[LM24] Sébastien Loeb says no to 2007 le Mans!

[Tom908V12]

Hi,


I've looked for the news in this forum, but nobody created it yet, so I start it(if the news exist in the forum, please delete my thread)


Sébastien Loeb wrote on his website that he won't be at le Mans this year to drive the Pescarolo proto...

His explanations are first that ACO rules to the diesel engines would favour too much Audi and Peugeot compared to Pesca and other gasoline engines protos, and that he doesn't want to take risks on the 24 hour long race just to get 8th-10th overall position(he at least wants podium fights), then he adds that his arm/shoulder he broke last year would still hurt him if he drives a proto...

That's why he will concentrate 100% on rallying with Citroën...

What do you think about his decision and reasons he gives ??

[knighty]

just read a rather damming set of quotes from DSC in an interview with Leob......he is basically saying the gasoline cars have no chance against the diesels, audi will be entering 3 cars, pug 2 cars....cant help think he has been primed by Henri.......all he could realistically hope for is 6th place.......

I have to say I'm in total 100% agreement with him......

audi will no way sand bag their way in the 2007 lemans race, the pugs will give them a real run for their money all the way........and the net result will be a public display of the monumental gap between the gasoline and diesel engine regulations.......no gasoline engine will be able to compete with 1300NM of diesel torque........1500NM if you believe the pug numbers

I'm glad he's said this publically - someone has to........Audi lending out an R8 3.6 turbo gasoline motor is a complete joke.

[knighty]

snap!

[jhansen]

This was discussed in the Le Mans entry thread.

[Bentley03]

Ok, I've merged these two threads. Since Tom908V12's was first (marginally) he keeps the thread title (sorry knighty).

[knighty]

Originally Posted by jhansen

This was discussed in the Le Mans entry thread.

just read what was said there - that was hardly a discussion......those type of threads are now just too long, and a minefield of subjects........Loebs very well informed speech is worthy of a thread itself!

[JAG]

Originally Posted by knighty

just read a rather damming set of quotes from DSC in an interview with Leob......he is basically saying the gasoline cars have no chance against the diesels, audi will be entering 3 cars, pug 2 cars....cant help think he has been primed by Henri.......all he could realistically hope for is 6th place.......

I have to say I'm in total 100% agreement with him......

audi will no way sand bag their way in the 2007 lemans race, the pugs will give them a real run for their money all the way........and the net result will be a public display of the monumental gap between the gasoline and diesel engine regulations.......no gasoline engine will be able to compete with 1300NM of diesel torque........1500NM if you believe the pug numbers

I'm glad he's said this publically - someone has to........Audi lending out an R8 3.6 turbo gasoline motor is a complete joke.

I think we should leave the conspiracy theories until the end of the year.

Everyone, including Pescarolo himself, expects diesels to be pegged back a little in 2008.

In the meantime Creation have openly stated they believe their car will be competitive with the R10 in the ALMS, Pescarolo believe they have a shot at the LMS championship, while Audi expect their Lola-Audi to be competitive with the Peugeot

If they aren't they'll have egg on their face and the experiment will have backfired, so even more ammunition for change.

Before restrictor racing we've had sportscars with widely differing power outputs being competitive with each other, I'm prepared to sit back and see how it all pans out in 2007.

Too many people are hiding behind the diesel excuse, conviniently forgetting heavily restricted R8's were whooping them in 2004/5/6.

[Flat12-Aircool]

Originally Posted by JAG

Before restrictor racing we've had sportscars with widely differing power outputs being competitive with each other, I'm prepared to sit back and see how it all pans out in 2007.

Different power outputs are one thing, but a rather suspiciously high 925kg minimum weight gives a extra benefit to heavy Diesel V12's.

Too many people are hiding behind the diesel excuse, conviniently forgetting heavily restricted R8's were whooping them in 2004/5/6.

I think thats a little unfair, Privateer teams have nowhere else to go really but stay and fight for fairer regulations. However it's noticable that even Porsche & Acura etc have decided there's no point entering LMP1 until the ACO wake up and smell the Diesel.

