Has GTP/Hypercar beaten sports car racing's boom-and-bust cycle?

04/24/2025 09:00 AM

Has there ever been a better time to be a fan of sports car racing? The grids at the top end are arguably healthier than they’ve ever been, fan interest is growing by the weekend and best of all, the current era of top-class convergence is showing no immediate signs of slowing down as we run through season three.

The LMH and LMDh platforms have been a smash hit with manufacturers early on, with 10 currently represented across the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar and IMSA GTP categories. And there are more on the way, too, with Ford, McLaren, and Genesis all now fully confirmed.

The regulations, meanwhile, have proven so popular that they look set to stick around significantly longer than was first communicated. An extension for the Hypercar ruleset through to the end of 2031 is expected to be announced in the build-up to the Le Mans 24 Hours this year, and further paddock talk in recent weeks has suggested that there's a will to push the end of the regulation cycle back even further than that.

This decision has been welcomed with open arms by the majority of the key stakeholders. It has boosted the confidence of the current manufacturers, who can now plan ahead in the knowledge that the top classes of the FIA WEC and IMSA are set to remain stable into the next decade, as the hydrogen ruleset slowly comes together.

An example of that effect comes from Peugeot Sport. It's well documented at this point that the French OEM's 9X8 project has underdelivered on its promise of fighting for wins and titles. But RACER believes that rather than exit Hypercar anytime soon, it is planning to double down on its push to win Le Mans, with a multi-year extension to its program and a brand-new LMH-spec prototype for the WEC's top class.

Interestingly, parent organization Stellantis is believed to have considered a range of options before settling on its as-yet-unannounced plan. The automotive giant, RACER understands, explored the potential for a new car to enter Hypercar badged as an Alfa Romeo, before settling on a continuation of Peugeot Sport's journey.

When asked to address the potential of a ruleset extension at Imola last weekend, Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport’s technical director, said he feels it would make the most sense.

“We don’t see a new generation of cars coming in 2030, especially as hydrogen seems far away, and even if it were to come in the end, it would need to be managed,” he said.

Elsewhere, the extension to the ruleset is thought to have played a key part in Ford's move to green-light a WEC program and has attracted the interest of multiple additional manufacturers still currently on the outside looking in. With likely more than six seasons still to play with, there's more than enough time to evaluate, sign off, develop, test and race a brand-new car for multiple seasons.

The question is: which brands are most likely to heed the call? According to paddock sources, there are three additional manufacturers — all with previous sports car heritage to draw from — are known by RACER to be in talks with suppliers, with one said to be interested in joining as soon as 2027.

What about the programs we already know about? BMW is looking at what the future holds for its IMSA GTP commitment. Currently, Rahal Letterman Lanigan operates the M Hybrid V8s in North America, but a switch of service provider is on the agenda, it seems. Three teams are believed to be in consideration, with Chip Ganassi Racing and Pratt Miller Motorsports in the mix to take over the reins from 2026.

Genesis is also looking at GTP service providers for its 2027 IMSA debut with the GMR-001. It, too, has three teams shortlisted and is locked in negotiations at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, another ORECA LMDh partner brand — Acura/HRC — is looking to expand its footprint. The push for Honda to join the FIA WEC is still on, it seems. The ideal solution for the Japanese brand would be to re-badge the ARX-06 as a Honda and compete at Le Mans only, but this is a non-starter. It's two cars in the FIA WEC full-time or nothing.

There's no sign of any wiggle room being granted from the organizers, who imposed the two-car rule from this season onwards. Regardless, grid space is already tight as it is, and with more manufacturers on the way, putting the full-season entry together from 2027 onwards looks set to cause real headaches, as there's no desire to cull manufacturers from LMGT3.

It's not all good news, though. Question marks are hanging over multiple current manufacturers as we head into seasons four and five of the current era, and while reinforcements are already on their way, nobody should expect every manufacturer already involved to stay next year or in 2027, or through to the end of the current extension in 2029. That should not come as a surprise. Factory programs are pretty much never committed to a limitless timeframe, and 2-4 years has historically been the norm.

There is also an ongoing debate in the background over whether the most sensible way forward would be to shift to a single platform. Porsche, which is understood to be committed to Hypercar and GTP through the end of 2027, is a leading voice in this.

It feels that a transition into the next decade to either LMDh-only, or an evolution of the ruleset which resembles something close to LMDh, would make most sense to keep the majority of the manufacturers happy. The cost of competing and the balance of performance process, Porsche believes, would be easier to manage.

There are concerns, too, over the future of Hypercar and GTP privateer entries. With costs escalating and the number of factory teams swelling, making the sums add up has never been more challenging for the likes of Proton and JDC-Miller, who have done an exceptional job to make it work thus far.

It's clear that it’s been a challenge from day one on Porsche’s side too. Operating the customer program requires significant resources, due to its commitment to service and update the fleet of privateer chassis.

The rule-makers are listening to concerns and feedback. Dialogue between the WEC, FIA and IMSA continues to be regular and positive, with current decisions regarding the future of the rules all stemming from a joint understanding that staying nimble and proactive is imperative to keep this area of the sport alive and well into the next decade.

Beyond the forthcoming regulation extension, the change to the 2026 IMSA calendar (with Road America handed an Endurance Cup slot) is a real-world example of this, as was the recent vote cast to stakeholders on the potential for a ninth FIA WEC round in 2026.

It seems we are sticking to eight, with concerns over the cost of an additional race, in particular for the LMGT3 teams, the major sticking point.

It’s busy out there, and this is just a snapshot of what's currently going on behind the scenes. It’s not all champagne and caviar, as the economic climate could pose some major challenges to the OEMs in the short and medium term. But for the time being at least, sports car racing looks to be in a strong position for a while yet.