[WEC] 2017 WEC Season

[Rodger Davies]

Yes ACO stream, my social media would like to ask how happy you are that Hughes de Chaunac has finally got his spec P2 class with your help?

Meh.

[bentley speed 8]

Really bummed about spec-oreca LMP2. I'm really surprised we don't have at least a single Ligier or Dallara in there.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by bentley speed 8

Really bummed about spec-oreca LMP2. I'm really surprised we don't have at least a single Ligier or Dallara in there.

Likewise - astonished that strings were not pulled to ensure variety in LMP2.

[Damian Baldi]

Don't forget that the old Oreca is capable to be upgraded to 07 version. By the other side, ESM and RGR which used Ligier, have leave the series.

ELMS it is another story, with more variety

[MaskedRacer]

LMP2 does not look very appealing. The Oreca 07 looks too generic to me. GTE has the potential to be epic. Lets hope the BoP issues from 2016 are solved.

[Dyson Mazda]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

LMP2 does not look very appealing. The Oreca 07 looks too generic to me. GTE has the potential to be epic. Lets hope the BoP issues from 2016 are solved.

Oreca with a spec V8 and spec tires = PC

[JoeW04]

Maybe Oreca are selling some many spares for the PCs (bumper weekend at Daytona last weekend) that they can afford to sell the P2 cheaper than anyone else on a serious note it's a shame there's not more variety though, was always worried this may turn into a transition year, just unfortunate that the WEC has too many of these kinda of years

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by bentley speed 8

Really bummed about spec-oreca LMP2. I'm really surprised we don't have at least a single Ligier or Dallara in there.

A new set of regulations designed solely to benefit a single chassis constructor['s back pocket] produces a class with their cars populating most of the field.

Sadly, that's not surprising to me at all.

[TF110]

Maybe the Oreca is the go to option because costs of running and spares+support? Not that it makes it any less disappointing that there's no other lmp2 in the wec, but there has to be a reason for the choice. Looking at the Daytona 24,I would think Dallara would be a good choice! But I guess with the Gibson engine, it won't matter.

[Akrapovic]

It's disappointing to only have ORECA, but the same as PC? lol. I suppose it's the same without the crap car, crap tyres, crap drivers and crap driver aids. And the many many seconds a lap.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by TF110

Maybe the Oreca is the go to option because costs of running and spares+support? Not that it makes it any less disappointing that there's no other lmp2 in the wec, but there has to be a reason for the choice. Looking at the Daytona 24,I would think Dallara would be a good choice! But I guess with the Gibson engine, it won't matter.

While I agree in principle, given how well-suited the 2017 LMP2 regulations were to Oreca's capabilities, is it any wonder that they have probably produced the most attractive/comprehensive package? Alternatively, a more cynical mind might suggest that the teams are well-aware of how close the ACO & Oreca are, and that choosing an 07 is as much of a political statement as it is a sporting or economic decision.

They could have just knocked one out of the park with the Oreca 07 (which would not be out of the question; Oreca is an experienced and well-regarded constructor), but with the chassis restriction we'll only ever know how good it is out of these four.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by J Jay

While I agree in principle, given how well-suited the 2017 LMP2 regulations were to Oreca's capabilities, is it any wonder that they have produced the most attractive/comprehensive package? Alternatively, a more cynical mind might suggest that the teams are well-aware of how close the ACO & Oreca are, and that if a side needed to be picked in the future, the ACO would know which side they are on.

They could have just knocked one out of the park with the Oreca 07 (which would not be out of the question; Oreca is an experienced and well-regarded constructor), but with the chassis restriction we'll only ever know how good it is out of these four.

The Riley did give it a bit of a beating at Daytona though! Whilst the grid is full of ORECAs, I'm yet to be convinced they're the best car.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

The Riley did give it a bit of a beating at Daytona though! Whilst the grid is full of ORECAs, I'm yet to be convinced they're the best car.

Is this the right time to use the "Daytona is unique" argument? :lol:

I see what you're saying, and that leads to my (edited) point - the 07 might not be the fastest, cheapest or best-supported package, but it does come from the ACO's Favourite Chassis Constructor*.

*Excluding that sweet, sweet factory €€€.

[TF110]

Three teams off the top of my mind ran an Oreca already- Rebellion, Signatech and Manor. That's 60% of the p2 grid that only stayed with Oreca. That means two others made a switch or replaced another team that didn't return with a non-Oreca.

[MaskedRacer]

I hope when the races take place that GTE gets way more TV time than the uninspiring LMP2 field. Did not see much WEC in 2016 though, which class got more TV air time between P2 or GTE? LMP1 will always get the most I'm sure even this year.

[TzeiTzei]

Hmph. Right now I'm not feeling the need to pay for this.

