The ACO has confirmed that the FIA WEC is set to reintroduce tyre warmers for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans next month under a one-race exemption.
The exemption is limited to the 24 Hours of Le Mans only, ensuring that drivers of all experience levels will be able to compete in the safest possible environment regardless of track conditions and temperatures, while tyre manufacturers, teams and drivers will gain valuable time to develop better understanding of how to bring cold tyres up to temperature ahead of the remainder of the 2023 FIA WEC season.
The return of tyre warmers will apply to all three FIA WEC classes for the purpose of consistency and equity. Furthermore, tyre heating ovens will be powered by 100% sustainable fuel from FIA WEC’s exclusive supplier TotalEnergies.
The move comes after the 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps meeting was impacted by several significant incidents for a variety of cars, including Hypercars, struggling on cold tyres in changeable conditions.
The FIA WEC adopted the policy of outlawing tyre warming for the current season (Michelin for Hypercar and GTE Am, Goodyear for LMP2) as part of a wider strategy to reduce the environmental impact of the FIA WEC. It was made after months of discussions with the World Championship’s two tyre manufacturers. But the event in Belgium, where temperatures trackside were significantly colder than at Sebring and Portimao, saw an increase in opposition to the new policy.
Spa saw two heavy crashes for Hypercar class cars, Brendon Hartley losing control of his Toyota in Qualifying At Raidillon and Antonio Fuoco suffering a heavy accident in the #50 Ferrari 499P as he made his way down to Eau Rouge during the race.
The latter prompted an openly critical post-race statement from Ferrari AF Corse boss Antonello Coletta, post-race.
“Starting from the assumption that the rules are the same for everyone and that we abide by them, I think we need to reflect on the ban on tyre warmers,” he said.
“It’s a common opinion in the paddock and among professionals, not to mention the drivers, that this situation has become dangerous. At Spa, there have been many accidents and extreme episodes due to cold temperatures and changeable weather, and it’s time to do some serious thinking on the matter because it has major ramifications for safety.
“We are on the eve of a decisive race like the 24 Hours of Le Mans where, overnight, temperatures are low and speeds very high. It’s not just an issue for us. The accidents involved different cars, from different classes, driven at the time by both professional and gentleman drivers, and this situation had already been predicted some time ago.”
There were other issues for a number of other top-class entries on cold rubber too, including the #2 Cadillac at the pit exit and the #4 Vanwall running off the road amongst a number of adventures.
Despite this, Ferrari is believed to have been the only Hypercar manufacturer openly lobbying for the change.
In GTE Am, the start of the race under Safety Car saw troubles for several runners including Claudio Schiavoni and Christian Ried in the #60 Iron Lynx and #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche.
