WEC confirms ERS mandate for new Hypercars
A key change to the power unit rules has been outlined in the 2026 FIA WEC Hypercar technical regulations, which were published earlier today.
Article 5.3 in the document states that “An ERS is optional but shall become mandatory for all newly homologated vehicles from 2026 onwards.”
The change in the rules, which will prevent manufacturers from developing non-hybrid LMH-spec prototypes, comes amid ongoing discussions about potentially moving to a single platform for the top class by the end of the decade. At present, the Hypercar category is open to both LMH and LMDh-spec prototypes.
Currently, just one car competing in the FIA WEC’s Hypercar class (and IMSA’s GTP class) – the Aston Martin Valkyrie – is a non-hybrid. The British manufacturer’s challenger is powered solely by a 6.5L naturally aspirated V12 from Cosworth.
Aston Martin THOR Team's team principal Ian James confirmed to RACER at Fuji that the outfit is set to return to the WEC in 2026 with its two-car program, and sources suggest that the Le Mans-winning OEM has put together a roadmap to develop the car as part of a multi-year commitment to the world championship. With this rule change, the Valkyrie will almost certainly be the only non-hybrid LMH car in the WEC’s top class going forward. Previously, the Vanwall Vandervell 680, Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH and Alpine A480 all competed in the Hypercar class as non-hybrids.
Changes have also been made to the section of the regulations that concerns homologation (19.1.3). A new rule for 2026 is that “Additional Evolutions extensions (EVO Jokers) can be granted for a demonstrated significant lack of performance as determined by the governing body.”
To this point, all Hypercar manufacturers have been limited in the number of performance-related updates they can develop for their cars over time. They have five EVO Jokers at their disposal for use between January 2021 and December 2027, before an additional pair becomes available from January 2028 to December 2029.
The 2026 sporting regulations for the FIA WEC were also published today. They include tweaks to the LMGT3 tire allocation rules and the introduction of a success handicap system to the Hypercar category.
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