Vanwall Vandervell 680

Vanwall Vandervell 680

Jacques Villeneuve driving the Vandervell 680 at the 2023 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
Category	Le Mans Hypercar
Constructor	Vanwall
Designer(s)	Julian Thiele (Head of Design) [1] Edgar Refenius (Mechanical Design Engineer) Eric Zenner (Aerodynamicist) Felix Nöcker (Composite Design Engineer)
Predecessor	ENSO CLM P1/01
Technical specifications
Chassis	Carbon fibre composite monocoque
Engine	Gibson GL458 4.5 litre V8 naturally-aspirated, 90° cylinder angle mid-engined, longitudinally mounted
Torque	410  lb⋅ft (556  N⋅m)
Transmission	Xtrac P1159C 6-speed sequential manual [1]
Power	500 kW (680 PS; 671 hp) [2] [3]
Weight	1,030 kg (2,270 lb)
Fuel	TotalEnergies
Lubricants	Motul [1]
Brakes	AP Racing carbon 380/355mm with AP Monobloc 6-piston calipers [1]
Tyres	Michelin slicks with BBS one-piece forged alloys, 29/71-18 front and 34/71-18 rear [1]
Competition history
Notable entrants	Vanwall Racing Team
Notable drivers	Jacques Villeneuve Esteban Guerrieri Tom Dillmann Tristan Vautier João Paulo de Oliveira Ryan Briscoe
Debut	2023 1000 Miles of Sebring
Last event	2023 8 Hours of Bahrain
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 7 0 0 0 0

The Vanwall Vandervell 680 is a sports prototype racing car designed and built by Vanwall Racing Team. It is designed to the Le Mans Hypercar regulations and made its debut in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship at the season-opening 1000 Miles of Sebring. ^[4]

History

In June 2019, Vanwall Racing Team, then known as ByKolles Racing, announced that they would commit to the new Le Mans Hypercar regulations in the FIA World Endurance Championship that would come into effect in the 2021 season. ^[5]

On 18 September 2020, the team officially unveiled renderings of their new hypercar, initially dubbed the PMC Project LMH. ^[6] ByKolles Racing intended to debut the car during the 2021 season, however, the project was delayed for the 2022 season. ^[7] The team later acquired the rights to use the Vanwall name and the car was rebranded as a Vanwall LMH. ^[8] ByKolles Racing officially applied to race in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, however, they were rejected by the FIA and ACO due to the car not completing the homologation process. ^[9]

In 2023, ByKolles Racing officially rebranded to become the Vanwall Racing Team, and the car's name was officially revealed as the Vanwall Vandervell 680, named after Vanwall founder Tony Vandervell. On 12 January 2023, the team was approved by the FIA and ACO to race in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. ^[4]

Road car

Vanwall also intend to sell a road version of the hypercar, called the Vanwall Vandervell 1000. ^[10]

Development

The car was designed and developed entirely in-house at the Vanwall Racing Team base in Greding, Germany. ^[6] ByKolles Racing planned to use a Gibson LMP1 engine for its non-hybrid Le Mans Hypercar, as its development continues ahead of its debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The team had to abandon the Gibson V8 engine for a more powerful unit when Aston Martin committed to the class last June with its 1,160 hp Valkyrie hypercar. However, following Aston's subsequent withdrawal and the recent announcement that LMH power levels will be reduced, ByKolles can now use its original plan of using the Gibson GL458 V8 engine, which produces around 700 hp. ^[2] The car is without a hybrid system, unlike other major car manufacturers involved in LMH and LMDh. However, the team does not expect the absence of a hybrid system to provide a decisive advantage in the early races, despite some teams facing difficulties in their preparation. ^[11]

Competition history

2023

At Sebring, the #4 Vanwall Vandervell 680 was last on the grid in its class. From the start of the race, Tom Dillmann managed to overtake the non-hybrid Glickenhaus 007. Moreover, thanks to the difficulties encountered by the Peugeot 9X8 and the #51 Ferrari 499P, the team managed to climb to seventh place with only an hour and a half left in the race. However, the #51 Ferrari was finally able to close the gap and pass the #4 car. The standings remained unchanged for the remainder of the race, with the Vandervell 680 Vanwall coming in eighth.

