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Old 12 Mar 2010, 13:11 (Ref:2650280)   #1
cthib10
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Why Aston Martin went to P1?

I was thinking last night about why Aston Martin decided to go P1 instead of GT2 where they actually stand a chance and not to mention where the real clash will be taking place for the near future. As it stands now the only way Aston Martin really stands a chance is if the diesels have problems so really even a podium is just a consolation prize for them. In contrast they would have a legitimate chance to win in GT2 which seems more reasonable to me. Any thoughts on this?
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Old 12 Mar 2010, 13:19 (Ref:2650288)   #2
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I was thinking last night about why Aston Martin decided to go P1 instead of GT2 where they actually stand a chance and not to mention where the real clash will be taking place for the near future. As it stands now the only way Aston Martin really stands a chance is if the diesels have problems so really even a podium is just a consolation prize for them. In contrast they would have a legitimate chance to win in GT2 which seems more reasonable to me. Any thoughts on this?
The winner of the big races is the one everyone remembers, the class wins are a side show and aston know this, in order to win you must produce not just the fastest but also the most reliable car, deisels might be the favorite cars at the moment but the favorite does not always win and the petrol/diesel gap is closing so lets wait and see.
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Old 12 Mar 2010, 14:00 (Ref:2650318)   #3
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Because LMP1 is the #1 class
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Old 12 Mar 2010, 14:17 (Ref:2650328)   #4
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I mean I understand that every team has a dream to win overall at Le Mans but as of now there really is an extremely slim chance of that happening. I think it would have served them better to head into GT2 until there are more rule changes to equalize the diesels with the petrols. I know it won't happen but it just seems like a better use of money to go where you have a good chance to win.
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Old 12 Mar 2010, 15:04 (Ref:2650360)   #5
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Didn't the Aston win the LMS title last year in P1?
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Old 12 Mar 2010, 15:12 (Ref:2650367)   #6
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Didn't the Aston win the LMS title last year in P1?
They weren't running against the diesels all year I'd imagine..

I'm not trying to talk bad about Aston Martin if anything I really should be speaking badly of the ACO for the terrible job they do of balancing out the diesels and petrols. They are really taking their time in coming up with a legitimate fix for this it's quite annoying.
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Old 12 Mar 2010, 16:11 (Ref:2650406)   #7
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2009 was the 50th anniversary of their LM victory. They had won the GT1 class already so moving down to GT2 wouldn't work. LMP1 looked good, plus it's setting them up for 2011 where they might run under more equal rules.
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Old 12 Mar 2010, 16:15 (Ref:2650410)   #8
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Because they wanted to!





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Old 12 Mar 2010, 16:56 (Ref:2650446)   #9
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I've said elsewhere that they are in Sportscars, as they can claim to be FIRST in the PETROL race at Le Mans.
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Old 13 Mar 2010, 00:42 (Ref:2650743)   #10
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Commercially competing at the top table is more attractive - and no, I don't conclusively know why.

I remember the Speedy Sebah guys saying last year that the level of interest their LMP1 car gathered massively dwarfed that the LMP2 car got, and arguably they had more chance of winning LM itself in LMP2. In the same vein you can ask why Drayson has gone down the LMP1 route? It can only be because the profile is that bit higher.

Now apply that to a manufacturer like Aston Martin. They make their money not from whatever Gulf gives them but by selling road cars. In terms of keeping those sales going, being able to portray themselves as competing for overall victory ties into their brand neatly - it's about not compromising in terms of being considered alongside the best - which may well also explain why inherently they were much more serious about the GT1 campaign than they seem to have been in GT2.
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Old 13 Mar 2010, 14:27 (Ref:2651041)   #11
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I mean I understand that every team has a dream to win overall at Le Mans but as of now there really is an extremely slim chance of that happening.
Aston Martin appear to disagree with you

The P1 Aston Martins walked the LMS title last year, the AsiLMS title, got very close to an overall podium at La Sarthe (and yes, that is an achievement) and are strong candidates to conquer the ALMS this year.

