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Success ballast to form part of WEC hypercar rules

Success ballast will be part of the new hypercar concept prototype rulebook from its introduction for the 2020/21 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

Hypercar concepts

Hypercar concepts

FIA WEC

The move is part of the philosophy of the regulations to level the playing field and cap costs, as well as making the top category of the WEC more attractive to multiple manufacturers and privateers. 

A statement from the WEC said it had been introduced to "to ensure competitiveness, narrow any eventual gaps and, especially, avoid extreme development budgets".

A weight penalty of 0.5kg will be added for every championship point scored by a car, up to a maximum of 50kg. 

The success ballast will be removed for the Le Mans 24 Hours, which will be the WEC's championship finale each season with the swap to a winter calendar from 2019/20.

Details of the system have yet to be revealed because the sporting regulations, unlike the technical rules, have yet to be published. 

There will also be strict controls on the number of personnel and on testing before and during the season. A limit of 40 personnel will be allowed for a two-car prototype team. 

Testing is expected to be limited to three two-day collective tests and four free test days for each entrant. 

GTE Am gets success ballast for 2019/20

Success ballast will be introduced in the GTE Am class of the WEC from next season, although it will not be in force at Le Mans. 

The weight carried by a car will be determined by its results in the previous two races and its position in the championship.  A class victory will result in a 15kg weight penalty, second place 10kg and third 5kg.

The same scale will be enforced based on championship positions, meaning a car could be ballasted by as much as 45kg. 

The refuelling regulations and success ballast have also been introduced for the ACO-run European Le Mans Series, beginning at the start of next season at Paul Ricard in April.

#77 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR: Christian Ried, Julien Andlauer, Matt Campbell

#77 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR: Christian Ried, Julien Andlauer, Matt Campbell

Photo by: JEP / LAT Images

 

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