2015 Regulations

Photo : John ROURKE - Adrenal Media

What’s New for 2015?

• Changes to Qualifying
  o Best 2-lap average instead of 4 for the 2 nominated drivers
  o Session time reduced to 20 minutes
• LMP1-H and LMP1-L becomes LMP1 with hybrid (manufacturers)and non hybrid (Private Teams)
• Limitation to the number of engines in LMP1
• Limitation in the number of personnel
• Limitation in the number of slick tyres per event
• Average weight of the LMP1 drivers set
• Testing

1.   LMP1

In 2015 LMP1 cars will be known as ‘hybrid’ and ‘non hybrid’. There will still be an FIA Endurance Trophy for Privateer LMP1 Drivers and Teams.

2.   USE OF ENGINES

For LMP1 Hybrid competitors only: Engine use is limited to 5 engines for the complete season (all race events) per car entered.

For new manufacturers entering the Manufacturer’s FIA World Endurance Championship : Engine use is limited to 7 engines for the complete season (all race events) per car entered.

For the non-permanent LMP1 competitors in the FIA World Endurance Championship (race-by-race entry): A maximum of 2 engines can be used for free practice, qualifying practice and the race.

3.   TYRES

Photo : John ROURKE - Adrenal Media

Summary table of maximum number of tyres available per event (does not apply to the 24 Hours of Le Mans)

* 8 sets for Shanghai and Bahrain

4.   LIMITATION OF PERSONNEL

For Competitors entered in the Manufacturers’ World Endurance Championship only:

For all events scheduled after the 2015 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans:

No competitor may have more than 65 operational people at a 6-hour WEC race for 2 cars and 90 operational people for 3 cars (except where additional personnel are required by special regulation for an event; this must be confirmed by the decision of the Endurance Committee) with access to the Team pit garages and technical trucks/offices from the start of initial scrutineering until the end of the race.

5.   LMP1 AVERAGE DRIVER WEIGHT 

LMP1 entrants must declare the minimum weight of each driver entered. If the average weight of the drivers is 80kg or more no action is necessary. If the average weight is less than 80kg, driver ballast must be added to the car which will equal 80kg minus the actual average weight of the drivers.

6.   STARTING GRID

There will be one qualifying session to determine the starting grid and organised as follows:

• 20 minutes for LMP1 and LMP2 cars only
• 20 minutes for LMGTE Pro and Am cars only

Two nominated drivers from each crew must set at least 1 timed lapduring qualifying. The average of the 2best lap times (the best of each driver) will serve as the reference time for establishing the grid.  

NOTE:  In 2014 the average of 4 best laps (the best 2 for each driver) was used as the reference time, with each half session in qualifying being 25 minutes.  

7.   TESTING

The number and type of private tests that can be undertaken by competitors in LMP1 and LMP2 have been updated for 2015. The allocation is such that one car per test day equals one unit (car/days) and two cars per test day equals two units (car/days). The numbers of car/days now allowed are as follows:

For LMP1 competitors only

• A maximum of 10 closed private testing car/days are allowed.
• A maximum of 20 closed private testing car/days are allowed for any new car manufacturer entering the
• Manufacturers’ World Endurance Championship.
• A maximum of 10 open private testing car/days respecting the pre-announcement period of 30 days are allowed.
• A maximum of 30 open private testing car/days respecting the pre-announcement period of 90 days are allowed.

For LMP2 competitors only

• A maximum of 5 closed private testing car/days are allowed.
• A maximum of 10 open private testing car/days respecting the pre-announcement period of 30 days are allowed.

For LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am competitors only

• A maximum of 10 closed private testing car/days are allowed.
• Any open private testing car/days must respect the pre-announcement period of 30 days.

END OF SEASON ROOKIE TEST

Provision of at least one car by competitors entered in the World Endurance Manufacturers Championship for a Rookie Test, which will take place on a date and at a location that will be confirmed later this year, is mandatory.

2015 SPORTING REGULATIONS

TITLES

POINTS

Photo : John ROURKE - Adrenal Media

Points for the titles of Drivers’ World Champion and Manufacturers’ World Champion, as well as those for the Cup and Trophies, are awarded at each race according to the following scale:

POLE POSITION

For all the above classifications, an additional point will be awarded, at each Event, to the "pole position" team, as well      as to all the drivers making up the crew of the cars concerned, in each category (best time achieved by the car in each category during qualifying).

