic series! I prefer it to WEC. Nothing beats the 24h of Le Mans though.
There are several problems with IMSA though and those are lack of actual coverage outside of the USA, the fact it is still seen as a national racing series as opposed to an international series despite having international drivers taking part and the expense of going to the actual races if you don't live in America, in the same way that Americans would face the same expenses going to any of the WEC events. It is pretty much the same with Indycar and F1. Even though there is more access to Indycar coverage outside America it is still seen as a national series despite having international drivers and multiple international championships winners.
Hey thanks for the video, really helps a lot as a beginner coming from F1. With all this, I have a few questions: 1. If there's an LMP2, where is LMP1, or LMP3 if it exists? What about GT3, GT4, or others I hear about like GTP, GTD, etc.? 2. What's IMSA and where does it stand vs FIA WEC? Do they cooperate or are they completely independent? 3. If a driver drives for FIA WEC, can they participate in other leagues of racing like F1, IndyCar, etc.? How often does this happen? Thanks again and I hope these questions aren't too bothersome. I have tried Google and forums but a lot of the information out there is outdated/unreliable
1. LMP1 is no more, it was replaced by Hypercar in 2021 due to lack of interest by manufacturers. LMP3 is used in imsa this year, elms and lemans cup. GTP is the same as hypercar just different name, GT3 is the biggest GT class, almost fastest GT class just after GTE, used all around the world, gte will retire next year and gt3 will become the fastest gt class. GTD is same as gt3 but different name used in imsa. gt4 is slower than gt3, used in smaller regional championships 2. Imsa is essentially the north american championship and wec the world championship. They cooperated to create the Hypercar/GTP regulations (same cars & class just different name) but independent championships with very different points systems. 3. a lot of wec drivers combine formula e and wec, and indycar drivers tend to join in for the longer imsa races.
Off topic, but I hope the recent Lego sets Porsche has had drives more people to view the sport. Kinda sucks how I don't really know anyone irl who's a fan of endurance racing.
I was cringing too at this years daytona 24 where they kept talking about how the gtp cars are pumping "imaginary electricity" trough most of the pit stop. You could see it as pumping imaginary energy i guess (although that makes it look complicated) but it is not electric energy, just how many energy can be deployed at the wheels trough the stint as I explained in the video.
4:39 I thought BMW also had a LMDh entry? Or was this left out because it only competes in IMSA and this video is about WEC only? I'm probably wrong about something. This is a fantastic overview though, very concise and clear, nice work.
I would like to know the rules for passing. Who has the right of way? If GT3 (looking) car is driving down the turn and a hyper car is right behind him, does the hyper car take the slow lane to pass? Does the slower car need to move over? Please explain.
Super informative 👌🏻😃, thank you, I will use this as a guideline for setting up sim races 😉👍🏻 About tires, you mentioned that peugeot was an exception, is that because of the missing wing? And what is the difference exactly? (Size, compound?)
lmh manufacturers homologating their car before 2023 had the option to choose between 2 tire sizes. 310mm wide all around or 340 at the rear and 290 at the front, everyone else has chosen for the second option or switched to it (toyota switched from the 1st to 2nd option before the 2022 season), only peugeot has chosen the 310's all round. New cars all need to use the 290 and 340 option.
@@Endu-Rants thank you 😁👌🏻, well thats about the same as last year then?, they also ran on same size all the way around in 2022, It must be because of the cars setup, it must be different from the others because of the missing wing?
@@j.rolfsted Ofcourse race car setups are very complicated so hard to jude, the only thing I can think of would be the smaller rear tyres allow for a bigger diffuser to make up for the lack of the rear wing
1. Every driver gets the full same points. So if a car wins a race all drivers get 25. 2. Yes, some more info has been released since uploading this video and lmp2 only have 1 compound, the other classes have the 3 compounds but have to choose 2 to use each race like f1 choosing 3 out of c1 - c5 every weekend., only at lemans can they use all 3.
@@Endu-Rants Has the Hypercar class still got the slickimediate (as they were referred to) tyres LMP1s used to have or do they just have wets like LMP2 and GTE?
@@maxb148 Hypercar and lmp2 only have one specification of wet tyre, gte have 2, so an intermediate and a wet tyre. I believe teams are still allowed to cut grooves into the tread of slicks aswell. I personally have always known those as "cut slicks" but I think that is what you mean by slickmediate.
