Le Mans Prototypes

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A **Le Mans Prototype** (**LMP**) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The technical requirements for an LMP include bodywork covering all mechanical elements of the car. Currently, there are three classes within Le Mans Prototypes, designated **LMP1** and **LMP2**.

While not as fast as open-wheel Formula One cars around a track, LMP1s were the fastest closed-wheel racing cars used in circuit racing. Le Mans Prototypes are considered a class above production-based grand tourer cars, which compete alongside them in sports car racing. Later LMP1 designs included hybrid cars that use electric motors to assist acceleration.

The Le Mans Prototype LMP1 class has been replaced by Le Mans Hypercars in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans from the 2021 season. Non-hybrid LMP1 cars were eligible to be "grandfathered" for two more seasons and compete alongside the new class for the 2021 to 2022 seasons.

Starting from the 2023 season of FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship, Le Mans Hypercars will be joined by Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) cars. These two kinds of prototypes will form the top class of endurance racing: *Hypercar*.

## Name variations

Le Mans Prototypes have used various names depending on the series in which they compete. The FIA's equivalent cars were referred to as *Sports Racers* (SR) or *Sports Racing Prototypes* (SRP). The American IMSA GT Championship termed their cars *World Sports Cars* (WSC), while the short-lived United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) used the classic *Can-Am* (CA) name for their prototypes. Since 2004, most series have switched to referring to these cars as *Le Mans Prototypes*. The American Le Mans Series, the successor to the IMSA GT Championship and the predecessor of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, officially referred to the cars simply as *Prototypes* (P1, P2, or PC). An LMP is commonly referred to as a *Le Mans car* in the media.

## History

The first use of what would become Le Mans Prototypes was at the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans. In an attempt to increase the number of entrants beyond the small field of Group C competitors that the World Sportscar Championship had to offer, older Porsche 962s were allowed entry in Category 3. To further increase the size of the field, small open-cockpit race cars using production road car engines which were raced in small national championships were allowed in Category 4.

Later, ACO announced its intentions to completely replace the Group C cars with *Le Mans Prototypes*. Two classes were created, with LMP1s running large displacement custom-built engines that were usually turbocharged, and LMP2s using the smaller displacement production-based engines. Both classes were required to have open cockpits. However, LMP1 cars that year were just former Group C cars, some still with closed cockpits (Toyota 94C-V, Courage C32, Kremer K8 Spyder, Porsche 962C GTI, ALD C289 and Alpa LM). At the same time, the IMSA GT Championship announced the end of their closed cockpit GTP and Lights classes, deciding as well to replace them with a single open-cockpit class of *World Sports Cars* equivalent to LMP1.

This formula continued up to 1996, with many manufacturers embracing the LMP and WSC classes, including Ferrari, Porsche, and Mazda. In 1997, the first European series based around Le Mans Prototypes was launched, known as the "International Sports Racing Series". Using classes similar to LMP1/WSC and LMP2, these cars were known as "SR1" and "SR2" by the FIA. 1998 saw the creation of another series of Le Mans Prototypes, with the new United States Road Racing Championship attempting to break away from the IMSA GT Championship. To differ from IMSA'S WSC class, the USRRC named their open-cockpit prototypes "Can-Am" in an attempt to resurrect the sportscar championship of the 1970s. However, the USRRC collapsed before the end of 1999, with the series becoming the Rolex Sports Car Series chose to use the FIA's SR1 and SR2 formula instead.

1998 saw a great expansion for the ACO's LMP classes. Following the cancellation of the IMSA GT Championship at the end of 1998, the ACO allowed for the creation of the American Le Mans Series. This series used the same class structure as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, meaning it was the first championship to use the LMP name. At the same time, the ACO greatly altered their LMP classes. The smaller LMP2 class were briefly eliminated, while a new class of closed-cockpit prototypes was allowed in, known as "LMGTP" (Le Mans grand touring prototype). These cars were evolutions of production-based road cars that the ACO considered too advanced and too fast to fall under the GT class regulations, forcing the ACO to promote them as prototypes.

In 2000, changes were made to the LMP regulations, as the ACO once again split the open-cockpit LMP class. The two new classes became known as "LMP900" and "LMP675", with the numbers denoting the minimum weight requirements (in kilograms) for each class. The LMP900s were to be more powerful and faster in top speed, but also heavier and more cumbersome. The LMP675s were to be smaller and more nimble, yet lack the top speed of the larger class. Both classes were intended to be able to compete for overall wins. Audi, Chrysler, Cadillac, and Panoz opted to use the LMP900 formula, while MG were the only major manufacturer to attempt the LMP675 class. The LMGTP class also continued, with Bentley being the only manufacturer to build a closed-cockpit prototype after the regulation changes in 2000.

In 2017, in order to limit the costs, FIA introduced a new set of LMP2 regulations, which will be locked in through 2020, aiming for a significant power increase, to the range of 150 hp (150 PS)(which is expected to lead to a four-second decrease in lap time at Le Mans). Gibson Technology is the exclusive engine supplier for LMP2, producing a four-litre normally-aspirated V8.

## Technical regulations

Biofuels, specifically petrol with 10% ethanol and biodiesel (BTL), are allowed in both LMP1 and LMP2 categories. The main technical regulations for LMP class cars are LMP1, LMP2, LMP3, and LMPC.

