[WEC Race] WEC 2015 Round 1: Silverstone

[Graham Goodwin]

The figure is Nissan's figure (actually 1250 bhp is their figure) but they would be the first to say that the proof will be in the pudding.

As for scoring the race - I'd give it way over 9/10

It was, hands down, the best 6 hour race I have ever seen, and I have seen the vast majority live - Interlagos at the end of last year was excellent - spoilt only by Mark W's shunt - but this was better, the LMP1 cars have taken a huge leap forward. LMP2 was a disappointment but will get better - GTE Pro was spoilt a little by the timing of the FCY which favoured the Ferraris this time - But that LMP1 battle was one for the ages - with or without the Nissans and Rebellions!

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Got myself a copy of the race now. You can see the move with 3:27:38 to go.

Cheers Simmi. That was certainly forceful, but totally necessary and very decisively executed by Lotterer.

Although for sheer spectacle, the Treluyer-Lieb pass and re-pass (4:24:50 to go) will take some beating. An extraordinary demonstration of the strengths of each car.

[Artur]

@Graham Goodwin,
The funniest thing is something I read, elsewhere, from a guy who was bitter because Hindy was badmouthing F1(or the Chinese GP), and that he thought the 6h of Silverstone wasn't much better

This was one of the best races I have seen and the guy dared to compare it to F1

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

Interlagos at the end of last year was excellent - spoilt only by Mark W's shunt -

Graham - Did we ever find out whether this was due to driver error or mechanical fault?

[GasperG]

Originally Posted by TF110

Whats the "1200hp" talk with the Nissan? Is that real? If so and the 2mj rumor is true, that must last for very short periods of time. So what say you on the rating of this race? I would give it 8.5-9/10. It would have been even better without the track limits being abused so much and Nissan/Rebellion being there.

If you mechanically connect flywheel directly to the wheels you actually get infinite HP in an instant but that is definitely not a good thing.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Artur

@Graham Goodwin,
The funniest thing is something I read, elsewhere, from a guy who was bitter because Hindy was badmouthing F1(or the Chinese GP), and that he thought the 6h of Silverstone wasn't much better

This was one of the best races I have seen and the guy dared to compare it to F1

The constant F1 comparison and chat did get a bit tiring.

The WEC product and spectacle stands on its own 2 feet - no need for this kind of continuous chat

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

The constant F1 comparison and chat did get a bit tiring.

The WEC product and spectacle stands on its own 2 feet - no need for this kind of continuous chat

Exactly. I would like to talk about Sportscars. When we continuously get dragged down by this simplistic tedious discussion it makes sportscar racing and it's fans look bitter.

We don't have to justify our choice of watching it, and if the only way to do that is by slagging off something else what good is that. People whinge about politicians only slagging off the other parties rather than concentrating on their own. It also gets quite hypocritical. I see a parallel here.

[/rant over]

[GT6]

i totally agree, if you enjoy good close racing with cutting edge technology then WEC is the place to be, i had a great time at silverstone and will be happier if those of us that like that form of racing discuss that rather than compare it to other forms of racing, the growing interest from spectators and manufacturers seems to indicate to me that i am not alone

[old man]

Having been at Silverstone all weekend and enjoyed the whole thing may I just add a little, ever so slight, criticism please?

All of the people on here are enthusiasts that know how to follow races that are 4 and 6 hours long (and more) and we equip ourselves with radios, access to live timing or a pit garage and in some cases the BRDC suites.

Mr Joe Public is not in that fortunate position and as I walked round the Wing and grandstands or spectator banks on Sunday I felt somewhat concerned for the couples and families trying to follow the racing. True, there were screens in many places showing the TV stream and that excellent public lounge in the Wing but you really do need to have the timing screen and sufficient knowledge to interpret it to really follow a long distance race.

