59 replies to this topic

[DanardiF1]

So, the WEC is back again for this year, and it all kicks off with the 6 hours of Silverstone on this Sunday!

Audi and Toyota have brought 2 cars to compete for the title, with a 3rd Audi expected at Le Mans. Toyota changed their mind on only running one car to re-expand their lineup to 2 cars for this year, and they are expected to pose a real threat to Audi's P1 standing with a strong lineup and good year of development (and race wins!) behind them.

Also in LMP1 are the two Rebellion Lola Toyota cars, and a single HPD run by Strakka.

LMP2 is sadly missing it's titleholders from last year in Starworks, who haven't been able to put together a package for this year owing to some financial/legal issues involving last year's investor/driver Enzo Potolicchio. Despite this there is still a relatively strong lineup, with two car efforts from Oak, Greaves and Delta-ADR (under the G-Drive banner) and Pecom Racing entering their Oreca too.

Kodewa (Colin Kolles' outfit) have also developed their own car for P2, which is badged as a Lotus (confusingly it's called the T128, which was Team Lotus/Caterham's F1 car in 2011... still the Lotus/Lotus confusion goes on!) and replaces their Lola-Judd. The car looks reasonably clever (following a lot of ideas of both Audi and Toyota's P1 cars), but with such a short development schedule they might not be challenging at the front just yet.

In GTE things seem to be short but sweet in terms of Pro cars. There are 6 cars from 3 manufacturers, but the quality is very high. Ferrari have two AF Corse entries, who in their driver pool include new signing Kamui Kobayashi. Porsche bring a works team to the table for the first time since 1998, with two brand new 991 RSR's run by new works squad Manthey Racing. The driving lineup is essentially the cream of Porsche's factory driver squad and they will be looking to change things round for Porsche who haven't had the best few years in GTE. The Aston Martin team have also brought 2 cars, with another new F1 refugee in Bruno Senna, and the improvement shown by the Vantage last year means that they will be looking to challenge for the title just as much as the other 2 teams.

GTE-Am is typically well stocked with some strong teams, cars and drivers, though with the increased effort in the works teams, there might not be as much of a challenge from the quicker -Am cars this year as there was at times in the past.

Entry and spotter guide is here;
Entry List
Spotter Guide - Silverstone 2013

Last year's results are here;
6 Hours of Silverstone - 2012

TV
UK - should be on Motors TV with Radio Le Mans comms.
Other countries can people let me know and I'll add them to the list.

LEGAL STREAMS can be found at both The WEC site AND Audi TV, both of which will be carrying the main feed with Radio Le Mans commentary.

UPDATE For session classifications, go HERE!

and for live timing... live.fiawec.com

For those who want to head to Silverstone on race day (I am!), parking is free, and tickets are £35 (£30 online I think) and should be available on the day. They are roving grandstand tickets so you should be able to go wherever you like (and with 6 hours of racing there's plenty time to see the action from all around the track!).

I'm quite excited as this is actually going to be my first live sportscar race!

Edited by DanardiF1, 13 April 2013 - 12:54.

[Head]

should be very exciting , cars are beautiful , there are some quality drivers. toyota would be even stronger

[Victor_RO]

Will definitely be watching, should provide a decent guide to form for the season and a reminder of the cars I'll be seeing in person at Le Mans for the first time this year.

[gm914]

Very informative OP Danardi Thanks very much.

This is one series I don't really have a favorite team or driver, but enjoy watching when I can.
Will be tuning in.

[DampMongoose]

Thought about going again this year but then remembered the finer points of last year, including the shambolic open pitlane organisation, inability to buy programmes and the poor information/big screens at the circuit... shame as I've been to so many endurance races at Silverstone since the early 80's but last year was very off-putting from a spectator point of view...

[TimRTC]

Distinct lack of open grandstands was a little odd last year, but going again for sat and sun this year. The F3 Euroseries is a nice support bonus, but the ELMS might be a little samey. The historic enduro racing last year was good.

[DampMongoose]

I'd give alot to go back and watch the jags beating the lancia and Porsches again, was my first group c event back on the proper track, current track so restricting for spectators is such a shame but those days are gone, rebellion were best sounding cars, formula cars and the Nissan gts were dull when I last went... Despite the Marshalls outnumbering the spectators the blancpain was a better event...

[DanardiF1]

It's funny, but I'm actually really interested to hear how quiet the Audi's are! On tv you just hear the 'whoosh' of them going by, so I want to see what it's like in the flesh.

