[WEC] New rules. New manufacturers. The 2021 and beyond positivity thread!

[Pandamasque]

It doesn't have to be Sebring, of course. Plenty of tracks in the warm part of the US to choose from. There's COTA if they want a modern European-style facility.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

It doesn't have to be Sebring, of course. Plenty of tracks in the warm part of the US to choose from. There's COTA if they want a modern European-style facility.

Yes, and depending on what the team desires to test there are probably a dozen or more tracks to choose from that don't have freezing weather in January to March.

[Adam43]

Be funny if they turned up for Detroit only.

[Ferrari333SP]

No GT3 Corvette until 2024 at the earliest

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/n...ed-until-2024/

[Graham Goodwin]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...tis-group.html

Dodge LMH for IMSA moves closer

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...tis-group.html

Dodge LMH for IMSA moves closer

Well that is not one I thought would happen! Good news indeed!

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...tis-group.html

Dodge LMH for IMSA moves closer

Didn't see that one coming

[Adam43]

Well I never. Not much more than speculation, albeit some internal, at the moment.

The hoping for 2022 for Peugeot and Le Mans is nice to hear.

[Mike E]

Dragonspeed are trying to put a 1 year DPi program together as preparation for LMDh. But they can't find a car.

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/d...022-dpi-entry/

[joeb]

Could Caddy run a WEC program in 2023?

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...mdh-plans.html

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by joeb

Could Caddy run a WEC program in 2023?

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...mdh-plans.html

hope dallara involvment will be limited only to technical support and spare parts supplier... dallara is a good spec champs cars supplier but they are nowhere when is about to have some direct competition

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by joeb

Could Caddy run a WEC program in 2023?

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...mdh-plans.html

The Le Mans announcement for the entire programme would be a bit of a strange one if they didn't have some form of WEC plans. Sounds perfect to be honest.

Great to read Lambo will likely be running both series too.

[tux]

Originally Posted by canaglia

hope dallara involvment will be limited only to technical support and spare parts supplier... dallara is a good spec champs cars supplier but they are nowhere when is about to have some direct competition

I dunno about that. Their GT3 car is pretty good. Saw off everyone else in F3 to become the only chassis.

[Bobo79]

Originally Posted by tux

I dunno about that. Their GT3 car is pretty good. Saw off everyone else in F3 to become the only chassis.

And the Audi they built wasn't bad at Le Mans.

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by Bobo79

And the Audi they built wasn't bad at Le Mans.

they were hired only to produce audi lmp1 cars carbon monocoque, aero development and the rest has always been made by audi sport.
Same matter for cadillac dpi, dallara delivers carbon tub but aero development and the rest was made by GM... that's why cadillac dpi is the best dpi around and dallara lmp2 is a joke, despite made on same platform.
Dallara is great doing single seat spec cars like indy or SF, which are good and reasonable safe cars, easy to set-up and not too expensive... as supplier is quite excelent but when they need to develope a whole car on their own to face competitors, dallare reveals to be quite weak and disappointing...

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by joeb

Could Caddy run a WEC program in 2023?

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...mdh-plans.html

Earlier, MP hinted that Ganassi is to run one Cadillac in WEC and one in IMSA as a works effort. But then, a lot can change by 2023.

IMO, while they can sort of get away with 1 works car in IMSA if their privateer roster is as good, as in DPi, a lone Cadillac in the WEC vs multiple cars from each of the other brands seems like a weak representation.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by canaglia

Same matter for cadillac dpi, dallara delivers carbon tub but aero development and the rest was made by GM... that's why cadillac dpi is the best dpi around and dallara lmp2 is a joke, despite made on same platform.

