[tigas]

I listened to the MWM podcast and I agree completely with those that are asking who benefits. "Cui bono?"

However, it seems to me that we have two sets of demands from ACO racing and IMSA racing that are impossible to satisfy with a single ruleset. Because they are fundamentally different ways of going racing.

ACO (and probably the FIA) would like to have a prototype class that could be driven in several championships around the world and on LeMans. They already have that in LMP2, in fact... Cost-controlled even, Russian oligarchs notwithstanding...

But ALMS has folded into IMSA, which has a problem with their Daytona Prototype business model. IMSA has always used that prototype class as a way of grabbing manufacturers and professional racers on the cheap, while the ACO has LMP1 for that (not cheap) and ACO LMP2 has been left for independent racing teams.

Now IMSA (NASCAR) has some teams that have experience with LMP2 racing, and space-frame prototypes are no longer acceptable as a top-level category, so they would like to have an LMP2-based class, but also continue to accommodate manufacturers used to silhouette racing and DP, by allowing "bodykits" (and corresponding aero development) over the prototype chassis, and bespoke engines. And they would like to come to LeMans like in the days of the ALMS...

As far as I can see, all of this could potentially be very bad for the ACO LMP2 teams, which right now do not have to invest in aero development because it has been totally done by the chassis manufacturer, and have almost as good as a "spec" engine in the Zytek-Nismo units.

What now?

IMSA will not adopt LMP1-H. And IMSA LMP1-L would be suicide for the ACO - it's still very expensive and then what happens when Ford comes to LeMans with their LMP1-L to race against the ACO LMP1-H? If LMP1-H is the pinnacle of ACO rules, LMP1-L can't be properly competitive with LMP1-H cars. So far it has been like that because ByKolles and Rebellion have nowhere near the resources of a Ford. But a cheaper, simpler IMSA LMP1-L Ford winning against an LMP1-H field would be a very big loss of face for the current LMP1-H manufacturers, who would almost certainly leave ACO racing. It would certainly be the end of LMP1-H. And Ford would not be coming to La Sarthe to play second fiddle.

What about having the current crop of ACO LMP2 teams adopt IMSA's rules, with these rules' aero investment and bespoke engines? Those rules have been made for a team like Riley, that has money from a main manufacturer supplying the engine and its own wind tunnel for aero development... In all probability, not even Strakka would be able to compete at that level.

Therefore, I believe the only point where FIA, ACO and IMSA were able to get to an agreement was to have a shared chassis. This was probably music to the ears of some chassis manufacturers that have a lot of weight with the ACO, and they must have opened several bottles of champagne (not signed by failed F1 drivers, I hope) - more buyers on the other side of the Atlantic, and a stark reduction in the European competition? Vive la France!

So what we seem to have here, in my understanding, is two classes with the same chassis: ACO LMP2 and IMSA GTP. GTPs would come to LeMans with BoP to compete with ACO LMP2. Having the same chassis would simplify a lot of homologation, scrutineering, and safety issues.

How effective would this BoP be? I don't know, but it seems to have been working for GT3. Exactly why the current LMP2 class can't be left alone is beyond my understanding, though. Let IMSA have their LMP2-based GTP class, just leave ACO LMP2 well alone.