Le Mans 2026: ACO Conference Notebook
Silverstone addition “not guided by finances”
FIA WEC CEO Frederic Lequien told DSC he believes the addition of Silverstone to the WEC calendar is a ‘win-win’ situation for both the circuit and the championship.
He also made it clear that the financial challenges associated with adding a race were not as much of a factor in the final decision to return to the UK as you may expect.
“Sometimes you take decisions which are not guided by finances,” he told DSC. “We just want to go to Silverstone, we just want to return to the UK. We believe the fans in the UK deserve a WEC round. It’s always my philosophy to find a win-win situation. We started from zero in two years ago and achieved something great.
“We are not guided by the money. I always said the opposite, but now I can tell you that the ELMS race at Silverstone was a test for this. We are going in the right direction.”
2030 rules to be adopted by IMSA in Year 1
IMSA President John Doonan confirmed to DSC that the 2030 top class regulations would debut in the IMSA SportsCar Championship’s GTP class in Year 1.
“Absolutely, the message we share today is that we start in 2030,” he said when asked if we would see the new era debut at the 2030 Daytona 24 Hours.
“Our collective goal, IMSA, ACO, FIA, was to get these out as soon as possible, to allow for planning and a longer runway. It takes time to develop the cars and get ready. So getting it out here five seasons in advance, you can’t ask for more.”
2030 regulations “in the interest of everyone” – Lequien
FIA WEC CEO Frederic Lequien is bullish about the 2030 regulations; he believes that they represent a compromise that will suit all of the manufacturers.
“We have shared this with all the OEMs,” he told DSC. “Everyone wants to go in the same direction. It’s in the interest of everyone. I have no doubt that in the following weeks and months in the technical working groups that we will do the fine-tuning. But the direction is clear, everybody agrees, and it makes sense. ”
New Pit Building project
The ACO has revealed renders of its new pit building project, with plans to redevelop the current building, which was constructed ahead of the 1991 race, having resurfaced after being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
ACO president Pierre Fillon has confirmed that the development work will not begin this off-season, with the goal to have it completed by 2031, since hydrogen infrastructure is set to be part of the upgrades.
Hydrogen car in Garage 56 soon?
The door has still been left open to a Hydrogen vehicle to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans sooner than 2030, even though their formal introduction to the race has been moved back from the previously-announced 2028 date.
The technology would be permitted through Garage 56, the entry reserved for cars outside of the standard regulations, which was most recently taken up by Hendrick Motorsports’ NASCAR Cup Series-based Chevrolet Camaro ZLE in 2023.
2030 tyre tender reveal postponed
The announcement of who will supply tyres to the Hypercar category from 2030 onwards has been postponed, with the reveal having initially been scheduled to take place this weekend.
DSC believes at least Goodyear and Michelin have bidded for the tender, which will run from 2030 to 2032, with an option to extend the deal through until the end of 2024.
“It’s taken more time than we expected,” said Pierre Fillon. “We plan to make an announcement, maybe just after São Paulo.”
The winner is also likely to supply tyres to the Hydrogen-regulation vehicles, although this will be a different specification of tyre due to their different characteristics.
Decision pending on Asian Le Mans Series calendar
The 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series calendar was not announced in today’s press conference, with it instead set to be released next month, as the organisers assess the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We will make an announcement, as we will do for WEC, the middle of July,” Pierre Fillon said.
Fillon also confirmed that Sepang’s place on the calendar is not dependent upon whether the Middle Eastern races occur.
“If we can go to the Middle East, we will go to Sepang,” he confirmed. “We are working on Plan B, and we are not decided if we have Sepang or not.”
Asian Le Mans Series Hypercar to permit only one pro driver per car
The driver restrictions for the Asian Le Mans Series’ Hypercar class have been confirmed. Each car will need one Bronze-ranked driver, with the second driver graded either Bronze or Silver, and the third driver rated either Gold or Platinum.
Sustainable Endurance Award winners announced
Cadillac, TDS Racing and Team WRT were announced as the winners of this year’s sixth annual Sustainable Endurance award, whilst Ferrari received the public award.
The award is sponsored by DHL, which has also extended its partnership with the FIA World Endurance Championship, and started a partnership with the Asian Le Mans Series.
Images © IMSA, Peter May, Jack Webster, ACO and Asian Le Mans Series
