Change with stability

With the absence of the FIA president, who had been in Macau a few days earlier for the FIA Conference, which was also mentioned in his opening speech by Pierre Fillon, the ever-anticipated press conference took place at the Stade Marie Marvingt, next door to the La Sarthe circuit.

The room was packed, and the entire senior staff of endurance motorsport and team representatives were present, in an event that was always well directed by the popular Bruno Vandestick, official presenter of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Here’s a summary of the most important events for Macau Daily Times readers.

1. Awards

François Ferodo, who will be taking part in his 13th consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, received the Spirit of Le Mans award – a gentleman driver who, in the words of Pierre Fillon, embodies the true spirit of the competition: speed, tenacity, courage, love of motorsport, politeness, sympathy, and fair play.

The other award went to Yannick Dalmas, a former four-time Le Mans winner, as this year’s grand marshal – a well-deserved honor and recognition of an extraordinary driver and a great gentleman on and off the track.

2. Success

Never has the WEC been so popular with the public and manufacturers. The numbers are overwhelming: a world championship with 13 constructors and Hypercars, guaranteed continuity and visibility until the end of the 2032 season.

This success has led to the renewal of the strategic partnership between the ACO and the IMSA Championship. John Doohan, IMSA’s president, signed the protocol linking IMSA to the French club, which will have immediate consequences, including IMSA’s adoption of the new LMP2 regulations when they come into force, presumably in 2028.

The goal is to have a coherent set of regulations on both sides of the Atlantic.

The 2026 WEC will continue with eight races, a prologue and a race in Qatar, followed by races in Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, São Paulo, Lone Star (USA), Fuji and Bahrain. Le Mans will remain on the calendar in June, on the 13th and 14th.

The Hypercars class will be extended to Asia for the 2026-27 season, which will allow private teams to enter and will increase visibility for manufacturers on the continent. The Asian championship will feature six races—two at Sepang (Malaysia), two at the Dubai Autodrome and two at Yas Marina (Abu Dhabi).

A modernized and simplified class of next-generation LMP2 cars will be introduced in 2028, with two chassis constructors selected: Oreca and Ligier Automotive. All engines will be supplied by Gibson Technology, the sole LMP2 provider. The aim is to guarantee performance and visibility at controlled costs.

3. Environmental Protection

The WEC championship has obtained ISO 20121 certification for responsible event management and 3-star environmental accreditation from the FIA. In addition, the ACO maintains its commitment through concrete actions such as the Sustainable Endurance Award, sponsored by DHL. This year’s winners were the Ferrari team, United Motorsport and Porsche Penske Motorsport. Akkodis won the award in LMGT3 as a result of public voting. The Impact Challenge program for spectators includes a series of 170 actions to support the planet and its inhabitants.

4. Le Mans Classic

Starting next year, the Le Mans Classic will become an annual event featuring two types of races: the Le Mans Classic Series and the GT3 Revival Series. Each year it will alternate between the Le Mans Classic Heritage for cars from 1920 to 1970, and the Le Mans Classic Legend for vehicles from 1976 to 2015. In partnership with Peter Auto, there will also be a support race called Legends of Le Mans.

5. Hydrogen

The ACO maintains its commitment to launching a hydrogen class before the end of the decade and is actively working with the FIA to draft the relevant regulations. A partnership between Mission H24 and Toyota for the H24EVO’s aerodynamics and cooling program was also announced. As in previous years, the Hydrogen Village was a success. Sérgio de Almeida Correia, Le Mans