F1 Azerbaijan clash with Le Mans 2016
Discussion
London424 said:
Yet go round tracks slower than F1 cars.
There is a difference in a car set up for a 6 hour race to that for a 90 minute one, however, which makes direct lap time comparisons difficult. Whatever the difference, there is certainly enough of a threat to worry Bernie. He'll be banning tracks from hosting WEC events next, if he isn't already with some of the new ones.
thegreenhell said:
Le Mans and WEC got a lot of exposure in the F1 world with Hulk's win this year. A few other current F1 drivers were starting to sniff around the endurance race. The easiest way for BE to nip that in the bud and protect his interests is a simple date clash.
I think you are exactly right. Would love to see Force India sub in a driver and let Hulkenberg head off to France for the weekend. Given the state of relations between Bernie and CVC that might yet happen.
andyps said:
London424 said:
Yet go round tracks slower than F1 cars.
There is a difference in a car set up for a 6 hour race to that for a 90 minute one, however, which makes direct lap time comparisons difficult. Whatever the difference, there is certainly enough of a threat to worry Bernie. He'll be banning tracks from hosting WEC events next, if he isn't already with some of the new ones.
I don't think WEC is a threat insofar as it's just another option for a fan.
We hear time and again that committing 2 hours to watch an F1 race is quite a lot yet committing 6 hours (or 24) to a WEC will have them streaming in.
If the Azerbaijan GP takes place it will no doubt have a tiny number of spectators attending. I honestly can't see that any of them would really be torn between that race and Le Mans.
And for tv viewers it's easy to flick over to the F1 for a couple of hours surely. Does anyone watch all 24 hours of LM on tv? Surely not.
I suppose there could be a few at Le Mans who will miss being at home to see the GP but, really is it that unmissable?
And for tv viewers it's easy to flick over to the F1 for a couple of hours surely. Does anyone watch all 24 hours of LM on tv? Surely not.
I suppose there could be a few at Le Mans who will miss being at home to see the GP but, really is it that unmissable?
REALIST123 said:
If the Azerbaijan GP takes place it will no doubt have a tiny number of spectators attending. I honestly can't see that any of them would really be torn between that race and Le Mans.
And for tv viewers it's easy to flick over to the F1 for a couple of hours surely. Does anyone watch all 24 hours of LM on tv? Surely not.
I suppose there could be a few at Le Mans who will miss being at home to see the GP but, really is it that unmissable?
It is probably, as has been suggested, more about stopping F1 drivers having the chance to take part at Le Mans and therefore the F1 coverage being hijacked by discussions about an alternative series.And for tv viewers it's easy to flick over to the F1 for a couple of hours surely. Does anyone watch all 24 hours of LM on tv? Surely not.
I suppose there could be a few at Le Mans who will miss being at home to see the GP but, really is it that unmissable?
I wouldn't be surprised to see a start time for the Baku race being set such that it interferes with the ability to watch both the finish of Le Mans and the F1 race live.
Would rather cut my head off than watch F1 over Le Mans. Best day of the year even watching at home.
London424 said:
We hear time and again that committing 2 hours to watch an F1 race is quite a lot yet committing 6 hours (or 24) to a WEC will have them streaming in.
WEC (and particularly Le Mans) has 4 races going on at the same time though. So much more to get interested in. The speed differentials alone make for way more exciting watching than F1.Edited by p1stonhead on Friday 16th October 15:17
HoHoHo said:
I'm sure we've had Canada clash with Le mans previously - not a deal breaker for me, LM every time and I have two sports to watch that weekend.
I certainly remember checking into a Hotel in Alencon on my way from on the Sunday evening and watching the race in my room. Well I fell asleep after the start. Situation normal.ok its difficult to compare WEC against F1....but lets take the whole 'pinnacle of the sport' thing....what makes a sport the pinnacle? for f1 its always prided itself on being the fastest motorsport with advanced technologies that translate onto the road, peddled by the best drivers in the world
by all accounts the WEC has far better hybrid technology, diverse cars and far more direct connections to their road going cousins than F1 at the moment. f1 isn't as fast as it used to be, would be slower in a straight line than an indycar or WEC car. and yes it has some of the best drivers in the world....but only about 2/3 of the grid...and even 'the best drivers in the world' is debatable when you look at rallying for instance.
for me f1 is lost, it doesn't produce the technology anymore, it isn't loud, the racing isn't great and isn't that fast....especially when you look at the budgets to make the cars go that fast when compared to indycar, gp2, WEC....yes WEC isn't as quick but its a bloody sight cheeper...
