The ACO have this evening confirmed that three of the four LMP2 chassis suppliers: Dallara, Ligier, and Riley Multimatic, have all been approved for ‘adjustments’ to both their sprint and Le Mans aero kits at the end of the 2017 season, the first year of competition of the new breed of LMP2s.

That follows the initial decision, revealed on DSC last month HERE and has been taken, according to this evening’s ACO statement “in the case where performance gaps were noted between the four chassis”.

“The spirit of these adjustments is to guarantee a hotly-contested category as well as a level of competitiveness between the constructors and the teams. The teams won’t suffer financially from the cost of these evolutions, which will be borne in their totality by the chassis manufacturers.”

There is one change from the initial decisions, with Dallara apparently successfully lobbying to have their Sprint kit approved for an update after showing that the original version was suffering major balance issues, believed to be linked to a problem with the front splitter, a part common to both versions of the P217.

“The decisions were made after analysis of the results of different endurance events, in particular in the ELMS at Silverstone, Monza, Spielberg, Le Castellet, Spa and the Le Mans 24 Hours, the ACO and the FIA discussed the situation and proposed a selection of modifications to the constructors.”

The statement continues, referring to the three constructors permitted to make changes that, “ this selection of technical solutions should enable them to close the gap to the 2017 benchmark car, the Oreca 07.” There are no ‘Jokers’ allocated to the Oreca.

“The ACO and the FIA have made clear to the different protagonists the rules and objectives of these modifications: namely, to maintain the competitiveness of the three constructors in relation to Oreca in 2018 without, however, these modifications giving one of them a consistent advantage compared to the benchmark car. The ultimate aim is to ensure that LMP2 remains a category in which variety and hotly-contested racing prevail.’

The other details in the earlier DSC story referring to the approval of chassis modifications for the Multimatic car, the basis for the currently under redesign Mazda DPi, and to proving tests at the WInd Shear wind-tunnel for all of the modified cars designed to ensure that the cars do not advance beyond the ORECA’s current performance levels, are understood to be unchanged.