[JAG]

Acura stated from day one they'd race in P1, while Porsche are easing themselves back into top level racing after the embarrasment of the 911 GT1 program, Le Mans fluke aside.

BTW if you look at LMP900/1 weights over the last few years you'll find very few came in on the limit.


2003 Bentley 916kg

1999 Mercedes CLR 921kg

2003 Audi 919kg

2002 Caddy 916kg

1999 Panoz 908kg

2002/3 Panoz 933kg

2000 Reynard 940kg

2003 Pescarolo 927kg

2004 Pescarolo 914kg

2003 Panoz LMP07 940kg

2002 Riley Mk III 931kg

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by knighty

he is basically saying the gasoline cars have no chance against the diesels, audi will be entering 3 cars, pug 2 cars....cant help think he has been primed by Henri.......all he could realistically hope for is 6th place.......

I have to say I'm in total 100% agreement with him......

We dont know if that is the case or not, sure the chances of Pescarolo beating Audi are unlikely but we dont know yet just how competitve the Peugoet is going to be. We all know what Le Mans is like, one or 2 of the Peugoet's or Audi's will most likely run into trouble over the course of the race and provided Pescarolo can have a trouble free race they could still bag 4th overall, maybe even 3rd with a bit of luck.

Personally I think there will be a few cars in contention for the win at Le Mans this year, Peugoet and Audi obviously, but also Zytek, Pescarolo, Creation and perhaps Swiss Spirit depending on how well they intergrate the Audi engine into the new Lola chassis. If Im honest I cant remember a season that I have looked forward to this much, Le Mans 2002 is a possible rival but a lot of the entries there werent full season entries in the ALMS/FIA SCC.

[Flat12-Aircool]

Originally Posted by JAG

BTW if you look at LMP900/1 weights over the last few years you'll find very few came in on the limit.


2003 Bentley 916kg

1999 Mercedes CLR 921kg

2003 Audi 919kg

2002 Caddy 916kg

1999 Panoz 908kg

2002/3 Panoz 933kg

2000 Reynard 940kg

2003 Pescarolo 927kg

2004 Pescarolo 914kg

2003 Panoz LMP07 940kg

2002 Riley Mk III 931kg

As you yourself very often say, Cars are developing every year so much so that 2003 is almost ancient history today in 2007.

So if the Creation can run at 890kg in the ALMS this season, then there's no reason to doubt that the 925kg is indeed favouring the V12 Diesel lumps.

[DCS]

It is like any official motorsport these days. It is not only getting very boring it is also to much of the same speed for different classes. 1500 Nm not possible? Peugeot must be joking a petrol engine of 5 liter and a bi-turbo is happy to exceed well pass that! Is some sort of ways I miss group C...

[JAG]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

We dont know if that is the case or not, sure the chances of Pescarolo beating Audi are unlikely but we dont know yet just how competitve the Peugoet is going to be. We all know what Le Mans is like, one or 2 of the Peugoet's or Audi's will most likely run into trouble over the course of the race and provided Pescarolo can have a trouble free race they could still bag 4th overall, maybe even 3rd with a bit of luck.

Personally I think there will be a few cars in contention for the win at Le Mans this year, Peugoet and Audi obviously, but also Zytek, Pescarolo, Creation and perhaps Swiss Spirit depending on how well they intergrate the Audi engine into the new Lola chassis. If Im honest I cant remember a season that I have looked forward to this much, Le Mans 2002 is a possible rival but a lot of the entries there werent full season entries in the ALMS/FIA SCC.

I'm not sure how many privateers will be competitive at Le Mans, it''s such a specialised event were big bucks and testing pay dividends.

As for regular circuits, I expect Audi and Peugeot to be given a run for their money.

[Kempi]

Before restrictor racing we've had sportscars with widely differing power outputs being competitive with each other, I'm prepared to sit back and see how it all pans out in 2007.

Are you thinking of Group C? They didn't have air restrictors, but they had the fuel restriction which kind of kept them all on one level...