@@C0astDelta Yes but from the comment above it seems like you are saying that f1 isnt real Motorsport, which I dont really agree to. I realy love both f1 and wec
So is the GTE class the same performance as GT3 and GTD in IMSA? Every time I look at the cars and class I just simply give them the GT3 class. And this video is amazing btw
@@Endu-Rants Thanks for the answer. Seems in terms of Touring Cars GT3 is all there is these days, except for Super GT. But even that also allows GT3 cars.
So there all racing on the track at the same time But not necessarily racing aggainst the other classes like a lmgte pro car isn’t trying to beat the hypercars right? Sorry I’m new to this multi class racing. If that’s the case wouldn’t cars get in the way of cars in other categories
Yes, part of the challenge in endurance racing is getting by the slower cars without losing time, and letting the faster cars trough without losing time. The difference in the classes s seconds a lap so they are by very quickly and the drivers have become very good at letting cars trough and passing other classes without losing time. However big accidents still happen sometimes because amateur drivers don't spot a quick hypercar in time, like the 54 and 4 crash at spa.
Hypercar Class replaced the LMP1 Class. Toyota Cazoo Racing was the last manufacturer to be in the LMP1 Class before Porsche 919 Hybrid withdrew from that Class.
They used the old lmp1 car in the hypercar class in 2021 and 2022, not allowed anymore in 2023. A470 is just the name alpine gives the oreca 07 lmp2 chassis, they called the lmp1 chassis A480 last 2 years
What do you think of the #56 Nascar entry at Le Mans this year and the fact that one of the drivers hasn't even set foot in a Nascar car let alone raced one? I'm looking at you, Jenson Button! Also is it really a Nascar car if it has real head and tail lights, windshield wipers and rain tyres?
@@B-A-L I love the idea, I mean it is as close to it as you can safely get so I would say yes. However I think it would have been more fun if they were all actually cup series drivers.
I want to attend 6 hours of Spa this year. Do u know if the "student tickets" are also valid for university students? I am 18 years old but from what ticketmaster shows, the student tickets appear to be for 12 to 16 year olds only :(
For hyper cars is it one driver and how do they decide which driver I’m very new to wec I’m gonna start watching it this year bc mick Schumacher is racing at alpine
Up to the teams, most of the time they cycle them, race 1st driver, race 2nd driver ect. If you're watching for the first time this year know that there will be only 2 classes this year, the 2024 guide should be done this week so subscribe if you don't want to miss that@@Barry.T.racing
Every car from the same subcategory (LMH or LMDh), so if porsche (built to LMDh rules) gets +5kg then so do the other manufacturers who built their car to LMDh rules (Cadillac). But not the manufacturers who build their car to LMH regulations (Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Vanwall, Glickenhaus)
Update: It is now clear that the FIA WEC points system has been amended. Points for finishing outside of the top ten (formerly 1 point for eight-hour and 24-hour races and 0.5 point for six-hour races) will no longer be awarded.
please pronounce Multimatic not Multimac as you do
Great video! Thank you 🤩. WEC noob here. What about 1000 miles Sebring? This is 12h? How are points awarded in that case?
1000 miles of sebring is 8 hours, imsa (the us championship) runs the sebring 12 hours a day later on saturday. different points, different series.
@@Endu-Rants thank you! 👌
Narendra Modi with
I have more hype for this WEC season right now, what a guide. Amazing job, very clear. You deserve more!
Thanks!
I respect your WEC technical expertise, so I’ve got a question for you… Could a manufacturer build a hypercar with enclosed rear wheels (like an old group C car) or with F1 style wheel covers to reduce drag?
Article 3.4.3 of the 2023 LMH technical regulations states "As viewed from the side, the bodywork must cover the complete
wheels above the axle centrelines and it must be possible to see the
circumference of the complete wheels"
So the answer to your question would be no😀
@@Endu-Rants Damn!!
As a newcomer, this video really helped me understand a lot. Thank you
Thank you, I've been recently wanting to learn more about this particular school of motorsport and this video is exceptionally informational
The regulations being more open even that in F1 is something you can greatly appreciate as a motorsport fan UNTIL you realise BOP is put in top of that for manufacturers that decided to create a car based on the same rules as the others, so, basically whoever did a better job interpreting and executing gets penalised.
On top of that the BOP freeze agreement until the end of Le Mans was broken.
The more you know from WEC top class, the less exciting it becomes. I can see why keeping technical info not to available for the public is actually good publicity for the series.
Thanks for this cool video.
I think a BOP between LMH and LMDh would make sense, as it was officially plannd. But they balance every car out, and still no LMDh eben close to win a race
2:11 aged perfectly post all the car launches
😆
I like driving these cars in AC, so I decided to start watching this year. This video is perfect, thanks !
