[WEC] Ginetta LMP1

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

They already did.

Yeah...you knew exactly what I meant, however.

[TF110]

They intend to go to Fuji. Lets hope so! I don't think they would have featured at Silverstone anyway, but at least having them there would be nice. Shame because I'm sure there's some locals who looked forward to seeing them.

[andrewn7]

Reading between the lines of the DSC article it seems the TRSM effort is done, but with some hope of Ginetta themselves fielding a car at some point once they get the AER install sorted.

Sad times really, for something that promised so much

[Juntos]

Well, I am not surprised. All this Manor-Ginetta-TRSM story has been a big joke.



Replacing the Mechachrome for the AER just before Silverstone, sounds like a bad excuse. Definitely they don't have the funds to run the cars properly.



Stop making excuses. You just need to admit it instead of coming up to the press with a role of excuses. It is easier to move from failure to success in from excuses to success.

[knighty]

If the GP2 mechachrome motor is anything to go by, then yes mechachrome have let down both ginetta and the entire GP2 grid.....a great concept, just poorly implemented. A real shame as I truly believed this was going to be a cracking LMP1 customer motor.

As for fitting the AER motor.....I believe the Cosworth-Nissan is a better motor due to a slightly higher swept volume of 3.0 litres compared to the AER 2.4 litres.....but then again bother turbo motors seem to have their issues.

I still think if someone was to blow the dust off the 5.5 litre V10 judd motors it would make a fine LMP1 motor......failing that chuck the Gibson V8 in.

For me the AER v6 seems like the 3rd or 4th choice motor. But it will prove the point that the motor was or wasn't the issue.

Hope this is not another mclaren-honda moment!

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by knighty

Hope this is not another mclaren-honda moment!

I don't think Ginetta troubles are all Mechachrome related. Two wrongs don't make a right, but they make a good excuse.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Juntos

I don't think Ginetta troubles are all Mechachrome related. Two wrongs don't make a right, but they make a good excuse.

Who knows, you may be right - but then again, you may be wrong and the engine was the primary issue. Whatever you think, I consider it a huge shame that they won't be on the grid at Silverstone, particularly having had 8 weeks already since Le Mans to try and get things back on track - literally.

[TzeiTzei]

Tbh this kind of nonsense has become the norm for anything related to Manor. Kind of makes you think that maybe it isn't just bad luck or circumstances.

[Akrapovic]

This is purely my opinion on things, but we've seen this before. In fact, we saw a little bit of this with Manor in F1, but also with the HRT team in F1.

In HRTs case, payments weren't made to Dallara for the chassis. So Dallara rightly stopped worked on it. Then HRT blamed the chassis for being terrible. Well, that's because you stopped paying for it and they didn't work for free.

Now we're sitting with Manor, who didn't produce the Le Mans downforce kit, saying the cars issues are engine related. Well...

Not surprised in the slightest given previous issues with Ginetta and Manor, but am very very disappointed as I thought everyone had turned a corner and we weren't going to have any of this any more.

[bentley speed 8]

Let's hope somebody else picks up the chassis next year.. although I'm doubtful that this will happen.

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by bentley speed 8

Let's hope somebody else picks up the chassis next year.. although I'm doubtful that this will happen.

If you had to buy a LMP1, would you pick up the Ginetta today? Probably not.

[TF110]

The drivers on twitter say they know the car was good to go but for the rule about engine change. Butttt, they didn't even test the car with the AER yet so...

[Irie]

Statement from Mecachrome:

http://mecachromemotorsport.com/2018...-announcement/


It appears Ginetta paid for the Le Mans engines?

e the full WEC Super Season contract with the Manor Team (two cars) was still not signed
....
Finally a revised contract between Ginetta and Mecachrome saw the racing programme of the two cars reduced further to just encompass Le Mans.

[Mike E]

"We are surprised by Ginetta and Manor’s choice to go with an engine which has been developed for years, yet failed to finish at Le Mans in June."

Spicy!

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...engine-change/

[TzeiTzei]

What's disappointing is that the Ginetta-Mecachrome really was a unique package and it would have been very interesting to see how it goes. Unfortunately it never really got going.

I don't think that Manor have any money to run these cars. I've certainly become very cynical of just about anything coming out of Graeme Lowdon's mouth. We've heard it all before ever since they were running in F1. Ginetta might be opting to fund the effort themselves to create some interest, but they must know they facing a huge challenge to look better then Oreca or SMP-Dallara. It's going to be very difficult to convince anyone to invest in to a new Ginetta. The others have hit the ground running and made their mark.

