Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiana
If those are allowed to go for overall wins with half-assed efforts instead of full blown factory campaigns with their self built cars, that brings whole can of new worms to the table...
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These so called "self built" cars. I think your concept doesn't really exist. Many manufacturers are just doing a much more comprehensive job to make you think they "self built" something. What does it even mean to be "self built". The concept of self built really falls over in the prototype class and in top level motorsport. The only category that gets a pass is the GT's. As those are fundamentally derived from the core competency (ehem...) of the manufacturer. With the rumoured Supra GTE, did Toyota "self build" that? When the production car was codeveloped with BMW....Would that bother you?
Nissan LMP1-
Ben Bowlby's design group in Indianopolis, and a Cosworth TwinTurbo V6...
Renault F1 - That Enstone facility has changed ownership a handful of times. Renault, Lotus, Benneton etc. All while retaining, hiring, mixing and mingling employees from all over motorsport.
Acura ARX P2s and P1 - Wirth research (independent) aero with the Honda powerplant and HPD support for build and support.
Mercedes F1 - Sure there are a few Mercedes road car division employees (and probably new hires), but for a facility in Brackley that used to be Brawn, and Honda, and so on....they didn't just sack all of the employees. Many have been working in the facility since before it became Mercedes F1. So does Mercedes "self build" their F1 car?
Puegeot, Audi, Porsche etc. All the company has done is hire a bunch of people working on other areas of motorsport, and sometimes from within their road car division to develop these race cars and run the race teams. Why do you consider those efforts "self built". Just because everyone was given the same uniform to wear at the race?
Even though GT's get the semi pass. Aston Martin - Prodrive, Ferrari - Michelotto, Corvette - Pratt & Miller.... The manufacturers do not own any of these companies. They effectively slap their name on those race cars. Other than the frame (from production) and engine....Which really isn't all that different to DPI.
What do you think it means to be "self built"? Genuinely trying to get something productive out of this. I'm not sure that you are actually opposed to the DPi concept, even though you say you are. Because it's really no different to many of the things you probably considered to be "self built".