Oreca has announced that it is to partner with Rebellion Racing once again, for the 2018-19 FIA WEC ‘Super Season’, in a deal that will see the French manufacturer create a bespoke LMP1-spec chassis for the Swiss team.
The two companies have previously partnered on previous LMP 1 chassis, and last year Rebellion used the dominant Oreca 07 chassis in the LMP 2 class. Full technical details of the Rebellion R13 are yet unannounced, but the French manufacturer from Le Var has highlighted that it has already been working on the project for ‘several months’. The Super Season will see the fifth year of collaboration between the two entities.
The R13 is scheduled to be unveiled at the 2018 Geneva Motorshow next month, with race spec finalised just in time for the WEC’s prologue. It is expected to use Gibson Technologies recently announced LMP1-specification engine.
“To design this new LMP1 prototype is a wonderful challenge,” said Oreca CEO Hugues de Chaunac.“When the design bureau began developing the Oreca 07, we really wanted to move up to the next level, one step higher compared to the Oreca 05. The success achieved last year really motivated and convinced us to now tackle this highly competitive main category. Fitted with an atmospheric engine, this LMP1 will face a hard task against the Hybrid cars. But the Rebellion R13 will be a very determined challenger.”
Despite de Chaunac’s concerns over the fight with hybrid cars, the ACO has announced that non-hybrid LMP1 cars will be given an additional fuel allowance of almost 20kg per stint as well as 100mj extra deployable energy per lap in comparison to the Toyota TS050’s.
