McLaren believes Renault's new 2017 engine concept is capable of producing 570kW (764bhp) of power, but current reliability concerns make 20bhp of that potential inaccessible. Work is ongoing at Viry to correct this for 2018.

McLaren estimates that a fully operational Renault engine, with BP fuel and works mapping, would produce 5bhp more than a current customer Mercedes engine, which it reckons is 15kw (20bhp) down on the works engines owing to software mapping it believes Mercedes only makes available for Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas in qualifying.

2018/19
• 5 & 6 April: The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA) **
• 4 & 5 May: WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 16 & 17 June: 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)
• 13 & 14 October: 6 Hours of Fuji (JPN)
• 03 & 04 November: 6 Hours of Shanghai (CHN)
• February 2019: Place and event TBC
• 15 & 16 March 2019: 12 Hours of Sebring (USA) *
• 3 & 4 May 2019 WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 15 &16 June 2019: 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)

NB * The 12 Hours of Sebring will be a combined event with the IMSA WeatherTech Championship but two separate races will be held. From 10.00am to 10.00pm on Saturday, the IMSA WeatherTech race, and from 12 midnight to 12 noon Sunday the FIA WEC.
** The Prologue test at Circuit Paul Ricard will offer teams the opportunity to complete 36-hour endurance testing in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

From 2018/2019, and in the future, there will only be one category (and consequently one classification) in LMP1.
• To make it as accessible as possible to join this category from the 2018-2019 season onwards, the level of performance of the current non-hybrid LMP1 regulations managed via equivalence of technologies will be aligned with the current LMP1 hybrid regulations.
• Each competitor entered in LMP1 will have the same potential of performance independent of the type engine power used. Very clearly there will always be a slight advantage for the hybrid engine in terms of autonomy related to lower fuel consumption.
• There will be no changes made to the current chassis regulations (only LMP1 chassis will be eligible) but to facilitate the access to LMP1, more choice and engine power options will be offered. Depending on the selected criteria, an Equivalence of Technology will be implemented between turbo compressed and normally aspirated engines (as done in the past between petrol and diesel).

More details on the Technical Regulations will be presented over the coming weeks.