The Supplementary Regulations that cover the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours are now available and Mat Fernandez has been combing the pages to find key changes and clarifications:

Timeline:

– Competitors can file an entry application as from yesterday and until January 31, 2019. They must also nominate at least one driver.

– Provisional list and non exhaustive list of selected cars will be announced on February 11

– Final list and reserve competitors (10) announced on March 1

– Visuals of the car must be provided to the ACO in its final configuration latest Tuesday May 7, 2019. Visuals must ultimately be approved by the ACO. The two other drivers must be nominated before that deadline as well.

– New media rules: each Competitor must, at least once during the race if requested to, make one driver or team member available for the media, in the press room dedicated to these interviews, every hour after the start of the race.

– From the beginning of the Competition, private testing becomes forbidden. At all times, any car entered by a Competitor will have to remain within the 24 Hours of Le Mans track enclosure, unless the ACO instructs otherwise (eg: le Pesage).

The Panel of Stewards reserves the right to grant exemption upon written request by the Competitor and only in case of major crash, left “at the appreciation of the Technical Delegates”.

Conditions of eligibility of substitute drivers become more stringent:

The driver must:

– have taken part in at least one of the two last runnings of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,

– have participated in at least one of the two last seasons (failing that, to a least one of the Competitions of the current season) of the following championships: FIA World Endurance Championship, Asian Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series, WeatherTech Sportscar Championship,

– have driven an LMGTE car during a race session to be entered on an LMGTE car (Am or Pro),

– have driven an LMP1 or an LMP2 car during a race session to be entered on an LMP2 car,

– have driven an LMP1 car during a race session to be entered on an LMP1 car and;

– have taken part in the Test Day, taken part to the practice sessions on the Thursday preceding the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or to the warm-up (completing at least 5 laps in both cases) if the decision of the Panel of Stewards is notified after the Thursday practice sessions.

– New Full Course Yellow rules:

The pit lane entry is closed under FCY while the pit exit remains open.

The “pit entry closed” light will be turned on to indicate drivers that the pit entry is closed.

However, any car entering the pits under FCY shall be allowed to refuel for only 5 seconds and/or replace a (the) damaged tyre(s), on the condition that as soon as the pit entry opens, the car comes back in again for refuelling and/or tyre change.

In this case the car may only cross the line on the track once before entering for a refuelling and/or tyre change.

A car considered to be in a dangerous condition by the Race Director may however come into the pits for repairs under FCY.

Auto Invitation Change Confirmed

The 2019 season (for the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours) will see five ELMS auto invites (instead of four), the addition being the car (team) finishing in 2nd position in LMP2 in the ELMS standings now gets a Le Mans LMP2 invitation.