[WEC] FIA World Endurance Championship

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Beetle

An attempt at a good crack at the FIA WEC winter schedule, if it comes to be...

1. Sao Paulo - September
2. COTA - October
3. Fuji - November
4. Shanghai - December
5. Bahrain - February
6. Silverstone - April
7. Spa - May
8. Le Mans - June

I love the idea - but can we really expect that teams will be ready with new machinery after just three months off-season? Not in my opinion.

[KA]

As you say, it shortens the off-season for teams to prepare and test- I could easily imagine teams starting the season with their existing proven car for the long-haul races in the autumn, before bringing any new car into play around Bahrain/Silverstone for the run-up to Le Mans.

Puts a lot more pressure on the team though, running a race season and a development programme on a new car in parallel....

[Trev Campbell]

Lots of wishful thinking here.

How about

An attempt at a good crack at the FIA WEC winter schedule, if it comes to be...

1. Sao Paulo - September
2. COTA - October
3. Fuji - November
4. Adelaide - December
5. Bahrain - February
6. Silverstone - April
7. Spa - May
8. Le Mans - June

The Chinese don't show up to the GP's let alone sports cars. Bring the Sportcars back to Adelaide

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Beetle

An attempt at a good crack at the FIA WEC winter schedule, if it comes to be...

1. Sao Paulo - September
2. COTA - October
3. Fuji - November
4. Shanghai - December
5. Bahrain - February
6. Silverstone - April
7. Spa - May
8. Le Mans - June

I don't know about Fuji in November or Shanghai in December, you can get some very cold winters in Japan and China.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by FLGTFAN

If a scenario like that unfolded, I think the situation could be more like "everybody wins". Each team will celebrate their achievement - whatever may be.

Plus the drama surrounding LM will be ratcheted up. I think it's brilliant for a world championship.

Teams might celebrate, but audience, spectators and media won't. The WEC (the title itself, not whole series) is playing a second fiddle to winning LM and probably will keep doing it for a while even without this idea.

I think would be a bit similar if in Indycar Indianapolis 500 was the final race.

[supermario21]

Originally Posted by deggis

Teams might celebrate, but audience, spectators and media won't. The WEC (the title itself, not whole series) is playing a second fiddle to winning LM and probably will keep doing it for a while even without this idea.

I think would be a bit similar if in Indycar Indianapolis 500 was the final race.

When the IRL first started this was indeed the case.

The inagural 1996 season was a 3 race schedule finishing up with Indy. Then there was a 1996-97 season that wrapped up with the 97 Indy 500. I think they scrapped it after that year though, mainly because of changing cars and complaints.

[EricS]

Does anyone know of a link that gives a succinct preview/primer on the WEC for 2014? I'm trying to get some F1 friends converted over to sportscars and this Toyota/Porsche/Audi battle is the perfect opportunity. Hoping it compares the 3 LMP1 manufacturers' different philosophies and gives a general run down of the other classes.

[ger80]

Originally Posted by Beetle

An attempt at a good crack at the FIA WEC winter schedule, if it comes to be...

1. Sao Paulo - September
2. COTA - October
3. Fuji - November
4. Shanghai - December
5. Bahrain - February
6. Silverstone - April
7. Spa - May
8. Le Mans - June

I would start the season in September in silverstone.
A start into the season with a traditional race and best chance of decent weather...

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Trev Campbell

Bring the Sportcars back to Adelaide

With you there - love to see them race the new year in again!

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by EricS

Does anyone know of a link that gives a succinct preview/primer on the WEC for 2014? I'm trying to get some F1 friends converted over to sportscars and this Toyota/Porsche/Audi battle is the perfect opportunity. Hoping it compares the 3 LMP1 manufacturers' different philosophies and gives a general run down of the other classes.

It's a little early for those I think, but Autosport will probably have exactly what you're looking for.

[TheDude]

Originally Posted by Trev Campbell

The Chinese don't show up to the GP's let alone sports cars. Bring the Sportcars back to Adelaide

Why, the Chinese market is very important for all the manufacturers involved, unlike the small Australian market

[TF110]

If they want Le Mans to be the finale in June, starting mid September could work. But the climates of the tracks they visit would be an issue. So would travel with the locations. If they start in September, that would have to include the northern hemisphere races early in the season or late right before Le Mans. If they put the schedule closer together it wouldnt be much issue, but travel would. So if they start at Silverstone, they would need to run Spa soon after, or wait off on Spa until May of the next year right before Le Mans. So what would be best? I think starting the season in Asia at Fuji. If not then Silverstone- Fuji- Shanghai would leave the Cota round towards the end of November, which may be a little late.

So my idea would be Fuji in mid September, Shanghai late September, COTA late October, Sao Paulo November... 1 1/2 month winter (Christmas break)... Bahrain mid-late January, somewhere like Southern Spain in late February, maybe another break then Silverstone in April, Spa in May then the finale at Le Mans. The only issue would be the time between mid June and September being enough for teams to do new cars and testing before the next season.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Trev Campbell

The Chinese don't show up to the GP's let alone sports cars. Bring the Sportcars back to Adelaide

Not true at all. https://twitter.com/sportscar365/sta...00853279158272

I'd like to see the full stats from every race but I know for a fact there were more people at the 6 Hours of Shanghai than the 6 Hours of CoTA and, from what I've heard, by a pretty handy margin. Shanghai International Circuit is so massive by square meters alone that the track looks cold, desolate, grey, and empty no matter if there's 28,000 or 280,000.

I don't see the FIA WEC doing a street circuit, unless it's FIA Grade 1 homologated. That's Monaco, Singapore, Montreal, Albert Park, and Sochi if I remember correctly. Adelaide is far too narrow and far too short of distance.

