[WEC] WEC 2019/20 season

[Aysedasi]

Not much in the way of surprise there....?

[tux]

Scrap GTE, go GT3 without ABS & TC imo

[MaskedRacer]

As a fan I might take the 2019-20 off since GTE does not look very interesting with 3 makes. BMW and Ford leaving is a big blow for the grid next season, but the one after that has me excited now with this new formula. I am glad the hypercar idea has finally worked out.

What happens to the GT categories though beyond 2020 in WEC I don't know. I think GTLM as we know can be sustainable through 2021. I think IMSA will should open up all-pro with no-GTD-bop-mandates GT3 cars to join the category.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by tux

Scrap GTE, go GT3 without ABS & TC imo

Yeah GTE next season does not look interesting at all. For thankfully for us sportscar fans who are GT first people we have IMSA GTLM/GTD, SRO, GT Open, ADAC, and Nurburgring 24 to look forward to. Hypercar seems very exciting for the following season. Maybe taking WEC off until Le Mans 2020 is not a bad thing.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

As a fan I might take the 2019-20 off since GTE does not look very interesting with 3 makes. BMW and Ford leaving is a big blow for the grid next season, but the one after that has me excited now with this new formula. I am glad the hypercar idea has finally worked out.

What happens to the GT categories though beyond 2020 in WEC I don't know. I think GTLM as we know can be sustainable through 2021. I think IMSA will should open up all-pro with no-GTD-bop-mandates GT3 cars to join the category.

I don't think Porsche would be too big a fan of that idea and possibly BMW since they are still running their program in IMSA.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Attachment 53294

Entry list.

On paper there are no 2-car P2 teams, but are so of those solo entries actually being run by the same group?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by joeb

On paper there are no 2-car P2 teams, but are so of those solo entries actually being run by the same group?

It is possible that the JCDC Racing and Jota cars are related.

[Deleted]

JCDC & Jota = Jota

Racing Team Nederland = TDS Racing

Cetilar Racing = AF Corse

[Mike E]

LMP2 is now almost a spec ORECA series. Since we will have BoP in LMP1, GTE Pro and GTE Am, and since LMP2 is homologated with no modifications of any kind allowed, my unpopular opinion is they should introduce success ballast to LMP2 to even it up a bit.

It's more viable as a performance balancing method in LMP2 than in GTE because the cars weigh the same, have the same layout and use the same engine. And it allows the tyre war to continue without the complication of BoP applied to the same car on different tyres.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Mike E

LMP2 is now almost a spec ORECA series. Since we will have BoP in LMP1, GTE Pro and GTE Am, and since LMP2 is homologated with no modifications of any kind allowed, my unpopular opinion is they should introduce success ballast to LMP2 to even it up a bit.

It's more viable as a performance balancing method in LMP2 than in GTE because the cars weigh the same, have the same layout and use the same engine. And it allows the tyre war to continue without the complication of BoP applied to the same car on different tyres.

Oh god no, can't we have even one class without fabrication please

I don't care if it's a boring Oreca domination (putting lame mandated specness aspect aside) just as I don't mind boring domination from Audi or Toyota or whoever, because it's earned... Not manufactured NASCAR entertainment nonsense

[Mike E]

I hear you, I really do, but the current situation doesn't even achieve its original aim of providing a sustainable business model for a limited number of constructors because over time a majority move towards the most effective car.

Then you end up with a de facto spec series which makes it easier to turn it into an actual spec series.

[Deleted]

The "original aim" was always a PR fairy tale made up by cartel runners Oreca and Onroak, it was never supposed to be anything else. And the money Oak loses on the long run to their neighbour French, they make back in another self imposed cartel monopoly a la LMP3.

There are three types of categories in modern racing:

1. Tech class - F1 and LMP1 only left, by Fall 2021 F1 only.
2. Spec class
3. BoP class

That's it.

[broadrun96]

Cause there were lines of cars ready to enter every race and fill the stands with fans and sponsors for every activity. Oh wait, no there wasn't and no one is lining up to build sports cars or race then without some form of restriction on testing, cash outlay or <insert *****y claim of the day>. Sorry but BOP is around BECAUSE everyone left, not what's causing manufacturers or teams to leave.

And FYI, you might want to watch and follow F1. It isn't exactly this wide open tech paradise you claim. Engines are homologated and updates heavily restricted, tires are trash and spec, aero has been cut and cut but in dumbest ineffective manner, rules have heavily restricted where innovation can be applied within the chassis. So where exactly is it this open rule book form of racing again? Or does reality just not fit your childlike tantrums any longer. Thanks for making the site an absolute chore to filter out the *****ing of a tiny petulant child who honestly needs to have anything, ANYTHING, else to do. If you don't like it, stop following it. IT'S NOT GOING TO GO BACK IN TIME, LEARN THAT and move the f on.

[chernaudi]

Before any arguments or fights happen on here over ideology, I treat auto racing bureaucracy like government bureaucracy. I didn't create it, nor do I advocate most of it. I just deal with it.

Do I wish BOP didn't exist? Yes, I wish that genie was never uncorked. But it has been, has been out roamin' 'round for a while, and it's not goin' away anytime soon.

