[WEC] LMP Future Regulations (was Le Mans EVO rules - now hypercar rules)

[Ratzenberger]

I don't see why "everybody" would leave a category like GTP after just a few years, especially if it's a class where teams are going for the outright victory. Even if they did then I'm sure LMP would continue to put on a great show as P2 has been doing in recent times.

Just imagine the number of top car makers around the world that could be waiting for an announcement like this and not to mention the smaller companies that could explode onto the scene and be with us for years to come.

On a side note, I don't think separate Pro and Am classes would be needed if this were to happen - yes it's serving it's purpose at the moment and is bringing some much needed money to the sport with gentleman drivers but I believe a 3 class structure would eventually balance itself out into something like this;

LMGTP: Pro
LMP: Pro, Pro-Am
LMGT: Pro-Am (most factory teams would probably switch to GTP anyway)

Don't misunderstand me, I love watching GT's just as much as Prototype racing and I just see this as the best of both worlds, the last thing I'd want as a fan is for either to suffer which in it's current state I feel LMP1 certainly is.

[Mal]

I dont know why all the doom mongers think Toyota will leave. So far they have done exactly what they originally said.. and more. They have said they are already designing a 2014 car so why does everyone think they will leave?

[MJones94]

Originally Posted by Mal

I dont know why all the doom mongers think Toyota will leave. So far they have done exactly what they originally said.. and more. They have said they are already designing a 2014 car so why does everyone think they will leave?

I share your optimism Mal, but we have to be mindful of a reoccurrence of an 11th hour drop-out such as Peugeot did to us.

[Pandamasque]

Peugeot are in real trouble. They couldn't even afford being seen racing even if it costed them next to nothing. Toyota on the other hand are happily riding on their bullet-proof reputation and are doing fine sales-wise, even if though their mass market cars are way sub-standard compared to the competition.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Peugeot are in real trouble. They couldn't even afford being seen racing even if it costed them next to nothing. Toyota on the other hand are happily riding on their bullet-proof reputation and are doing fine sales-wise, even if though their mass market cars are way sub-standard compared to the competition.

That's a joke? Want to hear something funny? Korea just named the Toyota Camry the "Korean car of the year", over the Korean makes.

Peugeot hopefully gets on their A-Game soon so they can 'afford' to go racing again.

[Pandamasque]

The new Camry is sort of decent, although exceptionally bland as all its siblings sold in Europe and the USA (spare the GT86). Smaller models are quite far behind the competition in everything really, just like the previous Camry was for most of its life-span. That is my opinion, and the opinion of most respected car journos that I've read or heard. No need to discuss it. Most current Peugeots aren't exactly cutting age too, but that's beside the point. However good they may become, I don't see the company ever becoming as successful as Toyota. They just don't cover so many markets and don't have such a good reputation among the public who know or care little about cars, which has always been Toyota's and Lexus' strong point.

[joeb]

Are future LMP regulations going to include Camry's? I think not, so let's get back on topic.

[Pandamasque]

I was simply replying to TF110, who picked up on my opinion of the Toyota line-up. My actual point was that they are very unlikely to be in a situation that forced Peugeot out of Le Mans racing.

[Bubak]

Interesting tweet from Laurent Mercier, Endurance-Info:
https://twitter.com/LaurentMercier2/...28898049327104
" Peugeot Sport back in Motorsport soon ? More than a possibility."

btw Yeah they are back, Craig Breen finished 2nd place at FIA ERC Latvia rally. :-D

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Bubak

Interesting tweet from Laurent Mercier, Endurance-Info:
https://twitter.com/LaurentMercier2/...28898049327104
" Peugeot Sport back in Motorsport soon ? More than a possibility."

btw Yeah they are back, Craig Breen finished 2nd place at FIA ERC Latvia rally. :-D

Peugeot never exited Motorsport, just Le Mans!
They also have the RCZ running in the 24h VLC at Nürburgring.
Peugeot have gone racing in more production based classes.

Peugeot back at Le Mans!?
Don't see it happen before they start to sell a LOT of cars over more than 1 segment (that is more than the 208)

Perhaps we should take this to the Peugeot Thread? (give it a revive)

[Simmi]

Definitely not going to get excited about Peugeot. Can't imagine it will be top-line motorsport and if it is it probably won't be for a while.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Definitely not going to get excited about Peugeot. Can't imagine it will be top-line motorsport and if it is it probably won't be for a while.

Amen... But of course, they have to make their time fully prepared, or they risked losing money.

[MyNameIsNigel]

We haven't heard much about the finalization of the FIA-ACO 2014 LMP rulebook recently, have we ? I further understand that a decision has yet to be made in respect of the fuel-flow meter technology to be used, which is a central element of the new rules. Furthermore, most players have already started working on their 2014 concepts on the basis of a set of rules which is not final. This leads me to a very simple question:

Can the FIA-ACO live up to the expectations and put in a place, in time for the start of the 2014 season, a set of rules that is in any way faithful to the original concept presented back in 2012 ?

[Salamus]

Looks like the goal for the FIA/ACO for next year is to increase LMP1 participants.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105627

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Salamus

Looks like the goal for the FIA/ACO for next year is to increase LMP1 participants.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105627

Well, isn't that "Mission Accomplished" already with Porsche joining, and a Dome LMP1 available?

[Salamus]

Increase privateer LMP1 entries.*

Sure Porsche is joining, but how many privateers will be there next year? There may be new cars coming from Dome, OAK, Lola but how many teams will actually run the cars. FIA/ACO will try to help them out.

[TF110]

Dome, Lotus, Lola, Oak and HPD would be a possible 5 private cars even if there's a single entry from all of them. Coupled with only 2 Toyota's 2 Audi's and 2 Porsche's would be 11 cars. So it's reasonable to think they could get 14-15 entries next year even if the manufacturers don't bring more than 2 each.

[gregtummer]

You can almost guarantee at least 3 cars from Audi.

[TF110]

Thats my point. We know about the Manufacturer entries. But to think there could be 5 separate privateer makes is exciting too.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by TF110

Dome, Lotus, Lola, Oak and HPD would be a possible 5 private cars even if there's a single entry from all of them. Coupled with only 2 Toyota's 2 Audi's and 2 Porsche's would be 11 cars. So it's reasonable to think they could get 14-15 entries next year even if the manufacturers don't bring more than 2 each.

Originally Posted by gregtummer

You can almost guarantee at least 3 cars from Audi.

Originally Posted by TF110

Thats my point. We know about the Manufacturer entries. But to think there could be 5 separate privateer makes is exciting too.

At the very worst imaginable, it will be 11 cars: 2 Toyota's, 2 Audi's, 2 Porsche's, 1 Rebellion, 1 OAK, 1 Lola, 1 Lotus, 1 Strakka HPD. However, I can reasonably expect: 2 Toyota's, 3 Audi's, 2 Porsche's, 2 Rebellions, 2 Multimatic Lola's, 2 OAK's, 1 Strakka, 2 Lotus's, 2 Dome's, and 2 factory HPD's next year at Le Mans... 20 LMP1s. And if Porsche has a stronger backing than we think and OAK has as many LMP1s and they have LMP2s now, we could see up to 25. But that's a long shot. I think 18-20 was what 2014 will bring for us.

Don't you guys wish Le Mans had, say, 100 pit stalls instead of 56, and we could have GTC as well before the "Global GT" class comes in?

[DeathOrGlory]

Is Porsche going to sell their car to customers though?

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by DeathOrGlory

Is Porsche going to sell their car to customers though?

If tradition is anything to go by - and Porsche usually do - then yes, we can expect them to do so.

It's been a while since we've seen a manufacturer sell their LMPs now, not since 2009. I think if anyone's going to start going it again, it will be Porsche. Maybe to one of their GTE teams that fancy a crack at something different.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

The latest RCE edition has an article about the 2014 LMP1 rules, that contains a lot of interesting simulations to predict the lap time, top speed, best engine configuration, etc.

In case people are interested, the article is available as pdf on http://www.lapsim.nl/assets/pdf/Arti...014-LapSim.pdf

[Mal]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

In case people are interested, the article is available as pdf on http://www.lapsim.nl/assets/pdf/Arti...014-LapSim.pdf

Great article and a very interesting conclusion. Even me as a non techy understood most of it.

[Livininthinair]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Really cool, there will be many answers to the same question - the "essence of prototype sportscar racing".