Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonM3
Also, I feel like FIA has been way too strict about Amateur drivers. Christoffer Nygaard, Allan Simonsen, Gianluca Roda, Christian Ried, Paolo Ruberti, Abdulaziz al Faisal... amateur?! And Roger Wills and Jonny Cocker... pro?!
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GTE-Am allows one "pro" (Gold or Platinum-rated) driver in the squad. Simonsen and Ruberti, for example, are the "pro" drivers in their own cars. Ried, Roda, al Faisal et al have been getting quicker and more consistent over the years, but they are still not fully professional drivers in terms of pace and consistency; besides this, al Faisal is bringing funding to the team, and Ried is the team manager as well as a driver. The only truly "illogical" driver classifications for drivers in GTE-Am, as far as I could see, are Matt Griffin and Markus Palttala: both classified as Silver, but both are damn quick drivers.
As for the JMW guys, Roger Wills is still an amateur driver, but GTE-Pro has no restrictions in terms of drivers. But... Jonny Cocker not a pro? Are you kidding me?
Just look at some of his results in the ALMS in the Drayson Lola a couple of years ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonM3
What do you see as far as the future of GTE? I see a couple of things that could be possible.
1. Prospeed Competition getting a car for GTE Pro, with Goossens and someone like Maxime Soulet, Rene Rast, or Marc Hennerici.
2. Mike Parisy getting a ride at IMSA Performance Matmut and maybe having the #76 in it next year.
3. The #98 AMR race in 2013 after resigning from the reserves this year. I see Rob Bell, Tomas Enge, and Sean-Paul Breslin for that one.
4. Two of the vicious Dodge SRT Viper GTS-R's in 2013: #91 and #93, driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kuno Wittmer, Goossens (if Prospeed Pro entry doesn't work out), Boris Said, Peter Kox, and Burt Longin. A host of other drivers could fullfil this spot.
5. Another JMW car with the likes of Sean-Paul Breslin, Tim Sugden, Xavier Maassen, Rob Bell, etc.
6. BMW coming back to Le Mans
7. Spyker Squadron returning
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1. Not likely, Prospeed are probably focusing more now on BES and other GT3 racing.
2. ???
3. Breslin is far too left-field. Rob Bell is a McLaren factory driver for the GT3 effort nowadays. We'll definitely see three Astons next year if the effort carries on though.
4. If the waiver for the enormous V10 is indeed an ACO waiver, no doubt about Vipers at Le Mans next year.
5. No.
6. Not likely at all, the M3 is dead at the end of this year and the Z4 GT3-to-GTE conversion is still a rumour.
7. Spyker is almost dead after the Saab debacle.