Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[trickyd]

French badly translated into English is even harder to read than French! Is that basically saying that interest in the WEC is high, particularly in GTE which could see a new influx of cars next year, some teams will make the jump up from ELMS, and next years calendar is likely to be similar to this year, starting in the states, coming to Europe and then going to Asia. Is it also suggesting that the US race will be in Austin rather than Sebring? If that is true it will be an absolute travesty. I thought the whole point of a WEC was to bring the major endurance races of the world into one championship? Of which Sebring is undoubtably one. Not an excuse to make new ones up at circuits the FIA are eager to promote.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by TF110

The article reads as 5 manufacturers ready to make the GTE class bigger

What doomsayer was it that was fog horning off about GTE being dead a few days ago then ?

[Speed-King]

The article reads as 5 manufacturers ready to make the GTE class bigger.

Actually, it doesn't - for once it's all in the subjunctive/conjunctive, so it's talking about possibilities not certainties.

And then, it says very clearly:

Tout ce que l'on peut dire avec certitude, c'est qu'avant de se lancer dans la construction d'une GTE (ou plutôt d'une GT3+), les marques veulent savoir combien elles pourront en vendre.

So before getting into the GTE game, the manufacturers want to know how many they can sell - and as we all know with less than a handfull GTE-series around that's not a great number.

[Sodemo]

Is Porsche and Jaguar still looking at a LMP1 program?

[MitchZ06]

Porsche has been confirmed, Jaaaag is a rumor at best...

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Is Porsche and Jaguar still looking at a LMP1 program?

Porsche is confirmed for a 2014 program which might run a single development race next year.

Jaguar isn't going to make a LMP1, unless it's a Badge operation. (Like Morgan and Lotus)

[Koenigsegg]

If Jaguar is joining, then Wirth or Oak might be a good partner.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Koenigsegg

If Jaguar is joining, then Wirth or Oak might be a good partner.

If I were a manufacturer looking to get into the LMP1 ranks, I would be ringing up Mr Wirth quite quickly. Wirth has made the HPD quite competitive (for privateers) with a limited budget. Given a bigger budget I'm sure he could get a car on the level of Audi/Toyota - that is if the engine is up to it!

[Thaw Daggerslash]

Originally Posted by Koenigsegg

If Jaguar is joining, then Wirth or Oak might be a good partner.

I'd say Rebellion would be a good bet too. Given Lola's current problems, and with Rebellion being one of the best, if not the best, privateer currently around, if I was a manufacturer, I'd go with them.

[DeathOrGlory]

What were those rumors with the son of Tom Walkinshaw about then? With Caterham F1 and Tony Fernandes now owning the keys to Leafield...

[JAGLeMans]

Jaguar and Williams are developing the C-X75, it has a 1.6T developing over 500bhp, reving to 10,000rpm, plus hybrid, you can hear it below. It was reported late last year Jaguar carried out studies for P1 but nothing has been heard since, but with Williams and the technology being designed for the C-X75, they now have in-house capability.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJUBmXspBvs

The rumours about Ryan Walkinshaw where he visited Wirth earlier in the year and has stated he wants to run a team at Le Mans.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Actually, it doesn't - for once it's all in the subjunctive/conjunctive, so it's talking about possibilities not certainties.

And then, it says very clearly:



So before getting into the GTE game, the manufacturers want to know how many they can sell - and as we all know with less than a handfull GTE-series around that's not a great number.

I said the google translation reads as 5 manufacturers. In the beginning of the article they speak of not repeating speculation or rumors they have heard, but of what they actually know. Those are interested manufacturers, no one said they'd join. Reading comprehension sometimes is at a loss on these internet forums.

[Simmi]

Just heard watching FP1 from Spa that Toro Rosso are heavily linked with James Key who did seem to be the one single ace up the sleeve of Lotus.

Wouldn't blame him for a second for wanting to get out.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by DeathOrGlory

What were those rumors with the son of Tom Walkinshaw about then? With Caterham F1 and Tony Fernandes now owning the keys to Leafield...

Wait, are they gonna race at Le Mans too?

[KlBD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Just heard watching FP1 from Spa that Toro Rosso are heavily linked with James Key who did seem to be the one single ace up the sleeve of Lotus.

Wouldn't blame him for a second for wanting to get out.

Wasn't he last with Sauber?

[GT3.14]

Originally Posted by KlBD

Wasn't he last with Sauber?

Indeed

[CTD]

So, ALMS is going out, and LMP racing is potentially dead in the US.
Would the death of the US LMP's put more LMP manufactures off developing a 2014 costumer car!?