You won't regret it🤝
exactly the same here, been falling in love with these cars so much recently through ac
I was a massive fan of WEC in the glory days of the 1980s with the iconic Group C Porsches, Lancias, Jaguars, Mercedes, Mazdas etc (all hypercars before the term hypercar was even coined) and went to several races including Le Mans but got bored when the class was abolished and never really got back into endurance racing, apart from watching the occassional Le Mans coverage on tv until a couple of years ago when I got Eurosport, which has excellent coverage, and now I'm really looking forward to seeing a full grid of Hypercars! This guide has really helped me get a good background into what I can expect from the season to come so thank you for this! I'm also returning to F1 again after a ten year absence so I could do with a similar F1 guide, oh and I get to watch my first entire Indycar season too since I got a brilliant cheap 1 year deal with Sky Sports! Going to be a bumper year of motor racing for me with full season coverage of WEC, F1, Indycar, Formula E and Nascar too!
You were watching endurance racing before I was even born hehe. This season should be one for the history books!
@@Endu-Rants All we need now is Jaguar to come back and it really would be historic!
I felt the same when group c got scrapped but now with the new LMH cars my interest has returned.
I like the to the point explanation with little to no fluff, +1 sub
Thanks for clearing things up
You all should really lol into the IMSA championship in North America. It is a fantastic series! I prefer it to WEC. Nothing beats the 24h of Le Mans though.
There are several problems with IMSA though and those are lack of actual coverage outside of the USA, the fact it is still seen as a national racing series as opposed to an international series despite having international drivers taking part and the expense of going to the actual races if you don't live in America, in the same way that Americans would face the same expenses going to any of the WEC events. It is pretty much the same with Indycar and F1. Even though there is more access to Indycar coverage outside America it is still seen as a national series despite having international drivers and multiple international championships winners.
I'm enjoying this guide a lot, but I would REALLY love to see it updated for 2024. I seem to understand there are a lot of changes...
That's needed for sure with the changes, expect one before the start of the season👀
That was good buddy Evan tho I've been watching it for about 20 years I like your work keep it up.
Hey thanks for the video, really helps a lot as a beginner coming from F1. With all this, I have a few questions:
1. If there's an LMP2, where is LMP1, or LMP3 if it exists? What about GT3, GT4, or others I hear about like GTP, GTD, etc.?
2. What's IMSA and where does it stand vs FIA WEC? Do they cooperate or are they completely independent?
3. If a driver drives for FIA WEC, can they participate in other leagues of racing like F1, IndyCar, etc.? How often does this happen?
Thanks again and I hope these questions aren't too bothersome. I have tried Google and forums but a lot of the information out there is outdated/unreliable
1. LMP1 is no more, it was replaced by Hypercar in 2021 due to lack of interest by manufacturers. LMP3 is used in imsa this year, elms and lemans cup. GTP is the same as hypercar just different name, GT3 is the biggest GT class, almost fastest GT class just after GTE, used all around the world, gte will retire next year and gt3 will become the fastest gt class. GTD is same as gt3 but different name used in imsa. gt4 is slower than gt3, used in smaller regional championships
2. Imsa is essentially the north american championship and wec the world championship. They cooperated to create the Hypercar/GTP regulations (same cars & class just different name) but independent championships with very different points systems.
3. a lot of wec drivers combine formula e and wec, and indycar drivers tend to join in for the longer imsa races.
@@Endu-Rants Thank you very much for this, I truly appreciate it
For the drivers that are going to show up next year this is a really great intro to understand WEC!!
Exactly the video I was looking for, thanks.
Off topic, but I hope the recent Lego sets Porsche has had drives more people to view the sport. Kinda sucks how I don't really know anyone irl who's a fan of endurance racing.
Join the WEC discord, link can be found on r/wec, you may find people in your area!
thanks a lot mate
Just perfect. Thank you.
Excellent video
Radio show limited (radio le mans ) always are up on the rules. Most people in the know turn the TV comms down and play RSL comms over the top
2:53 precisely. the amount of things the comms team get wrong is crazy. Martin Haven especially. although i adore him as a commentator.
I was cringing too at this years daytona 24 where they kept talking about how the gtp cars are pumping "imaginary electricity" trough most of the pit stop.
You could see it as pumping imaginary energy i guess (although that makes it look complicated) but it is not electric energy, just how many energy can be deployed at the wheels trough the stint as I explained in the video.
thank you, you were very understandable and noob friendly
Thank you very much for this video, very helpful. I have learned very well. 👍
Still difficult to tell some cars apart. One team nails it in race appeal. Glickenhaus. That’s one sexy car.
