2016 Nurburgring 24 Hours - Page 12

Deleted · 30 May 2016, 22:46 (Ref:3645917)

Thanks

Miguel · 31 May 2016, 10:43 (Ref:3646017)

Quote:

Originally Posted by divxx

Regarding the HTP protest, one point that stuck out in the DSC article is that Vietoris is apparently the only AMG factory driver on their lineup. Surprised van der Zande isn't. For that matter, does anyone know the full list of AMG factory GT drivers? I'm only sure of Schneider, Jager and Engel. For a long time, it was only the two old guys, who were also responsible for car development and customer relations.

Hohenadel is also a works driver. They have the Mercedes-Benz star on their overall. These are all the works drivers in the race last weekend: Christodoulou, Engel, Schneider, Buurman, Götz, Seyffarth, Hohenadel, Vietoris, Baumann, Buhk, Jäger. Renger isn't a works driver, and neither is Indy, but Indy is a Junior and Renger also has some sort of relationship with AMG be it official or unofficial.

divxx · 31 May 2016, 17:30 (Ref:3646095)

Thanks Miguel, so that accounts for 9 if not counting the DTM men. Though based on recent form Vietoris (and probably Juncadella) will be out of the DTM soon to make way for Rosenquist. Good thing for them that the GT program is growing.

Wasn't Baumann previously a BMW works driver?

Miguel · 31 May 2016, 18:21 (Ref:3646108)

Not sure about Baumann, a BMW Junior maybe? AMG should pick up Manuel Metzger. The things they say about Manuel at Black Falcon...

Ferrari333SP · 31 May 2016, 19:01 (Ref:3646114)

If only next year we actually got teams that bring Ferrari's and McLaren's to this race; they'd be up near the front of the field for sure

Rodger Davies · 31 May 2016, 19:49 (Ref:3646123)

I wouldn't be so sure about that; I'd hope so, and McLaren were quick when Dorr were doing full VLN seasons though, so maybe.

If the same numbers of entries and AMR, Bentley and Nissan return next year, then that would be excellent. Porsche too, I'd cast a small doubt over being there in a works capacity, I fear this year may have been as a break from the WEC campaign and to promote the new GT3 (which was hardly done well!).

If there are any more GT entries next year, I'd expect a car from Callaway maybe, with Lexus and a more serious Lamborghini effort as outside bets. Personally I'd love to see GM run a Cadillac, and it would tie in perfectly with their marketing of that car, but I'm past expecting that to happen.

Matt · 1 Jun 2016, 00:41 (Ref:3646207)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Personally I'd love to see GM run a Cadillac, and it would tie in perfectly with their marketing of that car, but I'm past expecting that to happen.

That car may be losing it's GT3 homologation.

airbusA346 · 1 Jun 2016, 06:45 (Ref:3646243)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferrari333SP

If only next year we actually got teams that bring Ferrari's and McLaren's to this race; they'd be up near the front of the field for sure

I seem to remember this being discussed during the race on RLM.

I think they said McLaren were too busy this year with other series and Ferrari just did not want to race at the N24/VLN.

rubberduck · 1 Jun 2016, 08:25 (Ref:3646251)

And i would guess Doerr binned a lot of money on their McLaren efforts. They lost like a dozen cars with nothing countably besides plenty of TDs (okay, and a fastest Quali lap. Which is mainly contributed to Kevin Estre and not the Mc). I'm actually not sure if they race at all at the moment, which is kind of sad as they were a huge team in the VLN and fielded iconic cars.
I would say nobody is desired to reproduce this.

If i was a German team - and be realistic, it always will be German teams governing the Nurburgring, heck, they almost all are based there - and have to decide between a GT program using some exotic, unproven even in other series car with a (from my customers perspective) intransparent supply chain still costing plenty of €€ OR using a proven (if only historically), maintained car of a manufacturer interested in seeing his products racing, offering logistic and technical support, more or less short supply paths (think of revisions etc), maybe "donating" one of his drivers...that'll be a no brainer imho notwithstanding a huge bill at the end.
Isn't the word that the Mercedes offers the best lifecycle costs a.t.m. for exactly this reason, which is the basis of his widespread use?

We have to be realistic: Fan - loyality and iconess (does that word exist?) doesn't earn money. Plus: The concentration of the teams towards system vendoring of "racing", white labelling etc. prevents the turning up of an exot in itself. To use strong language: Nobody wants an Italian manual in standardized surroundings (and fielding >2 GT3 AMG, some Cup Porsches and some V class BMW as Black Falcon does is a standardized process)
If for anything, a huge foreign, works supported team has to become really interested in winning the N24. And this starts with a couple of VLN seasons. Look at Lexus & Aston: Increased efforts every single year towards the 24, abstinence before and after. The result: Cars struggling all the time right before becoming competitive.
MarcVDS or WRT may fit as proper examples of how to do it right, if they wouldn't have used the BMW resp. Audi in the end. But Belgium is still closer to GER than to the UK or ITA and, what i would weight more, we can only guess how much of Schubert and Phoenix knowledge went into either of them.

Akrapovic · 1 Jun 2016, 10:57 (Ref:3646272)

Quote:

Originally Posted by airbusA346

I seem to remember this being discussed during the race on RLM.

I think they said McLaren were too busy this year with other series and Ferrari just did not want to race at the N24/VLN.

