WEC hypercar systems “like a holiday” after Formula E complexity

Nick Cassidy says his move to the World Endurance Championship has been eased by simpler hypercar systems, which he claims is «like a bit of a holiday” compared to Formula E machinery.

Cassidy will combine his Citroen Formula E commitments with a full campaign in the WEC’s top category at the factory Peugeot team in 2026.

It will mark just the second season in the WEC for the Kiwi, who previously raced a Ferrari 488 GTE for AF Corse in the final year of the GTE Am class in 2022.

Modern LMH and LMDh prototypes remain complex in their own right, featuring hybrid systems that pair an electric motor with an internal combustion engine. 

But for Cassidy, learning hypercar software has been relatively straightforward after five seasons in Formula E, where drivers constantly manage energy, regeneration and a wide range of system settings.

“I’m just going to grow in confidence all the time, and I hope that I’m just going to continue improving. But I’m happy with my initial level,” he said following his second test with the Peugeot 9X8 in Bahrain.

“In terms of the complexities and systems, it’s probably 30% now of what we have in Formula E. So it’s almost like a bit of a holiday for me in terms of systems.”

Cassidy arrives in the WEC with extensive experience in both single-seaters and high-downforce sportscars. 

During the second half of the 2010s, he raced in Japan’s two biggest categories, winning titles in both Super Formula and Super GT’s GT500 class before switching to Formula E in 2021.

While the WEC’s top class once featured the fastest prototypes in the world, current-generation hypercars are notably slower than the LMP1 machines they replaced.

Asked to compare hypercars with the GT500s he raced in the past, Cassidy said: “I think the actual manoeuvring through traffic or the lap time difference to GT3 is similar. I hope that’s going to make the adaptation for [multi-class] racing easier. I’m quite comfortable with that.

“The mechanical grip, the tyre grip and the downforce level is just quite a lot lower in hypercars. As a driver, you don’t have the feeling you are attacking the car. You’re almost driving on eggshells.”

He added: “I’ve been very surprised by the lack of grip in hypercars these days, and the lack of downforce performance.

“If you look at hypercars now, not to sound negative, but compared to what I was used to in Super GT or Super Formula, it’s a different world.

“It’s almost more in line with Formula E than the adaptation I’ve done in the past [when I first moved to Formula E after racing in Japan]. It helps me to have two categories that are similar.”

Cassidy faces a packed schedule in 2026 as he balances his new WEC programme with another season in Formula E. He is also adjusting to a new environment in the all-electric series after leaving Jaguar to join Citroen, which previously competed under the Maserati banner.

Formula E commitments will occupy even more of his time as the year progresses, with manufacturers already starting to shift resources to Gen4 powertrain development.

The 31-year-old admitted time isn’t on his side as he prepares for 2026, but credited Peugeot for helping him balance the two championships.

“I’m blown away [by Peugeot]. They’ve been super great to work with, super kind in terms of understanding my schedule. Doing their best to integrate me with the almost limited time I have.

“I’m trying at the moment to give full focus to two programs. But it’s true, with Gen 4 coming in Formula E, with the current season in Formula E, and making that move across, that’s been extremely busy. And obviously with WEC as well to integrate.

«I’m short on time, in terms of days I can spend on simulators, in meetings and things. But I’m [working] five days a week across all programs for the last two-and-a-half months just to make sure I can be prepared for both championships.”

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— The Motorsport.com Team