Aero-wise Dallara and "Cadillac" are by far the closest of all DPi-P2 siblings. At least what can be seen with the naked eye, the aero concept is identical, pure cosmetics setting the Cadillac apart by: a headlight here, a fender/bargeboard angle there...
http://www.connectingrod.it/apri_new...=222&lingua=en

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Aero-wise Dallara and "Cadillac" are by far the closest of all DPi-P2 siblings. At least what can be seen with the naked eye, the aero concept is identical, pure cosmetics setting the Cadillac apart by: a headlight here, a fender/bargeboard angle there...
http://www.connectingrod.it/apri_new...=222&lingua=en

aero is not only what you can naked eye see, for sure cadillac dpi aero is based on dallara lmp2 aero but GM managed to make work the whole package much better.
According to former dallara lmp2 teams, the lmp2 car wasn't able to let tires reach opt temp, making the handling unpredictable... not to mention the considerable lack of downforce, basically a junk of car.
Cadillac dpi is basically perfect and balanced in each condition, even all the aero limitations it has to get through because of bop don't make it actually slower.

[joeb]

EI has a news wrap up posted with some interesting items

There are several rumors that Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr are expected to be part of Porsche Penske Motorsport's LMDh program in 2023. Cameron previously drove for Penske under the Acura Team Penske banner from 2018-2020 winning the DPi Championship with Juan Pablo Montoya in 2019. Both are part of a "shortlist" of the 20 drivers evaluated by Porsche for the team's dual IMSA and WEC program.

An Asian manufacturer has appeared as a possible candidate for the LMDh, an evaluation process is reportedly underway with an LMP2 chassis acquired from a team.

Not sure who the Asian manufacturer would be since Honda and Toyota are already involved, and Mazda just quit. Hyundai have been doing well in touring cars recently so that is a possibility. Can't imagine it is Nissan, but maybe? What about a Chinese company?



https://www.endurance-info.com/auto/...breves-du-jour

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by joeb

EI has a news wrap up posted with some interesting items




Not sure who the Asian manufacturer would be since Honda and Toyota are already involved, and Mazda just quit. Hyundai have been doing well in touring cars recently so that is a possibility. Can't imagine it is Nissan, but maybe? What about a Chinese company?



https://www.endurance-info.com/auto/...breves-du-jour

Maybe it could be Alpine-Nissan in the same way as Audi-Porsche-Lambo or Peugeot-Dodge ...

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

Maybe it could be Alpine-Nissan in the same way as Audi-Porsche-Lambo or Peugeot-Dodge ...

at first me too thought about an alpine-nissan shared effort like porsche-audi, but:
"an evaluation process is reportedly underway with an LMP2 chassis acquired from a team."
this doesn't make any sense if related to nissan... alpine/signatech is already deeply tied with oreca, why nissan should buy a lmp2 chassis from another team? considering also there are already nissan powered ligier lmp2 parked somewhere....
about hyundai, it's a 10 years long rumor, and I think they are much more focusing on nothing else but new WRC specs.
What about techeetah? Afterall they just need to be branded by a manufacturer to be able to field their lmdh (and the manufacturer doesn't even need to be the engine supplier, similiar to what happen in IMSA where multimatic + AER = mazda).

[Pandamasque]

Duqueine has me confused.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...-and-lmdh.html

“On the topic of LMDH and Hypercar, I have to say that I initially had some trouble understanding where the rule makers wanted to take us. But in the end, it’s an exceptional and excellent set of regulations. Hats off to the ACO ! Just look at what Peugeot did with it. That car design is so pleasantly disruptive… they’ve really nailed it by empowering design teams.

“I believe that an LMDH program could totally fit with the development strategy and the quest of excellence of our aeronautical group. It’s clearly an interesting business opportunity assuming that you first get the support of an OEM group. We are most definitely looking into it. There is some room for us to exist here, undoubtedly.”

He praises the freedoms within LMH regs, then talks about LMDh, except the latter
1. do not allow such a freedom
2. do not allow Duqueine's participation as a chassis provider
3. do not allow Duqueine's participation as competing marque, since it's not a car brand, let alone one that mass produces vehicles.

So what is this about? Is Duqueine's aeronautical group looking to run track activities for an OEM with a third party chassis?

[Aysedasi]

Or he just added a 'D' by mistake......

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Or he just added a 'D' by mistake......

Actually, that would explain everything.

[Mike E]

Maybe they are offering to do the aero work on an LMDh car.