....so basically by all accounts F1 is now mediocre.....its not standing out at anything, but is doing ok at most things...its like getting 9 B grades at GCSE when compared to WEC or other motorsports that get 5 A stars and 4 Ds
by all accounts the WEC has far better hybrid technology, diverse cars and far more direct connections to their road going cousins than F1 at the moment. f1 isn't as fast as it used to be, would be slower in a straight line than an indycar or WEC car. and yes it has some of the best drivers in the world....but only about 2/3 of the grid...and even 'the best drivers in the world' is debatable when you look at rallying for instance.
for me f1 is lost, it doesn't produce the technology anymore, it isn't loud, the racing isn't great and isn't that fast....especially when you look at the budgets to make the cars go that fast when compared to indycar, gp2, WEC....yes WEC isn't as quick but its a bloody sight cheeper...
....so basically by all accounts F1 is now mediocre.....its not standing out at anything, but is doing ok at most things...its like getting 9 B grades at GCSE when compared to WEC or other motorsports that get 5 A stars and 4 Ds
37chevy said:
ok its difficult to compare WEC against F1....but lets take the whole 'pinnacle of the sport' thing....what makes a sport the pinnacle? for f1 its always prided itself on being the fastest motorsport with advanced technologies that translate onto the road, peddled by the best drivers in the world
by all accounts the WEC has far better hybrid technology, diverse cars and far more direct connections to their road going cousins than F1 at the moment. f1 isn't as fast as it used to be, would be slower in a straight line than an indycar or WEC car. and yes it has some of the best drivers in the world....but only about 2/3 of the grid...and even 'the best drivers in the world' is debatable when you look at rallying for instance.
for me f1 is lost, it doesn't produce the technology anymore, it isn't loud, the racing isn't great and isn't that fast....especially when you look at the budgets to make the cars go that fast when compared to indycar, gp2, WEC....yes WEC isn't as quick but its a bloody sight cheeper...
....so basically by all accounts F1 is now mediocre.....its not standing out at anything, but is doing ok at most things...its like getting 9 B grades at GCSE when compared to WEC or other motorsports that get 5 A stars and 4 Ds
1. F1 is still faster than WECby all accounts the WEC has far better hybrid technology, diverse cars and far more direct connections to their road going cousins than F1 at the moment. f1 isn't as fast as it used to be, would be slower in a straight line than an indycar or WEC car. and yes it has some of the best drivers in the world....but only about 2/3 of the grid...and even 'the best drivers in the world' is debatable when you look at rallying for instance.
for me f1 is lost, it doesn't produce the technology anymore, it isn't loud, the racing isn't great and isn't that fast....especially when you look at the budgets to make the cars go that fast when compared to indycar, gp2, WEC....yes WEC isn't as quick but its a bloody sight cheeper...
....so basically by all accounts F1 is now mediocre.....its not standing out at anything, but is doing ok at most things...its like getting 9 B grades at GCSE when compared to WEC or other motorsports that get 5 A stars and 4 Ds
2. You'll have to explain how these hybrid system are completely different. Diverse cars yes.
3. WEC cars aren't faster over a lap or in a straight line I'm afraid.
4. No drivers give up a career in F1 to drive WEC. They end up in WEC as they can't get a drive in F1. 'Best in the world' is completely subjective and as you state there are many other motorsport variants.
5. I think you might be underestimating the budgets of some of the WEC teams.
1. F1 is still faster than WEC - Porsche did 212mph at le mans this year, Mercedes C11 did 242mph in group c days...f1 hasn't gone that fast
2. You'll have to explain how these hybrid system are completely different. Diverse cars yes. they have supercapasitors, batteries, flywheels, both 2 and 4 wheel drive, front and rear, v4, v6, v8 and v10 engine....f1 has 1 type and a v6 hairdryer engine
3. WEC cars aren't faster over a lap or in a straight line I'm afraid....no and I said they weren't as fast over a lap.....like I said though how many extra $$$$$ does that cost.....and if you want fast in a straight line go drag racing.....my funny car would beat an f1 car over a quarter mile.....so theyre not that fast!!!!
4. No drivers give up a career in F1 to drive WEC. They end up in WEC as they can't get a drive in F1. 'Best in the world' is completely subjective and as you state there are many other motorsport variants. Webber gave up f1 to drive in WEC....yes but im sure most drivers wouldn't like the pay cut from f1 to wec...
5. I think you might be underestimating the budgets of some of the WEC teams....no not underestimating!....audi themselves said they would have to give up WEC DTM and Rallycross to get some sort of budget to race in F1
Its ok though.....you sound like your set on f1....I like f1 but not set on it...horses for courses I suppose...id rather be at an endurance race though, nicer cars, better sounds, better racing, more bang for your bucks
2. You'll have to explain how these hybrid system are completely different. Diverse cars yes. they have supercapasitors, batteries, flywheels, both 2 and 4 wheel drive, front and rear, v4, v6, v8 and v10 engine....f1 has 1 type and a v6 hairdryer engine
3. WEC cars aren't faster over a lap or in a straight line I'm afraid....no and I said they weren't as fast over a lap.....like I said though how many extra $$$$$ does that cost.....and if you want fast in a straight line go drag racing.....my funny car would beat an f1 car over a quarter mile.....so theyre not that fast!!!!
