The Triple Crown is an achievement that very few drivers have ever achieved, namely victory at the Indianapolis 500, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24 Hours. Only Graham Hill, Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso have achieved this achievement through international competitions in various disciplines and championships.
This year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, part of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), took place recently and the World Endurance Championship was left dominant by the FIA endurance leading group, Toyota Gazoo Racing.
However, there is a mix of other WEC classes on the track, such as LMP2 (these cars are similar to the hypercar class) and GTE, with both amateurs and professionals behind the wheel.
So without further ado, let’s learn more about the WEC racing glider.
The World Endurance Championship has been around for a decade
Via: Frolphy / Shutterstock.com
With the end of the Sports Car World Championship in 1992, the FIA’s focus on endurance racing decreased until the World Endurance Championship was founded in 2012, which focused again on endurance racing. In the intervening years, less emphasis was placed on prototype racing cars and more on trams, which came onto the track as in the GT1 class, as the few competitors in Group C were now old and without an imminent replacement.
The sports car world championship was an integral part of the calendar of motorsport fans from 1953 and included races at places such as the Mille Miglia, the entire Nürburgring and the Targa Florio. Most major manufacturers not only lend a hand here not only to generate sales, but also to prove the reliability of their company.
Like many other competitions hosted by the FIA, the championship was a successful opportunity for drivers to improve their skills both before entering Formula 1 and in the off-season, a prime example of which is Michael Schumacher.
Returning in 2012 as the World Endurance Championship, a calendar of eight races was set, although that was reduced to six in the 2021 season. This is because interest has declined over the past few seasons. The championship combined different, independent racing series under one roof, as the Formula Le Mans Cup had done a few years earlier.
A large selection of cars compete on the track
Via Porsche
The series has seen numerous changes over the past decade. The first came in 2017, transforming the LMP1 class into hypercars; This should make it seem more accessible, as the term came into common usage after the introduction of hybrid hypercars like the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1. Additionally, the FIA also tried to include these new, ultra-modern cars, specifically naming the Aston Martin Vulcan as one they would love to see racing.
This led to a similar rivalry with the 1990s GT1 class, where the McLaren F1 GTR, the Mercedes CLK GTR and the Porsche 911 GT1 competed against each other. There is one upcoming change in the GTE class; these vehicles are to be based on the GT3 vehicles from 2024. The GTE class is dominated by three vehicles, namely Aston Martin Vantage, Chevrolet Corvette and Ferrari 488. By switching to the GT3 regulations, it is hoped that a more varied set of cars will compete against each other, as 52 cars have currently gone through the FIA homologation process to take part in GT3 races.
The regulations are tight to ensure close races, but there’s a lot more space than in Formula 1. GTE cars must have rear-wheel drive, a maximum of six gears, safety features like reversing cameras, and ways to differentiate themselves from the many faster hypercars -Great. GTE suction vehicles can have a 5.5 liter engine, while those with forced induction have a maximum displacement of 4.0 liters. LMP2 cars are limited to a 4.2 liter V8 and have a minimum weight of 2,050 lbs.
LMP1 cars are significantly faster. You’ll need to weigh at least 1,935 lbs as a hybrid and around 1,830 lbs with just an internal combustion engine. Those without electrification cannot have an engine larger than 5.5 liter. But this class had no cylinder restrictions and the teams are more free to innovate.
The hypercar class replaced LMP1 for the 2021 season; Open to both prototypes and road vehicles, they must weigh at least 2,270 lbs and have a maximum power of 680 horsepower. In the coming seasons, the hypercar field will get much busier as Peugeot, Audi and Porsche all plan to return to the Endurance series.
This is how the WEC points system works
via WEC
Most FIA championship scoring systems are changed frequently to encourage more exciting races, be it more points for intermediate results or colon races for the winner. But endurance races are getting more complicated. The Le Mans race is a full day and is therefore more important than an eight-hour race like in Bahrain or Portimao.
This is mainly due to the fact that although six hours are still more than three times longer than a Formula 1 race, the challenges are reduced. Since the drivers do not have to sleep between stints, fewer tire changes, no driving at night and the total kilometers of the car are reduced, it is easier for a team to drive well over six hours than 24 hours. The system is more complicated than in other championships.
The winners of the six-hour race get 25 points, the eight-hour winners 38 points and the champion of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 50 points. The cars that finish between second and tenth place also receive points. With more points to be won, the teams will focus on these events, preserving the excitement and prestige associated with the legendary Le Mans race.
Drivers who end up outside the top 10 receive half a point for 6-hour races and one point for longer races. This shows how different this racing series is. It is clear that the organizers want to give a token of appreciation to the difficulty of even finishing these races, which have an incredibly high frequency of falls and breakdowns.
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About the author
Douglas Hamilton
(47 published articles)
Douglas Hamilton is a British driven man with a degree in literature. He grew up surrounded by F1, Need For Speed and classic cars. He has a worrying obsession with jaguars.
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