Twenty-three cars graced this year’s Hypercar class at the Le Mans 24 Hours, three more than the current 20-strong Formula 1 field. It was quite the statement of success for the current rules cycle at the top level, one that had become increasingly sparse in the final days of the LMP1 formula across a World Endurance Championship season.
Let’s not forget that the Hypercar ruleset had been devised to renew interest among the manufacturer entities for endurance racing. The decision to unify those regulations with those in the new GTP category – a replacement for the DPi class – at the top of the IMSA SportsCar Championship has bolstered the field further; Lamborghini, Cadillac, BMW, Porsche, and Alpine all based their cars on the greater standardisation present in the LMDh platform. Add that to the ‘pure-blood’ LMH cars of Toyota, Peugeot, and Ferrari, and you have a hugely compelling line-up brimming with star power.