The world of LMP2 racing changed beyond all recognition in the FIA World Endurance Championship following the introduction of the new prototypes in 2017. ORECA, Dallara, Ligier and Multimatic were selected as chassis suppliers for the new category and built cars to a new rule set written by the FIA.
Immediately following their introduction, lap times dropped in every round of the WEC. At Le Mans, the improvement from 2016 (3m36.259 in race conditions) with the old car to 2017 (3m28.632) was just the start. Race lap records continued to fall. United Autosports driver, Paul Di Resta, set a record time of 3m24.528 in 2020 qualifying before the FIA stepped in to slow them down.
The introduction of the Hypercar class made things even more complicated as the new cars are slower than the old LMP1s, and manufacturers complained that the LMP2 cars was still too quick. They demanded the LMP2 cars be slowed and the FIA acquiesced.
Through a series of measures, the organising body reduced performance by nominating a single tyre supplier, Goodyear, and specifying to them the required increase in lap time through tyre performance alone. They also took away options for gear ratios, body kits and wings which made the cars less performant, and more difficult to drive; not ideal for a customer-focused category. Not only that, but the measures also placed an increased emphasis on the team to do a better job, and that means delving deeper into the details. To
