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Old 17 Jul 2017, 21:41 (Ref:3752268)   #4993
chernaudi
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I know that this thread is mostly about technical regulations, but I wonder what the opinion is regarding Le Mans' place in the WEC? Should it be a points paying race, non-points or how should the points be staggered/awarded for LM?

I bring this up because the deal where Porsche called in team orders at Nurburgring was brought about almost entirely due to the #1 Porsche's DNF at LM and not scoring points, while the #2 that won brought home 50 points, worth two regular WEC wins. Right now, the #1 Porsche and more so the #7 Toyota aren't serious threats to the #2 Porsche and #8 Toyota in the championship. Hence they'll probably be forced to play #2/tail gunner for their higher ranked teammates for the rest of the season whenever Porsche or TMG see fit. We know that Neel Jani and especially Andre Lotterer reportedly felt cheated out of an easy win after Porsche made the decision to play team orders with that last pit stop.

Problem is that this is also a team sport with a manufacturers' title on the line, and if a team can make a play to favor a higher ranked team with a significant points cushion and not jeopardize the manufactures' points haul, they'll probably do it, just like often happens in F1.

And this isn't the first time this happened. Penske regularly pulled it with his teams in the ALMS, and even Audi at times did it to pad a driving pair's points, especially when their other team was out of it for the drivers' title. And we know that Audi often wouldn't play team orders, but they did at races in 2008 (Nurburgring LMS and Road America ALMS to benefit the drivers' championship, and PLM '08 to get the race win with their faster car), ironically due to losing the '07 ALMS Road America round due to not calling team orders to pass the #7 Penske Porsche then try and settle the win.

I'm in favor of LM not being a points paying WEC round, and being treated like an all star race. It wouldn't effect the rest of the season as far as points. It would also get around teams compromising part of their season by having to call strategy on when to run certain body kits (WEC would place the whole focus on sprint kits, since LM will be LM and not a championship round). And we have to remember until the ILMC and WEC, LM hadn't been a points paying race for any championship since 1992. Not for IMSA, the FIA SCC, the ALMS, or the LMS.

Of course, I know that some of you won't like that idea. But I also don't think that LM, if it's part of the championship, should just have equal points as a 6 hour or 1000km race. Only other way I can see getting around this is do as the ALMS used to do and if you run 70% of the winners' distance/time, you automatically get points based on in-class position, whether or not you finish or not, and make it apply to all races.

That wouldn't have done the #7 Toyota any good, as they got no where near 70% distance, and it would only have been of useful benefit to the #1 Porsche if they were scored in LMP1 alone, and not LMP1 and LMP2 combined. But I do feel that those are the only two main ways to keep one race, no matter how important, from spoiling a potential championship chase.
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