[Ferrari333SP]

Pipo Derani with Ford

[Jam3s]

Oreca got the leg up because they're clever. They developed the 05 with the 07 in mind, so all the teams who bought the 05 then had the option to enter 2017 with a car which could be upgraded at half the cost of buying a new one. Add to that, a LOT of carry over parts from the 05, meaning any parts which still have life left in them can be bolted to the 07, again reducing costs.

Add their fantastic customer support and the fact it was always going to be one of if not the car to beat and you end up with a field of Orecas.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Jam3s

Oreca got the leg up because they're clever. They developed the 05 with the 07 in mind, so all the teams who bought the 05 then had the option to enter 2017 with a car which could be upgraded at half the cost of buying a new one. Add to that, a LOT of carry over parts from the 05, meaning any parts which still have life left in them can be bolted to the 07, again reducing costs.

Add their fantastic customer support and the fact it was always going to be one of if not the car to beat and you end up with a field of Orecas.

Was Oreca clever for designing the 05 that way? Or were they the only manufacturer to know what the next rules would be?

[carbsmith]

Everybody was pretty aware the 2017 cars would have to follow the 2014 LMP1 monocoque and overall dimension requirements a long time ago. The Ligier could have been modified with some effort but their logic seems to have been that the JS P2 is already a three year old car and the JS P217 will be racing for 4 years, so there's no point in carrying over an old design. The ORECA upgrade is still 200,000EUR against a 480,000EUR new car.

I think the big advantage ORECA has is that the number of chassis already in the market. Ligier flat out can't put as many cars on the grid as ORECA for time reasons, and the amount of pre-season testing will be lower. Next year when things are more relaxed I can see teams moving to the Ligier and Dallara if they perform well.

[Jam3s]

Originally Posted by joeb

Was Oreca clever for designing the 05 that way? Or were they the only manufacturer to know what the next rules would be?

To me there's absolutely no way Onroak did not have the same information as Oreca, given the very close ties of the ACO and Onroak given half the ACO is made up of ex Onroak employees.

IMO it was all about timing, The JSP2 was a good 8 months earlier in its development cycle than the 05 and it seems that the regs for 17 were likely developed in that window which allowed Oreca to take advantage of it.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Jam3s

To me there's absolutely no way Onroak did not have the same information as Oreca, given the very close ties of the ACO and Onroak given half the ACO is made up of ex Onroak employees.

IMO it was all about timing, The JSP2 was a good 8 months earlier in its development cycle than the 05 and it seems that the regs for 17 were likely developed in that window which allowed Oreca to take advantage of it.

I'm just messing with ya, but on that note Oreca has p2 locked down and Ligier has p3. I fully know the circumstances that led to those outcomes, but this situation is exactly what was talked about (here) at the start of the new formula. Of course the first year of the formula is a poor predictor of the future so I'm not overly worried about the low diversity. However, time will tell.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by joeb

I'm just messing with ya, but on that note Oreca has p2 locked down and Ligier has p3. I fully know the circumstances that led to those outcomes, but this situation is exactly what was talked about (here) at the start of the new formula. Of course the first year of the formula is a poor predictor of the future so I'm not overly worried about the low diversity. However, time will tell.

Ligier has p3, Oreca has p2, will Ginetta have p1? I hope not. SMP/Dallara and Kolles hopefully have a word to say about that.

[Giba]

Though a big shame there isn't more diversity of cars, it makes sense why a team would pick ORECA. Despite Dallara's success in other categories, it's not guaranteed that it would be as quick as the others. Riley P3 car (or let's be honest, lack of) would be a concern for anyone picking them.

That leaves Ligier and ORECA, as ORECA have won the last two Le Mans in P2 and last year the world championship then as a rich amateur it makes business sense to pick them

[Ephaeton]

So as this was brought up in another thread, can anyone here defend the WEC retaining its FIA World Championship status for the P1(-H, as the -L get their own trophy)? And how they got to it in the first place?

The FIA 2017 International Sporting Code requires (2.4.1.c) :

International Championships which bear the FIA name are the property of the FIA and may only bear a title that includes the word “World” (or any word with a similar meaning to or derived from “World” in any language) if their applicable regulations comply at least with the requirements of Article 2.4.3 of the Code and with the additional requirement that they involve the participation, on average over the entire season, of a least four automobile makes.

(bolding by me)

This is a requirement that is clearly not fulfilled for this year's WEC P1 championship; and hasn't been ever yet (except if you count the Nissan year as having four manufacturers "on average over the entire season" with Le Mans counting for "four" races, I don't know).

So, why is there a P1 (manufacturer) FIA World Championship? What's the FIA's excuse for ignoring FIA regulations?