2024 is officially in the books, which means the start of a brand new season is almost upon us and it’ll get underway in a matter of days with the Dubai 24 Hours, followed by the Rolex 24 Hours before the end of the month. The sportscar racing season doesn’t really end anymore does it? It merely pauses.
This time of year is always good for reflection, but it’s also great for anticipation.
So before we do it all again and head to the airport for our first race meeting, let’s take a look at some of the new cars, stars, races, events and championships for 2025:
1. The Valkyrie AMR-LMH and this year’s suite of new and/or updated cars
While this year’s glut of new sportscar and GT machinery isn’t as big as in recent years (last year we counted 22!), there are still a number of truly exciting new cars to look out for.
The clear headline here is Aston Martin’s Valkyrie AMR-LMH, which will compete in partnership with Heart of Racing and Multimatic in both FIA WEC Hypercar and IMSA GTP this year.
It’s been a long time coming – the original (short-livered) Valkyrie Hypercar programme was announced back in 2019 – but it looks set to be worth the wait. The car looks the part, it’s screaming V12 (captured here by the Marshall Pruett Podcast) should be loud and proud (at the very least in the USA) and by the looks of things, the team assembled for the job appears more than capable of making this car a winner.
Before we see the Valkyrie’s race debut though (at Qatar in February), the Rossa LM GT will be out racing. The brand new V10-powered racer, which first appeared seemingly out of nowhere last month, is set to compete for the first time in a matter of days at the Dubai 24 Hours.
Beyond its maiden outing, we’re not sure what’s in store for this privately developed and manufactured racer, but it appears that an eventual transition to either GT2 or GT3 competition is being looked at.
Elsewhere in the world of GT racing BMW’s Evo kits for its M4 GT3 and GT4 are set to race around the world in customer hands after being tested extensively by the Bavarian brand throughout 2024.
The M4 platform has been an extremely successful one for BMW to this point, and you’d expect that with further enhancements to reliability and drivability, both iterations will continue to claim silverware on a near-weekly basis going forward.
Toyota’s Supra GT4 EVO2 will be out competing too, with its suite of updates to the cooling performance of its engine, brakes, and drivetrain, cockpit temperatures and ABS maps.
And finally, 2025 is set to be a huge year for the ACO’s LMP3 platform with the rollout of the new-look, turbo-charged Gen 3 cars. The revised prototypes from ADESS, Duqueine, Ginetta and Ligier are not set to be adopted everywhere yet – just the ELMS, Le Mans Cup and (we expect) the Asian Le Mans Series for 2025/26 – though a promising first year will be crucial for the formula’s future.
The ELMS entry suggests we will see more variety than we’ve become accustomed to, with a Ginetta for DKR confirmed and a smattering of Duqueines set to join the fleet of Ligiers. There are whispers too that we will see the ADESS competing this year in the Le Mans Cup.
2. New manufacturers on the horizon?
We’ve been spoiled over the past few years when it comes to manufacturer programmes in this area of the sport. It’s tough out there for most of the major motor manufacturers right now, so we should be thankful that they continue to see value in sportscar racing, and tip our caps to the governing bodies who have put together rules and regulations that have attracted them.
This year we’re going to see Aston Martin join the top-end of sportscar racing with the Valkyrie and Genesis test its new GMR-001 on track ahead of its WEC debut in 2026, but that’s not all it seems. DSC expects at least one additional manufacturer to announce its intentions to join the fun in Hypercar and/or GTP in the future during 2025!
Beyond that, in the coming days and weeks, DSC understands that we will hear the news that GT World Challenge Europe will see its manufacturer count grow.
Watch this space…
3. The new-look IMSA GTP entry
With Meyer Shank Racing back with Acura, Wayne Taylor Racing back with Cadillac, Heart of Racing graduating to the top class with Aston Martin and Riley expected to take over what’s left of Lamborghini’s SC63 programme, the top class of IMSA will have a different feel this year.
It’s rare we get such radical change year-to-year midway through a regulation cycle, so it’ll be fascinating to see what this means for the title battles and the major endurance races.
GTP looks stacked and set to stun, and it all starts later this month in Daytona… Bring it on.
4. JOTA’s Cadillac debut
Losing a quality team like Chip Ganassi Racing from both IMSA and the FIA WEC was quite a shock to the system.
Thankfully though, the end of its relationship with General Motors hasn’t led to a scaled-back V-Series.R programme globally. Instead, the fleet is set to expand with three cars in GTP and two in Hypercar.
And in the latter, it is Hertz Team JOTA that will be in the spotlight this season as it gets up to speed racing as a factory team for the first time. The British team dazzled in its ability to take the fight to the OEMs in the WEC with its privateer Porsche programme, so expectations will be high from the off.
