Yahoo Autos Lamborghini scaling up WEC Hypercar program in 2025
Lamborghini is set to scale up two a two-car, full-season effort in the FIA WEC’s Hypercar class next season, to meet the new requirement for every manufacturer to enter two cars from 2025 onwards.
Confirmation came from the brand’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann in a media round table at Le Mans last week, during which he was asked for his opinion on the new rule and the future of the SC63 program in the FIA WEC.
“The reason why we entered into Hypercar and LMDh is that it collided with our strategy. Then it was the fact that WEC and IMSA together would give us global visibility, and there is a cascading process with R&D due to the fact it is endurance racing, and the budget was foreseeable,” he said. “For sure things are changing and it will be more expensive for us. But we will do it, we will have the second car in WEC from next year.”
This follows Iron Lynx’s team principal Andrea Piccini telling RACER back in April that it was ready for two cars in Hypercar should the rule come into place. It also adds to Aston Martin’s immediate confirmation of a second Hypercar for Heart of Racing after the regulation was announced and Cadillac’s expected two-car effort with a new team following Ganassi’s planned departure at the end of the year.
“On one hand we appreciate having a second car,” added Rouven Mohr, Lamborghini’s chief technical officer (and interim head of motorsport). “Our development progress is slower because we have less data and fewer opportunities for different race strategies. But it is an additional effort for a company small like us, but we like challenges and we will find a Lambo way to deal with it.”
Could customer-run or customer-funded cars form part of its future top class plans? While there appear to be no immediate plans for Lamborghini to offer additional SC63s for competition, Winkelmann by no means ruled it out.
“There might be an opportunity to step up in terms of cars,” he said. “This is something we have to see with additional partners. This is something others are doing, we have not done so far, and this could be an opportunity that will help us with more testing.
“We are evaluating different opportunities and options. We will do our best. It’s something we have to discuss in-depth with Iron Lynx.”
Despite the forthcoming rise in costs to compete in WEC’s Hypercar class going forward (due to the two-car mandate), Lamborghini remains committed to the current ruleset in the longer term.
Mohr and Winkelmann both welcome the extension of the current Hypercar and GTP homologation cycle to the end of 2029, especially as it currently has no plans or interest in developing a car for the forthcoming hydrogen category.
“It’s a good decision, for all the manufacturers you have planning safety,” Mohr said when asked by RACER for a reaction to the extension of the Hypercar rules. We have always said this is not a short-time shot — we have a clear strategy behind our engagement, so it’s positive.”
Mohr and Winkelmann were also quizzed on the future of Lamborghini’s customer GT programs in GT3 and single-make competition. While they were not prepared to give too much away, they did confirm that successors to the Huracan GT3 and Super Trofeo models are currently in the pipeline and will debut in the 2026 and 2027 seasons respectively.
“I can tell you that unlike the LMDh (SC63) with a standalone engine, the Super Trofeo as well as the GT3 car will have the street engine including all the highly sophisticated stuff,” Mohr said when asked for further details about the new model’s engine platform.
“It will not be hybrid though (like the road-going model it is based on), so it will need to be modified, then let’s see if high-revving makes sense or not. We have to find the best compromise between drivability and efficiency.”
The ongoing hiring process for a new head of motorsport was addressed, too. Mohr, who is currently acting as the interim following Giorgio Sanna’s resignation back in March, said that Lamborghini hopes to have the position filled by the end of the year.
“We have interviewed some people, we are in the final screening phase and we are hopeful we can close very soon. At the moment it isn’t finally decided but we are close to the finish line,” he said. “Our wish would be to close within the next weeks, or a maximum of two months.”