In the second race of the competition, at Portimão, the Vanwall once again started last in class. This time, the car suffered a technical failure; while Jacques Villeneuve was behind the wheel, the car's right front brake started to smoke and quickly caught fire. Villeneuve lost control of the car, which ended up crashing into a safety barrier. Fortunately, the accident was not serious, with Villeneuve being unhurt and the car suffering only minor damage. The team then retired from the race.

At the third race at Spa-Francorchamps, the Vanwall started last in class. A spin from Esteban Guerrieri led to a full-course yellow, followed by Villeneuve crashing the Vanwall into the rear of the #54 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, causing another retirement. ^[12] Following this race, Villeneuve would be dropped by the team and replaced with Tristan Vautier. ^[13]

The No. 4 at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans

At Le Mans, the Vanwall started 15th in class, only above the #38 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 which failed to set a time due to issues with its hybrid system. The Vanwall notably suffered loss of power due to Le Mans' climate. ^[14] During the race, the car was dogged with suspension issues early on, with clutch issues and an engine failure sending the car into retirement. ^[15] Following this race, longstanding Vanwall driver Tom Dillmann departed the team and was replaced by João Paulo de Oliveira. ^[16]

At Monza, the Vanwall again started last in class. Due to Monza's climate, the car experienced braking issues during pit stops, requiring its brake ducts to be cleared at each stop. The car finished 20th overall and last in class. ^[17]

Following the 2023 season, Vanwall struck a deal with PIPO Moteurs "at the end of October" to use their P21 twin-turbocharged V8 in the Vandervell 680 before it was excluded from the 2024 entry list due to a lack of competitiveness. ^[18]

Complete World Endurance Championship results

Results in bold indicate pole position. Results in italics indicate fastest lap.

Year	Entrant	Class	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Points	Pos
2023	Floyd Vanwall Racing Team	Hypercar			SEB	POR	SPA	LMS	MNZ	FUJ	BHR	10	7th
			Esteban Guerrieri	4	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	12	11	12
			Tom Dillmann		8	Ret	Ret	Ret
			Jacques Villeneuve		8	Ret	Ret
			Tristan Vautier					Ret	12	11	12
			João Paulo de Oliveira						12	11
			Ryan Briscoe								12
Source: [19]

References

1. "Entry List 2023" (PDF). 24 Hours of Le Mans (in French). Retrieved July 3, 2023.
2. Lloyd, Daniel. "ByKolles to Retain Gibson LMP1 Engine for Hypercar – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com.
3. "Gibson Technology's New GL 458 LMP1 Engine | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com.
4. Smith, Fred (January 12, 2023). "The ByKolles Vanwall Hypercar Will Race at Le Mans". Road & Track. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
5. "ByKOLLES Racing | official by motioncompany - ByKOLLES Racing announces its programmes". www.bykolles.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
6. "ByKOLLES Racing | official by motioncompany - ByKOLLES confirms PMC Project LMH for 2021". www.bykolles.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
7. "ByKolles unlikely to race in WEC in 2021 but is pushing on with LMH project". www.autosport.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
8. "ByKolles-built Vanwall Le Mans Hypercar rolled out". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
9. Lloyd, Daniel. "ByKolles Hypercar Entry with Vanwall LMH Rejected – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
10. "ByKolles Show 'Vanwall Vandervell 1000' Roadgoing Hypercar | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
11. "Vanwall missing 2022 WEC entry was "positive thing" - Dillmann | motorsport.com". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
12. Newbold, James (April 30, 2023). "WEC Spa: Toyota claims 1-2 finish in hectic race". motorsport.com . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
13. Lloyd, Daniel (May 31, 2023). "Villeneuve "Deeply Disappointed" at Vanwall Dismissal". SportsCar365. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
14. Newbold, James (June 9, 2023). "Vanwall Hypercar suffering loss of power in Le Mans heat". motorsport.com . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
15. "16-hour round-up: Ferrari and Toyota battle at dawn". 24 Hours of Le Mans . June 11, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
16. Klein, Jamie (June 16, 2023). "Dillmann parts ways with Vanwall after latest Le Mans DNF". motorsport.com . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
17. Klein, Jamie (August 11, 2023). "De Oliveira eyeing WEC GT3 opportunity after Monza debut". motorsport.com . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
18. Lloyd, Daniel (November 27, 2023). "Vanwall Struck Engine Deal With Pipo Before Entry Rejection". Sportscar365. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
19. "Season 2023 Results". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.