[WEC] Porsche Prototype Discussion

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by CTD

I am not down playing the importance of him leaving, but this is something which could have been planned for months, maybe even a year, meaning that Porsche would have sufficient time to plan what is going to happen.
Nothing indicates that Hitzingers exit is on bad terms, meaning it was probably know for some time internally.

You may be right, but I cant help thinking that if Porsche had known about this for a long time, they would have someone ready to take over and would have announced it immediately. I could be wrong, but something tells me that this was all rather sudden.

[Richard C]

When is the right time to step away if you are in a continuous cycle of season after season? I can imagine arguments for various time. Maybe he felt things were looking good for the 2016 season and now is a time to step back and let someone else step in?

Richard

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

When is the right time to step away if you are in a continuous cycle of season after season? I can imagine arguments for various time. Maybe he felt things were looking good for the 2016 season and now is a time to step back and let someone else step in?

Richard

I sincerely (with all my heart) hope you are right.

[Spyderman]

I'm still reeling from the disappointment I felt after hearing the news about Alex Hitzinger's departure from the team. My initial instinct was to suspect that something had gone awry. After all, Alex had only been a short time (~4.5 years) with Porsche and had experienced phenomenal success in that short time frame. Under “normal” conditions, it is somewhat uncommon that a person in his position would suddenly choose a different career path unless circumstances required it.

In my search to try and make sense of this awful news, I started to think back over the many interviews I have read and/or listened to over the years, to see if I could recall anything that was said that would give some indication for this decision. It was then that I recalled an interview (I haven’t the faintest recollection of the source) wherein Alex claimed that he was still very interested in the project (at the time), but would move on once he had lost interest in a project.

Assuming of course, that this abrupt departure was in fact Alex’s initiative (highly likely) and that the reason is a loss of interest in the future of the project (a possibility), the question then becomes why has Alex lost interest in the project? What is it that he knows about the future that we don’t?

Analyzing again the time frame in which this dreadful news was made public, and seemed so odd at first; my thoughts now begin to wonder to the following reasoning:

· The 919 is now about to start its 3 rd. year racing (4th if you count the development year).
· The 2016 car is now a further enhanced version of the already further developed 2015 car.
· It is highly likely that the current 919 concept has reached the end of its shelf life (so to speak).
· If this is in fact the case, then the development of the 2017/18 car must start this year. I know that the project for the 2017 (and beyond) car started in 2015, but I imagine that it is still in its infancy with plenty of room for large directional changes.

If what I have speculated above is in fact true, could it be that Alex knows something about the 2017/18 rule change that made him loose interest in the project?
I also remember reading somewhere that there was interest in making the cars simpler for the future.

The final and equally spine chilling thought would be; does Alex know something about Porsche’s commitment after 2018 that made him loose interest?

Of course there are many, many reasons that can explain Alex’s decision; none of which I know. I’m still trying to comprehend this all, and so I thought I would send this post up the flag pole and see if anyone salutes it (so to speak).

[Victor_RO]

I don't understand people's desire to always dramatize and see general doom, gloom and destruction in this kind of announcement. I just say - let's wait and see and hold off on speculating about someone's (perhaps) personal reasons to take a decision. Before that, there's the small matter of the 2016 WEC season to take care of.

Motorsport staff turnover is not as slow as it used to be back in the glory days (e.g. Norbert Singer being around for all of Porsche's wins between 1970 and 1998).

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

I don't understand people's desire to always dramatize and see general doom, gloom and destruction in this kind of announcement. I just say - let's wait and see and hold off on speculating about someone's (perhaps) personal reasons to take a decision. Before that, there's the small matter of the 2016 WEC season to take care of.

Motorsport staff turnover is not as slow as it used to be back in the glory days (e.g. Norbert Singer being around for all of Porsche's wins between 1970 and 1998).

I understand where you are coming from, but one does not win a season without ongoing development. If the role of the CTO is so "unnecessary" , then why have one at all?
This was a huge blow to Porsche, and unless a substitute is found soon, we will see the ramifications very soon and for some time to come.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

I understand where you are coming from, but one does not win a season without ongoing development. If the role of the CTO is so "unnecessary" , then why have one at all?
This was a huge blow to Porsche, and unless a substitute is found soon, we will see the ramifications very soon and for some time to come.

I'm not sure who you're quoting there as saying a CTO is "unnecessary"?

Organisations, sports teams, corporations, charities and religious bodies lose the big boss at the top for whatever reason all the time, and the world keeps spinning.

Hitzinger has done an incredible job with Porsche, there is no denying that. I wouldn't quite go so far as to call the project his 'baby', as that wouldn't show enough respect to others who have contributed to the programme, but it goes without saying that Porsche's position in LMP1 wouldn't be possible without him. But if Porsche weren't any good at replacing talent, they wouldn't have the record number of wins at Le Mans.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

I'm not sure who you're quoting there as saying a CTO is "unnecessary"?

