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31 Jan 2018, 21:46 (Ref:3797293) | #926 | |
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I made a point on another forum, but I think people are downplaying the pull Alonso has. I don't think he dictates what he does 100%, but I really believe he has more say in it now thanks to his status. I believe he made a deal to stay with McLaren with incentives allowed such as he can race where he feels. He's been coy in the media interviews, but when he tested with Toyota in Bahrain last year, I'm pretty sure he had the decision pretty much made. Lots of things happen behind the scenes that we won't get to know, but I know he has a lot of pull. Especially now that Honda are not the ones (that were supposedly) paying his contract.
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31 Jan 2018, 22:25 (Ref:3797298) | #927 | ||
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We know that for most F1 drivers F1 has to be their complete priority nowadays (and has been for decades). It’s demanded of them and they need to put everything into it. The F1 calendar contains a lot of races all around the world. One of drivers has the opportunity, as a result of many things, to do Indy and now Le Mans. Not only that, but he signs up for as many of the other WEC races as he can. There is even talk that they’ll move the one race he can’t do for him (surely this is not actually real). Yet we’re questioning why he doesn’t do another one a week before the first F1 race of the year.
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1 Feb 2018, 00:26 (Ref:3797322) | #928 | ||
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4 Feb 2018, 00:35 (Ref:3798252) | #929 | ||
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Let's take this a step further — especially as IMSA has allowed ACO/WEC to be the co-headliner at Sebring, thus getting the ACO/WEC out of their box of needing to race on three continents to maintain their world championship status. You'd kind of think the ACO/WEC would want to play nice on the schedule after that.
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4 Feb 2018, 00:42 (Ref:3798256) | #930 | ||
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PLM/Fuji clash avoidance pre-dates the 2018/19 "super-season" deal. It goes back to when IMSA made their 2018 schedule public, at least.
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4 Feb 2018, 01:58 (Ref:3798269) | #931 | ||
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4 Feb 2018, 10:36 (Ref:3798386) | #932 | |
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I don't know why the wec is such a bad guy for changing dates. What is it, imsa can't change the date for plm? Is that set in stone? I don't see any reason for it to be stuck. Is there another commitment they need to keep?
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4 Feb 2018, 13:37 (Ref:3798414) | #933 | ||
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Fact is that there was an agreement between IMSA and the ACO to avoid a date clash between two sports car sanctioning bodies and series. Now the ACO want to re-create that to accommodate one driver whose day job is in a completely different series and one team who wants to employ him.
The reason for avoiding the clash was to accommodate numerous drivers and several teams who have ties to both series. IMO, this is the ACO shafting teams and drivers with commitments to both IMSA and the WEC for what is at this stage has the image of a ACO/Toyota PR stunt, even if Alonso is firmly dedicated to the program. Yes, IMSA can change their date for PLM, but this is IMO the ACO backing out of an agreement in an attempt at a press power play. And in my opinion, between neither series knowing what they want to do beyond 2020 for their top class and this, the IMSA/ACO rivalry is still on. Ironic thing is that Toyota have gotten pulled into this, since I doubt it was originally their intent for Alonso to do all the WEC races at least in 2018. They probably would've been happy with Le Mans and a couple of other appearances. But the ACO want press leverage, something that they can do by balancing performance between Toyota and the privateer teams and play up the fact that they have the healthiest LMP1 grid in nearly a decade. Last edited by chernaudi; 4 Feb 2018 at 13:44. |
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4 Feb 2018, 16:35 (Ref:3798437) | #934 | ||
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Quote:
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4 Feb 2018, 16:54 (Ref:3798439) | #935 | |
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I wonder how much having a super season affects their decision
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4 Feb 2018, 20:08 (Ref:3798461) | #936 | ||
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How do the rest of the drivers in the series feel who have deals in place to run at Petit and the wec race? They basically get told their livelihoods don't matter as much as a single person who is new to the series.
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4 Feb 2018, 21:46 (Ref:3798476) | #938 | ||
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That's a guy who's stock has risen quickly and continues to gain worth.
But he's one of those guys who could be effected by a Fuji/PLM conflict due to him having I think a full season ride with WTR in WTSC. |
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4 Feb 2018, 22:27 (Ref:3798482) | #939 | |
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IMSA and the ACO should make a deal:
IMSA moves either Mid-Ohio or Petit, ACO moves Spa or Fuji, resulting in no race clashes at all. A win-win for sure. |
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4 Feb 2018, 22:40 (Ref:3798485) | #940 | |
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RE: Alonso and McLaren, has any one considered the idea Mclaren might be actively encouraging Alonso in his sports car pursuits, as they are working on the idea of a top tier sports car program (which I know still depends on future regs). Surely it’d be great for McLaren to transition Alonso from F1 to WEC when he decides to retire, and still keep hold of the publicity pull he has
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4 Feb 2018, 23:26 (Ref:3798497) | #941 | ||
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I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Stranger things have happened.
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5 Feb 2018, 08:03 (Ref:3798603) | #942 | |
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I'd like to think Toyota knew about this from the get go. The ACO has them as the only 'pure' manufacturer left in lmp1, if they didn't consult with them with their intention that would be pretty unusual. Toyota is propping them up and even moreso now with the addition of Alonso. They need to worry about their own series first before trying to be nice guy and not clash with PLM even if there are a few drivers who would have a conflict. Spa already conflicts with Mid-Ohio, should it be the ACO who moves that date as well because of the clash? Sure PLM is a big race in IMSA, but Fuji is one of, if not the best attended races and it's Toyota's home/owned track. Getting Alonso to do that race is a no-brainer and the ACO would be indebted to Toyota for the free publicity.
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5 Feb 2018, 09:48 (Ref:3798624) | #943 | |||
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5 Feb 2018, 10:10 (Ref:3798629) | #944 | ||
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5 Feb 2018, 10:33 (Ref:3798637) | #945 | |||
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5 Feb 2018, 18:36 (Ref:3798777) | #946 | |
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If he is still with Mclaren I don't know where else he would go but if they aren't winning in f1 in a year or two I don't think he stays.
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6 Feb 2018, 09:50 (Ref:3798916) | #947 | |||
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Quote:
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/b...by-case-basis/ |
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6 Feb 2018, 14:51 (Ref:3798985) | #948 | |
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Not really anything new to report - the concerns have been there since the original announcement. We'll probably hear more about how WEC thinks to tackle some of their logistic challenges shortly after this year's 12H. If anything, a delayed start time might be the 'easiest' compromise.
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/n...r-will-happen/ |
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6 Feb 2018, 15:25 (Ref:3798998) | #949 | ||
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Just hold it the following day or on a different weekend if they can't make it work. They're already talking about moving Fuji back a week to accommodate Alonso, so why not do the same for Sebring?
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6 Feb 2018, 15:53 (Ref:3799006) | #950 | ||
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Has anyone heard any rumours or suggestions of who might drive for Manor in LMP1? Seems a total blank to me.
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