The Regulations 2012

Here's a few samples of the changes to the rules for the 2012 season that I think are relevant to us as spectators. I've divided them into sections; Categories, Driver & Other. I'll update them as often as I can.

You can download a PDF of the supplementary regulations from LeMans.org, or click here. The full regs will follow in due course.

55 cars have been invited, plus 1 "voiture innovante" i.e. a car that is displaying new technology and as such does not meet the 2012 technical rules. 10 cars will be in reserve.

Categories

The Prototypes have changed little from the big changes in 2011 and GTE being a new category isn't broken yet so no need to fix! Ultimately, the regulations have changed to make Le Mans racing more sustainable and economically viable.

Here's the breakdown the 2012 Le Mans Categories:

Prototypes

The new rules:

LMP1

are to become more like the 2010 LMP2 cars, in other words, engines are limited to 3.4 litre naturally aspirated or 2.0 litre turbo petrol, or 3.7 litre diesel. Configuration is not to be more than 8 cylinders so gone are the days of the screaming Aston V12's :( Gone too are the huge V10 and V12 diesels from Audi & Peugeot. The only exception to this is the 2.0 litre Turbo which is limited to six cylinders.

Hold the phone though! There are grandfathering rules available for those that don't want to (or can't afford to) run a new chassis. So, 2010 chassis' are acceptable providing that certain regulations are adhered to with regard performance adjustments.

LMP2

- The ACO really want P2 cars to be a 'low cost' formula, so the main change here is concerning the engines. They are to be production engines only, so no race-only prototypes available to P2 chassis. Current P2 cars can be used under 2011 rules, but they must have a new production engine installed, development of the chassis is to be halted after 31st December 2010, and performance is to be adjusted in line with 2011 regs.

HYBRID

- although not a unique category, the ACO has really encouraged manufacturers to pursue hybrid technology, and they're not being silly about it (like F1)! Check the rules for a full breakdown, but basically, hybrids of all types are welcome (battery based or mechanical, flybrid, systems), which is great. There are obviously controls in place so the teams who can afford to develop more reliable hybrid technology don't get a massive advantage. A couple of restrictions are that although energy can be recovered by all four wheels, only two wheels are allowed to be used to deliver the recovered energy back to the road. The system can only be activated by the accelerator pedal too, so driver aids such as the KERS push to pass buttons are out.

LE FIN

- This is not French for 'the end' but rather the introduction of a ridiculous fin to all LMP bodywork. Situated above the engine cover a la F1, the fin is designed to reduce lift tendency and therefore avoid such incidents that injured Stefane Ortelli at Monza in 2008. It's super ugly though.

GT Endurance

GT Racing is alive and well at Le Mans! After a major change to the regs in 2011 and a subsequently very enjoyable and competitive season (who knew), 2012 is lining up to be another excellent year to be watching sportscars.

With drivers like Mika Hakkinen being enticed behind the wheel of a Mercedes SLS GTE car at the last round of the ILMC at Zhuhai in 2011, there could be some exciting plans afoot. Here's the lowdown:

GTE Pro

- This is a purely professional category, so cars and drivers are free, I guess up to budgetary limits.

GTE Am

- This is designed for gentleman drivers. The team must have a minimum of 2 drivers classifed in the silver or bronze categories.

Drivers

There are a few changes to the rules with regard to driver licensing and some of these changes I'm just not sure about, but then some of them will encourage teams to search for, nuture, and encourage fresh, new, talent. Ultimately, I'm a little confused by this convoluted approach, it's too complicated.
Basically, the different categories now dictate the licence that drivers need, and what combination you may use per car (I said it might be complicated!).So, I'll try to explain to the best of my ability.

LMP1

The ACO are tring to encourage the professional drivers and factory teams to concentrate on the main prototype categories (were they not already?!). So Platinum, Gold & Silver licence holders only (for a definition of the different licence types, check here), so what's going to happen to Paul Drayson then?!.

LMP2

At least one Silver or Bronze licence holder in this category. So, P2 cars are available to the gentleman driver or more casual racer. That's good right?

GTE Pro

Driver entry is free. Again, excellent, teams can have a balanced mix of seasoned, professional drivers and amateur.

GTE Am

A maximum of one Platinum or Gold driver only. Focusing on the amateur driver, this category is limited to a maximum of one professional. This will really encourage younger and less experience racers to have a pop at Le Mans racing, it can only be good!

Other

Information relating to the circuit will be posted here.