Quote:
Originally Posted by carbsmith
That is also skipping the point. Rebellion wasn't as good as SMP past this point last year, it's demonstrably possible for a non-hybrid team to do a better job. They don't even have a driver lineup as good as last year. Rebellion's entire strategy pretty much ever has appeared to be do the bare minimum to be the best of the rest and pray the rules will solve the rest eventually. Which might make sense if you're hoping to win Le Mans on the least money possible, but is not a reliable route to success. (no other non-hybrid P1s? Eh just roll out an LMP2. In a year any kind of remotely viable privateer P1 car could have won Le Mans appropriately enough)
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I can't say agree with any of it (sorry!), and I find the bolded parts confusing. It's skipping the point to talk about resources, but then mention the driver line up? You're right - the driver line up isn't as good. Why is it not as good? Well they can't pay Fernando Alonso to drive it. They can't afford full pro driver line ups. And that's just resources. When they had drivers funding the second cars etc, they could afford one pro car, now that's not viable. None of the the other privateer LMP1 teams had a line-up anywhere near that good either.
SMP were better at this point last year? In what way? 2 races into a season, Rebellion had beaten SMP each time? 3 races in they'd won a race due to a DQ. Rebellion took 6 podiums I think over a season? SMP took 4? Rebellion finished with more points. SMP were matching them, but is that something to be ashamed of?
I also don't agree with Rebellion doing "the bare minimum". The bare minimum is just go enter LMP2 and stay there. Immediately upon entering LMP2 they won the title. I'm not sure anyone entering LMP1 car be described as "doing the bare minimum".
They moved to LMP2 for a year when the new LMP2 regulations meant that the LMP2s were going to produce lap times that were a significant bump over what they had seen before, and they'd match the old generation LMP1-P cars. There wasn't time to upgrade the car in the 6 months or so they had to do it - so they took 18 months to do it, and instead of taking time out, they ran LMP2 for a year whilst the new car was being built. I 100% disagree that taking a step down for a year so you can upgrade and return is "doing the bare minimum" and I think it vastly under-estimates what it takes to run an LMP1 car.