LMP1 has been broken IMO since 2014. And even then it was starting to become a BOP class just prior to that. If you leave the rules too wide open, you get a tech war. If you make the rules too spec, everyone be default doing the same thing. Only a good compromise will make most of the people happy, be it fans or teams or OEMs or sanctioning bodies.

Without BOP in GT racing, we'd only have Ferrari 488s, Ford GTs, Audi R8s and Lamborghinis, because those are the best packages. And having a bunch of mid engine sports cars out there isn't the variety I grew up with.

I didn't grow up with out and out performance balancing, either. However, after this world weathered the 2008 recession, car makers aren't as willing to spend the golden goose on motorsports programs unless there's a justifiable marketing ROI to it. That means instant gratification, and that means BOP.

Do I like it? No. Do I have to like it? No. But is it the world I live in? Yes.

Best to find some positives if you want to continue being a fan. If not, well, there's other things to do. And it's probably best to drop this line of comments in this part of the forum and save them for the LMP1 Rules thread.

[chernaudi]

Speaking of finding positives, here's some stuff to look forward to:

New evolution of the Toyota TS050.

New Porsche 911 RSR that's supposed to debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed in a couple of weeks and run at the WEC Prologue.

Ferrari 488 Evo and new gen Aston Martin Vantage become eligible for GTE Am.

Potential Ford GT customer teams in either GTE Pro or GTE Am

Ferrari F8 to replace the 488 in a few months time (though not until 2020/21 for WEC most likely) And mid engine C8 Corvette (though probably obviously only for Le Mans).

Also, the WEC Prologue is only a short time away, about a month in a half if I remember correctly.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Speaking of finding positives, here's some stuff to look forward to:

New evolution of the Toyota TS050.

New Porsche 911 RSR that's supposed to debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed in a couple of weeks and run at the WEC Prologue.

Ferrari 488 Evo and new gen Aston Martin Vantage become eligible for GTE Am.

Potential Ford GT customer teams in either GTE Pro or GTE Am

Ferrari F8 to replace the 488 in a few months time (though not until 2020/21 for WEC most likely) And mid engine C8 Corvette (though probably obviously only for Le Mans).

Also, the WEC Prologue is only a short time away, about a month in a half if I remember correctly.

Am possibly but Pro would be highly unlikely. AF Corse and Risi can get away with Pro cars for collectors but doesn't seem like there's the market for more provenance and race history on a GT chassis. They have all already raced LM.

Mid engine Corvette announcement should be in just over a month as well, July 18. I would guess they will allow P&M to show off the race version soon after.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Am possibly but Pro would be highly unlikely. AF Corse and Risi can get away with Pro cars for collectors but doesn't seem like there's the market for more provenance and race history on a GT chassis. They have all already raced LM.

Mid engine Corvette announcement should be in just over a month as well, July 18. I would guess they will allow P&M to show off the race version soon after.

Would love to see the new Corvette in WEC, but we all know that isnt happening, great shame

[chernaudi]

Not unless the ACO pressure P&M/Corvette Racing to make cameo runs like they did during last season.

If a privateer team wants to run in GTE Pro with the GT, I don't see why not, but how many true privateer teams have been in GTE Pro over the years? I can only say AF Corse, and even then they get tons of factory support from Ferrari, probably similar to what a pro team would need from Ford and Multimatic to run a GT.

I actually find an irony in talking about both the Corvette and the GT in this post, because Pratt and Miller are known for their work with GM, but they helped with engineering the second generation Ford GT. And Multimatic is similarly known for their work with Ford, but they assist with and sell their suspension tech to just about anyone who asks for their support, such as GM, Aston Martin, and Mercedes-Benz just to name selected customers of Multimatic's work outside of Ford.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Would love to see the new Corvette in WEC, but we all know that isnt happening, great shame

Yup, at most you'll see Sebring (I'd venture highly likely depending on the premier event being Daytona 2020 but would require 4 chassis to be built) and China (high GM sales area) to get some BOP politics out of the way pre-LM. Yup, the dreaded politics of sportscars but it has to be done.

[Akrapovic]

I believe the ACO has said that to guarantee an entry for Corvette at Le Mans, Corvette must do 1 additional WEC race. If the C8R isn't ready to be double booked at Sebring then I can see mild-factory support being given to a team to run the C7R.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I believe the ACO has said that to guarantee an entry for Corvette at Le Mans, Corvette must do 1 additional WEC race. If the C8R isn't ready to be double booked at Sebring then I can see mild-factory support being given to a team to run the C7R.

Thought I had seen something about that as well, part of why I think Sebring is likely. Plus P&M likes to test and nothing tests like another race, especially at Sebring

[TF110]

I wonder how Vette will play this. Hopefully the C8R is ready to go and we see it in the WEC Super Sebring race weekend for both races. If so, maybe they'll get the go ahead from the WEC to enter LM. I doubt they'll turn them away anyway honestly.

[carbsmith]

The way austerity era Corvette Racing historically does things, the test car we've been seeing the last several months will be replaced by two new race cars, which will leave a spare car available for Sebring assuming you can legally run a car that was built a year before any production models. Or maybe they'll actually have a budget next year.

[seanyb505]

I kinda want to see the aco deny an LM corvette entry. Just to see the outrage.

[Bcarr6]