[LM24] Le Mans 2022 Entry List News etc

[Osella]

Perhaps I’m imagining it but I thought AF Corse’s Spirit of Race branch was originally a way of getting around sanctions as it is Swiss-flagged

[canaglia]

for WEC program AF Corse is financially and technically backed by ferrari competizione GT division, won't be a tragedy for them to detach some SMP decals...

[Jager]

It appears AF Corse sponsorship with SMP ended in 2020. The 2021 AF Corse Ferrari's did not carry any SMP sponsorship.

[broadrun96]

Yup, in the blank space on the door under the window previously

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Later in the week then for the entry list.

https://twitter.com/24hoursoflemans/...30676964970503

Or next week even......?

[bella]

their week must start on monday not sunday

[CTD]

I believe big discussions are happening currently between different parties for what is to going happen.
HAAS' decision to cut all ties with Russia, could indicate that FIA is putting pressure on all parts of motorsport to exclude russian involvement. Therefore the entry list is probably being filtered to trim out any not wanted russian involvement.

[broadrun96]

Difference with Haas is DIRECT advertising as the primary sponsor on the car being a company owned by someone on the sanction list. I don't think many cars in ACO/WEC competition are still running SMP or others who were used previously on cars.

[Simmi]

I have no idea, but I wonder if they are trying to give Algarve time to see whether they can put together a Portuguese-flagged entry with different funding.

[Racing Harz]

we can likely scratch all G-Drive from the Entry List.
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...ry-conditions/

[chernaudi]

It seems that G-Drive is done for, and that's without an ACO or FIA ban. Rusinov has claimed that the ACO's and FIA's practices for the WEC are discriminatory and he's unwilling to race under a neutral flag or not being able to hear the Russian national anthem on the podium.

IMO, well, better for him to make that decision than the ACO or FIA. And we've already seen individual national or regional bodies take actions beyond what the FIA have so far done. But, not to get political, what's the saying about getting in bed and getting fleas? This is down to the west having enough of Putin seemingly refusing to believe that the Cold War is over and that the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact (ironically most of the countries that formed it are now members of NATO and/or the EU) ought to still exist.

[J Jay]

Rusinov chose to jump rather than be pushed. Likely the best course of action from his point of view, and I suspect the governing bodies are rather relieved too. Even with the team and drivers competing neutrally, having cars go round with a Russian state-owned enterprise emblazoned on either side probably wouldn't wash...

Originally Posted by Simmi

I have no idea, but I wonder if they are trying to give Algarve time to see whether they can put together a Portuguese-flagged entry with different funding.

Probably, but the time frame for the funding to replace a primary sponsor is remarkably short. Kudos to all involved if Algarve pull it off - the only thing I can think of in their favour is that they may have had some advance notice of the direction the FIA/ACO were going to take.

[Aysedasi]

What assumptions do we make about the G-Drive cars? Owned by Rusinov, his sponsors, or APR? Not the latter, I suspect. Whether APR have a chassis they (think they) can run without a significant injection of funds, I have no idea. I suspect they've been aware of the likely outcome of this for a little while now, so they've had some time to plan (even if it isn't much time in the grand scheme of things). If they can persuade the ACO to grant them an entry in the expectation of having the funds to run it, maybe we'll still see them....

[bella]

given the way sponsor lead entries are run and how common they are, i suspect the aco would be pretty chill with a name and nationality swap.

le mans would be the easy one to find drivers for.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

What assumptions do we make about the G-Drive cars? Owned by Rusinov, his sponsors, or APR? Not the latter, I suspect. Whether APR have a chassis they (think they) can run without a significant injection of funds, I have no idea. I suspect they've been aware of the likely outcome of this for a little while now, so they've had some time to plan (even if it isn't much time in the grand scheme of things). If they can persuade the ACO to grant them an entry in the expectation of having the funds to run it, maybe we'll still see them....

There's an editorial piece on Dailysportscar.com this afternoon, which says they are aware that both APR and Eurointernational, who were running G-Drive's ELMS LMP3 car) have "immediately deliverable plans to continue with their published commitments, if they are permitted to do so"

I'd guess it would depend on what funding the other drivers were bringing to the table, and how the shortfall in both funding and drivers caused by the departure of G-Drive, Rusinov and Kvyat might be filled