Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by TF110

I think Samurai was saying to take it with a grain of salt since he was the source Inoue posts a lot of satire.

ah! Sarcasm is hard to transmit in writing.

[Starfish Primer]

Riberas moves to Ferrari

http://gt-lemans.blogspot.co.uk/2016...zione.html?m=1

[chernaudi]

Joest is looking at a program to keep the team running at least as a stop gap until another factory or factory level program can be operated by the team. One rumor is running a hybrid-less, gasoline engined, non-branded/not directly factory supported 2017 Audi R18 in LMP1 privateer. Another option is to go into IMSA and run a DPI car.

[GriffM3]

Wildcard idea but with BMW's imminent return to LMP1 do you think Joest could be the team they use? Just a guess.

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by GriffM3

Wildcard idea but with BMW's imminent return to LMP1 do you think Joest could be the team they use? Just a guess.

Huh?

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by GriffM3

BMW's imminent return to LMP1

News to me(and I imagine most of us). Got a source for this? All I ever heard about was a dedicated GTE program, and everything I've heard says every dime of BMW's Le Mans budget in that program - nothing left for an LMP1.

[Starfish Primer]

And the GTE program is going to be managed by MTEK.

[gert]

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

And the GTE program is going to be managed by MTEK.

Is that one of the DTM teams?
Have they been involved in GT racing before, or are they new to it?

[Starfish Primer]

Originally Posted by gert

Is that one of the DTM teams?
Have they been involved in GT racing before, or are they new to it?

Yes, it is one the DTM Teams but leaves the DTM in 2017 to prepare the 2018 WEC programme. It is quite new, think it has never been involved in GT racing.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Joest is looking at a program to keep the team running at least as a stop gap until another factory or factory level program can be operated by the team. One rumor is running a hybrid-less, gasoline engined, non-branded/not directly factory supported 2017 Audi R18 in LMP1 privateer. Another option is to go into IMSA and run a DPI car.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/j...hybrid-option/

ps. I really don't get why you almost never post the source link (read this earlier, knew instantly what story you were talking about), and regularly don't even mention what site it was. The summary is nice, but people would probably like to read the full story.

[Starfish Primer]

With the expected performance of the new generation LMP2s the life in LMP1 for privateers is going to be very difficult.

[Acid09]

I don't think this will be feasible as Audi will own the design of the car and would need to agree with it.

Manufacturers don't like to see stillborn cars race in other people's hands, heck Porsche in the 2000s even flat out denied their LMP900 car even existed. I highly doubt Audi is willing to see a would-have-been Audi LMP1 car out on track in the hands of a privateer, even if it's Joest.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

Riberas moves to Ferrari

http://gt-lemans.blogspot.co.uk/2016...zione.html?m=1

Hardly a rumor is it?!

But it puts (more) question marks over AJR's GTD effort over here in IMSA...

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

With the expected performance of the new generation LMP2s the life in LMP1 for privateers is going to be very difficult.

A purpose built privateer lmp1 would be much faster than the new lmp2's. No serious money is put into one of those cars though.

[Starfish Primer]

Originally Posted by TF110

A purpose built privateer lmp1 would be much faster than the new lmp2's. No serious money is put into one of those cars though.

And getting the serious money is a big problem. Also putting a P2 in steroids like the Rebellion doesn´t guarantee stellar results.

[hondafan37]

BR Engineering and Dallara to build new LMP1 prototype
http://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/b...totype-851033/

[TF110]

Awesome news. Hope we see it testing sometime next year.

[FIRE]

Would be nice if there's a manufacturer with a competative LMP1 engine for customers.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Would be nice if there's a manufacturer with a competative LMP1 engine for customers.

I can't remember where I read it, but there was a piece in a story in the past week or so on CLM next year possibly running the Nissan engine.

[FormulaFox]

So the 2018 LMP1 rules proposal was indeed circulated at Bahrain. We all know that the hybrid rules were frozen until 2020, but that's not the only thing at issue. I have not been given specifics(too much to go over, and the ACO's trying to keep the details under wraps until they're finalized anyway), but I've been told the following by multiple sources:

1: The interested privateer groups were VERY happy with the proposal, so 2018 could bring bigger and better tings on that side(at least one team has given the ACO a commitment for 2018).

2: Toyota and Porsche are also okay with the proposal, though their concerns stopped with the hybrid rules(for now).

3: The rules may be loose enough to allow DPi cars in, but don't get your hopes up on account of...

4: Non-hybrid engines will get more fuel flow to allow them to effectively match the power output of the hybrids - there may be a restriction on the hybrids to slow them a bit, but that will only come if they hit the ACO's de facto speed limit at Le Mans in 2017.

It is questionable if the DPi engines, which aim for LMP2 power, can reliably produce the needed power - even GT3-derived engines will be questionable since we're talking about the need to push close to 1,000 horsepower. Engines unique to LMP1 cars will likely be necessary.

It doesn't sound like much of anything will change on the chassis side, and I think that's for the best right now.

One of my sources indicated that Joest running a non-hybrid R18 chassis is effectively locked in, but that it might not be until 2018. We'll have to see - I'd love to see that happen.

Thoughts?

[TF110]

I think it was SC365 that said the hybrid power limit would be put into place next year and the raised splitter/shorter diffuser will go through also.

[BSchneiderFan]

I'll believe a privateer Joest R18 when I see it.

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

So the 2018 LMP1 rules proposal was indeed circulated at Bahrain. We all know that the hybrid rules were frozen until 2020, but that's not the only thing at issue. I have not been given specifics(too much to go over, and the ACO's trying to keep the details under wraps until they're finalized anyway), but I've been told the following by multiple sources:

1: The interested privateer groups were VERY happy with the proposal, so 2018 could bring bigger and better tings on that side(at least one team has given the ACO a commitment for 2018).

2: Toyota and Porsche are also okay with the proposal, though their concerns stopped with the hybrid rules(for now).

3: The rules may be loose enough to allow DPi cars in, but don't get your hopes up on account of...

4: Non-hybrid engines will get more fuel flow to allow them to effectively match the power output of the hybrids - there may be a restriction on the hybrids to slow them a bit, but that will only come if they hit the ACO's de facto speed limit at Le Mans in 2017.

It is questionable if the DPi engines, which aim for LMP2 power, can reliably produce the needed power - even GT3-derived engines will be questionable since we're talking about the need to push close to 1,000 horsepower. Engines unique to LMP1 cars will likely be necessary.

It doesn't sound like much of anything will change on the chassis side, and I think that's for the best right now.

One of my sources indicated that Joest running a non-hybrid R18 chassis is effectively locked in, but that it might not be until 2018. We'll have to see - I'd love to see that happen.

Thoughts?

I like this rumors of rules

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by TF110

I think it was SC365 that said the hybrid power limit would be put into place next year and the raised splitter/shorter diffuser will go through also.

Looking at S365(and DSC, jsut to cover all bases) I didn't see anything about limiting power - just freezing the rules in place. If someone's got a link to something different I'd like to take a look at it and get some clarification from my sources.

I didn't mention the splitter/diffuser because that's the known expected change - I meant that there's nothing new expected(at this time) beyond it. I admittedly could've been more clear about what I meant there - my bad.

[MagVanisher]

Let's hope that the rumors are true should ACO really want to save LMP1!

On the other hand though, there's no changes for the GTE class, or the whole GT racing for that matter.