LMP1 driver speculation

[JoestForEver]

Originally Posted by Somatosis

No one mentioning John Martin, Ticknell or Turvey?

Well with Allan McNish and Marc Gene mentoring Jota drivers. I'm sure Audi will be furious if Nissan digs Harry and Turvey away.

[Gulf]

I think Lucas Luhr should be a shoe in for Nissan, He already have a slight connection and he would be great to have paired with a young driver.

[Osella]

amen to that.

and, though it won't happen anytime soon, Sergio Perez' tyre conservation skills would be awesome in endurance racing

[Nordic]

I don't see Button going the LMP route. I think when he quits it will be for good and will become an ambassador for McLaren, although the endurance side of it may tempt him with his background in Triathlons and his friendship with webber, but I don't see it somehow.

There are some recently 'retired' drivers and those struggling to get up the ladder however to be PR positive, it needs to be race winner or someone who has very good credentials.

A couple of thoughts,

Long in the tooth, but still active Jacques Villeneuve, he also has LMP history (he could also claim the triple crown, LM, Indy and WDC. but not Monaco, thats a differnt triple crown!
Same for Rubens Barrichello, raced in the Daytona 24 has his feet up and in Brazil

Paul di Resta, not sure about his out and out speed but he is decent if a bit dull and seems a bit lost at the moment and would be my choice to go alongside one of the many new and upcoming drivers already mentioned.

[Acid09]

Button has openly said he does not like Le Mans because he's not interested in lapping slower cars all the time.

[deggis]

Button: no, according to himself (Dec 2013):

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111989

[deggis]

Originally Posted by NelisB

Many people don't know it but mardenbrough is not exactly inexperienced. He did have a small career in karting before his time at the GT academy.

Didn't know that (I remember some other past GTA winner did have karting experience), but he still has skipped all the low level single-seaters. It has to show somewhere. There was an interview with him and he said he is on purpose racing as much as as possible just go gain experience of different cars.

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

We've seen far worse drive factory prototypes at LM, even relatively recently.

Maybe my point got lost, I wasn't saying he is a bad choice because clearly he is fast but just doubting whether GTA driver is good for developing a new car, even if there would be 8 other more experienced drivers.

[Joe4]

If I was Toyota I'd definitely think about replacing Lapierre with Mike Conway or swapping him with Nakajima, he made a massive error this year which basically cost the #8 the race & made a similar error the year before in similar conditions

[FIRE]

I would like to see Robin Frijns.
He is wasting his time as F1 test driver.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Acid09

Button has openly said he does not like Le Mans because he's not interested in lapping slower cars all the time.

But that would be a bit of a novelty for him at the moment.........

[Rodger Davies]

Not really relevant, but Dario Franchitti mentioned a couple of times that he had something interesting lined up for 2015.

I'm 100% making this up and it's based on nothing, but wonder if it would have hypothetically been a Nissan drive.

Guess we'll never know!

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Not really relevant, but Dario Franchitti mentioned a couple of times that he had something interesting lined up for 2015.

I'm 100% making this up and it's based on nothing, but wonder if it would have hypothetically been a Nissan drive.

Guess we'll never know!

Would seem a little odd to be planning that far ahead in 2013. Would have to be something pretty big if they were lining a driver of that calibre that early.

As for never knowing, Dario is probably smart enough to one day disclose that information in a book

[valedave]

Didnt he mention in the interview on RLM that it was something with Marino? Maybe with Paul di Resta or Alan McNish or someone else as well?

[Rodger Davies]

That's the other possibility.

And as for planning so far ahead, agreed but their P1 plan was already in place when the Zeod was announced in 2013.

Does seem a bit far fetched though, maybe it was a plan between himself, Marino and someone to give it a go.

[Mike E]

Speaking of the Franchittis, Dario and Marino were at LM on a 'road trip'. Surely they were at LM trying to find Marino a job?

PS: I saw them at a peage on the way down in a US registered Porsche Carrera GT. So, OK, they were on a road trip but surely that's not all. I gave chase, but my Honda Jazz full of camping gear didn't quite have the legs for it.

[valedave]

I don't think the thing Dario was talking about was Nissan or any factory LMP1 come to think of it. It would probably have been a P2 entry or something.

Marino got shafted when Peugeot dropped everything and ran away, remember. He tested that 908 Hybrid, shame it never worked out for him.

[deggis]

^ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114433

[Somatosis]

Originally Posted by JoestForEver

Well with Allan McNish and Marc Gene mentoring Jota drivers. I'm sure Audi will be furious if Nissan digs Harry and Turvey away.

Good point, I hadn't really considered/remembered that.

Never got the fuss about martin to be honest.

I could just be a one-eyed Aussie but always considered him a steady hand with ample racecraft and pace.

having said all that I'd be pretty happy to just see pla, mardenborough and brundle be involved.

[Articus]

Originally Posted by valedave

I don't think the thing Dario was talking about was Nissan or any factory LMP1 come to think of it. It would probably have been a P2 entry or something.

Marino got shafted when Peugeot dropped everything and ran away, remember. He tested that 908 Hybrid, shame it never worked out for him.

RLM something mentioned something about GTE Porsche's


Just how limited are Dario's abilities now? No indycar but can he drive in general? Can he enjoy a track day in a nice car on new Pirelli's?

[GT3.14]

With all of the publicity Webber brought with him it seems like Nissan would want to steal someone off the F1 grid.

[TF110]

I dont think Kobayashi is tied up in Toyota anymore. But even if so, Audi lmp guys drive for Lexus in SuperGT/Super Formula.

[Articus]

Originally Posted by GT3.14

With all of the publicity Webber brought with him it seems like Nissan would want to steal someone off the F1 grid.

Maldonado and the PDVSA millions

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Articus

RLM something mentioned something about GTE Porsche's

Just how limited are Dario's abilities now? No indycar but can he drive in general? Can he enjoy a track day in a nice car on new Pirelli's?

I guess his physical abilities are fine or will be fine when he has fully recovered whatever bones he broke and the concussion symptoms usually last just some weeks but the career ending thing was really the possibility of having another one (as this already wasn't his first one). Repeated concussions can lead to neurological damage.

[rich07]

What about the Sacred Monster? He brings unrelenting speed and plenty of experience too

[Simmi]

Lots of people lining up to put ageing drivers into these LMP1s.

If Nissan are serious about taking the fight then these drivers have to be able to go toe to toe with a Lotterer or a Davidson.

You've got to have a good mix of drivers who compliment each other. I also think Nissan will want to put at least one Japanese driver in the car and also a GTA guy. I've said quite a few times the only Academy guy I see who can live with the P1 level is Jann.

Nick Heidfeld
JP de Oliveira
Ronnie Quintarelli
Jann Mardenborough
Oliver Turvey
Olivier Pla
Japanese SGT talent
Current F1 driver
Current factory P1 driver

But at the same time don't expect the other manufacturers to just sit still. If Toyota or Porsche add extra cars then that's three more. Plus I can see some movement between teams this year.