[WEC] WEC 2019/20 season

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Mike E

It's clearly more useful to some teams than others.

Ginetta need all the track time they can get.
Nederland are switching from Dallara to ORECA.
The new Porsche is probably pretty good, but it's still new.
Seat time will be useful for Hartley in the Toyota.
etc

But Dempsey-Proton or Jota banging round in a car they know inside out? Not so much.

Racing Team Nederland is essentially just a rebranded TDS Racing now and they know 07 inside out.

I remember some teams questioning the validity of this meeting last year. But yes I guess i doesn't really matter

[gert]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Nederland are switching from Dallara to ORECA.

... And switching from Davytec to TDS as far as the team that actually runs the car.

The guys at TDS know how to operate and run an Oreca (see TDS Racing and G-Drive Racing) so the Oreca will only be new to the drivers.

--

EDIT: Chiana beat me to that

EDIT2: Davytec were the guys operating the Racing For Holland cars (Dome etc ...)

[GingerPixel]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Found something earlier on the Porsche website about the 911 RSR-19. This page features full tech specs and a 360 viewer of the car. On the 360 viewer, check out the shot into the rear diffuser. Now that's probably the most extreme of the current gen GTE/GTLM rear diffusers I've seen, also counting GT3 cars, too:

https://www.porsche.com/internationa.../911-rsr-2019/

Really interesting, thanks for the link.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mike E

The new season starts in 14 days. 30 cars confirmed for the Prologue at Barcelona.

The main points of interest will be Ginetta's pace against Rebellion and Toyota, and how the new Porsche compares to the previous version in Am and against the Pro Aston and Ferrari.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/0...gue-entry.html

Originally Posted by Chiana

4x 2 hour sessions... Is there point to this thing, other than FIA excuse opportunity to reset BoP and organize media photoshoots. It's not like anyone is bringing out anything new either

Anyway... The ELMS night race should be semi interesting I guess

I don't have any problem with the concept of the Prologue but it does seem strangely timed. Or maybe there just isn't enough time between the end of last season and the start of the next. Perhaps a season start a little later would make more sense in the future.

[chernaudi]

One question has been answered. TMG are indeed testing their evo kit at Paul Ricard. So they do intend on using it presumably for the WEC.

[Akrapovic]

I assumed the Evo kit is just someone editing the EoT/BoP/TLA table in Excel.

[chernaudi]

Only place I found pics is a Toyota and Lexus Racing fan page on Facebook.

[carbsmith]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Going back to the point about a paucity of cars, back in 1984 we had a number of 956s all run by different teams, plus marques such as Rondeau; Group 44 Jaguar etc. Then there were the remains of the Group 5 cars such as the Kremer 935 etc.

So there was little varaiety in those days yet the racing was pretty good. I think the only thing "spoiling" the current format is the difference between technology v Old fashioned engines. This is why the loss of the Fords and BMWs is important, since the GT classes appear to be where the best racing is to be had at the moment.

Granted there are a fair number of LMP2 cars but I get the feeling they are there to bolster numbers even though it appears to be a competitive class.

GTE-Am is filler if anything, but the LMP2 cars are for the most part closer to the overall leader than most of the C1 cars in the 80s. It's just the best performance:dollar in the championship.

The structure of the championship is also much different so it's not a straight comparison. The 1984 WSC had 7 European rounds, 1 North American, 2 far eastern, and 1 African, and literally nobody did the full season (only 3 Group C cars even entered Kyalami, but disregarding that you're looking at single digits for international teams that bothered with Australia and barely more for Fuji and Mosport). 2019-20 is 3 European, 2 East Asian, 1 Middle East, 1 North American, and 1 South American and about 30 teams will do all of the races.

[Deleted]

If the teams could pick and choose events and classes as they pleased, as per ILMC and LMS days, Bahrain would see a 8 car entry list and Spa 53. But they'd also integrate regional series into them so inevitably no event would have sub 20 entries. In any case the end result would be events and grids standing out instead of more of the same every event

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by carbsmith

GTE-Am is filler if anything, but the LMP2 cars are for the most part closer to the overall leader than most of the C1 cars in the 80s. It's just the best performance:dollar in the championship.

