[LM24] This year's GTE Thread

[fieldodreams79]

BoP definitely cannot define the class but it certainly is one of the reasons the class has been so close on either side of the pond of recent. Just get it right, or close. Maybe the latest round of changes will work...time tells.

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by Creep89

New BoP!

- 488 +15kg
- Ford +10kg and slight reduction in boost pressure
- Vette&Vantage +0,2mm air restrictor
- no change regarding Porsche

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/f...e-bop-changes/

Porsche have been given an extra 8L of fuel.

[MoMedic9019]

Corvettes change is 0.3mm, but they only have 0.2mm restrictors with them.

I'm sure a wander to a CNC machine is coming... But, the clock is ticking, gotta find a shop, get one built in CAD, and milled, four times, and get it approved.

Or, they will have to take care of it in the states and fly it over before the race, and hope it's perfect.

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

Corvettes change is 0.3mm, but they only have 0.2mm restrictors with them.

I'm sure a wander to a CNC machine is coming... But, the clock is ticking, gotta find a shop, get one built in CAD, and milled, four times, and get it approved.

Or, they will have to take care of it in the states and fly it over before the race, and hope it's perfect.

I'm not 100% sure, but aren't they made of carbon fibre.

EDIT: just had a look on Google images and it appears the Corvette ones aren't.

[Alex Langheck]

The right decision? For the good of the race, then yes. But it leaves me slightly uncomfortable. Basically, they’re changing the ‘rules/ regs’ after the meeting has started – which in my opinion isn’t on.

If we have to have BoP, and I think we do, then it has to be done properly & fairly, and only once, possibly twice a year. (Say before the season starts, and halfway through the season) No more. If the ACO mess it up, Tough!

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by airbusA346

I'm not 100% sure, but aren't they made of carbon fibre.

EDIT: just had a look on Google images and it appears the Corvette ones aren't.

Nope. All are aluminum. If CF they could be made of flexible materials allowing advantage.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Alex Langheck

The right decision? For the good of the race, then yes. But it leaves me slightly uncomfortable. Basically, they’re changing the ‘rules/ regs’ after the meeting has started – which in my opinion isn’t on.

If we have to have BoP, and I think we do, then it has to be done properly & fairly, and only once, possibly twice a year. (Say before the season starts, and halfway through the season) No more. If the ACO mess it up, Tough!

That's the ACO rules. They have BoP twice a year. The option excercised here was done after a closed door meeting with all of the manufacturers.

[Badlands99]

If Ford had kept the sand in boot for a little longer and qualified 7-10th then we wouldn't have been having this conversation and then, they and Ferrari, would have just disappeared off into the distance once the race started.

Whilst I don't necessarily agree with multiple attempts at getting the BoP right, I think that in this instance the ACO have done the right thing. It will certainly make the race more entertaining for the spectator, a little fairer for the second tier of teams and at least give them a chance to make a result happen if they have good reliability.
The problem with the new rules and the original BoP settings was that it gave the new cars way too much performance advantage and could have meant that by Sunday morning they could have built up sufficient margin to allow for extra time in the pits repairing the broken bits and still come out in front - this way reliability and good driving can still win.

Not everybody will agree but I feel BoP is needed today and, when applied correctly, does work - look at SRO/Blancpain series - at Brands Hatch sprint race a few weeks ago, any one of probably 15 cars could have won that race - as a spectator this is what I pay my money to see, get a good clean run, keep out of trouble and then don't hit anything too hard and you will stand a chance of winning - not put as much sand on board at the start of the race meeting and then dump it all over the track on your out lap to hopefully gain an advantage!

If, as supposedly reported, Ferrari forced Ford's hand in the qualifying battle by coming out all guns blazing and 'encouraged' The Blue Oval boys to show their hand then I think that we should thank them. We are hopefully going to get a better race because of it!

[joeb]

Thinking back has Ferrari been the least likely to moan about Bop in the last 3 or 4 years? Is this because they have traditionally had the best car?

