WEC adopts new, two-part qualifying format

The FIA World Endurance Championship will utilize a new two-part qualifying system from 2024, following approval at the third FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting of 2023 in Geneva.

The new "enhanced" system, which will be used for both the Hypercar class and the new LMGT3 category, will be split into two parts. Each class will take to the track for a 12-minute session followed by a 10-minute-long Hyperpole session for the 10 fastest cars.

Like the current system, which features 15-minute sessions for Hypercar, LMP2 and GTE Am, each class will qualify separately. To this point, "Hyperpole" has only featured at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

At the meeting -- which was chaired by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem with FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid and WMSC members joining in person at the FIA’s offices in Geneva and via video conference -- the technical regulations for the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class were also approved.

The new GT class will be based on the FIA’s existing GT3 technical platform and replace the outgoing GTE AM class. The cars will feature several WEC-specific adaptations such as luminescent number panels, leader lights and torque meter sensors.