[LM24 Race] 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans

[Maelochs]

Audi earned its podium … Toyota #5 lost its entire effort …. Nothing unfair about that. Cruel fate, much pain, shock, sorrow … but nothing unfair or unearned.

Porsche earned the win and Audi earned its third place … just as Toyota earned second.

Gutted for Toyota … I Really wanted Totoya to win …but that was just racing luck.

[flyingshoppingcart]

RLM speculating that a mechanical issue occurred because Nakajima let off a bit at the end? I'm not an engineer, but is this possible?

[J Jay]

Well amongst the drama, congratulations to Porsche - Lieb, Dumas, Jani.

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by bobec

Have to say Audi did not deserve that podium

Porsche IMO didn't deserve to win, either. But just like the #7 Audi getting penalized at Silverstone on a rules technicality, rules are rules.

Is it fair that the #5 Toyota isn't counted as a finisher? Not really, but that's not my call, or Audi's or Porsche's, either. You have to take that up with the ACO.

[bobec]

Originally Posted by Lasse

Edit: And ****ed about ACO...

Don't even get me started on that!

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by flyingshoppingcart

RLM speculating that a mechanical issue occurred because Nakajima let off a bit at the end? I'm not an engineer, but is this possible?

I heard that too. Can you imagine, if that was the case?

[Akrapovic]

Dr Ulrich said that Audi didn't deserve the podium. He's right. Audi were crap.

Not a single driver on the podium looks properly happy. The Porsche drivers are happy but look conflicted. Neither of the other sets want to be there.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by flyingshoppingcart

RLM speculating that a mechanical issue occurred because Nakajima let off a bit at the end? I'm not an engineer, but is this possible?

I'm no engineer either, but the cars are meant to go flat out, and I don't know if he let off or slow down. Think only Kaz and the team know now, and perhaps we'll never know.

[outnumbered]

Originally Posted by flyingshoppingcart

RLM speculating that a mechanical issue occurred because Nakajima let off a bit at the end? I'm not an engineer, but is this possible?

Yes, it seems possible. It seems a bit coincidental that it broke as he was apparently slowing down to let the sister car catch up. Or it may just have been rotten luck, and he wasn't slowing down on purpose at all. We're unlikely to find out the truth though.

[J Jay]

RLM microphones didn't quite pick up the anthem, so all I heard was silence for the podium celebration.

Fitting.

Originally Posted by flyingshoppingcart

RLM speculating that a mechanical issue occurred because Nakajima let off a bit at the end? I'm not an engineer, but is this possible?

Could be, but I assume all the factory teams are savvy enough to factor in few slowdown situations into their endurance tests.

[fieldodreams79]

The silver lining is that this takes the spotlight away from Ford's gift. I mean "win".

[Articus]

That was truly unbelievable. The beautiful TS020 denied with 50 minutes to go 17 years ago and now this....

[tigas]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

The silver lining is that this takes the spotlight away from Ford's gift. I mean "win".

The GT podium is coming next, that'll bring the spotlight back to Ford...

[carbon_titanium]

it's not about third car, or manufacturers approach... is just fate! the whole universe was against toyota... Honestly I wasn't so confident about toyota pace and performances, but I was wrong and really enjoyed their race. Toyota deserved to win, but some unknown force or entity won't never let that.
Honestly I'm tired about this kind of races that endurance became, for a while I'm off with motorsport.

[Accident]

Ehh...

I'm not a fan of Toyota as a brand, but I've been sorta rooting for them since they came back as they are the underdogs. Even not having much in my heart for Toyota, that was just cruel though, kinda dampens the whole thing. Probably the most upset I've been over a finishing result.

GTE-Pro was... Well it was a thing. Had the opportunity to be an epic race but was ruined by the BoP, not only for the on-track action but all that drama before it as well. Regardless of how it turns out, the thing with Risi at the end is a joke, and even further taints the Ford victory... Not that any of that will stop us from hearing about how amazing Ford's victory was and how they worked so hard and blah blah blah.

This is probably the only race where I even pay any attention to GTE-Am, and I guess it wasn't too bad. Possibly because of the way I was following the race, it seemed somewhat difficult to follow without the live timing though. Pleased for the Scuderia Corse guys, they are a solid team.

Pleased for the G56 guys making it to the finish as well, but then again I don't think anyone could say they aren't happy to see them come home running. Interesting story and easy to get behind.

Between the handful of cock-ups with the rules and silly penalties like the one Shank got, the P1 heartbreak and the GTE-Pro disappointment, I'm left feeling kinda disappointed with the whole thing... Then again I'm pretty tired at this point so maybe I'm just being a grouch.

Edit: Forgot to mention Bourdais getting a win is probably the only silver-lining in the GTE-Pro thing. It's not the overall win, but he's finally got a win.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by tigas

The GT podium is coming next, that'll bring the spotlight back to Ford...

Good for them.

Edit. And I guess we may find out if it's a sweep!

[Mitchi_S]

Originally Posted by tigas

Like I said on another forum, Porsche should really think about making a non-hybrid version of the 918 Spyder (call it "918 GT", say they'll build 500 of them and dare the ACO to not accept it.

Yes Porsche - please build the 960.

[J Jay]

Well I think I know how Wurz feels. That's some Oscar-worthy acting to put a smile on in that situation.

[Articus]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

The silver lining is that this takes the spotlight away from Ford's gift. I mean "win".

This is a nice silver lining. However still takes the cake that Hand, Muller, Bourdais will get there trophies, they are a good trio.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by skycafe

I heard that too. Can you imagine, if that was the case?

Mario Andretti lost the '87 Indy 500 in a similar way. Took it easy after leading 150+ laps... and the engine at lower revs vibrated itself to pieces.

[TF110]

I actually fell asleep right before the end. Woke up to see this! Well, go win the wec title Toyota. Try again next year with 3 cars. Just unbelievable! Toyota seems to have an LM curse. You couldn't write up this script.

[Stahler]

Sorry, but winning isn't about "deservings". This is a 24 hour race. Toyota just wasn't good enough in the end. Simple as that. Porsche's victory and Audi's podium are totally legit.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Articus

This is a nice silver lining. However still takes the cake that Hand, Muller, Bourdais will get there trophies, they are a good trio.

The drivers for Ford, I've always liked. Maybe not Seabass so much, but good for them. Just feels a bit dirty.

[Lagunaseca_4life]

OH calm down,Ferrari got the same gift as ford.i was convinced af course was going to take it and properly shocked when both the 51&71 retired.risi dq'd is bs,but rules are rules.




Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[bobec]

Originally Posted by J Jay

Not to drive the (sore) point home, but the #8 crossed the finish line 3rd.

Lucky? Undoubtedly, to absurd degrees. But you've got to be in it to win it, up to the very end

That's absolutely true, and I do consider myself an Audi fan. But all race the two Audis showed absolutely nothing - no pace, no consistency, no reliability. Of course, the drivers and maybe most of the supporting crew and mechanics were not at fault for this and they did their best, never giving up. But I feel a lot more arguments can be made why Porsche deserved to win, than Audi getting on the podium.