WEC 2025

Doc Austin said:

Vanwall Planning 2026-27 Asian Effort With Upgraded Hypercar​


Too bad they aren't in WEC, except they would be in be in the way. It's a great looking car.

MPSA_WEC23_KVE_BAH_20231104__V6_7403.jpg
Click to expand...
A team has purchased a pair of the old wingless Peugeots and plans on running those. With Proton perhaps bringing a 963 or two and maybe a 499P or two, could be an interesting debut Hypercar in AsLMS next year.

sportscar365.com

BBM Sport Planning Wingless Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar Effort – Sportscar365

Bob Berridge's BBM Sport, Bronze-rated driver Kriton Lendoudis purchase Peugeot 9X8s...
sportscar365.com sportscar365.com

Btw, this season’s AsLMS opens at Sepang this weekend with two 4-hour races.
 
FLRacingFan said:
With Proton perhaps bringing a 963 or two and maybe a 499P or two, could be an interesting debut Hypercar in AsLMS next year.
Click to expand...
Looks like Proton is considering running their 963 in IMSA

racer.com

Proton targeting IMSA return in 2026 | RACER

Christian Ried is working to organize a return to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship during the 2026 season, telling RACER of “helpful and very positive” discussions about that prospect.
racer.com racer.com
 
Doc Austin said:
Looks like Proton is considering running their 963 in IMSA

racer.com

Proton targeting IMSA return in 2026 | RACER

Christian Ried is working to organize a return to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship during the 2026 season, telling RACER of “helpful and very positive” discussions about that prospect.
racer.com racer.com
Click to expand...
They’re considering and could conceivably do both. The only race that overlaps with the AsLMS calendar is Daytona, and they have at least two chassis.
 
Peugeot will seek to continue updating the current 9X8 after both allowed homologations and all five EVO jokers available through the 2027 cycle have already been used up, citing a new rule that lets underperforming cars obtain additional jokers:

Peugeot had stated earlier this year that it is committed to the WEC for the long-term. Should it fail to secure approval for major upgrades before 2027, it will still benefit from two evo jokers allocated to each manufacturer for the 2028–29 seasons.

The Hypercar regulations have been extended to 2032, with additional evo jokers available for the final three years of the cycle. Meanwhile, discussions continue among manufacturers about unifying LMH and LMDh into a single rulebook for the top class.
Click to expand...

 
Doing some year-end reading catchup and can’t believe how bad the Porsche story really is.

At their annual Night of Champions earlier this month their speeches referenced leaving the WEC due to “sporting matters” and “fairness”. Which, I understand at a company event you don’t want to talk about the financial condition of the company, layoffs, and the previously stated reasons for leaving the series. I understand that BoP was not as clean of a process this year as it should’ve been either. But that comes off as nothing but soreassed and insincere.

Christian Reid (Proton) was in attendance that night as well, who was still trying to put together a privately funded program with Penske at the time. Porsche management told writers in attendance that night that no such program would come to fruition, and that came as a surprise to Christian. The Proton/Penske linkup eventually fell through due to reported pressure from Porsche management.

Additionally, it had just recently been announced that Porsche had decided to form a second factory-backed Formula E team for next season. When Jake Dennis won the driver’s championship with Andretti as a Porsche customer team a couple of years ago, Porsche management were seemingly irked that it don’t get enough exposure and publicity for having a Porsche powertrain. However, writers understand that the Formula E cost cap is considerably above what it would take to shore up the funding gap needed for Proton and/or Penske to field a second 963 in WEC next year.

www.dailysportscar.com

Porsche In The WEC, Switching The Narrative?

Porsche In The WEC, Switching The Narrative?
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com
 
Doc Austin said:
I was referring to the two-car requirement. That squeezed Proton out.

All the money they have put into that program and now they want out?
Click to expand...
You can’t compete at a high level as a sole entrant. The two-car mandate requires a certain level of commitment and scale to ensure the quality of the grid remains high.

Neel Jani said there was a lot of support from the ACO in keeping a pair of Porsches in the field next year. It was his belief until late in the process that Penske and Proton were going to link up, and that would’ve been a much more formidable program than Proton fielding a single car alone. Ultimately Porsche quashed it, so they’re the only ones to blame as far as I’m concerned. Their original justifications fall especially flat after seeing them fund a second factory Formula E team.

Where things get really interesting is in 2027, when the Ford and McLaren LMDhs join the grid and put pressure on the grid numbers again. It’s possible the Porsche 911 GT3s get forced out of the series, and that would result in the first Le Mans without any Porsche presence at all since 1950.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom