[WEC] WEC 2019/20 season

[Adam43]

I’m not getting on the 5.15.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by canaglia

Said that, this virtual race likely will be a 24h mess... can't expect everyone around the world will have the same kind and quality of connection, not to mention that as shown by f1/fe official virtual races, drivers will crash on eachother without thinking twice.

They want all the drivers to take part in the same place, in a TV studio in Paris, so everyone will have the same quality connection.

[Aysedasi]

Is that feasible with so many?

[Adam43]

Or just have a race! (I know that it has more support people) at least it is outside.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Is that feasible with so many?

Probably not.

I know some of the teams have refused already, so I suspect the idea will be quietly dropped.

[courageous]

Yeah no way travel restrictions would allow that for global drivers - France isn't going to let american, brazilian, swedish or british gamers into the country

Unless they host the event in a hanger at the airport before immigration

[GT6]

Originally Posted by CTD

Not forgetting The Who and the rest of these guys (and girls):

Careful they might attract the attention of the "Police"

[GT6]

spa site now shows the WEC race in August as being behind closed doors.

[Peter Mallett]

As we now know, China has got another significant outbreak, this time in Beijing. I don't believe the very low figures they are publishing one bit. However, this can only serve to increase the quarantine requirements IMO. We just have to look at New Zealand for examples.

[chernaudi]

I saw a video online that hints that the WEC Pro RSRs have reverted back to a rear exit exhaust.

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

I saw a video online that hints that the WEC Pro RSRs have reverted back to a rear exit exhaust.

Well, that's one piece of good news.
Only 4 cars in LMP1 at Spa.

[Deleted]

Ginetta also bails out from Bahrain so that final official LMP1 event likely has 3 P1s... or 2 if Rebellion chooses not to care

With Ginetta officially out of next year too I think the lead class of 2021 will now look like

Full season
2x Toyota
2x Glickenhaus

Kolles probably goes underground during winter but shows up for Le Mans and Spa either with their singleton "Hypercar" or more likely detuned CLM again

Chris Dyson either fields nothing at all or one detuned Ginetta for Le Mans only but that's it I think

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Ginetta also bails out from Bahrain so that final official LMP1 event likely has 3 P1s... or 2 if Rebellion chooses not to care

With Ginetta officially out of next year too I think the lead class of 2021 will now look like

Full season
2x Toyota
2x Glickenhaus

Kolles probably goes underground during winter but shows up for Le Mans and Spa either with their singleton "Hypercar" or more likely detuned CLM again

Chris Dyson either fields nothing at all or one detuned Ginetta for Le Mans only but that's it I think

I didn't see the story on Ginetta quitting next year. Or is it that lmp1 won't be grandfathered into next year?

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by TF110

I didn't see the story on Ginetta quitting next year. Or is it that lmp1 won't be grandfathered into next year?

LNT won't run the Ginettas next season.

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2020/...rt-after-2020/

[S griffin]

No surprises there. They can't justify spending all that money anymore, they might as well go back to other projects now

[Mal]

Originally Posted by S griffin

No surprises there. They can't justify spending all that money anymore, they might as well go back to other projects now

Yep - crazy that the ACO are willing to throw away loyal manufacturers in the way that they have - there surely must be some bad blood there?

[Adam43]

I agree with the sentiment there Mal, but is Ginetta a loyal manufacturer, well in LMP1 anyway?

[Akrapovic]

Lots of confirmed cars never happened. They blamed the ACO for not letting them race at Silverstone, but then they still weren't ready for the next race. Then LMP3 project is basically dead, and the last teams to run it complained about the cars and support.

There's a discussion to be had about where brands like Ginetta should fit in ACO racing. Because the answer there is "an open LMP2/LMP3 class", where you can sell low numbers of cars like they did before. But that doesn't exist - so now everyone need to up their quality, and it isn't possible for everyone.

[canaglia]

what's so strange?
LNT (basically ginetta itself) can grid the 2 cars only because of paying drivers. No paying drivers, no budget.
Consider also that according some rumors, lnt is struggling to pay the aer engines leasing...

[chernaudi]

That and Tomlinson has ruffled more than a few feathers over the years.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by canaglia

what's so strange?
LNT (basically ginetta itself) can grid the 2 cars only because of paying drivers. No paying drivers, no budget.
Consider also that according some rumors, lnt is struggling to pay the aer engines leasing...

