WEC 2020 Tech Regulations - Hypercar Regulations

[Scorpaguy]

...Up until Audi pulled out LMP1 was the best class of the racing in the world...

That is a very bold statement...and quite possibly true. Being trackside at a number of events, I would add that in that day, I think all 4 classes produced very good racing. Even today, I consider the lower 3 tiers of WEC to be GREAT racing. At the 2020 Lone Star, the number of lead changes in LMP2 was quite entertaining...same in GTLM. However the GTAM boys seemed to swap the lead on an every lap basis...sometimes multiple times per lap. I still think of it as one of the most entertaining races I have ever attended.

WEC is great racing, but LMP1 (or whatever acronyms make up the class) is a mess.

[Cold Fussion]

...Up until Audi pulled out LMP1 was the best class of the racing in the world...

That is a very bold statement...and quite possibly true.

Obviously that's my opinion and my biases are very much towards series with technical openness. Maybe that would have changed if the LMP1 regulations stayed essentially the same for a number of years and there were only 4 manufacturers. As it was towards the end we started to see a bit of technical convergence towards the end so perhaps after 5 years everyone would have same design philosophy.

[Scorpaguy]

New thread needed I guess, but i will post here...

...Glickenhaus to miss/skip Sebring. Car(s) not ready and they do not want to rush due to homologation rules and covid logistics. In reality, Sebring looks an impossibility now anyway. 2021 looks to be a repeat of 2020.

[AMG.Tzan]

Oh wow! What a success these new Hypercar Regulations will be in bringing hypercars to the track...

This looks more like a TS050 with a lower rear wing than a hypercar...specially from the front I can't tell the difference between this and the TS050!

Anyway at least big manufacturers have already committed from 2022-23 onwards both in Lmh and Lmdh! It'll be the first time we'll have all the big Le Mans players from the last 30 years together in the field, just like the Group C days! Toyota-Peugeot-Audi-Porsche!



P.S. Now that budget caps are everywhere and costs for F1 are coming way down...Mercedes should have a go at Le Mans without a flying car at last!

[Morteza]

Toyota GR010 Hybrid

[JordanMugen]

Toyota GR010 Hybrid

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erulr-jXEAI ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErultauXEAE ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erumn1MXMAY ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErumqScXAAE ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErulqsWWMAc ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erumu7yXAAQ ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erumw3RWMAE ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EruluyDXAAQ ... =4096x4096

Tidy bit of kit! Shame about the livery.

Are Toyota right to be concerned that Alpine with their outdated but faster car, may be unfairly advantaged by ACO politics!? It seems most curious to allow older cars built to a faster set of regulations to still race.

[Stu]

Toyota GR010 Hybrid

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erulr-jXEAI ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErultauXEAE ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erumn1MXMAY ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErumqScXAAE ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErulqsWWMAc ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erumu7yXAAQ ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erumw3RWMAE ... =4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EruluyDXAAQ ... =4096x4096

It would be neat to see it compared to the previous TS050(?), it looks like a prototype rather than a hypercar.
If ‘hypercar’ regs result in nothing more than a re-named ‘prototype’, no wonder AM went cold on the idea!!
IMO the last batch of WEC cars (hybrid era) are some of the fugliest race cars ever! (Closely followed by the 1st gen Daytona Prototypes). ‘Sports cars’ should be nice to look at...

[jjn9128]

Slightly disappointed by this slightly simplified LMP1. It looks pretty cool because of that, but it's not a hypercar. I'll say it again, these rules are dumb.

[jjn9128]

Sounds pretty good though.

[Maritimer]

So this car has a bigger engine that can make the full 500kW by itself without KERS, I'd imagine it will be faster outright but slower out of the corners than the TS050. Will be interesting to see how they fair with only being able to change rear wing angle all season.

Can they do any aero development at all between seasons with the new homoligation rule, or is this what the car will be for the next five years?

[jjn9128]

So this car has a bigger engine that can make the full 500kW by itself without KERS, I'd imagine it will be faster outright but slower out of the corners than the TS050. Will be interesting to see how they fair with only being able to change rear wing angle all season.

Can they do any aero development at all between seasons with the new homoligation rule, or is this what the car will be for the next five years?

Think they have 5 jokers in the 5 year period?

19.1.3 Modifications requested for performance reasons:
Must respect the following conditions:
• No more than 5 Evolution extensions (EVO jokers) per manufacturer allowed from January 2021 until December 2025, regardless of the number of different homologations.
• An EVO joker equals whatever modification within the perimeter of each chapter of the relevant homologation form.
• Requested according to the calendar set in Article 19.6.2.
• According to the applicable homologation procedure.
• Applications must provide all necessary supporting information including the targeted performance improvement, its evolution and, if relevant, an updated datasheet.
• If the FIA/ACO is satisfied, in its absolute discretion, that these changes are acceptable and in line with the BoP process, they will confirm to the manufacturer concerned that they may be carried out.

[jjn9128]

Been looking closer. Really interesting rear end. The diffuser is angled quite severely towards the sides of the car which is where it's clearly fed from. Then ~500mm ahead of the rear tyre there's a sort of skirt to "seal" off the floor (influence tyre squirt) a bit ahead of the rear tyre. Can't tell much from the front but only looks like a single plane front wing(?) with really low front wishbones.

[Maritimer]

The front end may be more of a diffuser now since they arent allowed to adjust its angle. The exposed front wishbones seem odd, when did they remove the requirement that they be covered when viewed from that angle?

[JordanMugen]

It would be neat to see it compared to the previous TS050(?), it looks like a prototype rather than a hypercar.

Well, the cars were always going to be shaped in the way that makes them as fast as possible around the lap -- that's race car design 101. Even Toyota's very own GT-One "Hypercar" from over 20 years, in an era of less sophisticated CFD, had more prototype-like surfacing than older GT1 class cars -- after all, such progress is only logical.

But the aero surfacing, as borne out by the lower downforce & drag targets IIRC, definitely suggests less downforce generation than the LMP1 cars.

[JordanMugen]

Sounds pretty good though.

Why no fan-pleasing naturally aspirated V8 or V10? It seems a shame if efficiency must override entertainment.

Meanwhile, Glickenhaus seem to feel a naturally aspirated V8 will provide sufficient efficiency despite the numerous turbocharged customer engines available - most curious.



PS. Painting the Toyota in Peugeot colours and now in Porsche colours, seems most needlessly confusing!