Goodbye LMP 1 hello Hypercars
Discussion
Still a fun season to be had before we actually say hello to the Hypoercar regs, and with the latest ACO/FIA announcement it seems Toyota are continuing to agree to the gap between HY and NA LMP1 cars being reduced/equalized, so you have to doff your cap to them on that front.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/07/22/fia-wec-l...
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/07/22/fia-wec-l...
//j17 said:
Still a fun season to be had before we actually say hello to the Hypoercar regs, and with the latest ACO/FIA announcement it seems Toyota are continuing to agree to the gap between HY and NA LMP1 cars being reduced/equalized, so you have to doff your cap to them on that front.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/07/22/fia-wec-l...
I feel sorry for all parties, in the last year of current rules they are dealing with a sinking ship. So difficult to know what they can do to make it worthwhile for everyone http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/07/22/fia-wec-l...
Personally I feel the other way - this year will be a classic and next year, the first of Hypercar will be dull. I mean, just how great is the 2021 grid looking?
- Toyota - should turn up, be fast and reliable and win.
- A-M - will turn up, be slow and unreliable, break down and not finish (anyone else remember the B09/60?).
- ByKolles - will probably turn up, but give A-M a run for their money in the "Who can spend most time in the garage" competition.
- Glickenhaus - will they even make it?
Which just leaves the grandfathered LMP1NA cars - possibly with their best chance of winning outright if Toyota hit reliability issues with their new car.
- Toyota - should turn up, be fast and reliable and win.
- A-M - will turn up, be slow and unreliable, break down and not finish (anyone else remember the B09/60?).
- ByKolles - will probably turn up, but give A-M a run for their money in the "Who can spend most time in the garage" competition.
- Glickenhaus - will they even make it?
Which just leaves the grandfathered LMP1NA cars - possibly with their best chance of winning outright if Toyota hit reliability issues with their new car.
I'm really hoping (and believing a little bit!) that the Hypercar class is just the tonic that WEC needs.
It's been mooted in the past that we'd see the best supercars tussling at the top but the difference now is that the Hypercars have the potential to be so fast with all the aero that they've got that they are a credible alternative to full prototypes.
Back in my younger days the XJ220 and F40 were incredible road cars but wouldn't see which way a Group C car would go.
Of course I'd be grateful if nobody mentioned the McLaren F1 which disproves my comment that road cars in the 90's weren't fast enough to compete at the top!
I'm excited and I'll be there :-)
It's been mooted in the past that we'd see the best supercars tussling at the top but the difference now is that the Hypercars have the potential to be so fast with all the aero that they've got that they are a credible alternative to full prototypes.
Back in my younger days the XJ220 and F40 were incredible road cars but wouldn't see which way a Group C car would go.
Of course I'd be grateful if nobody mentioned the McLaren F1 which disproves my comment that road cars in the 90's weren't fast enough to compete at the top!
I'm excited and I'll be there :-)
Oldwolf said:
It's been mooted in the past that we'd see the best supercars tussling at the top but the difference now is that the Hypercars have the potential to be so fast with all the aero that they've got that they are a credible alternative to full prototypes.
Yea, hypercars are now SO fast they are expected to be...not quite as fast as the current LMP2 cars.//j17 said:
Oldwolf said:
It's been mooted in the past that we'd see the best supercars tussling at the top but the difference now is that the Hypercars have the potential to be so fast with all the aero that they've got that they are a credible alternative to full prototypes.
Yea, hypercars are now SO fast they are expected to be...not quite as fast as the current LMP2 cars.//j17 said:
Yea, hypercars are now SO fast they are expected to be...not quite as fast as the current LMP2 cars.
IMHO with the starting point they have for the Hypercars they can regulate (BOP if you like) the lap time up or down to suit. The Hypercars can all easily have 1000hp+ and have aero so they can grip and go, the potential issue with achieving this is that they are lardy old beasts compared to full prototypes.
Happy to be corrected by people who understand engineering :-)
wsn03 said:
//j17 said:
Oldwolf said:
It's been mooted in the past that we'd see the best supercars tussling at the top but the difference now is that the Hypercars have the potential to be so fast with all the aero that they've got that they are a credible alternative to full prototypes.
Yea, hypercars are now SO fast they are expected to be...not quite as fast as the current LMP2 cars.Hopfully the 'points penalty' system being introduced this year will avoid too much sandbagging and trying to game the system.
Edited by //j17 on Wednesday 24th July 14:08
wsn03 said:
//j17 said:
Yea, hypercars are now SO fast they are expected to be...not quite as fast as the current LMP2 cars.
eh? How's that going to work?Reading the ACO press conference PDF, they state in both French and English versions (there is a history of translations being 'interesting' that the 3:30 figure is a race average, which makes no sense at all. LMP2 pole for 2019 was an absolute 3:25.345 with fastest race lap of 3:27.611 and a very very rough calculation gives a 3:55 average (based on total time divided by total laps of the winning car). LMP1 gives 3:44 for the winning car). Even Neveu says 3:30 is a minimum with expected being slightly faster, but it is a prime example of how the ACO does its very best to muddy the waters time and again.
3:30 as an average is not going to happen, 3:30 as a minimum is going to be easy to achieve on a stand alone basis, BoPing 'all' the entries down to 3:30 (and the grandfathered LMP1s if any are entered) will be interesting as the sandbagging will likely be legion. It is actually an excellent opportunity to reset things as there are only so many changes that can be made to the circuits, especially Le Mans, to cater for ever decreasing lap times.
Even with the increased lap times, I'd suggest that the spectacle will not be that greatly reduced and the chance to finally see an LMP2 overall winner and the subsequent mess they'll inevitably make of the podium fiasco will make the first year of Hypercar mildly interesting.
Inverness said:
So can someone please confirm what cars we will be watching at Le Mans 2020? Because if it's the same as this year we may not bother and go to the Classic instead.
At Le Mans 2020 in the top class you will see two Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1s going for overall victory. You may see a Rebellion or two, you might see a ByKolles (personally I hope so) and you might see a Ginetta or two, but......Other than that you'll see the usual LMP2s and GTEs.
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