[WEC Race] 2018 6 Hours of Silverstone

[Truckosaurus]

It might have been new this year, or may have existed for years and I'd not noticed, but with the new banking around the Stowe circuit/rallycross track you could turn left at the end of the bridge next to the Porsche Centre and walk down past a load of shipping containers to a viewing area on the infield side of the track that stretched from just past Copse to the Wing.

Seemed a shorter walk to the Wing than the previous route past the helicopter airport and the link road past 'the loop'.

[S griffin]

Toyota will not appeal, so that's the end of that

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

It might have been new this year, or may have existed for years and I'd not noticed, but with the new banking around the Stowe circuit/rallycross track you could turn left at the end of the bridge next to the Porsche Centre and walk down past a load of shipping containers to a viewing area on the infield side of the track that stretched from just past Copse to the Wing.

Seemed a shorter walk to the Wing than the previous route past the helicopter airport and the link road past 'the loop'.

Those shipping containers were temporary I believe - the WEC teams are packing the pit equipment into those the day after the race and it's all being shipped direct to Japan.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

It was good to get into Village, Club and Becketts grandstands, though why only half of the last two of those were open, I have no idea.

That was a nuisance. At times on Sunday the Club grandstand was packed - well half of it - with the rest closed and empty. Same as half of the Becketts GS. I'm assuming that was simply down to lack of security staff (that's usually the reason cited year on year). In fact, I didn't see any security staff in either grandstand on Sunday, although when I was in the stand at pit in on Friday, along with about 5 other people (!), I was told I had to sit down. (I like to stand when I'm taking photographs)., When I asked why, I was just told 'That's Silverstone's rules'....

[chernaudi]

What I'm actually talking about is a full width front floor that runs with the width of the car, not the current F1 "tea tray" floor that the ACO have allowed the teams to use since 2014. I think that LMP2s currently still run with a full width front floor.

Anyways, it's official now. Rebellion go 1-2 and Gustavo Menezes is the first American driver to win overall in the current incarnation of the WEC.

Also the first non-hybrid podium sweep since Sebring 2012, first non-hybrid win since Spa in 2012, first pure gasoline win ever in the WEC (Audi ran diesels and Toyota and Porsche (as well as Audi also) ran hybrids).

Those are the big stats that stand out.

[EffectiveSprinkles]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

It could be the only way you can do it is produce a standardise hybrid unit for privateers they can plug in. BTCC is doing it, so it's not too much of a fantasy.

They are? That's very interesting. I don't follow BTCC but that's a bold choice. I like it.

[Akrapovic]

It's some way off in the future, but yeah they're looking at a standard hybrid unit for BTCC cars. Could argue that's quite cool. Could argue it's pointless as there's so little manufacturer effort in BTCC, and half the grid runs the stock TOCA engine. But that's the route they're going down.

If the ACO had a similar idea for privateers, it would help. But it's way too late for that.

[EffectiveSprinkles]

They do, though. At least the outlines of it in the new regulations.

[Akrapovic]

Yeah, I mean for balancing the current cars with EoT/BoP/SoT/Any other TLA. That ship may have sailed and it may be impossible to balance the current cars because of the different techs.

What we have now may be all we get. The difference may be minimised at some tracks, but it's unlikely it will disappear. Fuji with long straights and long corners will help, although S3 will still suit the Toyotas in traffic. There's nothing that can be done about that - even if Porsche and Audi returned with a non-hybrid car, an ICE just can't do the things the battery can.

[Rennen]

My observation was in the final part of the event #7 had an 18 second lead over Buemi in #8 and wasted (?) vital track position time having it's rear body/wing section changed! Why? Conway interviewed said because they had "lost performance"...well it didn't go any faster afterwards and Buemi was then right on their tail and past!

You can fool some of the fans TMG...but I didn't buy it! It's all about Alonso...Glad they fell fowl of the skid block rule as it turned out!

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I hugely enjoyed my son's girlfriend's delight at experiencing her first race meeting.

My god-daughter, her boyfriend and father came to see a proper race for the first time. We were having a chat as the cars came by on the green flag lap. Her reaction was priceless. It's nice to see a beginner's reaction to something which I love, but which is a little commonplace to me. Reminds me why I loved it in the first place.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Rennen

My observation was in the final part of the event #7 had an 18 second lead over Buemi in #8 and wasted (?) vital track position time having it's rear body/wing section changed! Why? Conway interviewed said because they had "lost performance"...well it didn't go any faster afterwards and Buemi was then right on their tail and past!

