The decision made by the FIA and race organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which jointly formulate the rules for the WEC, covers only the double-points round of the series on 10-11 June.
It has resulted from an “in-depth evaluation of tyre usage data together with the WEC’s exclusive tyre suppliers, Michelin and Goodyear”, according to a statement issued by the ACO on Thursday.
“The exemption is limited to the Le Mans only, ensuring that drivers of all experience levels will be able to compete in the safest possible environment regardless of track conditions and temperatures,” it continued.
This will allow a period in which “tyre manufacturers, teams and drivers will gain valuable time to develop better understanding of how to bring cold tyres up to temperature ahead of the remainder of the 2023 WEC season”.
The reversal of the rule covers all three classes, Hypercar and GTE Am where Michelin is the sole tyre supplier and LMP2 in which Goodyears are used.
Temporary reversal of the ban on pre-heating follows the concerns raised by drivers over the course of the Spa 6 Hours meeting earlier this month, following a series of accidents in which drivers went off the track on cold tyres.
The highest profile of the incidents were those suffered by Toyota driver Brendon Hartley and Ferrari’s Antonio Fuoco in the Hypercar class.
Source: Autosport