Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiana
https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/1...-lmp1-equality
"The gap between us and the others will become closer, especially with SMP I think," Toyota team boss Rob Leupen said.
"Also Rebellion, they are not that far away as they have been last year."
"For me last year it was more about reliability, I don't think you can expect to win Le Mans after a few months with a new car.
"We have seen how difficult it was to win after a few years with a car which has been developed."
"The [privateers] can use more fuel per lap.
"They have the potential to have a lot higher downforce, so they are better in traffic and in the corners. We've not seen it at Spa, but they should have [higher top speeds].
"We should be able to be quicker than them on one lap, but [the difference should be] very tiny.
"With all these compromises we have seen on the EoT side, they will have to come closer."
Sssssssssssssssssuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure
I especially like the lines "compromises" (compromises they could veto) and "they will have to come closer". Why will they have to come closer?
Nonhybrids being "better in traffic and corners" also makes no sense to me, other than in PR excuses sense
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He's speaking about Le Mans in specific, not the wec races/tracks. At Le Mans, the hybrid Toyota has is the least advantaged of any place they race. 8mj for 13.6+km vs somewhere like Spa where it's over 6mj for 7km.
I think by compromise he means running only 11 laps per stint vs 13 almost 14 laps in 2017. They could have left it like that and the private teams would need a tank 1.5 times the size they have now, which would slow them down even further because of the fuel weight. Also running 880kg while some private cars are 815kg. Smaller front and rear wings/diveplanes. Much less engine power. Finalized bodykits vs updated whenever they homologate for the privateers, the list continues. Toyota already had a huge advantage but they've stopped developing the aero. The only thing they can do is get more familiar with the car and go from there. Yeah they have a hybrid that is much more efficient, but in reality the non-hybrids are lucky to even have only a 1-lap disadvantage.
I don't see anything wrong with his points. I like Toyota, they're my favorite team/manufacturer but I'm not blinded by my like for them. I can see what he's saying and agree with 90% of it. The things I don't like are mandated stint lengths. They need to protect their interests, every manufacturer would even if we don't like it. It's something we'll have to live with until 2021's edition I guess. It makes me wish one of the private teams just used a mild hybrid and argued for more favorable eot in the 2mj or 4mj 'class'.