However, Sam Hignett and David Clark run a tight ship, the car is a proven race and title winner, and its driver line-up contains a strong blend of youth and experience. There will almost certainly be bumps in the road but once Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA hits its stride, the sky should be the limit.
2024 was the year of Porsche, fighting and winning titles on two fronts. Will 2025 be the year of Cadillac?
5. 2026 machinery on track
Adding to the list of cars we will see race for the first time in 2025, there’s a nice set which we may see pictured and/or filmed out testing ahead of their race debuts.
This prospective list includes forthcoming brand-new GT3 cars from Lexus, Mercedes-AMG, Lamborghini and the planned EVO kit for Ferrari’s 296.
The Genesis GMR-001 is also due to hit the track during the year ahead of homologation too, that will of course attract its fair share of attention.
6. Silverstone’s ELMS weekend
It’s going to be a real treat for DSC’s team to cover an ACO-rules race in the UK for the first time since 2019 later this year, when the ELMS pays Silverstone a visit.
The 4 Hours of Silverstone, which has attracted title sponsorship from Goodyear, has the potential to be a real tentpole event for the series. Fans in the UK have been starved of sportscar racing featuring LMP cars in recent years and the expectation is that the turnout in the grandstands will be strong.
The fans who do make the trip will be in for a treat, with a packed schedule featuring the ultra-competitive ELMS field, and the first ever Le Mans Cup and Ligier European Series races on UK soil.
7. Tweaks and changes to single makes and supports
For some of the key support championships around the world there’s plenty to look out for in 2025.
HSR will run an IMSA Classic invitational race in the build up to the Rolex 24 Hours this month, the Le Mans Cup is adding a third class for LMP3 line-ups without a Bronze driver and the Mustang Challenge field will compete at La Sarthe ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Add to that the wider rollout of Ferrari’s 296 Challenge car to its regional championships (UK, Japan and Australasia) and the expansion of the McLaren Trophy to the USA with the new Artura Trophy EVO.
8. Updated LMDh machinery
While the manufacturers competing with LMH-spec machinery in the FIA WEC (Peugeot, Ferrari and Toyota) have been, as a whole, pretty open t0 developing and signing off substantial updates to their cars each to this point, it appears that the LMDh manufacturers are beginning to follow suit.
In 2025 Alpine’s A424, Cadillac’s V-Series.R, BMW’s M Hybrid V8 and Porsche’s 963 are all due to have upgrades signed off in time for the season. How much of a difference will these developments make to their aspirations in 2025? Keeping tabs on it will be one of the threads to follow across the year.
On the other side of the coin meanwhile, though Toyota and Ferrari are not expected to surprise us with major changes when the season gets underway, Peugeot is also pushing to take further steps forward with the 9X8.
DSC sources have suggested that test runs with new parts late last year in Barcelona proved to be very encouraging. But questions remain, will the developments be approved in time for Qatar and will they be effective in a competitive setting?
9. The 24-hour triple header
For keen sportscar racing enthusiasts, the prospect of three major 24-hour races in three weeks may sound like an absolutely awesome idea. DSC isn’t so sure, but in 2025 we’re going to find out either way…
This summer, between June 8th and 29th, the Le Mans 24 Hours, Nürburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours will all take place, meaning some teams, drivers, mechanics, engineers and members of the media will be on the road for four weeks straight if you count the Le Mans test weekend.
Anyone looking to take on an ultimate bucket list trip to continental Europe may see this as a tantalising prospect, anyone working in all three paddocks may cringe at the potential for total, catastrophic exhaustion.
Beyond the human side of it, keeping an eye on how the events are shaping up will be interesting. Will the grids for the races at either the Nürburgring or Spa take a hit, with teams and manufacturers refusing to take part in both? We shall have to wait and see…
10. Interesting additions to SRO’s offering in Asia
SRO’s expansion into Asia will continue to swell in 2025 with three key additions.
The first is an entirely new China-based GT4 championship, the SRO GT Cup, which will comprise of four race weekends between March and October.
The Suzuka 1000KM will also return to the Intercontinental GT Challenge’s schedule for the first time since the pandemic. The 49th edition of the race will host round four of the globe-trotting series in September.
And finally, for the first time GT World Challenge Asia’s teams and drivers will travel to the scenic Indonesian island of Lombok for a weekend at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit.
11. The launch of International Sports Cars
In an era when GT-based championships appear to be popping up everywhere, it was a pleasant surprise to hear of a new prototype-based series being set up.
International Sports Cars, which has been founded by former Asian Le Mans Series CEO Cyrille Taesch-Wahlen, plans a one-make prototype series with the Nova NP02 Prototype, utilising a franchise-based system designed to offer competing teams a stake the series.
