Potential Prohibition of Two-Driver Line-Ups in WEC Hypercars for 2025

The World Endurance Championship is evaluating the possibility of prohibiting two-driver line-ups in the Hypercar class starting next season. This potential modification seeks to respond to the requests of several teams and manufacturers, who consider it necessary to establish a clear rule on the number of drivers per team.

The discussion about this rule arose following the decision of the Ganassi Cadillac team to compete with only two drivers in the six-hour races this season. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), co-organizer of the WEC, confirmed that a rule requiring teams to have three drivers per car was being considered.

Pierre Fillon, president of the ACO, mentioned that a final decision had not yet been made on this matter. For his part, Vincent Vosse, head of the WRT team that manages BMW's Hypercar campaign, was one of the promoters of this initiative. Vosse argued that having three drivers is essential to prepare teams for the most important race of the year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

On the other hand, Sam Hignett, head of the Jota team that will take over the Cadillac program in 2025, suggested that the choice between two and three drivers should be left to the discretion of each team. Hignett acknowledged that having two drivers can offer advantages in shorter races but insisted that three are necessary to properly face Le Mans.

Currently, WEC rules allow teams in the Hypercar class to freely choose their driver line-up, with the only restriction being that bronze-rated drivers are not permitted. Any regulatory change that requires three drivers would necessitate additional adjustments to the driving time rules for the WEC's premier category.

Ganassi had revealed that they only planned to use three drivers in the longer races, such as the 1812 km of Qatar, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 8 Hours of Bahrain. In the six-hour races, the team opted to compete with only two drivers, with the aim of maximizing track time and simplifying strategy.

Chip Ganassi, founder of the team, commented that they were looking to keep things simple and fast, in line with the nature of the races. Although the names of the additional drivers for the longer races had not yet been confirmed, it was expected that well-known figures from the North American IMSA SportsCar Championship would be part of the team.