The track management and race promoters need to consider how they can improve the spectator experience of the racing. Providing a funfair and mobile diversions (like that robot, really clever!) is good for kids of any age but could we not give everyone a Janet and John guide to the cars and how to follow the race? The programme does try to do that but is written by the the enthusiast, for the enthusiast and available at extra cost. The excellent commentary is great when you can hear it but on Sunday even in the grandstand the cars and the wind made it difficult to follow.

You don't need anything extra to appreciate the dice that went on in LMP1 on Sunday, the spectacle was impressive without knowing anything other than what you could see but we do need to improve the experience of the actual race for the family who are not regulars. The family where one member has persuaded the rest to come need to understand what we "petrol heads" see in this whole experience.

Truth is that the best view of the race is on TV but circuits need spectators and need to give them more of the atmosphere, the sound, the smells, the personalities, the understanding of the technical achievements that you don't get with TV.

Porsche were to be congratulated on putting that beautiful car on display but missed a trick IMO by not handing out some PR stuff about the engineering achievements and performance, other manufacturers could do well to copy this example as the public cannot get near the actual racing cars for very good reasons

WEC has become a real top series thanks to some big manufacturers who see the market value in their investment, now is the time to build on that with Joe Public.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by old man

Having been at Silverstone all weekend and enjoyed the whole thing may I just add a little, ever so slight, criticism please?

All of the people on here are enthusiasts that know how to follow races that are 4 and 6 hours long (and more) and we equip ourselves with radios, access to live timing or a pit garage and in some cases the BRDC suites.

Mr Joe Public is not in that fortunate position and as I walked round the Wing and grandstands or spectator banks on Sunday I felt somewhat concerned for the couples and families trying to follow the racing. True, there were screens in many places showing the TV stream and that excellent public lounge in the Wing but you really do need to have the timing screen and sufficient knowledge to interpret it to really follow a long distance race.

The track management and race promoters need to consider how they can improve the spectator experience of the racing. Providing a funfair and mobile diversions (like that robot, really clever!) is good for kids of any age but could we not give everyone a Janet and John guide to the cars and how to follow the race? The programme does try to do that but is written by the the enthusiast, for the enthusiast and available at extra cost. The excellent commentary is great when you can hear it but on Sunday even in the grandstand the cars and the wind made it difficult to follow.

You don't need anything extra to appreciate the dice that went on in LMP1 on Sunday, the spectacle was impressive without knowing anything other than what you could see but we do need to improve the experience of the actual race for the family who are not regulars. The family where one member has persuaded the rest to come need to understand what we "petrol heads" see in this whole experience.

Truth is that the best view of the race is on TV but circuits need spectators and need to give them more of the atmosphere, the sound, the smells, the personalities, the understanding of the technical achievements that you don't get with TV.

Porsche were to be congratulated on putting that beautiful car on display but missed a trick IMO by not handing out some PR stuff about the engineering achievements and performance, other manufacturers could do well to copy this example as the public cannot get near the actual racing cars for very good reasons

WEC has become a real top series thanks to some big manufacturers who see the market value in their investment, now is the time to build on that with Joe Public.

Absolutely valid points, and especially salient given just how sprawling Silverstone is as a facility - it's fine if you're around either of the start-finish zones but out around Stowe or Becketts (where you get a good view) you are quite a lot more in the dark about what on earth might be going on. Part of the answer might come from having a good mobile app experience, working on the assumption that most people will have a device capable of receiving this, but that would require a level of investment in ensuring (a) there's enough bandwidth, (b) making it sufficiently usable and accessible for the non-enthusiast, and (c) promoting it - all of which seem perhaps obvious, but aren't necessarily entirely straightforward to put in place.

Separately, watched a bit of the highlights package on Motors last night, and was really impressed by some of the pictures, in particular the helicopter shots showing the LMP1 lead battle along Hanger Straight really conveyed a sense of speed and was the sort of footage that I imagine could readily engage the attention of the casual fan.