ISC is working on an international calendar and competition with the (maximum 28 car) field made up of teams representing a country, with two neutral entities also available in a ‘league’ structure.
Each competing country/team will be awarded a three-year franchise, then renewable through a bidding process. The owners will become stakeholders of the series through the franchise system. Teams will be able to enter 1 or 2 cars.
The inaugural season is planned to start at the end of 2025 early 2026, subject to the final calendar with ISC visiting FIA Grade 1 racetracks in the GCC and Asia Pacific region.
We’re keen to hear more…
12. Goodyear’s new LMGT3 tyre
Following the successful rollout of its LMGT3 Eagle F1 Supersports Medium and Wet compounds during the 2024 FIA WEC and European Le Mans Series seasons, Goodyear’s second dry product – the Medium Plus – is set to debut this year.
The Plus (with red labels) – which impressed teams during testing in Spain late last year – has been developed to work on the more abrasive circuits.
It is important to note though that teams running in LMGT3 will still not be able to choose between compounds during a race weekend in 2025 once the Plus becomes available. Goodyear will continue to select a single spec for each circuit ahead of time.
“The big thing for us is optimising the right tyres for the right track,” Goodyear’s sportscar boss Mike McGregor explained to DSC. “It will cover the slightly more aggressive tracks or tracks with higher sliding energy. So we will use it at São Paulo, Austin and Bahrain.”
13. NLS Lite and BMW 325I Cup
After such a torrid 2024 for racing on the Nordschleife, the NLS is pushing to support grassroots teams in 2025 with the introduction of an ‘NLS Light‘ race.
The July 5th event will see no cars from the SP9 (GT3), CUP2, SP-X or SP-Pro classes on the entry list.
The move comes as race organisers look to respond to the pressures and criticisms on and from some teams, manufacturers and drivers from the faster classes, some of whom plan to compete in aforementioned 24-hour race triple header this summer.
It is being marketed as part of a grassroots sports offensive that the VLN, the organisation behind the traditional Nordschleife Championship, is calling for. Smart move, we think!
14. Mercedes-AMG’s WEC debut
It’s always a big story when a new manufacturer joins a world championship, and in 2025 we will see Mercedes-AMG in the WEC for the first time following Lamborghini’s departure from both classes.
A pair of AMG LMGT3 EVOs will race for the first time with new partner team Iron Lynx and the hope is that the German marque will hit the ground running and be fighting for wins early in the season.
This programme of course unlocks a Mercedes-AMG return to the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time since 1999 too, something that should be celebrated.
15. New look for Iron Lynx and Iron Dames
In 2025, beyond the split with Lamborghini for the Iron Lynx/Dames organisation, both brands are competitively and to a degree, corporately, going their separate ways too.
Iron Lynx is the latest addition to the Mercedes-AMG customer racing ‘World’s Fastest Family’, whilst Iron Dames is now firmly aligned with Porsche.
All four of its major programmes (WEC, IMSA, ELMS and Asian Le Mans) feature the 911 GT3 R 992 now, and an already announced campaign in Porsche Carrera Cup France will get underway with Karen Gaillard following her Porsche Junior Shootout victory.
How much success will these new programmes bring? We won’t have to wait too long to find out…
16. Hyperpole tweaks
For 2024, FIA WEC LMGT3 Qualifying will see Bronze drivers Qualify the car in the first stage before the Silver drivers take the wheel for the Hyperpole shootout.
The qualifying format for the Le Mans 24 Hours will evolve this year too. The new system will see more cars take part in a new-look Hyperpole shootout, which will be split into two parts.
On Wednesday (11 June), the LMP2 and LMGT3 teams will take to the track for a 30-minute qualifying session. The top 12 in each class will go through to the Hyperpole session the following day, which decides the top slots on the starting grid in both classes.
The Hypercar session will take place shortly afterwards, with the top 15 prototypes set to advance through to Hyperpole.
Then on Thursday (12 June), there will be a pair of Hyperpole sessions for LMGT3 and LMP2, and a pair for Hypercar.
The 24 LMGT3 and LMP2 cars that progressed through to Hyperpole will head to the circuit for a 20-minute session and do battle to make it into the top eight. The top eight will then go through to the second session, which will last 15 minutes and decide who will claim the class pole positions.
It’s a similar format for Hypercar, with the top 15 cars vying for spots in a 15-minute top 10 shootout to decide which car will lead the field across the start/finish line on Saturday.
Previously, Hyperpole was a single session, with only the fastest eight cars from each class in qualifying making the cut.
Image credits: IMSA, Rossa Cars, BMW, Ferrari, Toyota, Goodyear, Ultimate Cup, ELMS, FIA WEC & Aston Martin