Would've liked to be around for the Group C era but ah well... The Silverstone Classic has a decent Group C field doesn't it? Might have to get myself along to that...

[Mandzipop]

I'm setting off for Silverstone in just over an hour. My first sportscar meeting. I can't wait.

[Afterburner]

Thought about going again this year but then remembered the finer points of last year, including the shambolic open pitlane organisation, inability to buy programmes and the poor information/big screens at the circuit... shame as I've been to so many endurance races at Silverstone since the early 80's but last year was very off-putting from a spectator point of view...

Sounds like my visit to Sebring earlier this year, lol. Add to that 'RVs blocking the view of the track around most of the circuit', 'no place to hide from the sun', and 'lots of dust' and you've got it.

It's funny, but I'm actually really interested to hear how quiet the Audi's are! On tv you just hear the 'whoosh' of them going by, so I want to see what it's like in the flesh.

They are very quiet compared to the other cars--no louder than something you'd hear on the highway. No joke; if you're not paying attention, you won't even hear them go by amidst all the other cars on the circuit. Stealth is the new killer.

[DampMongoose]

Sounds like my visit to Sebring earlier this year, lol. Add to that 'RVs blocking the view of the track around most of the circuit', 'no place to hide from the sun', and 'lots of dust' and you've got it.


They are very quiet compared to the other cars--no louder than something you'd hear on the highway. No joke; if you're not paying attention, you won't even hear them go by amidst all the other cars on the circuit. Stealth is the new killer.

Tyre noise is very dull, particularly when you have to sit or stand a country mile from the circuit, group c at brands in 88 very different!

Edited by DampMongoose, 13 April 2013 - 17:52.

[DanardiF1]

I'm setting off for Silverstone in just over an hour. My first sportscar meeting. I can't wait.

Will you be there for race day?

[DanardiF1]

For all session results...

Go HERE!

I'll add it to the OP as well.

[DanardiF1]

Rebellion were P1 and 3 in FP3 just now! Mixed conditions and different programs, but still!

[sennafan]

didn't they do live streaming of qualification and races last year?

[Victor_RO]

didn't they do live streaming of qualification and races last year?

Not sure about qualifying, but the non-Le Mans races were streamed live with Radio Le Mans commentary.

[SPBHM]

no video streaming

[DanardiF1]

I think there's only streaming for the race. The WEC website should be doing a stream (with RLM comms as Victor says) and the Audi TV website should be as well, though I don't know what comms they use for that stream.

[Victor_RO]

I think there's only streaming for the race. The WEC website should be doing a stream (with RLM comms as Victor says) and the Audi TV website should be as well, though I don't know what comms they use for that stream.

Eve from RLM said that Audi TV will carry the same stream as the WEC website with the same commentary.

[DanardiF1]

Eve from RLM said that Audi TV will carry the same stream as the WEC website with the same commentary.

Brilliant, will add those links to the OP as well.

[ApexMouse]

Nice work by toyota.

They should really sort out the GT classes though IMO. The Aston would be nowhere without the absurd weight break, likewise but oppsite for the Ferrari. And only 6 pro entries.

Edited by ApexMouse, 13 April 2013 - 15:46.

[TimRTC]

Not best sign for tomorrow. ELMS race running in heavy rain and been behind safety car for over 40 min already after loads of spins.

EDIT. Red flag, race over at 77%

Edited by TimRTC, 13 April 2013 - 16:21.

[Victor_RO]

I pity anyone who was at the track today, all driver interviews said that it was one of the wettest races they had experienced, Johnny Mowlem compared it to the deluge at Le Mans in 2001.

[qczhao]

So what's the ballast difference between the Astons and the Ferraris?

[DampMongoose]

So what's the ballast difference between the Astons and the Ferraris?

I'm not a great believer in sportscar races running to equality rules, it sounds like it's becoming more like 'the show'...

[ApexMouse]

GT has been infected with it for many years.

[DanardiF1]

Yeah those dreaded words... Balance of Performance. Not a big fan of it particularly in GTE when works teams are building the best cars they possibly can... GT3 doesn't matter so much as it's designed as a Pro-Am category and is a customer car category.

[SPBHM]

less than 10 minutes for the start
http://live.fiawec.com/

[midgrid]

less than 10 minutes for the start
http://live.fiawec.com/

Thanks.

[DracoN]

So they say Mark has signed 5 year contract

[midgrid]

So they say Mark has signed 5 year contract

Literally the first thing I heard!

