The LMDh: it works (more or less) well!
The 24 Hours of Daytona was the first stage for the LMDh on the track. Four manufacturers were battling it out, with Acura securing a one-two finish. As for Cadillac, BMW, and Porsche, there is still work to be done.
The 61st 24 Hours of Daytona was a great success! They were particularly anticipated for the public to witness the return of manufacturers in the premier class.
The LMDh (GTP in the United States) is based on the principle of LMP2: a mandatory choice of chassis (between Multimatic, Dallara, Ligier, and Oreca), a common and mandatory hybrid system, as well as a standard gearbox and common batteries.
Acura (Oreca chassis), Porsche (Multimatic), BMW, and Cadillac (Dallara) therefore competed for the first victory in the new category in Florida. The show was overall impressive!
The reliability issues were surprisingly absent during these 24 Hours. Acura and Cadillac were not exempt from them, of course, but overall they did well. The engine power of the ARX-06 outperformed that of Cadillac’s V-LMDh, even though Sébastien Bourdais, behind the wheel of the N°1, put up a strong performance.
But Acura brought everyone to an agreement: the MeyerShank Racing (No. 60) prevailed over the Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 10), just nine seconds ahead of Cadillac No. 1. It was a close race!
On the other hand, for Porsche and BMW, there is work to be done…
WEC: We can’t afford to make mistakes!
Acura showcased its strike force right from the beginning, in its own turf, the IMSA. The question of the WEC does not arise for the American Honda firm… at least not for now.
As for Cadillac, the beginnings in IMSA are promising and suggest that the V-LMDh will not be left behind in the world championship. Even though the target is the heavyweight Toyota, the American prototype could take advantage of the early mistakes of Ferrari and Peugeot, for example, to be in the fight for the podium.
But its crazy engine size (5.5 liters) raises questions about fuel consumption compared to other cars. We’ll see!
BMW is waiting until 2024 to make its entry onto the world stage. But the M Hybrid V8 encountered setbacks right from the start of the race, with a pace below that of its competitors. Car number 25 lost its chances of standing out, while miraculously, car number 24 managed to secure a Top 6 position! Working in IMSA before the WEC seems to be a good approach, considering that the Hypercar is still in its early stages.
On the other hand, Porsche finds itself in a very bad situation… an abandonment (that of the 963 No. 6) when No. 7 lost 34 laps. All of this due to poor reliability. The pace wasn’t so bad, but the performance of the car raises questions about Stuttgart’s capabilities in the WEC.
Porsche will have to have a strong backbone to keep up with both the IMSA (eleven races) and the WEC (seven races). If Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot, Cadillac, and Glickenhaus prove to be more reliable, the German manufacturer will have to step up their game to regain victory.
All in all, the arrival of the LMDh is another piece of good news among the many others that the Hypercar has brought. The demonstration is proven in IMSA: it’s time for the World, in March!
