Breaking news
WEC
WEC makes tyre change rules U-turn for 2019/20
Teams will not be allowed to change tyres at the same time as refuelling after a rules U-turn for the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship season.
Gary Watkins
Published: Nov 29, 2018, 10:54 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The regulation preventing work on the cars taking place while fuel is going in, which dates back to the 1994 Le Mans 24 Hours, was done away with for this season in an attempt to make pitstops faster and more dramatic.
But the rule change will be reversed for the 2019/20 season in order for pitstops to play a more strategic role in the races.
The move was agreed by the FIA Endurance Commission earlier this month and is due to be signed off by the governing body's World Motor Sport Council at the beginning of December.
The WEC has yet to talk openly about the move ahead of its sign-off, but series officials have conceded that what is now being billed as an experiment for 2018/19 has stifled strategy.
This was because a set of tyres could be changed in the time in took for a car to be refuelled, which is strictly controlled by the regulations.
Teams appear to support the move, because it means that the crew on each car will be able to make a difference by changing tyres faster than their rivals.
Ford team principal George Howard-Chappell told Motorsport.com: "This will let the teams compete again in the pits; the mechanics doing the pitstops will be in the competition.
"It means that their efforts could allow us to jump the car in front, which has to be good. Now it's just about how long it takes for the fuel to go in, because everyone can change all four wheels in that time."
#66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT: Stefan Mucke, Olivier Pla
Photo by: JEP / LAT Images
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Michelin working on bespoke tyres for LMP1 privateers
Next article Autosport Awards: Jacky Ickx earns lifetime achievement honor
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Gary Watkins
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
WEC
WEC
Barcelona
6 h
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
Ford steps up WEC preparations with second test car
WEC
WEC
Ford steps up WEC preparations with second test car
Latest news
Catching Larson in the NASCAR Chase has to start at track where 'I suck'
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
56 min
Catching Larson in the NASCAR Chase has to start at track where 'I suck'
Verstappen charges from 24th to ninth as GetSpeed wins Portimao GTWC finale
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 1 h
Verstappen charges from 24th to ninth as GetSpeed wins Portimao GTWC finale
Colton Herta “maybe underestimated the difference” from IndyCar – F2 boss
FIA F2
F2 FIA F2 5 h
Colton Herta “maybe underestimated the difference” from IndyCar – F2 boss
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
WEC
WEC WEC
Barcelona
6 h
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe