Lamborghini could soon be the newest automaker to confirm an entry in the new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) class that from 2023 will serve as the top category for both the World Endurance Championship and WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Yes, the possibility of Lamborghini competing in top-level endurance racing is edging closer to reality.
Chris Ward, senior manager of motorsport for Lamborghini's U.S. arm, told Racer in an interview published on Wednesday that Lamborghini is close to formalizing an LMDh entry.
“We are not 100% over the line, I can confirm that, but if I was to say we’re 90% of the way there, that would be pretty accurate,” he said.
The final 10% involves finding a suitable partner, with Ward pointing out that it could be an existing team racing sports prototypes or a current Lamborghini customer race team looking to upgrade from Huracan-based GT cars to sports prototypes.
“Historically, we don’t go factory racing in the way that you might see Porsche or others go factory racing,” he said. “To get us all the way there, it’s going to take a customer effort behind it.”
LMDh was announced by the organizers of both the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the World Endurance Championship in early 2020. In WEC, the class will run alongside the LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) class which saw its first race on May 1. By the time 2023 rolls around, LMH will have Alpine, Ferrari, Peugeot, Glickenhaus and Toyota all competing. LMDh meanwhile has attracted Acura, Audi, BMW, Porsche and now possibly Lamborghini. Cadillac is also expected to announce a commitment to LMDh shortly.
Unlike LMH, which requires bespoke entries, LMDh has been developed with a view of keeping a lid on costs, so teams need to use a spec chassis similar to a current LMP2 chassis, sourced from one of four suppliers (Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic, and Oreca), and a hybrid powertrain of their own choosing. The cars will tip the scales at around 2,200 pounds and output around 680 hp. Balance of Performance rules will be used to keep LMDh and LMH cars competitive.
According to Racer, Lamborghini's LMDh entry will likely rely on a chassis from Multimatic, which has been selected as a supplier by Audi and Porsche, which like Lamborghini are part of the Volkswagen Group fold. And Lamborghini's entry likely won't start until 2024, so as to avoid spreading the motorsport resources at VW Group too thin. If all goes to plan, a formal announcement could come as early as September.