It's basically the same business model as with cheap penny Aston Martin Racing and their pay drivers, but unlike AMR, Ginetta weren't able to sell cars to even few private teams as there's just one series where they can be run, behind Toyotas

Furthemore, other than individuals like Chris Dyson, who's really gonna invest in a class which has had questionable future ever since ACO scrambled for panic button in the wake of Porsche exit. The private teams arriving for the 2018 season with new LMP1 nonhybrid cars did receive vague promise of eligibility for next couple of years at Le Mans, and there was always a chance of embarrassing Toyota failure at 24 Hours as had been the case for forever beforehand, but as usual, they were left in the cold in the end. Oreca-Rebellion, Dallara and Ginetta LMP1 chassis had eligibility of 2 plus "sort of" 1 seasons which is fairly terrible. At least ByKolles didn't waste quite as much money as others since CLM was just the old 2014 model mildly remodded, but still

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by Chiana

It's basically the same business model as cheap penny Aston Martin Racing and their pay drivers, but unlike AMR Ginetta weren't able to sell cars to even few private teams as there's just one series where they can be run (behind Toyotas). Also other than the success penalty nonsense introduced for 19-20, which isn't going to be used at LM anyway, there isn't BoP in LMP1 as there is in GTE with Aston Martin

Furthemore, other than individuals like Chris Dyson, who's really gonna invest in a class which has had questionable future ever since ACO scrambled for panic button in the wake of Porsche exit. The private teams arriving for the 2018-2019 with new LMP1 nonhybrid cars did receive vague promise of eligibility for next couple of years at Le Mans, and there was always a chance of embarrassing Toyota failure at 24 Hours as had been the case for forever beforehand, but as usual, they were left in the cold in the end.

it's a bit different I think, AMR has a full pro program ran by prodrive and funded by AMR (or whoever is actually paying the bills) and a pro-am program ran by prodrive as well but funded by dalla lana (don't know if TF sport is managed by prodrive too).
It's not that different from af corse pro/pro-am/smp gte/gt3 programs.
Difference is that lnt/ginetta is basically a full pro-am team that simply can't run their cars without paying drivers.
Rebellion instead usually had a 1 full pro 1 pro-am.

[S griffin]

Yeah, AMR knew what they were doing, even if there was a mismatch between the teams running them, but they did well with what they got

AF Corse have always had good backing behind them, whilst Ginetta seemed to have bitten off more than they could chew. Rebellion had more backing behind them, hence they were able to have a good mix of pro and pro am drivers

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by canaglia

it's a bit different I think, AMR has a full pro program ran by prodrive and funded by AMR (or whoever is actually paying the bills) and a pro-am program ran by prodrive as well but funded by dalla lana (don't know if TF sport is managed by prodrive too).
It's not that different from af corse pro/pro-am/smp gte/gt3 programs.
Difference is that lnt/ginetta is basically a full pro-am team that simply can't run their cars without paying drivers.
Rebellion instead usually had a 1 full pro 1 pro-am.

My comparison was more really into the Lola AMR days where you had guys like Harold Primat funding LMP1 cars, and they were able to sell old cars to ALMS and other places.

Anyway in GTE, all of the manufacturers can promise their customers they're going to win at least couple of times per season due to bop making them win when it's their turn to be winners, but that cannot promise such in LMP1 (or LMP3 for that matter, strangely). Now, they have had the success penalty nonsense in the 19-20 season but that won't be applied for LM anyway, and next year the neutered P1s, if any enter, will surely be bopped negatively in comparison to LMH

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by Chiana

My comparison was more really into the Lola AMR days where you had guys like Harold Primat funding LMP1 cars, and they were able to sell old cars to ALMS and other places.

Anyway in GTE, all of the manufacturers can promise their customers they're going to win at least couple of times per season due to bop making them win when it's their turn to be winners, but that cannot promise such in LMP1 (or LMP3 for that matter, strangely). Now, they have had the success penalty nonsense in the 19-20 season but that won't be applied for LM anyway, and next year the neutered P1s, if any enter, will surely be bopped negatively in comparison to LMH

I get your point, infact one or maybe two lola-aston chassis were owned by jan charouz during 2009-2010 LM/LMS seasons. Infact AMR had to borrow a lola aston chassis from him in late 2011 when they dropped AMR-one, since they leased two chassis to MMPR for 2011 ALMS and one of them burnt down.
Anyway, (if you are not kolles) you can't seriously rely on paying drivers for a 2cars lmp1 program.... rebellion can do it because is backed by a billionaire, SMP could do it because... well... you know...
,