The structure of the championship is also much different so it's not a straight comparison. The 1984 WSC had 7 European rounds, 1 North American, 2 far eastern, and 1 African, and literally nobody did the full season (only 3 Group C cars even entered Kyalami, but disregarding that you're looking at single digits for international teams that bothered with Australia and barely more for Fuji and Mosport). 2019-20 is 3 European, 2 East Asian, 1 Middle East, 1 North American, and 1 South American and about 30 teams will do all of the races.

Agreed not a direct comparison but merely used to demonstrate that a lack of variety has been the case many times before.

[Mike E]

Well, this is awkward. Ligier's UK distributor running an Oreca in the WEC? I wonder if this is for real?

Almost a spec class if this does happen. Just the one Dallara in a sea of Orecas.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...r-wec-program/

[bentley speed 8]

Hmm... how long until Cetilar announce their own chassis switch?

[Deleted]

Don't worry ACO will just start bopping the spec chassis regularly and then the teams shall switch back

Lol

Anyway it doesn't really matter to Onroak, they have the cartel market share in LMP3 whilst Oreca has in LMP2, it's just trade off

Btw - "Per WEC rules, teams are allowed one chassis change per season." why then Dragonspeed wasn't allowed to change Dallara to Ginetta for LM...

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Don't worry ACO will just start bopping the spec chassis regularly and then the teams shall switch back

Lol

Anyway it doesn't really matter to Onroak, they have the cartel market share in LMP3 whilst Oreca has in LMP2, it's just trade off

Btw - "Per WEC rules, teams are allowed one chassis change per season." why then Dragonspeed wasn't allowed to change Dallara to Ginetta for LM...

Because there are rules for each class, Dragonspeed was not trying to change an LMP2 car.

[nobster]

https://www.gpupdate.net/nl/autospor...-aan-voor-wec/

Sorry this is in Dutch but it says that Job van Uitert will do two races with Racing Team Nederland next season, Silverstone in place of Nyck de Vries who has to drive F2 that weekend and Shanghai in place of Frits van Eerd. A combination of van der Garde / de Vries / van Uitert in an Oreca by TDS racing is a nice shot at victory!

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Well, this is awkward. Ligier's UK distributor running an Oreca in the WEC? I wonder if this is for real?

Almost a spec class if this does happen. Just the one Dallara in a sea of Orecas.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...r-wec-program/

As per DSC:

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/0...0-fia-wec.html

Who is the customer here? Phil Hanson?

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by nobster

https://www.gpupdate.net/nl/autospor...-aan-voor-wec/

Sorry this is in Dutch but it says that Job van Uitert will do two races with Racing Team Nederland next season, Silverstone in place of Nyck de Vries who has to drive F2 that weekend and Shanghai in place of Frits van Eerd. A combination of van der Garde / de Vries / van Uitert in an Oreca by TDS racing is a nice shot at victory!

That's also a Gold Plus combo so pas de party.

Edit: Job is a Silver rated driver apparently....

[gert]

Originally Posted by nobster

A combination of van der Garde / de Vries / van Uitert in an Oreca by TDS racing is a nice shot at victory!

Nice line-up indeed. Conveniently, Job already races for TDS (G-Drive) in the LMS, so he knows the car and (operating) team already.

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Mike E

As per DSC:

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/0...0-fia-wec.html

Who is the customer here? Phil Hanson?

Ligier terminates United Autosport's UK distribution deal.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/0...marketing.html

[gert]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Ligier terminates United Autosport's UK distribution deal.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/0...marketing.html

Not surprising, is it?
It is rather "weird" to have your official distributor use your direct competitor's products instead of your own.

In a later piece on DSC, United says they now own 3 Oreca's (1 new + 2 ex JDC Miller)

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by gert

In a later piece on DSC, United says they now own 3 Oreca's (1 new + 2 ex JDC Miller)

JDC Miller must be happy. A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Juntos

JDC Miller must be happy. A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.

That's one of the few quotes you stated I find somewhat appropriate or should I say fitting for the topic at hand.

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by TF110

That's one of the few quotes you stated I find somewhat appropriate or should I say fitting for the topic at hand.

We start agreeing on something.

[Mike E]

Looks like Goodyear will be pitching for the hypercar sole supply deal following their entry into LMP2 this year.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...orts-car-plan/

[broadrun96]

Figured there was no way they would be in it for just the year. Makes me wonder if Michelin will bid, they seemed steadfast against the F1 deal if it was only one tire option but have proudly bid on IMSA to be sole supplier of a spec tire so who knows.