Now it kind of makes you wonder if Ginetta should have taken a bigger role in this effort. Make sure everything is ready once the season starts. The first impression can only be made once. Not racing at Spa and then making a half hearted attempt at Le Mans doesn't leave anyone convinced that this is the car to have.

On top of this we now know that in 2020 there will be a change in the prototype regulations. No one knows how it will affect the privateer LMP1s, but it sure didn't make these cars a desired purchase. So the market is basically dead, which makes you wonder why Ginetta would pour any more money into this project. They're never going to make it back, and from what I understand they're not exactly swimming in cash. The same goes for Mecachrome too. There are proven established players in the engine market and I don't see anyone willing to invest into this R&D project.

[Juntos]

Ginetta and Mecachrome are both taking a hard hit on a foot. If Ginetta doesn't make a stunning comeback in the second half of the Super-Season, which I don't believe is going to happen, its LMP1 is going to be the LMP1 disaster of the decade.


On the other side, Mecachrome developed an engine for nothing. No one will pick it up any-more.



Curiously in the end who created the whole mess was Graeme Lowdon and his partner. Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies.

[Akrapovic]

Ginetta falling out with an LMP parts supplier? Never! They better be careful or they'll make a habit of it.

The Ginetta statements sound very much like they're throwing Mecachrome under the bus. Whilst that engine may be underpowered, it's also true that the Ginetta isn't as far along as it should be given it didn't even have a suitable aerokit for Le Mans. So that one works both ways. It'd be interesting to see some numbers on that engine.

From Mecachromes point of view, it sounds very much like things weren't paid for, and when they aren't paid, things slow down or stop. Would the engine be further on if the credit card wasn't maxed out? When your sponsor is one that's having some very public issues, it isn't surprising when cheques bounce.

So the AER motor will be interesting. They do have a history of being rather combustible, for sure. But crucially, that engine is in the SMP Dallara. So now there's a pretty direct comparison between the Dallara and the Ginetta. So let's hope they finally make a race and things start looking a bit more professional.

[EffectiveSprinkles]

I think at this point it can be assumed Manor is dead. Ginetta is running the show, let's hope it goes somewhere.

[Akrapovic]

If you're not right then I think you will be soon enough. Ginetta need to sell cars, and if running the show is how to do it, then they'll have to do it.

[Akrapovic]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...-response.html

More from Ginetta.

This sort of situation is why when two partners split, the public responces are generally pretty dull. "Ginetta thanks for Mecachrome for their work and wishes them well as we explore further options" is the norm. It's boring, but it means it ends immediately and everyone comes out of it as well as they can.

The Ginetta statement was pretty damning, basically blaming the engine for everything. It was almost like they didn't expect Mecachrome to respond publically. And when they did, it all starts looking like a bit of a PR nightmare.

“It’s not helpful to anybody concerned to attribute blame for the details of the various stages here, for reliability niggles and for the matters which prevented additional testing mileage but all parties involved are fully aware of the issues in play – to state or imply otherwise would not be correct.

It's a bit late to say it's unfair to place blame for things, after publically calling out the other side.

“Throughout all of this though there is one issue that needs to be fully understood – Ginetta are not the WEC/ Le Mans entrant.

“Final decisions on the specification of the car in competition, its race programme and the commercial arrangements to support that programme are for a customer to decide.

“Ginetta’s role, when the financial package is delivered, is to fulfil what the customer tells us that they require. In this instance they, and we, felt that in terms of performance and reliability a change needed to be made.”

"We said the engine wasn't good enough, but don't blame us - we're just giving the customer what it wants."

Whether Ginetta are in the right or wrong, it doesn't read particularly well.

[TF110]

They didn't pay for the upgrades or the development of the engine. I am not surprised because Ginetta couldn't find funding to race at Spa. Maybe they figured it was cheaper to go AER than to stick it out and pray that the upgrades will work on the Mecachrome.

[peebee2]

Manor even dodged signing the engine contract. They only got LM engines because Ginetta paid for them direct. They need to find ANY other team to run a car.

[Turbodcc]

Spotters guide released for Silverstone. No Ginetta. Hopefully they get it on track for testing and are on board for next race

[Juntos]

I don't think Ginetta will be able to find any other team to run their cars. No one will put a cent on those cars. They will need to finance themselves.

Originally Posted by Turbodcc

Spotters guide released for Silverstone. No Ginetta. Hopefully they get it on track for testing and are on board for next race

Don't tell me you had to wait for the spotters guide to realise that those Ginetta LMP1 won't show up!

[S griffin]

Well this could be the beginning of the end. Still at least they got to race at Le Mans, so it’s not all bad