The programme so far has been a success and has done them more good than harm, and I don't think they'd be as successful in GT2, which is the "baby" class anyway.
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Old 13 Mar 2010, 15:10 (Ref:2651058)   #12
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and are strong candidates to conquer the ALMS this year.
So far they are only confirmed for Sebring and Long Beach with perhaps more to come after LM. Not a full season anyway...
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Old 14 Mar 2010, 21:15 (Ref:2652140)   #13
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Moving from GT1 to LMP1 to GT2, nah, far more kudos to be gained from being best of the petrol cars than winning a subcategory....
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 08:14 (Ref:2652424)   #14
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The winner of the big races is the one everyone remembers, the class wins are a side show and aston know this, in order to win you must produce not just the fastest but also the most reliable car, deisels might be the favorite cars at the moment but the favorite does not always win and the petrol/diesel gap is closing so lets wait and see.
But Porsche runs this sideshow very well for decades
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 10:45 (Ref:2652502)   #15
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Aston won GT1 at Le Mans. they had nothing to prove in that class. The only way to better it was to run in P1. They lobbied for better equalisation, and got some concessions, but never enough to stop a French car winning, of course!
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 10:57 (Ref:2652510)   #16
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Aston won GT1 at Le Mans. they had nothing to prove in that class. The only way to better it was to run in P1. They lobbied for better equalisation, and got some concessions, but never enough to stop a French car winning, of course!
Surely a way to better it was to run in a class with far more Manufacturer involvement where they can be competative IE GT2, LMP1 has very little manufacturer involvement these days and any manufacturer that does enter seems to run a diesel so Aston has no chance of beating the other manufactures in LMP1 with a petrol.
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 11:03 (Ref:2652514)   #17
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But they could announce they were the highest placed PETROL car at Le Mans...
Most punters wouldn't know what else was running, and be imnpressed.

Publicity is ALL these teams are really there for, remember. That generates MONEY.
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 11:15 (Ref:2652524)   #18
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But they could announce they were the highest placed PETROL car at Le Mans...
But they don't, and no one cares who is the highest placed petrol in a class or who is the highest placed hybrid, highest placed car made out of gold etc

All that gets remembered is the class winners.
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 11:19 (Ref:2652530)   #19
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And Aston won LMP1bis...
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 12:15 (Ref:2652568)   #20
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Having already won the 24 hours with a road recognisable car, the only logical next step would be Overall. If P+M could get the funding i think they would have preffered to take Corvette to P1 rather than the dummed down gt2 route.
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 12:56 (Ref:2652606)   #21
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I honestly think that this is one of the cases where Aston Martin doesn't necessarily need to win to have the programme bear fruit.

They're not in competition for sales with Audi or Peugeot, and none of their direct competitors are, as others have said, in LMP1. Thus, the Aston Martin presence in LMP1 isn't about beating a competitor to show there's a superior product, it's to imbue the road car line, and ultimately the brand, with a sense that there's a direct link with top line motor racing. I would imagine that comparatively few customers for Aston Martins would dig around sportscar results when considering whether to buy one. Much more likely is that they'll get a warm and fuzzy feeling in the showroom when seeing imagery of Aston Martins competing at Le Mans, and the dealer will be able to offer them a bit of hospitality at Le Mans or Silverstone in the event they're a big enough customer. In this way Aston Martin don't have to announce anything, it'll all work by word of mouth and more latent, ambient ways of communicating.

Overall it forms part of a message that says "Aston Martins look beautiful, they race at Le Mans, they're driven by James Bond, and buying and driving one is a fantastic experience". Does any potential buyer walk out of the showroom because a Peugeot diesel is quicker in LMP1? I'd be surprised.

You can then factor in the self financing aspect of the programme in selling the cars to collectors in advance. Sure the value of the car is enhanced with success, but they're getting that, and in being different to the already pretty well plumbed market of GT1 (which Prodrive had worked with the 550 and the DBR9) it opens up a whole new product line to push to customers.

Obviously I suspect they'd all like the rules to mean an overall victory is possible, and I'm sure that's what they're working towards, but is it essential for the programme to succeed? No - wouldn't think so.
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 14:49 (Ref:2652712)   #22
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Add in all those sales of team gear, etc, and models...
Prodrive must be coining it from those!

Never forget, follow the money.
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 17:16 (Ref:2652803)   #23
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LPM1 means more sponsors, more TV and more money, with that visibility and publicity you can construct and sell more GT2, GT3, GT4, street cars..... and you can win even more money.

David Richards, everything for the money
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 17:23 (Ref:2652811)   #24
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Add in all those sales of team gear, etc, and models...
Prodrive must be coining it from those!

Never forget, follow the money.
Except at race meetings i see far more people wearing Porsche or Ferrari hats and t-shirts than Aston Martin.
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Old 15 Mar 2010, 18:00 (Ref:2652836)   #25
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Except at race meetings i see far more people wearing Porsche or Ferrari hats and t-shirts than Aston Martin.
Is that because Aston Martin were out of racing for so many years or the success of other teams, the public like to be associated with those brands that they can never afford but they can be fickle, give AM a few years of success on the track and suddenly they will be rivalling the others especially if they are seen as another step up the ladder and green has always been my favorite colour never liked red and silver is to common.
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