[LM24] Le Mans 2016 Entry List (and Driver Updates)

[YorkshireLad]

It is more of a procession, you must remember how much these cars are worth, plus the rarity. I just like the sight and sounds, we went down to tetre rouge last year for the practise. Sun was shinning, sat on the railings with a beer seeing beautiful machinery of a gone-by-era flyby. Perfection!

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by antonylight

The ACO press release today launching the Michelin GT3/P3 support race, mentions 2 support races next year - as the Ferrari Challenge Europe race has already been announced, will this mean no Group C/Historic race next year?
Maybe as there will be a stand alone Group C race at the LM Classic next year, outside of the usual 6 grids up to 1979, that could be the reason?
Maybe in "Classic years" there will be no historic support race at the 24 Hours.

What the **** ACO???

In the DSC Q&A article earlier you categorically PROMISED current existing slots not being touched, and MGT3C P only being an addition!

[antonylight]

I would agree that some of the recent support races at LM for Group C/Historics have been majorly disappointing but as an old fart (65), I still enjoy remembering my youth - first went to LM in 1973 - which as a young bloke I didn't particularly enjoy although I wasn't a Matra fan and maybe it wasn't the greatest competitive year, but I was soon converted!
But it's great to see the cars of the 70's and before and it would be a shame if we lose the links with the past at the 24 Hours - even though living in Southern England I can easily go to the Classic every 2 years.
I worry that with the new ACO GT3 Cup and Ferrari/Aston/Porsche support races it could be the end of Historic races at the 24 Hours in the future.
Mind you as I worked for BCE back in the 80's I think I may know the reason!

[Deleted]

I don't watch the Legends race for 'entertainment', not even necessarily for cars itself (since the ACO got stuck between just the C and 49-6X at one point), but for the FEEL of it. Now the link between the past and present on Saturday morning will be lost. This is most unfortunate.

And the Classic LM... Daytona Classic, unbelievably, has already passed it as more interesting and variable old chassis display racing event!

[Aysedasi]

I'm with Sean on this one. The Group Cs are great to look at, but the races have become really rather dull. I'm all for retaining history, but.....

[YorkshireLad]

I received an email to my reply off that Zoe lass from groupcracing she said it was them who decided not to run them on the Saturday, she didn't say exactly why but said the race at the classic will be really good.

Guess the ACO needed a race to fill the gap. Not their fault (for once).

[Deleted]

Just because Group C doesn't want to be there (... weird) doesn't mean ACO cannot have any other periods in that slot! Group C isn't the be-all-and-end-all. Hell even if they didn't have courage to bring anything new (well not new-new but you know what I mean in this context) to the table, they could've just had the 1949-1968 again. But they select not to, on purpose.

The P3/GT3 slot, it was kind of inevitable to have presence if ACO wants the Michelin Cup Thing and LMP3 in general to be any kind of success really. I don't think 50% of interested parties would care of participating if LM slot wasn't part of it. So it was always either gonna be the third slot (as again, Fillion promised just couple of weeks ago) or replace the spec series. But replacing Legends...

[Mike E]

Yes, I would rather the Ferraris had got dumped.

[Deleted]

Ferrari pay money to be there, olden mobiles don't I feel...

[Mike E]

Ricky Taylor will be joining Corvette for LM. One brother in each car.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121839

[Deleted]

Nissan has now confirmed there will be only two cars at LM next year.

So I guess even if Kolles does bring a second chassis it's not gonna pass this year's P1 figures.

[Mies7337]

Is Nissan going to be any competitive next year? They need to be at least as competitive as Toyota has been this year, but that is still way off pace. And what will be their driver's line up?

[Deleted]

Dagys says there are rumours Dempsey might retire from racing. Sounds bizarre so early. You know his huge passion he'd rather do than anything else. But I guess it gets boring after while, IDK. Just like acting?

In any case, if he drops that's one less guaranteed GTE-AM on the grid, and Proton will have trouble in securing more than just single spot at LM. Astons and AF corse have better politics power, and theee's wide array of auto entries.

[Victor_RO]

http://www.24h-lemans.com/fr/actuali...707_22605.html

All 4 new garages will be built in time for the 2016 race, but only 2 will be used in 2016, all 4 will be filled in 2017. So confirmation of 58 entries for 2016 and 60 for 2017.

[Deleted]

They have nowhere else to put the scrutineering people and their stuff than two empty garages? You know, a storage area, or tent or something?

[rich07]

I'm sure they could rustle up a tent from one of the campgrounds

[Deleted]

I'm sure when Fillion, Neveu, Beaumesnil and FIA people were at Sebring for 2012, they saw the Audis getting pushed to those rusty tents and said:

"Ze teent? Euh what is zis lunazy?"

[Deleted]

So24 by Lombard Racing aims to request at least one LMP2 entry
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/...ligier-effort/

And Team Brit aims for 2018 with noble causes. Certainly more plausible to get funding for this, and not nonsense like Brabham was...
http://www.newbridgemotorsport.com/teams/team-brit/

I would say that entry is given for 18 even if they we're only gonna do LM alone.

[Simmi]

What are people's thoughts on the news we'll only get 2 Audis and 2 Porsches then next year. I know some members on here have been calling for that in recent years.

