Porsche left Endurance and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2017 after securing another victory in the Sarthe, the 19th in its history.
The Stuttgart brand has announced that it will be back in the World Championship (WEC) and therefore in Le Mans from 2023, taking advantage of new regulations authorizing the development of categories of cars at a lower cost.
The organizers of the World Championship (WEC) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) which organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, have launched the creation of a new category of cars (LDMh) which will be able to participate in both the WEC championship (which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans) but also in the North American Endurance Championship (IMSA), which was not possible before.
An incompatibility which slowed down the launch of Endurance programs among manufacturers who had to choose one or the other of the competitions.
#PorscheLMDh - The Executive Board at #Porsche has given the green light to the development of an LMDh prototype.
From 2023, the cars will make up a new top class in @FIAWEC and the North American @IMSA Championship.
Further infos and free downloads ⬇️https: //t.co/dSLigRngt7
- Porsche Motorsport (@PorscheRaces) December 15, 2020
A different model from Peugeot and Toyota but equivalent performance
A boon for the German manufacturer which will not follow the same technical path as Toyota and Peugeot, its future adversaries, opting for a Hypercar model.
Porsche will develop an LMDh hybrid prototype within three years.
The future racing car will be built on the basis of a marketable chassis (Oreca, Ligier, Dallara and Multimatic) on which the Germans will integrate a 680 horsepower engine with a weight of around one ton.
The design differs from that of the Hypercar but the performance should be equivalent.
Four manufacturers at Le Mans in 2023
“The new LMDh category will allow us to fight for overall victory with hybrid cars in great classics like Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring without having to spend too much money.
This project is extremely attractive for Porsche whose endurance is part of the DNA ”, underlined Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG in the press release stressing the importance of participation in these two championships.
This announcement is therefore excellent news for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will be able to count on the presence of a royal field in 2023 while this year, Toyota was the only brand officially entered at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Peugeot has announced its return for 2022 and Audi, a brand of the Volkswagen group like Porsche, will be there in 2023.
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