Very informative thanks for the guide.
Nice one, thanks mate.
My biggest problem with wec and imsa isn’t the racing it’s the American geolocked live coverage of the race
4:39 I thought BMW also had a LMDh entry? Or was this left out because it only competes in IMSA and this video is about WEC only? I'm probably wrong about something.
This is a fantastic overview though, very concise and clear, nice work.
Yes, the BMW team will run just IMSA this year. They do have plans to do WEC in 2024 though.
I would like to know the rules for passing. Who has the right of way? If GT3 (looking) car is driving down the turn and a hyper car is right behind him, does the hyper car take the slow lane to pass? Does the slower car need to move over? Please explain.
Nice vid mate.
I feel like this is a bit of a dumb question, but do people usually watch whole endurance races? If not, how do you watch them?
I personally do watch the full races if I can and a lot of people in the WEC discord do too. Except for lemans, I then I do get some sleep😆
Super informative 👌🏻😃, thank you, I will use this as a guideline for setting up sim races 😉👍🏻
About tires, you mentioned that peugeot was an exception, is that because of the missing wing?
And what is the difference exactly? (Size, compound?)
lmh manufacturers homologating their car before 2023 had the option to choose between 2 tire sizes. 310mm wide all around or 340 at the rear and 290 at the front, everyone else has chosen for the second option or switched to it (toyota switched from the 1st to 2nd option before the 2022 season), only peugeot has chosen the 310's all round. New cars all need to use the 290 and 340 option.
@@Endu-Rants thank you 😁👌🏻, well thats about the same as last year then?, they also ran on same size all the way around in 2022, It must be because of the cars setup, it must be different from the others because of the missing wing?
@@j.rolfsted Ofcourse race car setups are very complicated so hard to jude, the only thing I can think of would be the smaller rear tyres allow for a bigger diffuser to make up for the lack of the rear wing
@@Endu-Rants havent thought about that?, but makes perfectly sense 😃👍🏻
Can’t wait for the future Alonso & Verstappen races
grazie del video
Finally time for real endurance
How they count the driver points to when there are more than one driver for each team ? Also is there a tyre set like f1 hard, medium, soft ?
1. Every driver gets the full same points. So if a car wins a race all drivers get 25.
2. Yes, some more info has been released since uploading this video and lmp2 only have 1 compound, the other classes have the 3 compounds but have to choose 2 to use each race like f1 choosing 3 out of c1 - c5 every weekend., only at lemans can they use all 3.
@@Endu-Rants Has the Hypercar class still got the slickimediate (as they were referred to) tyres LMP1s used to have or do they just have wets like LMP2 and GTE?
@@maxb148 Hypercar and lmp2 only have one specification of wet tyre, gte have 2, so an intermediate and a wet tyre.
I believe teams are still allowed to cut grooves into the tread of slicks aswell. I personally have always known those as "cut slicks" but I think that is what you mean by slickmediate.
good
i love the digs at f1. it’s time to show people what real motorsports is, and show what the real “pinnacle” is.
Do you think that f1 isnt real Motorsport?
Ehh, F1 is the fastest track sport. WEC is all about the E, Endurance. WEC also have more driver aids.
@@C0astDelta Yes but from the comment above it seems like you are saying that f1 isnt real Motorsport, which I dont really agree to. I realy love both f1 and wec
@@sandwichgamer0575? I said it was the fastest 😭
@@C0astDelta Sorry my Bad i have mistaken you with the comment writter
So is the GTE class the same performance as GT3 and GTD in IMSA? Every time I look at the cars and class I just simply give them the GT3 class. And this video is amazing btw
GTE is a bit faster, around 3 seconds at daytona over GT3.
What happened to GTE PRO?
Only saw GTE AM on Sebring
The class is discontinued due to lack of interest by manufacturers, GTE will become GT3 next year in wec
@@Endu-Rants Thanks for the answer. Seems in terms of Touring Cars GT3 is all there is these days, except for Super GT. But even that also allows GT3 cars.
And even super gt are prototypes with a gt body
So there all racing on the track at the same time But not necessarily racing aggainst the other classes like a lmgte pro car isn’t trying to beat the hypercars right? Sorry I’m new to this multi class racing. If that’s the case wouldn’t cars get in the way of cars in other categories
Yes, part of the challenge in endurance racing is getting by the slower cars without losing time, and letting the faster cars trough without losing time. The difference in the classes s seconds a lap so they are by very quickly and the drivers have become very good at letting cars trough and passing other classes without losing time. However big accidents still happen sometimes because amateur drivers don't spot a quick hypercar in time, like the 54 and 4 crash at spa.