8 factory cars in all. Everyone with an equal chance numerically.

Initial reaction was sadness - mostly just because there are a lot of deserving drivers who just got the door shut on them. But in terms of the actual race maybe it makes it more interesting? There's certainly less margin for error.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by Simmi

What are people's thoughts on the news we'll only get 2 Audis and 2 Porsches then next year. I know some members on here have been calling for that in recent years.

8 factory cars in all. Everyone with an equal chance numerically.

Initial reaction was sadness - mostly just because there are a lot of deserving drivers who just got the door shut on them. But in terms of the actual race maybe it makes it more interesting? There's certainly less margin for error.

Less margin for error certainly - and maybe a bone cast to privateers?

In a lot of the last decade or so we've relied on the cataclysmic clash of three car teams (look at the core principles of either of the Truth in 24 films for example) but maybe we don't need that for 2016.

My one mild sadness is it probably means we don't get the big grid at Spa - but maybe those that are chucked a bone by this (after all, there are now a couple of extra grid slots to fill over and above the extra garages at Le Mans) will show up in Belgium?

[Speedblood]

Originally Posted by Chiana

And Team Brit aims for 2018 with noble causes. Certainly more plausible to get funding for this, and not nonsense like Brabham was...
http://www.newbridgemotorsport.com/teams/team-brit/

Having raced with them (They were a 3rd car in our team at this years Birkett 6hr relay) I sincerely hope they get what they aim for. Great bunch of guys who aren't ashamed to speak about harrowing experiences and watching them enjoy their racing is very satisfying.

Originally Posted by Simmi

What are people's thoughts on the news we'll only get 2 Audis and 2 Porsches then next year. I know some members on here have been calling for that in recent years.

8 factory cars in all. Everyone with an equal chance numerically.

Initial reaction was sadness - mostly just because there are a lot of deserving drivers who just got the door shut on them. But in terms of the actual race maybe it makes it more interesting? There's certainly less margin for error.

While it may take away some of the intensity in the LMP1 battle I actually like the idea, if we're looking to bring more manufacturers into LMP1 there would have to be a squeeze on entries somewhere so having only 2 cars per team will definitely make it more interesting. Less room for error etc. I'm also hopeful this means outside chances for LMP1 privateers to get a good result when the manufacturers fall by the wayside.

[J Jay]

I wonder if the factory (VAG) drivers will be told to back off a tad now that there will only be one sister car to fall back on. It also means less running time to try out different configurations and setups, which may make a difference as the conditions evolve throughout the race.

I'm not so sure about giving privateers a significantly improved chance of a high finish though - this will be the third year of the current regs and the 6/8 cars left should be fast and reliable enough to leave Rebellion/Kolles behind again. The best chance any privateer had in this rules cycle was 2014 and we all know how that ended.

[isynge]

[QUOTE=J Jay;3594022
I'm not so sure about giving privateers a significantly improved chance of a high finish though - this will be the third year of the current regs and the 6/8 cars left should be fast and reliable enough to leave Rebellion/Kolles behind again. The best chance any privateer had in this rules cycle was 2014 and we all know how that ended.[/QUOTE]

Yes indeed - 2014 saw a brand new Rebellion with a less than ideal powerplant come home fourth on its debut. Seeing that happen again for either Rebellion or Kolles would be fantastic.

For 2016 both have a reasonably bedded in car they understand, while the factories, with fewer cars, are doing something new (Audi stepping up a megajoule class, Toyota moving to batteries) so essentially making it like a new rules cycle for them.

Does this make it realistic to suggest a privateer win? Of course not. But does it make the prospect of a private LMP1 getting nearer the prize seats better? I think it does.

If only there wasn't the prospect of such root and branch change in regs for 2017 - otherwise I suspect this pullback from VAG might have encouraged outfits (I'm thinking Strakka and the likes of BRO) to potentially have a go next year.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by isynge

Yes indeed - 2014 saw a brand new Rebellion with a less than ideal powerplant come home fourth on its debut. Seeing that happen again for either Rebellion or Kolles would be fantastic.

For 2016 both have a reasonably bedded in car they understand, while the factories, with fewer cars, are doing something new (Audi stepping up a megajoule class, Toyota moving to batteries) so essentially making it like a new rules cycle for them.

Does this make it realistic to suggest a privateer win? Of course not. But does it make the prospect of a private LMP1 getting nearer the prize seats better? I think it does.

I can't say I agree with this; even if the parts are all new (as I suspect they will be) there is so much more understanding from having the basic regs unchanged for three years that the chance of any car failing next year is much less than it was in 2014. If it applies to the privateers then it is at least as true for the factories. Add in their extra resources and manpower and it's probably truer.

Of course fewer factory cars will bring the privateer teams closer to the top step, but I think that this higher-placed finish will be no better than the two cars that have been dropped, which is why I said that the chance of a good result wouldn't be significantly improved. Another fourth place would be an incredible result, and a bigger achievement than Rebellion's fourth place last year.

[GT6]

If the two cars per factory teams improves the chance of those cars being past to semi private teams like to old days of the 962 porsches them i am all for it, perhaps we will eventually see Audi's and porsches racing again in different colours but with some factory support in the top class, i think the last time we saw that was with the grumpy old man and his pug and that came very close.