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by CTD

So, ALMS is going out, and LMP racing is potentially dead in the US.
Would the death of the US LMP's put more LMP manufactures off developing a 2014 costumer car!?

Who says the LMP´s won´t be in the ALMS-Grandam merger? I expect them to keep the current machinery for at least the first year to keep grids big and not ask to much spending from teams. A BoP between LMP2's and DP cars would work for me...

[gucom]

Originally Posted by NelisB

Who says the LMP´s won´t be in the ALMS-Grandam merger? I expect them to keep the current machinery for at least the first year to keep grids big and not ask to much spending from teams. A BoP between LMP2's and DP cars would work for me...

am I really behind on the news, or is ALMS prototypes already on the brink of death, with about 6 cars in LMP1&2 combined? that wouldn't really add much to the grids, at least not enough to bother with BOP'ing the regulations...

[CTD]

Originally Posted by NelisB

Who says the LMP´s won´t be in the ALMS-Grandam merger? I expect them to keep the current machinery for at least the first year to keep grids big and not ask to much spending from teams. A BoP between LMP2's and DP cars would work for me...

Current LMP's are gone in 2014.
And buying the new LMP's to run in 2014 would be a risky move if they would later be scaled out of the program.
I know i'm one of the skeptics, but i don't think the manufacture involvement in the GA prototypes would survive being beaten by LMP's, which is why GA wouldn't allow them to join.

[Articus]

I think LMP's are too quick to be balanced with the DP's because LMP's are much lower, more defined, aerodynamic, lower CoG more downforce. If they got stripped of all there power then suddenly we see DP's blowing by on the straights and then getting rear ended by the quicker LMP's.

[Maelochs]

Absolutely no way to safely or sensibly run DPs with what the proposed 2014 ACO regs describe for LMP1. Possibly LMPC cars could be rejiggered for less downforce and power and a LOT more weight to be on par with the DPs, but common sense says we will only see ACO-regulation cars at WEC events in North America after next year.

Another thing to consider: DP runs a spec Continental which is hard and slippery. Anything shod with Michelin, Dunlop, Falken, or even Yokohama racing rubber would ace and erase anything on the current Contis. But---Continental tie is a big sponsor. Therefore .... learn to love you some DP.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Articus

I think LMP's are too quick to be balanced with the DP's because LMP's are much lower, more defined, aerodynamic, lower CoG more downforce. If they got stripped of all there power then suddenly we see DP's blowing by on the straights and then getting rear ended by the quicker LMP's.

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Absolutely no way to safely or sensibly run DPs with what the proposed 2014 ACO regs describe for LMP1. Possibly LMPC cars could be rejiggered for less downforce and power and a LOT more weight to be on par with the DPs, but common sense says we will only see ACO-regulation cars at WEC events in North America after next year.

Another thing to consider: DP runs a spec Continental which is hard and slippery. Anything shod with Michelin, Dunlop, Falken, or even Yokohama racing rubber would ace and erase anything on the current Contis. But---Continental tie is a big sponsor. Therefore .... learn to love you some DP.

My comment wasn't intended to create a specific GA debate, that there already is a thread for.
My comment was intended to create speculation how the risk of a smaller market would effect the current status of manufactures of LMP cars.

[Maelochs]

I expect Porsche and Audi to make and sell a lot fewer P1s now that ALMS will be going away. I had expected at least one two-car team from each in ALMS, probably run by Penske and Audi NA. So that’ s six cars and spares no one will be buying.

I still expect the two factories to sell some customer cars. After all, look at how well the 962 did. With Lola gone, the choices will be Audi, Porsche, Oak and Honda/Wirth, and I’d say the German’s inspire the most confidence for a buyer laying out a few million just for the base chassis and probably that much for the motor.

Still, there is no doubt that this will make racing more expensive for factories which had hoped to sell customer cars. Thing is, most of those factories—Porsche and Audi for sure—will spend what it takes. After All Audi has been willing to race with Zero cars sold to recoup investment—probably because unless they sold fifty or sixty cars it wouldn’t make a dent in the cost anyway.

[Tim the Grey]

One look at Audis Hospitality units in WEC, never mind LM24, and you can see they spend more keeping suits happy, than most teams spend on their whole shebang!
Thus far, Audi have shown no willingness to let ANYONE run their cars except themselves/Joest. Kolles, yeah, right...
Yet it seems one ageing Crew Chief in the US can keep R8s running quite happily?
They do NOT want to sell R18s. Full stop. Betcha Toyota don't seel anything either? You can only hope Porsche come up with a 962 idea, otherwise no one will sell you a P1.
P2 is customer territory, and with Lola's collapse, that leaves Oreca sitting pretty, unless OAK do something unexpected.