Ferrari 499P, the rules of the game: the Hypercar class of the FIA WEC
The 11th season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the first to feature the Ferrari 499P in the Hypercar top class, includes seven rounds. From the Hypercar category to the hybrid car known as the Le Mans Hypercar, taking in the powertrain and four-wheel drive, here are some topics to learn about to experience the spectacle of the World Endurance Championship to the full.
Class: Hypercar
Prototypes and production-derived cars both compete in the World Endurance Championship. Overall, three classes take to the track: The Hypercar is the main one; the others are LMP2 and LMGTE Am. The cars in the first class are easily recognisable by the words “Hypercar” (red on a white background) and the initials “HY” (white on a red background), which stand out in the front and on the side panels.
Hypercar: two options
The Hypercar class, introduced from the 2021 season, allows two types of cars: LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) and LMDh (Le Mans Daytona Hybrid). The former can have four-wheel drive if a hybrid powertrain is used, the result of combining a combustion engine transmitting motion to the rear axle and an electric unit on the front axle. The second type, meanwhile, deploys rear-wheel drive only.
Ferrari’s choice: LMH
Ferrari decided to field an LMH, a platform that allows the car to be designed, developed and manufactured in-house. In this way, the manufacturer is solely responsible for creating the chassis, the hybrid powertrain (electric motor, battery), and the aerodynamics. In contrast, the LmdH class requires the team entering the championship to buy the car chassis from one of the four FIA WEC-approved suppliers.
Ferrari 499P: technical data
The Prancing Horse’s LMH is a hypercar that, as required by the technical regulations, has a maximum combined power to the wheels of around 700 horsepower (515 kW), within the regulatory limits, the total of both the thermal unit (the engine is a twin-turbo V6) and the electric unit, respectively known as the Internal Combustion Engine – ICE, and Energy Recovery System – ERS. The Prancing Horse four-wheel-drive LMH uses carbon fibre for the chassis and bodywork. The car comes with a battery pack rated at 800V and a seven-speed sequential gearbox. The total weight cannot be lower than 1,030 kilograms.
Tyres
Michelin is the sole supplier for the Hypercar class. It provides identical sets of dry and wet tyres for the individual manufacturers competing in the Hypercar class. It supplies two types of tyres for each championship round (three for the 24 Hours of Le Mans). As of the 2023 season, heating blankets are no longer used to keep the tyres warm. Exclusively for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, however, the possibility of heating tyres has been restored.
Balance of Performance
BoP is a technical rule which allows cars of different architectures to race together on equal terms by balancing out their potential performance levels through adjustments of power, weight and aerodynamic performance. The process is entirely data driven, relying on simulations and car data.
Virtual Energy Tank
Virtual Energy Tank, during the live broadcast of the races, shows the live status of combined energy from both the combustion engine and the hybrid system, which is allocated per stint as part of the BoP process.
Since the introduction of the Hypercar class to the FIA WEC in 2021, torque sensors were made mandatory, allowing for precise live monitoring of powertrain parameters. The data from these sensors is transmitted via telemetry to FIA WEC’s TV production where it is integrated into the TV graphics, allowing spectators to have an insight into the live energy usage status of each of the Hypercars and thus have an understanding of how far into a stint each of the cars is and anticipate their next pit stop for refueling.