Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[MitchZ06]

Originally Posted by AFCORSE51

I have my own WEC- Sportscar racing page on Facebook...I have Gianmaria Bruni as a member and one of his mechanics too...I also have two Risi Compitizione mechanics as members as well...I was having a message with Gimmy Bruni and I asked him of AF was working on a race-trim 488...he said testing began awhile ago...hope it dosn't take a season or two to get it developed like the 458 did...

GTE or GT3? Considering it's the same car underneath with a new engine I doubt it'll take long to develop.

[Simmi]

Not sure if it's been posted yet but an English language story on BMW possibly circling P1 - http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...mp1-programme/

Considering the proposed timeline, then if this is happening it shouldn't be all that long until we hear something.

[deggis]

It is the same as the AMUS story: http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....postcount=6712 as mentioned in the beginning and end of the RCE story, obviously fully translated but just saying that this doesn't make it two rumors.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Not sure if it's been posted yet but an English language story on BMW possibly circling P1 - http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...mp1-programme/

Considering the proposed timeline, then if this is happening it shouldn't be all that long until we hear something.

Unless they can "steal" all the employees from other companies, the first thing we would see is job hiring and new buildings popping up.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

I wouldn't call it rare at all. We're not that far removed from an IndyCar era that was CENTERED on car designs so horrifically flawed it's a miracle we didn't have more deaths than we did.

My reply was meant more as a reply to the magnesium of the Levegh's car. That analogy wouldn't work today, as safety regulations are so strict that it is not really possible to do a more dangerous car than other brands, so I meant a situation where it wouldn't be blamed on one brand's cars alone. For example right now a LMP1 flip could be blamed on technical regulations, track safety and organizers before the car design.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by deggis

It is the same as the AMUS story: http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....postcount=6712 as mentioned in the beginning and end of the RCE story, obviously fully translated but just saying that this doesn't make it two rumors.

Yeah agreed not two rumours. But it's certainly something RCE believe to be happening. It was also mentioned on air by Hindy and Graham during the N24 coverage.

So the same rumour, being reported by multiple people. Can't be a bad thing.

[ss_collins]

The RCE story is not a straight translation of the AMUS story. It is based on the Sport Auto print edition story but has additional info. We have a few more quotes from Jens that I'll upload later.

But yes its all from the same source in Germany. I don't think that RLM got it from the same place though.

[Simmi]

Thanks Sam. Fingers crossed!

[Acid09]

The quote from Marquardt in the AMS article was actually much more dismissive of the idea than the ones in this article, which do sound very promising.

So this does add some fuel to the fire.

[templer]

As I think we can take it for sure that BMW is looking for an LMP 1 entry, the question for me is who is the second manufacturer which has deployed his interests to the ACO.
After what I have heard on whispers my guess is: Honda ( not HPD !!)

[cokata]

A lot on depend on what it happens with the rules in 2017 and beyond. For me the natural progression will be to get rid of the hybrid classes and the max number of recovery system, drop the weight to ~800kg and reduce the fuel flow by 15-20%.

Everyone can recover and deploy as much energy as they can with the weight limit. To not hinder the diesels they should now have the same fuel energy as the petrols and the extra ICE power they have should offset the weight penalty somewhat.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by templer

As I think we can take it for sure that BMW is looking for an LMP 1 entry, the question for me is who is the second manufacturer which has deployed his interests to the ACO.
After what I have heard on whispers my guess is: Honda ( not HPD !!)

McLaren and Ford were mentioned in another German story that came on the same day than this one.

old: http://www.motorsport-total.com/wec/...-15051506.html

[deggis]

“if you take BMW as a global brand we are not a slow follower or a fast follower, we are setting new paths, which we have shown with ‘i’ so I don’t think we need to follow what everyone does. The WEC is still following and what we need to figure out is a new path that suits BMW, like with ‘i’

This sounds exactly what Nissan kept saying still about an year ago before finally doing it. And BMW isn't in Formula E either (other than as a safety car), so this is just hot air.

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by cokata

A lot on depend on what it happens with the rules in 2017 and beyond. For me the natural progression will be to get rid of the hybrid classes and the max number of recovery system, drop the weight to ~800kg and reduce the fuel flow by 15-20%.

Everyone can recover and deploy as much energy as they can with the weight limit. To not hinder the diesels they should now have the same fuel energy as the petrols and the extra ICE power they have should offset the weight penalty somewhat.

I like your point of view of the possible new rules!!!