Two drivers from each crew must each set at least one timed lap during qualifying. The average of the two best lap times (the best lap of each driver) will serve as the reference time for establishing the grid.

DRIVING TIMES

For the LMP1 and LMGTE Pro categories:
To be able to score points, a driver must imperatively drive for a minimum of 40 minutes during the race.   A driver may not drive for more than 4 hours and 30 minutes in total.

For the LMP2 category:
A driver must imperatively have driven for a minimum of 1 hour and 15 minutes during the race.  A driver may not drive for more than 3 hours and 30 minutes in total.

For the LMGTE Am category:
A driver must imperatively have driven for a minimum of 1 hour and 45 minutes during the race. A driver may not drive for more than 3 hours and 30 minutes in total.

SAFETY CAR

Photo : John ROURKE - Adrenal Media

There will be only one safety car in operation at a time, except for circuits of over 7 km in length, where other safety cars, positioned at intermediate points around the circuit, may be authorised by the FIA. There will be 3 safety cars at the 24 Heures du Mans.

During the first three laps of the safety car, the pit entry will be closed. Any car entering the pits during these first three laps shall be allowed to refuel for only 5 seconds and/or replace a (the) damaged tyre(s), on the condition that after the third lap, or as soon as the pit entry opens, the car comes back in again for a normal pit stop.

EQUIVALENCE SYSTEMS (PERFORMANCE AND TECHNOLOGIES)

Equivalence systems between the different LMP1 propulsion technologies.In order to limit the differences between the hybrid and non-hybrid cars, the Endurance Committee will be able to adapt the performance of the non-hybrid cars in accordance with the following conditions:

A.    The reference will be the calculation of the average lap time of the fastest car in each technology. The average lap time will be calculated over the number of laps corresponding to 20% of the distance of the races (average of the best laps).

The models of the cars with the slowest technologies must have participated in at least two races and must have been properly classified in order to be able to benefit from the application of the rule.

The first adjustment of performance may be applied at any time by the Endurance Committee.  The Committee will have the right to request any necessary information from the manufacturers and/or the competitors in order to shed light on the issue at hand. Any such information will be treated in a strictly confidential manner.

Any competitor having deliberately provided false information or having attempted to influence an adjustment by hiding its true level of performance will be penalised by the FIA.

B.    The Endurance Committee may adjust the allocation of energy by + or – 10 MJ (reference for a lap of the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit) for all LMP1 cars in order to adjust the global level of performance.

Equivalence of Technology of the LMP1 cars

The principles of the EoT, calculated on the basis of the data collected from the «best in class» of each technology (as defined in the specific note that will be published by the Endurance Committee on 1 January 2015 at the latest), will be applied up to the 2015 Le Mans event inclusive, based on the manufacturers’ declarations the values specified in the Committee’s Decision 14-D0027-LMP1 and set out in Appendix B to the 2015 Technical Regulations.

The calculation formulae, the list of data to be communicated by the manufacturers and the list of sensors required will be published by the Endurance Committee in this same note. If, during the Le Mans 24 Hours event, any discrepancy is noted in relation to the declared values, a dissuasive penalty system will be applied.[MM1]

Upon examination of the data collected during the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours event, the criteria of the EoT will be defined for application up to the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours event inclusive.

It will be up to the Endurance Committee to settle any questions that might arise concerning the application and/or interpretation of these elements in the last resort.

BALANCE OF PERFORMANCE

LMP2 cars

The FIA and the ACO do not wish to encourage the Manufacturers to invest in LMP2 in any developments which improve the performance of the cars.

The main objectives for these cars must be reliability, safety and a low maintenance cost.
Thus, should a particular model of car perform too well, under the terms applicable to the adjustment of performance the Endurance Committee may take immediate measures to reduce its performance.

The Endurance Committee will favour reducing the performance of the fastest models rather than increasing the performance of the slower models.

The Endurance Committee may proceed to adjust the balance of performance of the different LMP2 cars and engines. The parameters liable to be modified are as follows:
•    Engine power up to -5%
•    Weight up to +30 kg
•    Fuel tank capacity up to -10 litres

Adjustments to performance are the responsibility of the Endurance Committee alone.

LMGTE cars

According to its missions, the Committee is allowed to balance the performance of the GTE cars as defined by the applicable technical regulations.

DRIVER CATEGORIES