BMW would prefer a single ruleset in WEC’s Hypercar class from 2033

BMW says it would be “ideal” to have a single ruleset in the World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class from 2033.

The WEC has witnessed a major popularity boom in recent years, with manufacturers flocking to enter the series centred around the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The championship has given car brands the option of building cars to either LMH rules or LMDh regulations - which they are also allowed to enter in the IMSA SportsCar Championship as part of a convergence process between the two series.

Some manufacturers like Ferrari and Toyota chose the LMH ruleset as it was important for them to have greater freedom in designing their cars. Others including Porsche and BMW opted for the simpler and supposedly more affordable LMDh formula, where they can focus on areas such as aerodynamics, engine and electronics while purchasing off-the-shelf chassis and hybrid systems from third-party manufacturers.

As thing stands, the current rules for the Hypercar class stand until the end of 2029 following two separate rounds of extensions by organisers the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

All stakeholders are understood to have agreed to a further extension until 2032 to give additional time to new entrants Genesis, McLaren and Ford, with a formal confirmation expected on the eve of Le Mans in June.

The future of the Hypercar class beyond the 2032 season remains unclear, but there is a clear desire from the organisers and manufacturers to prolong what is now considered a golden era of endurance racing.

BMW’s motorsport boss Andreas Roos is certain there is no need for a complete overhaul of technical rules, with the current structure having proved to be such a hit with mainstream manufacturers.

However, Roos said he would prefer if all parties agreed to converge on a single ruleset between LMDh and LMH, thus eliminating the need to balance the two types of machinery.

“We can clearly see that we now have reached a regulation and competition with so many manufacturers that generally how it's built up is working and it's working well,” Roos told Crash.net.

“We have more and more manufacturers joining the championships. This first of all says that we did a lot of things right with the regulations and how everything is working.

“So for me, there is first of all no reason why something should be changed and why we shouldn't continue with the concept that is working well.

“On the other hand, the concept of regulations is working well, but it's also reflecting on what is going on in the automotive side: we have electrified cars, we have hybrid cars, and we run with sustainable fuels.

“So there are a lot of things already in our championship which is reflecting the automotive industry, which is very important for us. So there is no reason why [we should be] changing something.

“The only thing that we have to keep in mind is…is it really clever to have two different sets of regulations like LMH and LMDh?

“When you would ask me, it would be ideal to have only one technical regulation for Hypercars.

“This is something we have to discuss without making too many changes to what we have because the formula that we have at the moment is working really well.”

The ACO also has plans for a new hydrogen class from 2028, but it is widely believed that the introduction of hydrogen-powered cars - which will compete against conventional LMDh and LMH machinery - will be delayed further.

Also read: How BMW turned around its LMDh programme in WEC and IMSA