4. No drivers give up a career in F1 to drive WEC. They end up in WEC as they can't get a drive in F1. 'Best in the world' is completely subjective and as you state there are many other motorsport variants. Webber gave up f1 to drive in WEC....yes but im sure most drivers wouldn't like the pay cut from f1 to wec...
5. I think you might be underestimating the budgets of some of the WEC teams....no not underestimating!....audi themselves said they would have to give up WEC DTM and Rallycross to get some sort of budget to race in F1
Its ok though.....you sound like your set on f1....I like f1 but not set on it...horses for courses I suppose...id rather be at an endurance race though, nicer cars, better sounds, better racing, more bang for your bucks
Gaz. said:
While Toyota say they spent $40m in 2014, so comparable to Force India, Audi spend $242m per year on their WEC programmes and some teams want a cost cap while Audi & Porsche do not. Sounds familiar?
I am a fan of both series but I am not blind to the faults of either series and they both have significant ones at that.
yes, but look at the hidden costs of the budgets....that's the total amount for Audi....and while its a lot (Porsche spent circa 100 million) Ferrari spent $400 million alone on developing their new engine! and then another $400 million on the racing programme.....and haven't won the championship!I am a fan of both series but I am not blind to the faults of either series and they both have significant ones at that.
37chevy said:
1. F1 is still faster than WEC - Porsche did 212mph at le mans this year, Mercedes C11 did 242mph in group c days...f1 hasn't gone that fast
2. You'll have to explain how these hybrid system are completely different. Diverse cars yes. they have supercapasitors, batteries, flywheels, both 2 and 4 wheel drive, front and rear, v4, v6, v8 and v10 engine....f1 has 1 type and a v6 hairdryer engine
3. WEC cars aren't faster over a lap or in a straight line I'm afraid....no and I said they weren't as fast over a lap.....like I said though how many extra $$$$$ does that cost.....and if you want fast in a straight line go drag racing.....my funny car would beat an f1 car over a quarter mile.....so theyre not that fast!!!!
4. No drivers give up a career in F1 to drive WEC. They end up in WEC as they can't get a drive in F1. 'Best in the world' is completely subjective and as you state there are many other motorsport variants. Webber gave up f1 to drive in WEC....yes but im sure most drivers wouldn't like the pay cut from f1 to wec...
5. I think you might be underestimating the budgets of some of the WEC teams....no not underestimating!....audi themselves said they would have to give up WEC DTM and Rallycross to get some sort of budget to race in F1
Its ok though.....you sound like your set on f1....I like f1 but not set on it...horses for courses I suppose...id rather be at an endurance race though, nicer cars, better sounds, better racing, more bang for your bucks
1. Again, WEC aren't currently as fast as F1 cars. Take Silverstone this year. The fastest top speed was 276 kph by one of the Audi's. In F1 you had Grosjean in his Lotus at 327 kph. 2. You'll have to explain how these hybrid system are completely different. Diverse cars yes. they have supercapasitors, batteries, flywheels, both 2 and 4 wheel drive, front and rear, v4, v6, v8 and v10 engine....f1 has 1 type and a v6 hairdryer engine
3. WEC cars aren't faster over a lap or in a straight line I'm afraid....no and I said they weren't as fast over a lap.....like I said though how many extra $$$$$ does that cost.....and if you want fast in a straight line go drag racing.....my funny car would beat an f1 car over a quarter mile.....so theyre not that fast!!!!
4. No drivers give up a career in F1 to drive WEC. They end up in WEC as they can't get a drive in F1. 'Best in the world' is completely subjective and as you state there are many other motorsport variants. Webber gave up f1 to drive in WEC....yes but im sure most drivers wouldn't like the pay cut from f1 to wec...
5. I think you might be underestimating the budgets of some of the WEC teams....no not underestimating!....audi themselves said they would have to give up WEC DTM and Rallycross to get some sort of budget to race in F1
Its ok though.....you sound like your set on f1....I like f1 but not set on it...horses for courses I suppose...id rather be at an endurance race though, nicer cars, better sounds, better racing, more bang for your bucks
2. Yes, we agree they have different formats, because the rules allow this. It's called a 'Formula' series for a reason.
3. The budgets aren't a million miles different. Don't forget the WEC championship is less than half the number of races as an F1 season.
4. Webber...I think we can safely conclude that he was at the end of his F1 career.
5. Yes Audi would have to give up other forms of motorsport but that is also because they'd have to commit to more people and more races. That's only if they want to be an engine manufacturer as well. They could easily be a customer team and buy an engine for much less money though
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