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Carbsmith, if that were the result we would all be lucky.
However as far as i can see FIA really doesn't have any use for privateers in P1.
The cost to field a competitive P1 car is on par with a competitive F1 program, and we can see from F1 that they can't keep their grid full. Full-on, top-of-the-line, cutting-edge racing cars are just too expensive for any but the biggest budgeted manufacturers.
Sure, some of the smaller constructors could make P1 chassis, but no one wants a P1-L. HPD had a P1 chassis ready to build, if anybody wanted one. No one did, because no one wants to spend a quarter-billion dollars to be seventh or eighth--at best.
Those small consturctors like Onroak and Oreca Sold P2 chassis. If Onroak, Orca, and HPD get the contracts, all the rest will be out of business, of forced to make track-day cars and LMP-3s and hopefully will not all go belly-up.
No way those companies are going to make any money with P1 programs when no one wants to pay for the cars. No way they are going to build P1 cars on spec--ask Peter Wirth.
What worries me is that if, in a few years, some of the P1 factories decide to move on, there won't be a lot of small constructors ready to step up with new P1 designs, and if the four annointed companies do, they won't have the capacity to also make P2s.
Drive out the small constructors, and they won't be there when Peugeot pulls out at the last second and only Audi is left. Toyota saved ACO last time; who will step up if VAG and Toyota decide its no longer worth it, and Nissan's front-engined car gets some publicity but can't compete?
Suddenly its 20-30 years ago and Le Mans is lame? GTP has to come over to save the series? Great, except GTP will be DP, and suddenly the stupidity of driving out small constructors will be apparent.
Of course, in five years TUSC maybe moribund as well, as these castrated spec-mobiles aren't going to keep fans coming to the track. TUSC is coming closer than ever to Rolex 2.0--which is awesome, seeing how well the first iteration fared.
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