@@Endu-Rants interesting , thanks for filling me in 🙏
Hypercar Class replaced the LMP1 Class. Toyota Cazoo Racing was the last manufacturer to be in the LMP1 Class before Porsche 919 Hybrid withdrew from that Class.
Thanks for all the info. But where can i watch it?
You can buy a pack on the wec website and stream it there.
If you live in the UK it will be available on Eurosport and Discovery+. I'm not sure how they work in other countries though
So Alpine use the old LMP1 Car in the LMP2 Class, or what is the A470 ?
It's an Oreca 07 but they call it Alpine A470.
They used the old lmp1 car in the hypercar class in 2021 and 2022, not allowed anymore in 2023. A470 is just the name alpine gives the oreca 07 lmp2 chassis, they called the lmp1 chassis A480 last 2 years
Okay thank you both 👍🏻
Ben Keating is a gold driver disguised as a bronze driver. Dude is crazy fast for a 52 year old gentleman driver.
Euro version of off in the esses
Doesn't Le Mans have a 4th class (Orange number stickers)?
The gte pro class is gone in 2023, the orange numbers is still gte am. so that brings us down to 3.
What do you think of the #56 Nascar entry at Le Mans this year and the fact that one of the drivers hasn't even set foot in a Nascar car let alone raced one? I'm looking at you, Jenson Button! Also is it really a Nascar car if it has real head and tail lights, windshield wipers and rain tyres?
@@B-A-L I love the idea, I mean it is as close to it as you can safely get so I would say yes. However I think it would have been more fun if they were all actually cup series drivers.
why is there bop before le mans last week? what happened?
Wec is good racing
What races do you recommend to watch for this season?
If I'd have to choose one the 24h of lemans
Are there rules for the driver rankings in the hypercars? For example, would it be possible to have 3 f1 drivers in 1 HyperCar?
Driver lineups are free for hypercar, Bronze drivers are not even permitted in hypercar!
in hyper car what is the difference between the peugeot;s tyres and the rest of the teams
Peugeot has 310mm wide tyres on front and rear, the others have 340mm at the rear and 290mm at the front. this has to do with weight distribution
I want to attend 6 hours of Spa this year. Do u know if the "student tickets" are also valid for university students? I am 18 years old but from what ticketmaster shows, the student tickets appear to be for 12 to 16 year olds only :(
2023 bop review when
Not sure if I'm gonna do one this year, however, a 2024 guide will come👀
@@Endu-Rants lol easy
is 24 hours of spa imsa?
How does quali work with 3 drivers don’t know if it was mentioned in the video
One driver does qualifying, for the gt class the bronze driver has to do it, 2024 guide will be out this week!
@@Endu-Rantsok thanks
For hyper cars is it one driver and how do they decide which driver I’m very new to wec I’m gonna start watching it this year bc mick Schumacher is racing at alpine
Up to the teams, most of the time they cycle them, race 1st driver, race 2nd driver ect.
If you're watching for the first time this year know that there will be only 2 classes this year, the 2024 guide should be done this week so subscribe if you don't want to miss that@@Barry.T.racing
@@Endu-Rantsye I’ve subbed thanks for the help
New to WEC here... BMW won't enter right?
Likely next year with WRT
When you coming back bro 😭
Never fear, 2024 guide will be here
@@Endu-Rants Ayyyy!
How does the wec app even work it looks sketchy and buggy
4:15 Every other car from the manufacturer gets 5kgs? Or every other car on the grid gets 5kgs?
Every car from the same subcategory (LMH or LMDh), so if porsche (built to LMDh rules) gets +5kg then so do the other manufacturers who built their car to LMDh rules (Cadillac). But not the manufacturers who build their car to LMH regulations (Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Vanwall, Glickenhaus)
You telling me... Lance Stroll, Nicola Latifi and Nick DeVeries are considered Platinum here????
Yes exactly, btw please note that this video is outdated, 2024 guide should drop today. Ome example is there are only 2 classes now
2024 guide is up!
Don't forget the other classes too dude!!
There are no other classes, only a single nascar cup car at lemans
@@Endu-Rants A pretend nascar cup car at that lol
: )
i honestly love the jabs at f1 lol
🙃
.....are you Swedish?
No, dutch!
P r o m o s m 🙋
Its too complicated. Its not my idea of entertainment. I am a simple. I just like to see things going fast.
You don't need to know anything at all if all you want is to just watch things going fast!
Nahi chahiye Bhai 🙏🏼