[mikuni]

As a huge fan of F1 and someone who is trying to get into Sportcars, I really appreciate not comparing it to F1 and not bad mouthing other Motorsport. WEC is fantastic and is really coming back to the forefront on top level, world class Motorsport. It is standing on its own two feet and people are seeing that for themselves.

[Giba]

Originally Posted by old man

Having been at Silverstone all weekend and enjoyed the whole thing may I just add a little, ever so slight, criticism please?

All of the people on here are enthusiasts that know how to follow races that are 4 and 6 hours long (and more) and we equip ourselves with radios, access to live timing or a pit garage and in some cases the BRDC suites.

Mr Joe Public is not in that fortunate position and as I walked round the Wing and grandstands or spectator banks on Sunday I felt somewhat concerned for the couples and families trying to follow the racing. True, there were screens in many places showing the TV stream and that excellent public lounge in the Wing but you really do need to have the timing screen and sufficient knowledge to interpret it to really follow a long distance race.

The track management and race promoters need to consider how they can improve the spectator experience of the racing. Providing a funfair and mobile diversions (like that robot, really clever!) is good for kids of any age but could we not give everyone a Janet and John guide to the cars and how to follow the race? The programme does try to do that but is written by the the enthusiast, for the enthusiast and available at extra cost. The excellent commentary is great when you can hear it but on Sunday even in the grandstand the cars and the wind made it difficult to follow.

You don't need anything extra to appreciate the dice that went on in LMP1 on Sunday, the spectacle was impressive without knowing anything other than what you could see but we do need to improve the experience of the actual race for the family who are not regulars. The family where one member has persuaded the rest to come need to understand what we "petrol heads" see in this whole experience.

Truth is that the best view of the race is on TV but circuits need spectators and need to give them more of the atmosphere, the sound, the smells, the personalities, the understanding of the technical achievements that you don't get with TV.

Porsche were to be congratulated on putting that beautiful car on display but missed a trick IMO by not handing out some PR stuff about the engineering achievements and performance, other manufacturers could do well to copy this example as the public cannot get near the actual racing cars for very good reasons

WEC has become a real top series thanks to some big manufacturers who see the market value in their investment, now is the time to build on that with Joe Public.

The downside to endurance racing has always been how difficult following the race at the track is for casual fans. The leader lights have helped enormously and I'm sure in the future people will think of other ways. One improvement over last year was at the entrance gate I went through, there were some people selling mini radios so that people could follow the race and when walking around the track I noticed a lot of people wearing them.

[champcarman]

The race of the weekend compared to the Chinese GP and the NOLA Indycar race!

[Adam43]

Not a patch on the CSCC meeting at Snetterton though. That's real racing.

(Irrelevant and gets us nowhere)

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Exactly. I would like to talk about Sportscars. When we continuously get dragged down by this simplistic tedious discussion it makes sportscar racing and it's fans look bitter.

We don't have to justify our choice of watching it, and if the only way to do that is by slagging off something else what good is that. People whinge about politicians only slagging off the other parties rather than concentrating on their own. It also gets quite hypocritical. I see a parallel here.

[/rant over]

My recollection is that almost every single reference to F1 was in response to a viewer interaction (comparative lap times etc) - For me that live interaction adds immeasurably to the experience.

I'll admit to the odd leg pull from time to time but honestly I think F1 can survive a slightly podgy bloke in his 50s having the odd pop (and frankly it deserves it at present)

For what it's worth I was asked late last year what WEC should do in response to F1's current travails and answered that they shouldn't measure themselves against F1, but rather just do what they do best - but just do more and better!

[wewantourdarbyback]

Have to say much better in many ways from Silverstone this year. I didn't go on the pit walkabout but letting people cross the track rather than having to treck round from the wing is a very sensible idea.

There seemed to be more food and drink stalls this year, and ones placed in more sensible positions, and some of the loos have had a freshen up.

Letting us camp in the proper campsite rather than pushing us to Wittlebury was much better, so much easier to get to and from the circuit.

