WEC
Glickenhaus can return to WEC only if it enters every race
Glickenhaus will only be permitted to return to the FIA World Endurance Championship next year if it commits to entering and racing one of its Le Mans Hypercars in every race.
Gary Watkins
Edited: Nov 8, 2021, 5:59 PM
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WEC CEO Frederic Lequien made the vow in the wake of multiple public comments from marque boss Jim Glickenhaus that he only wants to contest a limited programme with his Pipo-engined 007 LMH design in 2022 after opting out of the series following the Le Mans 24 Hours this year.
Lequien told Motorsport.com that the American entrant will be required to race at least one 007 "for all the season, that is very clear".
"We don't want to sound pretentious, but we are an FIA world championship, which means we have to follow rules," he said.
"Also for the other competitors it is fair that he competes in all the rounds."
Lequien explained that any second entry from Glickenhaus for regular WEC rounds or Le Mans in June would be assessed by the relevant selection committees.
"It is clear that this could be possible, but [the team must enter] one car for all the races," he said.
In the wake of Lequien's comments, former movie director Jim Glickenhaus reiterated that he is not committed to all six races in '21.
"It is our aim to be at Sebring and Spa before Le Mans and definitely have two cars at the 24 Hours," he told Motorsport.com.
"We would like to go to Monza after Le Mans and to keep racing in the WEC, but what happens will depend on the Balance of Performance.
"If we get a fair BoP we will work with our partners and sponsors to try to do the rest of the championship."
He had previously stated that the WEC organisation and series promoter the Automobile Club de l'Ouest were understanding of his position.
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Glickenhaus missed the opening round of the series this year in order to continue testing ahead of the 007's homologation, which has fixed the specification of the car for five seasons.
He opted out of the WEC opener when it was scheduled for Sebring in March and again after it was delayed to Spa at the start of May.
The team then entered a single car for round two, the Portimao 8 Hours at the Algarve circuit in June, but made it clear from early in the season that he had little interest in competing in the end-of-season races outside of Europe.
These were initially scheduled for Fuji in September and Bahrain at the end of November, before the Japanese fixture was cancelled and replaced by a second race at Bahrain as part of a calendar rejig.
Lequien explained the WEC "deeply regretted" the decision of Glickenhaus to stop racing after Le Mans.
His statement comes at a time when the WEC entry is looking increasingly certain to be oversubscribed with the arrival of Peugeot over the course of the season and additional entries for teams such as new LMP2 champion WRT.
It is known that some teams looking to enter the series have been told that there will not be room on the grid for them.
"It is going to be very difficult; we cannot make everyone happy," said Lequien.
Lequien wouldn't be drawn on the precise number of full-season entries the WEC will be able to accommodate for next season.
A record entry of 36 full-season cars for the WEC came in 2018/19 for the so-called superseason incorporating two editions of Le Mans, while the entry for the past two seasons has been 33 cars.
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