Organisations, sports teams, corporations, charities and religious bodies lose the big boss at the top for whatever reason all the time, and the world keeps spinning.

Hitzinger has done an incredible job with Porsche, there is no denying that. I wouldn't quite go so far as to call the project his 'baby', as that wouldn't show enough respect to others who have contributed to the programme, but it goes without saying that Porsche's position in LMP1 wouldn't be possible without him. But if Porsche weren't any good at replacing talent, they wouldn't have the record number of wins at Le Mans.

Well...not really quoting anyone, but just trying to point out that Alex was a very important part of the team.
If you think that I have gone too far by calling the 919 project his baby (in technical terms) , see the title that this was published under.
http://en.lemanslive.com/News/The-Po...come-an-orphan

Also - Please note that I don't refute the premises that organizations loose their top men all the time. That is not really the point here. What I have tried to point out is that Alex moving on is a huge blow. A substitute needs to be found. He has to be good , and it needs to be soon.
My concerns are not with the car as it will be presented on the 25th of this month. I'm looking forward into the near future. It is absolutely required that the development cycle is completed without major disruptions, and that a new one is initiated with a clear vision of what has come before (lessons learned) and how they want to proceed in the future. That is the job of the CTO (at least from a technical view point) and that is why Alex was so important.
Hopefully Porsche are able to promote someone from within their ranks. Who knows?

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

I understand where you are coming from, but one does not win a season without ongoing development.

Don't worry in few years time we don't need ongoing development, when FIA-ACO's cost saving Formula1-copycat crusades will lead to full development freezes...

[Spyderman]

P.S - I suppose I would be less distressed if Porsche had simultaneously announced a substitute. That would have shown that this was not unexpected, and that continuity (in terms of development) had been assured. As none was announced, I was left with the impression that it was all rather sudden and unexpected.

[turboguy]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

if Porsche weren't any good at replacing talent, they wouldn't have the record number of wins at Le Mans.

That is the thing everyone should remember.

Alex is a genuinely impressive guy. He has delivered proven results throughout his career in F1, and I think he made the step to Porsche LMP1 in part for the recognition it would bring him if they produced another Le Mans victory. The 919 is his "baby" without question, but there are a huge number of very talented guys at the factory to deliver the result.

I am sure he is not leaving for fear this years car is not working, or some other political row(which there have been a few of during the projects lifetime). I think its a case of having achieved what he set out to do, and moving onto the next thing.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Don't worry in few years time we don't need ongoing development, when FIA-ACO's cost saving Formula1-copycat crusades will lead to full development freezes...

That is what I was alluding to in my other post. Lets hope we are wrong.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

That is what I was alluding to in my other post. Lets hope we are wrong.

Indeed!

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by turboguy

The 919 is his "baby" without question, but there are a huge number of very talented guys at the factory to deliver the result.

Thanks turboguy. That is very reassuring!

[Richard C]

I appreciate the concern. And while there is always a chance it is something else, it likely is as advertised. I don't have time to search this thread, but didn't we have doubts at start of 2015 season (or was it 2014?) around a bit of high turnover in the aero department and other "for hire" notices at Porsche? 2015 was a good year for Porsche! My point is that you can't can't predict the outcome of this stuff.

Richard

[Mal]

Maybe he has been poached by someone else ......

[wdave0]

Originally Posted by Mal

Maybe he has been poached by someone else ......

The article did say "outside of motorsports". Could be he was wanting to leave and now is a relatively undamaging time - this year's car is pretty well set and there's time for next year's. The suddenness is interesting - maybe Porsche knew and maybe not, contracts at that level do tend to have pretty long notice clauses.
I keep thinking it is some dire personal/family situation and work is just not on at the moment.

[chernaudi]

Porsche won't have a new car for 2017 according to the print edition of Sport Auto.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Porsche won't have a new car for 2017 according to the print edition of Sport Auto.

If this is true, then I suspect that this may possibly be behind Alex's departure. As the dust settles, the truth will be revealed.

[chernaudi]

In one way, why invest in a totally new car for 2017 if it's only going to be good for one year? But on the other hand, if Audi and Toyota get the upper hand on Porsche, and they can't or won't respond with a much updated car, that could explain what happens and had happened.

[Spyderman]

Assuming this is true, (and it would not surprise me in the slightest if it were true), I can understand that Alex did not want to sit around for 2 years waiting to be competitive again.
I also think he may know something about the 2018 rules that took the shine off the challenge.

[Deleted]

Do people quit high end, well payed automotive manufacturer jobs because they see the job tasks being easier in couple years time?

[Spyderman]

Who's talking about "easier"?

[Deleted]

"Took the shine off the challenge"?

[Spyderman]

"Challenge" and "easier" are not necessarily interchangeable. It can be still difficult to win with a set of new rules, but these rules may not be as Technically challenging .