Opinion: Could Two-Car Mandate Make WEC a Closed Shop?

Jamie Klein explores the effects of the FIA and ACO's recently announced rule and what it could mean for the future of the Hypercar class...

Last month, the widely-expected news that Hypercar manufacturers will be required to run two cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship was confirmed.

Cadillac, Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini are the current manufacturers directly impacted by the ruling, along with Aston Martin, which had only committed to a single top-class entry for 2025 before clarifying that it will expand to a second Valkyrie together with partner squad Heart of Racing Team to meet the requirements laid down by the FIA and ACO.

Assuming that Isotta Fraschini is successful in its bid to field a second Tipo 6 Competizione next year, it should mean a Formula 1-style grid of ten, two-car teams in the Hypercar class, supplemented by a maximum of two privately-entered cars.

With JOTA Sport set to take over the works Cadillac WEC program from Chip Ganassi Racing in 2025, it would leave the third-string AF Corse Ferrari 499P and the Proton Competition Porsche 963 most likely filling those two spots.

But the new ruling significantly reduces the chance of any other privateer team getting a berth on the WEC grid - a concern voiced recently by Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach. While Porsche was never likely to maintain its current representation of five cars given JOTA’s defection, it now looks set to be effectively capped at three cars.

Elsewhere, Toyota’s hopes of running a third GR010 Hybrid, now something which has been pushed back to 2026 at the earliest, appear to hinge on either an expansion of the current grid beyond 40 cars or one the current participants pulling the plug.