WEC 2024: Ferrari and Toyota Dominance Continues as LMDh Cars Struggle to Break Through
The 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours marked the second year of the merged Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) and LMDh regulations in the WEC’s Hypercar category, with a Balance of Performance (BoP) ruling the roost. Despite a highly competitive race, LMDh cars are yet to secure their first win at the iconic endurance event.
Veteran drivers Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, along with newcomer Alex Palou, piloted the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R to a seventh-place finish, after leading the race for a significant period. However, they were ultimately outpaced by the LMH machinery, with the #50 Ferrari taking the top step of the podium, followed by the #7 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari.
The polesitting #6 Porsche LMDh, driven by Andre Lotterer and Kevin Estre, came close to breaking into the top three but fell short by just one second. Lotterer had expressed concerns that Estre’s exceptional pole lap might not be 100% representative of their performance, a sentiment that was somewhat validated by the race results.
“At one point, it was looking very good, but in the end, I think Ferrari and Toyota just had a little bit more pace in all conditions,” Alex Lynn reflected in an interview with Motorsport.com.
The Hypercars’ four-wheel-drive setup proved to be a significant advantage, particularly in the wet conditions that plagued parts of the race. Toyota, Ferrari, and Peugeot’s LMH cars capitalized on this advantage, with their four-wheel-drive systems providing extra traction compared to the rear-wheel-drive LMDhs.
Analysis of the Race
Analysis of the sector times revealed that LMH cars were faster in all sectors, with the two Toyotas and two Ferraris leading the way on the Mulsanne straight and its two chicanes. The fastest race times were set in dry conditions, making it challenging to quantify the exact advantage enjoyed by LMH cars.
Porsche’s Frederic Makowiecki acknowledged that the German constructor was “lacking a little bit to be able to compete with Toyota and Ferrari. Not much, but a little too much.” He added that the difference lay in Ferrari’s ability to overtake, while Porsche struggled to do so.
A closer look at the top speed-trap entries revealed that both Toyotas averaged 342.6km/h and 342.1km/h, while the top LMDh, the #36 Alpine, managed 339.1km/h. The quickest Porsche reached 338.9km/h, and no Cadillac broke the 337km/h barrier.
In the end, there was little regret in the American camp, with Lynn stating, “Ultimately, I think this race we maximized. I was really proud of how we did. We had, I think, a really strong race. It was just Ferrari and Toyota in particular.”
The WEC 2024 calendar may have gotten off to a strong start, but the LMDh cars still have a lot to prove if they want to break the dominance of the LMH machinery. Will we see a shake-up in the Hypercar category as the season unfolds? Only time will tell.
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