With a vote on a new regulation that would mandate two-car efforts from each factory racing in Hypercar looming, the current and future single-car OEMs in the FIA WEC are making moves in the background to expand their programmes for 2025.
Should this rule be approved by the World Motor Sport Council, it would have an impact on three current Hypercar factories in the WEC: Lamborghini, Isotta Fraschini, and Cadillac, as well as Aston Martin, which originally planned to join the field next year with “at least” a single Valkyrie entered by Heart of Racing.
The good news is that it appears that all of the OEMs concerned should be able to fulfil this requirement in time for next season.
Starting with Lamborghini, Iron Lynx team principal Andrea Piccini told DSC last week that if the rule comes into force it “will run two cars” and crucially this is unlikely to come at the expense of its IMSA GTP effort with the SC63. “I think the idea would be in that case to run two (in WEC) and one (in IMSA),” he added.
Cadillac meanwhile, should be ready as it is poised to expand its V-Series.R programme in the WEC regardless of the new rule being put in place. This follows its decision to cut ties with Ganassi Racing at the end of the current season.
The process of selecting a new partner team is well underway, with a final decision expected to be made around the time of the Le Mans 24 Hours and announced sometime after the big race in June.
As for Isotta Fraschini, while it is currently navigating the challenges of getting its single-car effort with the Tipo 6-C and partner team Duqueine up to speed, it is known to have ambitions to race with two cars. Ahead of the 2024 FIA WEC entry list reveal Isotta was understood to have made moves to run two cars, before being granted a single space on the grid for the season due to the entry being capped at 37.
For next year, with changes expected to come concerning the look and shape of the current set of teams racing in Hypercar, the grid size is also believed to be increasing to 40 plus.
The question of garage and paddock space at the circuits on the calendar is always a talking point, and there are likely to be some real pinch points in future seasons as the entry grows.
Last weekend in Imola, as an example, multiple LMGT3 teams had to house their cars nose-to-tail in a single garage as a result of the limitations of the pit lane.
Finally, Aston Martin, the final piece to the puzzle with its highly-anticipated Valkyrie LMH programme that’s set to debut in 2025.
On the record, when approached for comment on its ability to field two cars next season, Aston Martin said simply:
“We are aware of the rule, we are keeping an eye on it, but we don’t comment on speculation.”
Clearly, with Aston Martin and Heart of Racing’s ambitions to race in both IMSA and the WEC with a single Valkyrie in each championship from 2025 and beyond, increasing its WEC car count will not be easy for Year 1.
There appear to be four scenarios to consider.
The first is that Heart of Racing operates two Valkyries next season in the WEC and races in IMSA with a single car as planned, though there have been no suggestions made to DSC in background conversations that this is on the cards.
The second is that Heart of Racing runs two cars in the WEC and none in IMSA. Again, there appears to be no appetite for this. An IMSA GTP programme for the Valkyrie is known to be an important part of Gabe Newell and Ian James’ plans.
Third is that Aston Martin pulls the plug on its WEC effort altogether because it cannot or will not commit to a two-car programme. This is another highly unlikely scenario, given the amount of resources being poured into the Valkyrie project and the importance placed on competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
So, with senior paddock sources confident that Aston Martin has a solution, that surely leaves the potential for a second Valkyrie, operated by a second team, as the most likely solution. Could this be the answer?
Either way, there appears to be no suggestion that factories will walk away if this new rule comes into play. The bigger questions may well concern the impact it has on the customer marketplace…
