Born in 2018, the MissionH24 project has already allowed the H24, its hydrogen prototype whose third generation was presented last year, to give several demonstrations as part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but this year a milestone as, for the first time, several other vehicles will take to the track before the race.
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest announced that between 12pm and 1pm, before the start of the event, prototypes using a fuel cell engine and a hydrogen combustion engine will run “a pace”, thus providing “evidence of manufacturers ready to enter this new category”, with the ultimate goal of allowing these prototypes to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the WEC, probably by 2027.
The ACO will announce participants in this trial in the coming weeks. Last year the Toyota GR H2 Racing Concept was presented, which foreshadowed the prototype that the manufacturer could enter in the competition, but this model has not yet been seen on the track. The project is led by Pascal Vasselon, who until the beginning of the year was technical director of Toyota's Hypercar project.
GR H2 Racing Concept
Photo credit: Toyota Racing
For now, the manufacturers involved in the WEC have remained discreet about their hydrogen-related plans, but when Toyota presents its concept, the ACO expects many of them to follow suit.
“I hope this creates momentum, obviously,” said Bernard Niclot, head of the ACO's H2 project. “We are in discussions with other manufacturers and I hope there will be more announcements of this kind in the coming months. We need it, motorsport needs it. need”.
As for the H24 prototype, it is destined to “race in the Le Mans Cup or perhaps in the ELMS, not in Le Mans”, according to Pierre Fillon, president of the ACO, who ruled out any involvement in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of of Garage 56, dedicated to innovative projects.
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