Classes and machinery
Hypercar
The WEC's top class since 2021, open to two rule platforms (LMH and LMDh) balanced against each other.
Hypercar is the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, introduced in 2021 to replace LMP1. It is the class that fights for overall race wins and the outright world championship, and it is where the manufacturers are: the grid mixes purpose-built Le Mans Hypercars with LMDh prototypes under one Balance of Performance.
The class was designed to cap spending after the LMP1 era's budgets drove manufacturers away. Performance is deliberately slower than peak LMP1: the cars are heavier, with less downforce and less total power, which is why LMP1-era lap records still stand at most circuits the championship visits.
Part of the WEC Engine glossary. Questions with longer answers live in Answers.