Le Mans Series To Announce GTE Rule Change?

Sources are suggesting that we might see a rule change emerging imminently to offset the damage caused to the Championship hopes of the GTE teams hobbled by the disastrous start procedure at Le Castellet on Sunday.

The multiple crash that led to all three of the GTE Pro Porsche 997s plus the GTE AM race favourite Porsche and Jota AMR's GTE Pro Aston being heavily damaged seemed to have resulted from a decision taken to show the green lights to the field even though the Safety Car had stayed out for a second lap.

Many teams reported during the race to DSC that there had been no message on the open radio channel reserved for safety messages.

Christian Ried, Team Principal at Felbermayer Proton, and eventual GTE Am race winner in the team's surviving Porsche, used the post race press conference to express his anger at the incident and the initial response of the Race Director.

His anger will not have been assuaged by the news that the #77 Porsche is reportedly a write-off, and with 3 weeks before the Le Mans test day that means lots of long shifts and huge expense for the defending GT2 Champions.

Reports though suggest that the LMS are now considering introducing a new rule that says GTE teams would be permitted to drop a single score from this season, thereby partially levelling the playing field for the innocent victims.