BETTER PARTSMission H24's hydrogen racer should win the 24 Hours of Le Mans
With a lot more power than the cars in the Hypercar class
Imagine: the FIA decides to add its own hydrogen-powered F1 car to the grid. This is exactly what will happen at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The French motorsport association Automobile Club de l'Ouest – and also co-organiser of the 24-hour race – is working with H24Project on the MissionH24: a hydrogen racer for Le Mans. Quite honestly, they don't seem to be addressing it.
The new car converts hydrogen into electricity. The peak power of the MissionH24 car is 885 hp. If the car soon participates in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it will be a lot stronger than the cars in the Hypercar class, which may have a maximum of 670 hp. Still, the goal for a Le Mans participation would be to compete with the top teams in the GT3 class, according to H24Project.
Been working for five years
The special hydrogen car is a further development of the first H24Project car that was presented in 2018. Last year, the H24 team participated for the first time in a racing class, the Michelin Le Mans Cup. The hydrogen car finished at all four races. Compared to last year's car, the new hydrogen racer must take a big step forward in every area.
For example, the drivetrain must go from 48 kilos to a weight of 30 kilos. The dry weight of the entire car must be reduced by 150 kilos: from 1,450 kilos to 1,300 kilos. The battery, in turn, may not weigh more than 80 kilos, while the previous battery weighed 92 kilos. Partly due to these measures, the new hydrogen car should be able to reach a top speed of 320 km/h.
The ultimate goal of MissionH24: win Le Mans
Unfortunately, the car is far from ready to enter the Circuit de la Sarthe. The project team will complete the design in March of next year. There should then be a physical mock-up of the car in June 2024. Four months later, construction of the real car begins and it is immediately put on the chassis dynamometer. The car would be ready for its first test runs at the beginning of 2025.
Co-chairman of the project and chairman of the ACO, Pierre Fillon, expresses the end goal of the project: 'The ambition now is to deliver the first zero-emission winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.' The MissionH24 is only missing one essential part: a name for the car. You can submit a suggestion via social media until November 13.