I do feel there were some strange choices in terms of grandstands, although there did seem to be a few more open this year. Closing Stowe and the grandstand on the exit of Luffield didn't tally up in my mind. Also a TV screen at the loop and maybe the heritage pits/becketts would help, but that's a minor niggle.

As for the racing it was fantastic, and great to watch from the track. Did not think the ELMS race could be bettered after Saturday and then the WEC boys went and did just that.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

My recollection is that almost every single reference to F1 was in response to a viewer interaction (comparative lap times etc) - For me that live interaction adds immeasurably to the experience.



I'll admit to the odd leg pull from time to time but honestly I think F1 can survive a slightly podgy bloke in his 50s having the odd pop (and frankly it deserves it at present)

The feedback offered here reflects how it is coming across (to some) and that it is getting tiresome.

I don't mind some comparative stuff.

For what it's worth I was asked late last year what WEC should do in response to F1's current travails and answered that they shouldn't measure themselves against F1, but rather just do what they do best - but just do more and better!

Exactly what we are saying! So worth a lot!

[Giba]

Originally Posted by wewantourdarbyback

Have to say much better in many ways from Silverstone this year. I didn't go on the pit walkabout but letting people cross the track rather than having to treck round from the wing is a very sensible idea.

Didn't know that, wish I didn't leave the walkabout a couple of minutes early now as I would of got to club a lot quicker. Something to remember for next year!

[justracing]

Just managed to catch up with the WEC 6 hour from Silverstone as I was detained at Brands Hatch on Sunday. What a fabulous race from start to finish, reminiscent of some of the great ALMS some years back.
I believe Graham Goodwin in his commentary alongside John Hindhaugh described the race as 3D chess on track with some of the world's greatest manufacturers and I totally agree. Great racing, superb teamwork and engineering prowess and total respect between the teams and drivers. How can any race fan not appreciate sportscar competition, it's not that difficult to follow.

[Adam43]

3D chess no less! Crikey

[tux]

Anyone know if the WEC GTE cars use different restrictors to ELMS GTE?

[Artur]

Does anybody knows the tv rating of the race on FS1, please? and how does that compare to F1's?

[Deleted]

I have not read anything on this thread since early pages - and you don't often hear overly positive comments from me - but that weekend was

AMAZING

Particularly in WEC P1, well quite obviously so, but that was maybe (maybe being the operative word because of the second paragraph below) the best non-LM world series race since the final ILMC days. World class stuff there from the big three at the front, cannot wait 'til Le Mans with literally no idea how it will go. Well apart from Porsche being ridiculous at Mulsanne - and yes I don't think it will be as one sides as some of the Nissan-people say. Also the ELMS race was extremely entertaining, the old Zytek-Gibsons against the brand new Oreca (I might've called the 05 'generic' previously - not sure why as it's just as beautiful as Rebellion ) going so very close without any artificial BoP or wave-by crap is amazing. LMP3 has promise as well once they fix the teething issues and speed em up a little.

The only actual negative would be the usually disgusting mass amount of runoff shortcut violations - in all three series Euro F3 included - but that's what you pay for running on these Formula 1 asphalt carparks. The amazing speeds these cars have are neutered almost completely with following the track being voluntary. And then no-one gets penalised of this bullcrap - except the one case no particularly worse than any other, THAT COULD HAVE DICTATED THE FREAKING RACE. Politics nonsense. But I'm sure that's been discussed to death already, probably. Maybe. It should have been at least.

Oh, Gerard please bring it up to Adelaide...

[Go Harder.]

+1 for Adelaide!

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

My recollection is that almost every single reference to F1 was in response to a viewer interaction (comparative lap times etc) - For me that live interaction adds immeasurably to the experience.

I'll admit to the odd leg pull from time to time but honestly I think F1 can survive a slightly podgy bloke in his 50s having the odd pop (and frankly it deserves it at present)

F1 suriving or not isnt the issue. It is the response of the viewer to this which as described is getting tiresome.

I find comparisons to previous Sportscars far more interesting.