### LMP1

The fuel tank size and minimum weight for non-hybrid cars was subject to adjustment to reduce the difference in performance between hybrid and non-hybrid cars.

There were no limits on the number of cylinders for any type of engine.

Bodywork was required to cover all mechanical elements of the car, so that they couldn't be visible when the car is viewed directly from the front, side, or top.

The LMP1 cars were generally the most powerful, with higher straight-line speeds.

The LMP1 category has been retired with the end of the 2020 season (with an exception of the grandfathered Rebellion R13, renamed as Alpine A480), replaced by a new top class of the endurance racing: *Hypercar.*

#### LMP1-H

LMP1-H became the unique category for the factory prototype teams in 2014 after the LMP1 category was split in two. Audi returned with a revised R18, led by the defending World Champion duo of Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval, joined by Lucas di Grassi. 2012 World Champions Benoît Tréluyer, Marcel Fässler, and André Lotterer were in the sister Audi, while a third car also entered the Spa and Le Mans rounds. Toyota also returned with an all-new TS040 while retaining the same drivers from their past two seasons. Porsche expanded their World Endurance Championship effort beyond LMGTE with their all-new 919, bringing with them a collection of factory drivers, former Formula One driver Mark Webber, and newcomer to the championship Brendon Hartley.

#### LMP1-L

The new LMP1-L category, designed solely for privateers without hybrid systems in their cars, featured two-time winners of the FIA Endurance Trophy for Private LMP1 Teams, Rebellion Racing. The team developed two all-new Toyota-powered R-One chassis, but started the season with their familiar Lolas while they awaited the completion of the R-Ones. Fabio Leimer of Switzerland became the new rookie on the team, replacing Neel Jani, who was promoted to the Porsche factory team. The Kodewa-backed Lotus team moved up from the LMP2 category with their new CLM P1/01 with a new engine in the World Championship from British firm Advanced Engine Research (AER). However, Lotus missed the season's first three races as the car was not yet ready.

### LMP2

Beginning in 2011, all cars must have fins on the rear bodywork to prevent them from rolling over in the air during crashes. Although a passenger seat is not used, cars must be designed to carry two people. The empty area of the cockpit is usually used to hold electronic devices and cooling equipment.

From 2017, in order to limit the costs, FIA introduced a new set of regulations, which will be locked in through 2025, aiming a significant power increase, to the range of 10 hp (10 PS) (which is expected to lead to a four-second decrease in lap time at Le Mans). Gibson Technology is the exclusive engine supplier, producing a 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8.In seasons 2017 through 2020, the engine produced about 600 hp (610 PS).

Dallara, Onroak Automotive (Ligier), Oreca and the joint-venture Riley Tech/Multimatic were selected by FIA as the four exclusive chassis constructors, which must be closed-cockpit designs.

Before the start of the 2021 season LMP2 cars have been slowed down to ensure the necessary lap time difference between the LMP2 and a new class—Hypercar. In the original version of the new ruleset, revealed in November 2020, only the power of the Gibson engine has been reduced—to 560 horsepower (420 kW). Right before the start of the season, the cars were further weakened, by trimming an additional 20 hp (20 PS) to a total of 540 hp (550 PS). The minimum weight of the cars has also been increased by 20 kilograms (44 lb) and has been set at 950 kilograms (2,090 lb). Furthermore, mirroring the Hypercar category, a single aero kit has been made mandatory across the whole season and is limited to the Le Mans specification in the WEC; the ELMS teams have retained the right to switch between the aero kits.

LMP2
 Maximum wheel width | 342 millimetres (13.5 in) front, 362 millimetres (14.3 in) rear

## See Also

* Le Mans Hypercar
* LMDh
* LM GTE

## References

1. ↑ Stoklosa, Alexander (4 March 2014). Porsche 919 Hybrid Le Mans Prototype.
2. ↑ Goodwin, Graham (6 December 2019). Le Mans Hypercar: Where Things Stand & Your Questions Answered.
3. ↑ Watkins, Gary (16 October 2021). Alpine WEC LMP1 Car Granted Extra Year of Homologation.
4. ↑ 2021 - The Dawn of a New Endurance Era with Hypercar (2021).
5. ↑ Categories (2021).
6. ↑ Toyota Reveals New Le Mans Car as Peugeot Quits. *CAR Magazine*.
7. ↑ Nye, Doug. A Brief History of Le Mans Prototypes.
8. ↑ Gibson Technology lands engine-supply contract for LMP2 from 2017.
9. ↑ "Alpine Endurance Team Confirms LMP1 Entry for 2021 FIA WEC Season". *FIA*. 14 September 2020. https://www.fia.com/news/alpine-endurance-team-confirms-lmp1-entry-2021-fia-wec-season.
10. ↑ Classes. FIA WEC (2019).
11. ↑ Dagys, John (20 May 2014). Millennium Racing Replaces Lotus for Le Mans. Sportscar365.
12. ↑ Goodwin, Graham (10 November 2022). Current LMP2 Homologation Extended To End Of 2025.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Classes. FIA WEC (2021).
14. ↑ 2017 LMP2 Regulations – The Four Chassis Constructors Selected (9 July 2015).
15. ↑ WEC: LMP2 Performance Level Refined (1 April 2021).