WEC: Was cheating rampant at Le Mans?

Multiple parts have been confiscated from five Hypercar class entries as well as the LMP2 class-winning No. 34 Inter Europol Competition Oreca 07 Gibson following post-race scrutineering at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Confirmed in a technical delegates report issued on Monday evening, the final results of the centenary edition of the French endurance classic is subject to “final checks of parts collected at the event” from the six cars.

What is not clear yet is whether the parts confiscated were not approved, but otherwise meet all requirements, or whether the parts were deemed ‘illegal’.

Per the report, parts were taken from the No. 2 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, No. 5 Penske Porsche 963, No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, No. 93 Peugeot 9X8 and the No. 34 Inter Europol Competition Oreca.

The winning Inter Europol Competition car was the only LMP2 car to have had parts impounded.

No parts were taken from any of the GTE-Am entries.

The bulletin stated:

“As a part of the technical scrutineering process, parts from a number of cars have indeed been collected and sealed for further checks of their compliance with technical regulations in the most optimal conditions and using the best available tools,” a FIA spokesperson told Sportscar365.

“As part of the process, the results of the investigations will be presented to the Stewards in the final report prepared by the FIA’s and the ACO’s Technical Delegates.

“Sporting equity and technical compliance are in the center of attention of the FIA and the ACO as the regulatory bodies of FIA World Endurance Championship.”

If cheating occurred, will the teams get a monetary fine or be disqualified? Imagine the entire Hypercar podium being disqualified!

No, we can’t either.

An Inter Europol Competition spokesperson, meanwhile, provided the following statement to Sportscar365.

“To win Le Mans is very special,” the statement read. “The No. 34 Oreca ran like a dream throughout, and now it is undergoing post-race checks to ensure it is within the rules.

“We are 100 percent sure from our side that it complies with all of the rules and regulations.”