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by joeb

Thinking back has Ferrari been the least likely to moan about Bop in the last 3 or 4 years? Is this because they have traditionally had the best car?

They were certainly the car to beat last year until they broke.

[Deleted]

Rhetorical thumbs up if you agree.

Originally Posted by FIRE

The Riley developed GTE Viper, now owned by ViperExchange Racing (Ben Keating). They wanted to race with Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Marc Goossens.

That car never runs anywhere during the year (they only run GT3 full season) so leaving it to rot to reserves was "justified". At least Scuderia Corsa runs GTE in addition to GT3 in IMSA (plus of course they had auto entry)

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by Badlands99

If Ford had kept the sand in boot for a little longer and qualified 7-10th then we wouldn't have been having this conversation and then, they and Ferrari, would have just disappeared off into the distance once the race started.

This ^^^^^

Ford-Ferrari have been given a lot of credit for their sandbagging mastery which was sublime right up until it wasn't. They just couldn't help themselves.

Props to MoMedic9019, he called it a while back. I was thinking the fastest GTE would qualify around high 52's or 53 flat.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

That's false.

Well you forgot to tell the ACO that it seems.






L.P.

[TF110]

I bet they all do 54's and 53's in the dry once the track comes in.

[carbsmith]

I doubt Ford expects to last long enough for race pace to matter, honestly.

[Deleted]

Corvette doesn't have 29mm restrictors with them, so they are looking for CT machine to mod their 28,8 restrictors to bigger size...
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/g...e-bop-changes/

Meanwhile I guess some people are still excited for the class (every line in below excerpt is direct mirror opposite what I would write of this farce)
The 84th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans could be remembered as an epic GT event with prototypes playing a supporting role to the featured act. With a depleted grid of just six LMP1 Hybrids to offer, this year's Le Mans race is primed to go down as an all-out war among major GT auto manufacturers, and if we're lucky, the TV cameras will be trained on the GTE-Pro class more than ever before.
http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/ite...running-130918

[carbsmith]

I just don't understand how they don't have the restrictor size they were allowed at the test day.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by carbsmith

I just don't understand how they don't have the restrictor size they were allowed at the test day.

It's not the same size, they've been bopped to different size in each of bulletins. Because why not.

(Theoretical/Initial) Prior Spa: 29,3mm
Test Day: 29,1mm
Free Practice/Qualifying: 28,8mm
Warmup/Race: 29,0mm

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by carbsmith

I doubt Ford expects to last long enough for race pace to matter, honestly.

Disagree. They'll have issues but somebody is going to go the distance. I do predict a Ford GT victory.

[carbsmith]

I have to give Ford credit for playing the PR game to perfection, anyways. While everyone else had their BoP penalties done out of sight and out of mind, by blowing everyone out in qualifying and having their car slowed down during the peak of Le Mans build up hype they get to make headlines like Ford GT Too Fast to Race and how they had to be slowed down for those poor pathetic Corvettes.

[seanyb505]

Corvette has been saying that same thing for years. "ZR1 asked to dial it back by 100 hp to be competitive with Ferrari and Porsche."

[otisdog]

Sorry to ask what may seem to be a easily answered question, but I am in a bit of info void out here on the Celtic Sea...what became of the two PMNA 'factory' 911s?
Both were some of the very first retirees...

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by otisdog

Sorry to ask what may seem to be a easily answered question, but I am in a bit of info void out here on the Celtic Sea...what became of the two PMNA 'factory' 911s?
Both were some of the very first retirees...

DNFed about 2h apart at the same place on the track. First one - massive engine failure, second one - major front suspension failure that turned out to be suspension points pulled out of the chassis, not fixable at the track.

[otisdog]

Thank you.

[PascaLM]

Personally, I disagree with the BoP as it is today. I would rather a scale of weight depending on the engine displacement, turbo pressure and number of cylinders. But beyond the BoP discussion, Ford have demonstrated their reliability for the first year and for this reason deserved the win.