[Adam43]

The diesel/petrol thing is done elsewhere, so I'll comment on another important aspect to this: It is a shame Loeb won't be racing at Le Mans in 2007. I always like it when drivers from different series, or disciplines, try their hand at Le Mans. I'll miss him. However it was a big undertaking for him to take time out from his rallying. Not that it seemed to have a detrimental effect on his rallying! I can understand him not wanting to do this every year and maybe the current situation was enough for him to not make the sacrifice this year.

[Flat12-Aircool]

The real thing that's puzzling me about this situation is Loeb's quote from some weeks ago saying that he'd effectively "do Le Mans for no money". It doesn't seem to add-up with todays press release.

It's not the decision that disappoints me the most, I'm disappointed in Loeb himself. I thought there was more to him than this, Le Mans is surely about the joy of competing on the greatest Motor-racing stage in the world, not just winning. There are plenty of drivers who know that they have no chance of winning the race even before they've turned a wheel, but they still turn-up, compete and enjoy the occasion.

[jhansen]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

The real thing that's puzzling me about this situation is Loeb's quote from some weeks ago saying that he'd effectively "do Le Mans for no money". It doesn't seem to add-up with todays press release.

It's not the decision that disappoints me the most, I'm disappointed in Loeb himself. I thought there was more to him than this, Le Mans is surely about the joy of competing on the greatest Motor-racing stage in the world, not just winning. There are plenty of drivers who know that they have no chance of winning the race even before they've turned a wheel, but they still turn-up, compete and enjoy the occasion.

I belive his arm was a factor.

[cmk]

Maybe Harold Primat in the 2nd car was also a factor? If Loeb is serious about winning, which he appears to be, and concerned about the lead Pescarolo being faster, as he mentions he is, then Primat's presence could be the reason for these concerns.

Nothing against Primat, but he's probably got about the same, or less, pace than Loeb does. Compared to his partners last year, or two years ago, the lineup would be a step down.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by jhansen

I belive his arm was a factor.

Yeah I read that too over at Autosport.com - to be honest I cant say that I blame him for opting out of Le Mans this year if there is any doubt that the race could harm his fitness. After all Le Mans is just 1 race, he has the WRC to defend which for him is more important.

[brielga]

What about Citroen's ROI on this? Loeb was quite an attention focus the last 2 years but running this kind of risk for a 5th position overall I think is too much for Citroen to bear/allow... Sebastien can get out to play only if it's worth it would be my take on it.

[Kempi]

Le Mans is surely about the joy of competing on the greatest Motor-racing stage in the world, not just winning.

World champions in any sport get to where they are because they want to do one thing: win. If they don't have a chance of winning, they don't have a reason to compete. Racing just for the joy of it is done in your early and in your late years. In between, it's a job you in which you get your enjoyment from the ability to compete at the highest level and come out of it successful.

If you were a multiple world champion, would you really compete somewhere you don't have a chance of being successful? I highly doubt it.

[isynge]

It's also worth bearing in mind that he's probably got a job to do in keeping on top of the C4 WRC's development. In '05 there was the newness and the dominance of the Citroen package, in '06 he had the (unneccessary) 'excuse' of not running a works car, in '07, with Ford firing on all cylinders, I'm not certain Loeb and Citroen can afford the distraction.

Absolutely a shame, Loeb was a great character at Le Mans and really helped the profile of sportscar racing, but you can see the logic on so many levels.

[dj choc ice]

Originally Posted by Kempi

World champions in any sport get to where they are because they want to do one thing: win. If they don't have a chance of winning, they don't have a reason to compete. Racing just for the joy of it is done in your early and in your late years. In between, it's a job you in which you get your enjoyment from the ability to compete at the highest level and come out of it successful.

If you were a multiple world champion, would you really compete somewhere you don't have a chance of being successful? I highly doubt it.

in all fairness to the lad it is his choice at the end of the day, he may be back next year or the year after or perhaps even never.

but his priorities lie in the WRC imo and good luck to him for a 3rd world title

[Mal]

I think Peugeot and Citreon are related so perhaps there is some politics behind this

[Erki]

Originally Posted by dj choc ice

but his priorities lie in the WRC imo and good luck to him for a 3rd world title

4th.

To the last poster: Peugeot and Citroen are both from PSA so they are basically the same car...