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

If your center of pressure is so far off that it makes a backflip not only possible, but RELIABLY EXPECTED, then yes, it IS a design flaw.

you are so far off base its not even funny.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by deggis

“if you take BMW as a global brand we are not a slow follower or a fast follower, we are setting new paths, which we have shown with ‘i’ so I don’t think we need to follow what everyone does. The WEC is still following and what we need to figure out is a new path that suits BMW, like with ‘i’

This sounds exactly what Nissan kept saying still about an year ago before finally doing it. And BMW isn't in Formula E either (other than as a safety car), so this is just hot air.

I agree. And I see that statement as a "we want to do it differently", sorta like Nissan. Their "i" isnt anything special. Just marketing for some electric cars. It might be a 'power play' to get rules swung to their liking.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

you are so far off base its not even funny.

Umm....No. That's not off-base at all.

[TzeiTzei]

Originally Posted by cokata

A lot on depend on what it happens with the rules in 2017 and beyond. For me the natural progression will be to get rid of the hybrid classes and the max number of recovery system, drop the weight to ~800kg and reduce the fuel flow by 15-20%.

Everyone can recover and deploy as much energy as they can with the weight limit. To not hinder the diesels they should now have the same fuel energy as the petrols and the extra ICE power they have should offset the weight penalty somewhat.

You should send this to the ACO. And they should read it carefully

[cokata]

Originally Posted by TzeiTzei

You should send this to the ACO. And they should read it carefully

Somehow i feel they would not really take notice.

The rules since 2012 have been a good progression so far, but in motorsport usually these good spells for the rules makers don't last too long.

Oh and 1 more thing to add is to allow VVT and VVL for petrol engines. It's a very stupid rule to not allow them for "cost reduction" .

[Deleted]

There seems to be a horrific conflict of schedules for the last weekend of May next year

Monaco Grand Prix (presumed)
Indianapolis 500 (confirmed)
NASCAR Charlotte 600 (presumed)
Start of Isle of Man (confirmed)
Nurburging 24 Hours & WTCC (confirmed)
Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day (presumed)

Possibly also Zandvoort 12h unless they move it up from current date that's been the same for two years

Get your acts together organizers.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

Umm....No. That's not off-base at all.

No. It is. None of the blowovers could be "reliably" predicted as you assume. If that was the case then the cars would have flipped in the same spot each time, every lap, or within a certain number of laps.

[Victor_RO]

As long as the relative F1 and WEC schedules stay the same, and the GPs after Monaco are 2 and 4 weeks after it, then Le Mans will be 1 week (Test Day) and 3 weeks (the race itself) after Monaco. So no clash there.

But the first three - yeah, most likely, for the last few years all three have been on the same day.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

As long as the relative F1 and WEC schedules stay the same, and the GPs after Monaco are 2 and 4 weeks after it, then Le Mans will be 1 week (Test Day) and 3 weeks (the race itself) after Monaco. So no clash there.

But the first three - yeah, most likely, for the last few years all three have been on the same day.

In the (guess-based?) prediction Autosport made of F1 2016 calendar Monaco was slotted for the last week of May. And if the race is to be part of Indy 500 & Coca-Cola 600 'trio' again next year, it will have to be for the last weekend of May.

Nurburgring will be on the last week of May meaning major headaches for drivers and some factories if Test Day is gonna be sticked to the usual date.

Also if Detroit ICS & USCC is scheduled for week after the last weekend of May, it's gonna mean that the US teams participating in the 24 hours will have to go back to States from France for that weekend and then back to Europe. Corvette will surely utilize Larbre again and whatever, but the other teams?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Chiana

In the (guess-based?) prediction Autosport made of F1 2016 calendar Monaco was slotted for the last week of May. And if the race is to be part of Indy 500 & Coca-Cola 600 'trio' again next year, it will have to be for the last weekend of May.

Nurburgring will be on the last week of May meaning major headaches for drivers and some factories if Test Day is gonna be sticked to the usual date.

It wasn't a guess-based prediction, it was a preliminary calendar leaked by someone at FOM. And considering the FIA's stance on the F1 and WEC calendars and the open weekends in that preliminary calendar, LM2016 test day would be on 5 June (therefore NOT the last weekend of May) and the race itself would be on 18-19 June (because the Canadian GP is provisionally scheduled for 12 June and the following F1 GP for 26 June).

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

It wasn't a guess-based prediction, it was a preliminary calendar leaked by someone at FOM. And considering the FIA's stance on the F1 and WEC calendars and the open weekends in that preliminary calendar, LM2016 test day would be on 5 June (therefore NOT the last weekend of May) and the race itself would be on 18-19 June.

I believe the F1-WEC stance only covers the actual Le Mans race weekend for non conflicting, not the Test Day.

Anyway obviously that suggestion would make much more sense.