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't know about Fuji in November or Shanghai in December, you can get some very cold winters in Japan and China.

Japan, yes, and the there is a threat of snow in November. But really I was thinking very early November, and snow is actually not that much more difficult to deal with than heavy rain.

As far as China, you must be thinking of Beijing, Harbin, and all of those cold, grey, industrial smokestack towns in the far north (Manchuria) and Inner Mongolia (around Ordos). Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate... snow in Shanghai is about as rare as snow in Miami. It happens, just not very often!

[deggis]

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/f...th-in-america/

“It’s a question of opportunity,” Neveu said. “We don’t want to make one more date just to do one more date. We have to do one more date if there is a very good opportunity.

“It means good race track, good market, good fan base, good financial interest, good media interest and good interest for the manufacturers.

“I will not add a date on a very small island in the middle of the Pacific because they pay a lot. It doesn’t make sense. The idea is to find a fair destination for everybody.”

So, which ones of the above requirements Bahrain fulfills or does Neveu just have a good poker face?

[FLGTFAN]

+1

I thought the same exact thing. Usually FIA heads of state are much more guarded with their comments.

Seriously, the tone of his comments sounded to me like another North American round is not very likely - they can't even get COTA right.

[Articus]

Why don't all GTE and LMP cars run LED headlamps and tail lamps? They are lighter, brighter, and more energy efficient. What's the hold up?

[TF110]

Originally Posted by deggis

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/f...th-in-america/


So, which ones of the above requirements Bahrain fulfills or does Neveu just have a good poker face?

Do you have a problem with a middle eastern race? You think Bahrain is a boring track? Do you not like their culture? What is it thats bad about the place? That area is of huge interest to these car makers. You can be plenty sure of that! No, its not a perfect country, nor a highly popular area in terms of motorsport. Thing is that area needs this. Its new to them, and it needs to grow. And with western influence, things like motorsport, it will help this country and its neighbors move on to values people like to criticize the area for not adopting.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by TF110

Do you have a problem with a middle eastern race? You think Bahrain is a boring track? Do you not like their culture? What is it thats bad about the place? That area is of huge interest to these car makers. You can be plenty sure of that! No, its not a perfect country, nor a highly popular area in terms of motorsport. Thing is that area needs this. Its new to them, and it needs to grow. And with western influence, things like motorsport, it will help this country and its neighbors move on to values people like to criticize the area for not adopting.

My brother has lived in Bahrain for 15 years and I have been there several times including to the first GP in 04. I enjoy the place very much. But having said that the circuit itself is a bit bland and I would think the Yas Marina circuit lends itself much more to an Endurance racing type event and could be made into a motorsport festival - an event run into the night there could have a great atmosphere.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Mal

My brother has lived in Bahrain for 15 years and I have been there several times including to the first GP in 04. I enjoy the place very much. But having said that the circuit itself is a bit bland and I would think the Yas Marina circuit lends itself much more to an Endurance racing type event and could be made into a motorsport festival - an event run into the night there could have a great atmosphere.

Well it is in the desert! I like the layout and the turns are nice and challenging in sector 2. I think Yas is a nice place, more like a purpose built street course imo. The scenery is certainly better.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by TF110

Well it is in the desert! I like the layout and the turns are nice and challenging in sector 2. I think Yas is a nice place, more like a purpose built street course imo. The scenery is certainly better.

Yes I know - but there are plenty of ways to make it more interesting - just look at some of the development in the Middle East. Also if I recall there are very few areas that spectators can get to around the circuit and view from different corners etc.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by TF110

Do you have a problem with a middle eastern race? You think Bahrain is a boring track? Do you not like their culture? What is it thats bad about the place? That area is of huge interest to these car makers. You can be plenty sure of that! No, its not a perfect country, nor a highly popular area in terms of motorsport. Thing is that area needs this. Its new to them, and it needs to grow. And with western influence, things like motorsport, it will help this country and its neighbors move on to values people like to criticize the area for not adopting.

No problem in a way, because I can accept it's in the calendar because the organizers pay well. But I have a problem with what Neveu said because it is like a white lie. Good track at least in terms of facilities. Middle East as a market is important, but Bahrain is not the only track there. Definitely no local fan base and no local media interest.

[TF110]

Maybe they chose it because that was the only place willing to pay? Maybe not. I think with Porsche being there, it will raise awareness. In all areas. If Nissan joins in 2015, thats 4 manufacturers. Interest will only increase with exposure. If you arent out there how can you expect anyone to notice? Marketing should be a bit easier this year with three big names in lmp1.

[Pandemonium]

Originally Posted by TF110

Maybe they chose it because that was the only place willing to pay? Maybe not. I think with Porsche being there, it will raise awareness. In all areas. If Nissan joins in 2015, thats 4 manufacturers. Interest will only increase with exposure. If you arent out there how can you expect anyone to notice? Marketing should be a bit easier this year with three big names in lmp1.

I agree with TF110 on this one. I am having a hard time seeing people want more races in the US at the cost of eliminating races that are good. Bahrain is a lovely circuit in my opinion. Awesome layout.

[wewantourdarbyback]

Bahrain is the best track in the middle east, however that is like being the tallest dwarf. It's a dull track in the end, the layout goes triple hairpin, hairpin, sweeping interesting curves, hairpin, hairpin, 90 degree turn, sweeping interesting curve, 90 degree turn, long straight, 90 degree turn, long straight.

A second race in America could be at Road America, or Watkins Glenn, or Montreal, I challenge people to say those are not as good as Bahrain.

[Articus]

Was the belgian audi club thing an April fools?