For this year’s centenary edition of the endurance racing blue ribband, the previous system of splitting the field behind three safety cars spaced around the 8.467-mile circuit has been dropped and a single pace car will be used in the event of a serious incident.
This will allow cars that are almost a full lap behind their class leader to make up the deficit as Le Mans adopts the wave-by rule used in the World Endurance Championship.
The change, which Toyota believes risks devaluing a Le Mans victory and “does not seem to us to correspond to the spirit of Le Mans”, could also have significant ramifications on the LMP2 battle and raises the prospect of a crew from the pro-am subdivision getting in amongst the lead fight in the closing stages.
Nine of the 24 LMP2 entries are entered in pro-am because they have a bronze driver that must complete at least six hours of driving, and United Autosports driver Oliver Jarvis believes an upset is “absolutely” a possibility due to the new rules.
“That’s something we’ve absolutely discussed on the drive into the track,” the 2017 Le Mans LMP2 winner told Autosport.
“With the safety cars you’ve got now, depending on where they fall, I don’t see why a pro-am car can’t win it.
“If the safety cars do come, as they normally do, and there’s normally at least two or three I believe, then everyone is on a level footing. It’s going to be pro versus pro for the last six hours of the race.”
Asked by Autosport if it would be a shock if a pro-am car won the LMP2 class outright, Cool Racing’s Simon Pagenaud said: “No, I don’t think so.
“Ricky Taylor is in a pro-am car, sure we talked about it, we’re going to be fighting at some point.
“I think some pro-am cars are going to be very good, very fast when they have the pro drivers in it. There’s going to be some battles for sure.”
Source: Autosport