WMSC: Hydrogen regulations approved, likely Le Mans/F1 clash
Today’s FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting in Macau confirmed two details of note for DSC readers.
The first is the FIA approving the Federation’s first-ever set of technical and safety regulations for vehicles powered by liquid hydrogen, marking ‘a major milestone in motorsport’s sustainable transition.’
These new regs will be integrated into Appendix J, Article 253 of the FIA’s International Sporting Code. They establish strict standards for vehicle integration, storage systems, and refuelling procedures. Key safety measures include pressure-tested compartments, multi-alert hydrogen leak detection and boil-off limits.
“By establishing a secure regulatory model, the FIA aims to position motor sport as a catalyst for hydrogen innovation across the broader mobility sector,” the Federation said in its statement issued today.
The second note, concerning the release of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, is likely to be a less pleasant one for DSC readers.
In the provisional F1 calendar, the Spanish Grand Prix is set to take place on 14 June. While the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar has not yet been published (expected to be unveiled Friday), it puts the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans at high risk of clashing with Formula One’s trip to Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.
The F1 calendar has a confirmed clash between the Canadian Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500, both to take place on 24 May – a clash that has already earned scathing feedback.
GT-One meets GR010 HYBRID
It was only fitting that Toyota brought the original 1998 Toyota GT-One/TS020 in for a photo with the #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID, which wears a tribute livery to the ’98 GT-One.
https://twitter.com/TGR_WEC/status/1932035938953085351
Here, the #7 Toyota GR010 of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries is joined by the original #29 TS020 of Thierry Boutsen, Ralf Kelleners, and Geoff Lees, which led until it was struck down with a mechanical problem late in the race.
Where can I find Toyota Gazoo Racing?
Speaking of Toyota Gazoo Racing, if you’re in the paddock area looking for their garage spaces at the entrance of pit lane, you may be surprised to find them closer to pit exit this year!
“After a while you get habits, so it’s already good to break the addition,” Toyota Gazoo Racing Technical Director, David Floury, said jokingly – though in all serious, Toyota made the choice strategically, and when asked to elaborate, Floury added: “We got screwed quite a few times last year, so we don’t want a repeat of this.
“It’s not based on any result, just a request from us. Last year, Lamborghini were in these pits, they were getting free, so we thought we could get a jump on the others.”
Duval expects quicker course after partial resurfacing
There’s been a partial resurfacing of the roads from Arnage to the entry of Porsche Curves, which 2013 Le Mans winner Loïc Duval believes will make the track quicker for a variety of reasons.
“The track is not too bad from the beginning, to be honest. I mean, the grip is quite there, it’s not too dirty, it’s been resurfaced. The main difference, in terms of feeling, is the entry of the Porsche (Curves),” Duval said after Test Day.
“We used to have a bump over there, which we don’t have any more. So I think it’s a bit quicker. The grip level is acceptable, in general.”
Peugeot wins Pit Stop Challenge
Duval may have been downbeat about Peugeot TotalEnergies’ chances to win the race this weekend, but the French manufacturer did pick up a huge win in today’s Pit Stop Challenge – their second Pit Stop Challenge win in the four years it has taken place.
It took just 8.83 seconds for Peugeot mechanics to change all four tyres on the #93 9X8, giving Peugeot the win ahead of the two full-factory Ferrari AF Corse 499Ps in second and third, then the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 HYBRID and the #311 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R.
Iron Dames took top honours in LMGT3, bouncing back after the accident during Sunday pit stop practice that injured Michelle Gatting (9.53 seconds), while AF Corse’s #183 ORECA 07-Gibson recorded the fastest stop in LMP2 (10.44 seconds).
DTM winner Rast leads trio returning from Zandvoort
BMW M Team WRT’s Rene Rast arrived at Le Mans straight after his victory in Race 2 of the DTM round at Zandvoort, which has put him second in the championship standings.
Rast was one of three drivers with outstanding DTM commitments that overlapped scrutineering and Test Day – the others were Alpine Endurance Team’s Jules Gounon and Cadillac Whelen’s Jack Aitken.
Gounon and Aitken ran in the first Test Session Sunday morning before jetting back over to Zandvoort for Race 2 that afternoon. Both drivers have since returned to Le Mans as of yesterday with plenty of time to appear in the drivers’ group photo.
Tunjo, Tan arrive after Mid-Ohio victories
Similarly, two Road to Le Mans drivers have arrived after picking up victories in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge event at Mid-Ohio.
Oscar Tunjo won a wet Race 2 at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, defeating his Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports team-mate Valentino Catalano by 1.3 seconds. They’ll share the #70 Duquiene D09 for this weekend’s 60-minute sprints, after driving the previous-generation D08s stateside.
Samantha Tan took her third GTDX Bronze Cup win of 2025 in the same race, and this weekend she’ll drive the #38 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 with Gustav Bergstrom, her first time racing around the Circuit de la Sarthe.