[midgrid]

Nice early battles. The Audis are so much better in traffic and Wurz is looking ragged.

[DracoN]

2013 Audi is trashing 2012 spec Toyota

[pacificquay]

Seems a bit silly that there's a Blancpain Endurance Series race at Monza on the same weekend WEC/ELMS are racing at Silverstone.

[onewingedangel]

Are Toyota holding back to be able to gain an advantage for Le Mans? Now that the WEC season is running can there be performance balancing for diesel versus petrol, 2 versus 4 wheel drive, etc.?

Toyota looked better than Audi at the tail end of last year following their Silverstone upgrade, but now the Audi looks a solid step ahead. Is it just Audi running a new package and Toyota are not (yet), or have Audi outdeveloped Toyota over the winter despite the rumoured setbacks with their proposed compressed air hybrid system?

[DracoN]

We see 2013 spec toyota in Spa

[midgrid]

Wurz says that his front tyre gave up after three laps - and you thought the soft Pirellis were bad.

[midgrid]

Leventis loses it and piles into a GT Ferrari - possible safety car?

Edit: Kobayashi spins but continues. Welcome to GT racing!

Edited by midgrid, 14 April 2013 - 12:49.

[midgrid]

Here comes the rain!

[Ross Stonefeld]

Seems a bit silly that there's a Blancpain Endurance Series race at Monza on the same weekend WEC/ELMS are racing at Silverstone.

I'm watching Monza, with 60 cars I'm surprised it's not a massive train.

[onewingedangel]

The #7 Toyota is riding like a McLaren MP4-28.

Edited by onewingedangel, 14 April 2013 - 14:36.

[onewingedangel]

McNish needs to drop the hammer, but this could go right down to the wire.

[DrProzac]

Not a bad race it was

[Victor_RO]

Was disappointed in how the Audis managed to simply drive away from everyone today, but Toyota were running their 2012 car and Audi their 2013 car today, so that explains at least a part of the difference. Hoping for a closer-run thing at Le Mans.

[Talisman]

They are very quiet compared to the other cars--no louder than something you'd hear on the highway. No joke; if you're not paying attention, you won't even hear them go by amidst all the other cars on the circuit. Stealth is the new killer.

I was shocked by how quiet the Audi was.

I was at the exit of Luffield and the biggest noise the car made was from its tyres as it ran over the corrugated edge of the kerb, same as you'd get leaving your lane on the motorway. Very disconcerting.

Will be looking forward to Spa and the 2013 Toyota, should be close racing for the entire season.

[Victor_RO]

Have to congratulate the WEC guys on the streaming today, only 3 or 4 hiccups over 7 hours of streaming, almost 13 thousand people at one point watching at the same time, and GLORIOUS video quality. On an officially-sanctioned stream. F1, take note.

[olliek88]

Have to congratulate the WEC guys on the streaming today, only 3 or 4 hiccups over 7 hours of streaming, almost 13 thousand people at one point watching at the same time, and GLORIOUS video quality.

Here, here!

Watched the first few hours on the box before messing the middle part due to Sunday chores, decided to catch the last 20 mins online and i was completely amazed at the quality of the stream! Puts SkyGo to shame.

[DanardiF1]

The #7 Toyota is riding like a McLaren MP4-28.

I noticed that too... it was hopping and skipping through Copse all day.

[DanardiF1]

Got home an hour ago, and had a fantastic day out at my first endurance race!

Those Audis! So quiet and so fast it was scary!

Disappointed at Toyota's day, the car was incredibly stiff though so perhaps that wasn't the right setup for the race.

From what I saw of the new Lotus LMP2's... they were pretty good... though it was pretty funny seeing the #31 running around with it's door open early on.

Me and my friend somehow started cheering on the Larbre Corvette (probably because of the incredibly sounds it makes!) and it's battle with the orange Ferrari at the end was very exciting! There were a few Ferrari guys behind us (we'd gone to the pit straight for the end of the race) who weren't best pleased at the 'incident' that decided the battle, but we were too busy cheering on the underdog!

For £35 that was a really good day, decent crowd turnout as well, so hopefully this will be the start of something big for sportscars in the UK!

[Victor_RO]

I noticed that too... it was hopping and skipping through Copse all day.

There was a great comparison replay between one of the Audis and the 7 Toyota into Stowe, the Audi was hitting the bumps quite badly too, but not as badly as the Toyota, the 7 car was porpoising like crazy.