The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is a global racing series focused around taking the endurance element and racing spirit of Le Mans around the world. Each season is comprised of around 6 – 9 races held across the globe, each lasting between four to twenty-four hours. Races are regularly held at Fuiji, Spa and Bahrain.
Goodyear has a proud history in Motorsport. From 14 wins in the Le Mans 24 hours to 368 Formula One Grand Prix - a record that stands unbeaten. Today, after many years, Goodyear is re-entering European and International sportscar racing by developing a new range of tyres for the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the Le Mans 24-hour race.
LMP cars are a closed cockpit vehicle that is developed purely for track competitions, following the technical requirements recognised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.
LMP1 is specifically for manufacturers.
LMP2 is a variation of the LMP1 category following the same car specifications. Fewer modifications and developments are allowed, with all cars containing the same Gibson engine.
This class is specifically for teams of independent manufacturers and/or engine suppliers.
The Le Mans Grand Tour Racing endurance category are modified variations of road cars from the likes of Aston Martin, BWM and Porsche.
Team is comprised of manufacturers and professional drivers.
This is a variation of the LMGTE-PRO category, with the rule that cars must be a year older than those competing in the PRO category.
This class includes both professional and amateur drivers.
At the start of the 2020/2021 season, Goodyear were announced as the official tyre supplier to the LMP2 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship which has continued for the 2021/2022 season. This follows Goodyear’s return to the 24 hours of Le Mans back in 2019.
A multi-season contract between the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the FIA World Endurance Championship and Goodyear was agreed following the ACO’s decision to appoint a single tyre supplier for this highly competitive Le Mans Prototype class. This reinforces the relationship between the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the leading World and European endurance championships and one of the most successful tyre companies in the history of motorsport.
The latest generation of the Goodyear Eagle SuperSport race tyres will be supplied to all WEC teams within the LMP2 class starting from the next race season starting this April with 8 hours of Portimão.
Goodyear offer 3 different types of compound in the LMP2 race category:
The medium tyre was only introduced at Spa 2020, offering teams additional durability for the aggressive surface of the old-school style Spa track.
Check out what racing at Silverstone circuit means to British racing driver Anthony Davidson who currently drives in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Jota Sport.
LMP2
ORECA
Roberto Gonzalez
Antonio Felix da Costa
Anthony Davidson
LMP2
ORECA
Ho-Pin Tung
Gabriel Aubry
William Stevens
Ryan Cullen
(FIA WEC)
Manufacturer teams and well-resourced privateer squads
(teams)
Smaller independent teams with a lower budget
No limit
(maximum)
Naturally aspirated: 8
Turbocharged: 6
5.5 litres
(maximum)
Naturally aspirated: 5 litres
Turbocharged: 3.2 litres
850kg
(minimum)
900kg
Petrol: 68.3 litres
Diesel: 54.2 litres
(maximum capacity)
75 litres
Length: 4650mm
Width: 1800mm - 1900mm
(from edge to edge)
Length: 4650mm
Width: 2000mm
Jota Sport took pole position on the LMP2 class podium at the four hours of Shanghai race in the FIA WEC 2019/2020 season. Not to be outdone, sister team Jackie Chan Racing, also running Goodyear tyres took second place on the podium – creating a one-two win for Goodyear tyres. The triumph made history, marking the first Goodyear win in a World Championship race since Michael Schumacher and Ferrari in the 1998 Italian Grand Prix.
Mike McGregor, Goodyear Manager, Race Sales, Testing & Track Support, said: 'It’s been a tremendous multinational team effort to bring Goodyear back to international motorsport. After our podium in our second race last month at Fuji, it’s brilliant to build on that with a one-two. Thanks to our partners at Jota Sport for giving us the opportunity to partner with them in our first year back at World Championship level. We have more developments coming later this season but, in the meantime, we will celebrate this historic win.'
30 - 31 March 2021
4 April 2021
1 May 2021
12 - 13 June 2021
18 July 2021
26 September 2021
20 November 2021
Friday
Free practice time will be allocated to the Friday before the race.
Saturday
Qualifying session lasts around 25 minutes giving teams the chance for two drivers to post their fastest lap. The average lap times is then used to calculate who is in pole position for race day.
Sunday
During race day, every driver of each team is required to spend specific amount of time in the car, calculated in relation to the length of the race.
The 24 hours of Le Mans race is held slightly differently to other events as it is the longest race of the season. Qualifying takes place on a Thursday with Friday as a day off – the race then takes place on Saturday through to Sunday.
All WEC races follow the standard FIA allocation per class with additional points awarded for pole position. Any teams that finish below 10th in the overall classification are awarded 0.5 points.
Points are also allocated dependent on the length of the race. For example, six hour races generate full points, eight hours (or 1000 miles) of Sebring accounts for 1.25 times the points and 24 hours of Le Mans is awarded 1.5 times the points.