You can fool some of the fans TMG...but I didn't buy it! It's all about Alonso...Glad they fell fowl of the skid block rule as it turned out!

You look at the pit stop though and you can see that the #7 has pretty noticeable body damage to the left side of the car.

[dwh43scale]

Technical tour de force that the Toyota is, and it was impressive heading up the Wellington Straight, you couldn't help feeling you - 1) weren't watching a race between all the LMP1s and 2) there was a desire to see Alonso in the winning car.

However, they made for some decent photos - the SMP and Rebellion cars being especially photogenic. Link to gallery up soon.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Woolley

My god-daughter, her boyfriend and father came to see a proper race for the first time. We were having a chat as the cars came by on the green flag lap. Her reaction was priceless. It's nice to see a beginner's reaction to something which I love, but which is a little commonplace to me. Reminds me why I loved it in the first place.

Exactly so. It made me smile how people talk about the cars being 'so far away' at Silverstone - her reaction was 'They're so close!!'

[dwh43scale]

https://www.flickr.com/gp/dwh38/5UK7VH

Somewhat large gallery here. No photographic evidence of anyone using the kerbs, not !

[joeb]

Originally Posted by dwh43scale

https://www.flickr.com/gp/dwh38/5UK7VH

Somewhat large gallery here. No photographic evidence of anyone using the kerbs, not !

Kerbs? what kerbs? Thanks for sharing, nice shots!

[GregUK]

https://www.autosport.com/wec/featur...o-on-like-this

I think Gary Watkins is spot-on with this.

[EffectiveSprinkles]

I cannot read the article but I already disagree completely with the first thing he says. Slowing down the Toyota's is not a solution whatsoever.

It's a bit baffling to me. Either that Watkins guy has not been paying attention or he's deliberately feigning ignorance for effect. Yes, LMP1 is in big trouble because Audi and Porsche left. Who didn't know that?! LMp1 is in a state of transition after a golden age. It happens.

[S griffin]

At least we had the likes of Rebellion, Ginetta and SMP to boost numbers in LMP1

[Akrapovic]

So is this a paywall article telling us what we already knew a year ago when Porsche said they were pulling out? Good to see Autosport are up to date with their analysis of everything.

Of course LMP1 cannot go on like this. That's why the next set of regulations are being discussed. IMSA couldn't go on with LMP2/DP Prototype class either. But they had to get through that to work on the next thing. That's how motorsport rules sets work in every series outside of F1.

Next, they'll be telling us that GTE BoP is silly, and GT3s are getting too expensive. Only cutting edge news here.

[Aysedasi]

I'm rather glad I can't read the article.......

[Adam43]

It’s alright someone will come along and post something similar for free here.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Adam43

It’s alright someone will come along and post something similar for free here.

Makes you wonder why we aren't all paid writers then eh

Watkins: Professional forum poster.

[XtC24]

There is also an article published by the same Gary Watkins on Friday 17.08 just before Silverstone, entitled "wec eot mission is impossible and unnecessary"

https://www.autosport.com/wec/featur...nd-unnecessary

He is closer to spot on there.

I agree with those who say, that it is impossible.
To make 'better' EOT ACO would have to make privateers ca. 2 seconds/lap faster than Toyota on pure pace, to see what happens in the race with the traffic.

It would be only possible with giving Toyota much less boost energy.
But hey, they would be slower at overtaking the traffic then, right?
Impossible to balance, every track would need separate EOT/ Energy per lap for Toyota.

Is it even doable in the middle of the season from technical point of view?

And privateers would have allways be on pole position. Toyota will not accept it probably.

[GregUK]

Here's a quote from Watkin's article:

The non-hybrid independent cars put their power down exclusively through the rear wheels, remember.

"The tyres that we use are built for a Toyota," says 2009 Formula 1 world champion and SMP driver Jenson Button. "So we overheat the rears and we never get the fronts working because the fronts are built to be driven by power. The fronts are as wide as the rears, so for balance as well for us it's really tricky, because that front tyre is so wide. So we get a lot of pick-up on the front tyre. So, yeah, everything works against the privateer."

When the gap is 2 seconds a lap, I could believe that tyres are half of that....