2012 Privateer LMP1 Options

[AGD]

The Lola article on the ACO website discussing their 2012 ILMC plans with Toyota (discussed much more in-depth in the Rebellion thread) mentioned that it may be possible to see Lola-Toyotas in the ALMS and LMS. Does this mean that Lola thinks there will be LMP1 in LMS next year?

Originally Posted by chernaudi

and we definenly won't see Peugeot 908s in the ALMS either outside of Sebring and PLM, as Peugeot doesn't even sell cars in North America and haven't for nearly 20 years.

I do wonder if Peugeot would supply a customer ALMS team with a car if a good team was interested in paying for the right to do so. It could be a way to get a lot of data on the cheap without having to worry about the promotional aspect. Granted, I don't see any ALMS teams being even close to being in a position to pay for a Peugeot or Audi effort.

Originally Posted by JAG

We've already seen when a team like ORECA get their hands on a 908 they're capable of competing against factories, there's little point dominating a handful of privateers in the LMS.

On the other hand, I wonder if some manufacturers are concerned that a short schedule series like the LMS could lead to fluke champions. One tiny misstep that leads to a DNF could kill a team's hope for the championship even if they are dominant in the other races. I don't think someone like Peugeot (for example) would like their car to lose a championship to a Lola or Zytek.

[JAG]

Those running the series may not even know what's planned for 2012.

On MWM tonight they were talking about the uneasy ILMC/LMS relationship, but the ACO are a partner in the LMS with Peter. Consider, unlike the ALMS who've developed events like Sebring and PLM, how many different venues the LMS has visited? Spa and Silverstone are sportscar classics, even so it's only when manufactuers compete have attendances been notable, the LMS is what it is because it runs under the Le Mans brand, something the ACO control.

They also talked about lack of competitive chassis for customers, the 956/962 era was cited, if you look back it was a car ahead of it's time, even so it dropped back when manfactuers arrived, and was never replaced.

Today customers have exciting options, ORECA will get their hands on at least one 908, Aston have four customer chassis, cars they have to make competitive, there's HPD, Lola-Toyota, manufactuer backed Zytek Hybrid, and fast improving OAK.