McLarens Garage 59 team were at the GT Open race the week before, and have the Blacnpain efforts, so couldn't make it.

Always sad not to see Ferraris there though.

**FIRE** · 1 Jun 2016, 15:14 (Ref:3646344)

I don't think Dörr Motorsport is doing any motorsport at the moment.
They have dealership of McLaren, Lamborghini, Lotus and Bugatti so from business point of view it makes sense to race with one of these brands.

Why does Ferrari have no interest in racing at this iconic track?

TheDude · 1 Jun 2016, 16:38 (Ref:3646354)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

I don't think Dörr Motorsport is doing any motorsport at the moment.
They have dealership of McLaren, Lamborghini, Lotus and Bugatti so from business point of view it makes sense to race with one of these brands.

Why does Ferrari have no interest in racing at this iconic track?

I Think Dorr is in the Lamborghini ST series

seanyb505 · 1 Jun 2016, 16:43 (Ref:3646356)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

Why does Ferrari have no interest in racing at this iconic track?

It was reported during the race that when asked by a potential customer, a man in red answered they had no interest, as the track is too rough.

*Looks over at Sebring*

I imagine it has more to do with the man in red not believing his car potentially might not be given fair treatment. Just my unfounded opinion.

carbon_titanium · 1 Jun 2016, 16:47 (Ref:3646357)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

I don't think Dörr Motorsport is doing any motorsport at the moment.
They have dealership of McLaren, Lamborghini, Lotus and Bugatti so from business point of view it makes sense to race with one of these brands.

Why does Ferrari have no interest in racing at this iconic track?

I guess is because N24H is most of all a german motorsport tradition, and very likely because there are just a few german teams running 458/488 (the rinaldi team is the only one I remember). Of course my statement isn't 100% accurate because AMR and RJN are english teams, but after 2010 and 2011 ferrari and its teams simply don't care about nurburgring.

Rodger Davies · 1 Jun 2016, 17:40 (Ref:3646374)

Ferrari don't race factory supported GT3s anywhere, do they? Strictly customer only from their perspective.

Miguel · 1 Jun 2016, 17:44 (Ref:3646375)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

I don't think Dörr Motorsport is doing any motorsport at the moment.
They have dealership of McLaren, Lamborghini, Lotus and Bugatti so from business point of view it makes sense to race with one of these brands.

Why does Ferrari have no interest in racing at this iconic track?

Dörr is still very much involved in VLN, just not in GT3 any more. They didn't want to race with McLaren any more after the MP4-12C fiasco. Or as they so kindly put it: "We first want to see how the 650S GT3 is doing in other championships".

They're also racing in Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

There's something very cool coming up later this year, but I promised to keep my mouth shut

airbusA346 · 1 Jun 2016, 18:41 (Ref:3646396)

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanyb505

I imagine it has more to do with the man in red not believing his car potentially might not be given fair treatment. Just my unfounded opinion.

Or the car won't last 24 hours.

Beryl · 1 Jun 2016, 20:25 (Ref:3646423)

What was the issue for the RJN Nissan? They report to have run the race untroubled, yet their factory-supported squad and driver line-up replete with Nissan's best GT drivers finished 5 laps down in 11th place. They were 15+ seconds off the pace of the front-runners, which is equivalent to being 3-4 seconds off the pace and losing a lap every hour on a typical 3-4 mile track. That's simply unacceptable for a factory-supported team with a strong driver line-up. Is it simply unfavourable BoP or is RJN unable to extract performance from their car?

blankfile · 1 Jun 2016, 20:35 (Ref:3646426)

the nissan was just really slow in the corners, but quite good on the straights. lack of downforce perhaps?

Akrapovic · 1 Jun 2016, 20:54 (Ref:3646430)

Poor BoP tbh. Car that won races last year is suddenly miles off the pace.

rubberduck · 1 Jun 2016, 21:24 (Ref:3646433)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Poor BoP tbh. Car that won races last year is suddenly miles off the pace.

Which races? At the Ring none.
After going airborne in VLN1 did they Return at all?

tux · 2 Jun 2016, 01:51 (Ref:3646465)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubberduck

Which races? At the Ring none.
After going airborne in VLN1 did they Return at all?

They won Bathurst 12 hours and Paul Ricard Blancpain. The Nissan has always been quick in a straight line but slow in the corners.

Spyderman · 2 Jun 2016, 05:20 (Ref:3646480)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Poor BoP tbh. Car that won races last year is suddenly miles off the pace.

I have to agree...and not only for the car that won the race last year.
Great race, but it could have been miles better if BoP had been properly sorted.

rubberduck · 2 Jun 2016, 08:03 (Ref:3646505)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tux

They won Bathurst 12 hours and Paul Ricard Blancpain.

Okay, but as long as the ADAC BoPs for it's own sake that doesn't count, sadly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tux

The Nissan has always been quick in a straight line but slow in the corners.

The Audis were clearly quick as well at the Döttinger Höhe, that just wasn't the race winnig factor as it seems.

Miguel · 2 Jun 2016, 10:04 (Ref:3646527)

Finally got done with my report of the race. Also includes photos and interviews: http://www.gt-report.com/2016/06/02/in-a-heartbeat/ Hope y'all like it!

Oh and regarding the BoP, Frikadelli has also been crying again. It's getting a bit old.

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