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2016 FIA World Endurance Championship


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#1 Victor_RO

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:01

Discussion thread for the full season. Starting it now because there's some news that needs to be discussed.

 

Let's dive in straight away with two shockers.

 

1. The new Audi. 6 MJ diesel, and it looks... odd.

 

https://twitter.com/...692753475506178

 

2. This is the important bit. Both Audi and Porsche are SCALING BACK to two cars for the full season, no third car for Spa and Le Mans.

 

http://sportscar365....at-24h-le-mans/



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#2 Brandz07

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:05

Really ugly.



#3 Lights

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:06

Scaling back to 2 cars? Ah damn I was hoping Toyota was going to add a third  :(



#4 muramasa

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:12

looks "( Dome/Strakka + Formula E + NISMO GTR ) / 3".



#5 stewie

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:14

Well that solves the whole Hulkenburg issue, even if there isn't an F1 race, there probably won't be a car for him to drive.

#6 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:15

The whole front design is new, rear endplates also very aggressive. Couldn't take any tech shots because car was covered again #24hLeMans



#7 Kev00

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:16

Shame about not running 3 cars. So little opportunity for rookies to prove themselves in lmp1.

#8 OvDrone

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:20

No 3 cars? At least this makes the 2015 Le Mans win that more special.

 

I quite like the new Audi to be honest.



#9 Risil

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:23

2 cars each is a little bit sad, but on the other hand it does mean reliability will be a bigger factor.

 

Has anyone asked Nissan how many cars they're going to bring?  ;)



#10 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:34

CU7PcjMWoAA6iC3.jpg

CU7PcqqWEAAhB-m.jpg

 

CU7Pcp0WcAQ-7-g.jpg



#11 Anja

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:35

Damn, that's ugly...


Edited by Anja, 28 November 2015 - 20:36.


#12 JHSingo

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:35

Find it disappointing that over the years the R18 has gone from this

 

audi-r18-lemans-qualifying-2011.jpg

 

...to this.

 

CU7HgTRWIAApXgW.jpg

 

 

Also, can someone in LMP1 please design a livery that doesn't mostly or entirely consist of black, white, silver or grey. :lol:

 

The scaling back is a shame. So much for this theory that you can't win Le Mans with only two cars. In some ways it could make things more interesting, as it'll place even greater emphasis on having a clean run and could result in some surprises. But on the other hand, disappointing it seems that Bamber and Tandy won't get chance to be defending race winners. How's that for a reward. "Yeah, well done guys on winning and all...but now we're not going to run a third car. Soz."

 

Is it just me being cynical, or is that a tactic to prevent a non championship contending car taking points off their full season entrants? Of course, given VW's current crisis, it may be down to other things...  ;)


Edited by JHSingo, 28 November 2015 - 20:37.


#13 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:36

So @Audi__Sport drop flywheel and shift to batteries

 

Chris Reinke: 'We stay with the TDI, 50 percent more hybrid power' #AudiSport #WEC #AudiSportFinale

Chris Reinke: 'Battery storage and high focus on aero as you can see' #AudiSport #WEC #AudiSportFinale



#14 Marklar

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:40

CU7PcjMWoAA6iC3.jpg

CU7PcqqWEAAhB-m.jpg

 

CU7Pcp0WcAQ-7-g.jpg

Oh God. How should I survive to look on this 24 hours long :eek:



#15 Risil

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:40

Back of the Audi looks a bit Indycar/Formula E.



#16 Disgrace

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:41

That is quite spectacularly hideous.



#17 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:41

Audi LMP1: 1)New shallower lights 2)undercut wheelpods-space for diveplanes 3)mirror 4)low sidepod height

CU7QCycXAAEkl0w.jpg



#18 stewie

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:48

That front basically looks like a 2009-2010 F1 front wing with front wheel/suspension covers!

#19 JHSingo

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:52

Figured out where Audi got inspiration from for the new car.

 

Zulltec1.jpg



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#20 jr80

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:55

How harsh is that for Nick Tandy and Bamber? Go out there and outperform Webber (amongst others) on pace and consistency at Le Mans and have nothing next year.

Edited by jr80, 28 November 2015 - 20:56.


#21 AlexLangheck

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 20:59

Scaling back to two cars is better than no cars; which could have happened thanks to the ongoing VW Group crisis.

#22 Victor_RO

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 21:11

I reckon some LMP2 teams will be getting calls from Weissach and Neuberg in the next few weeks saying "hello, we have these works drivers with LMP experience that we need to keep race-fit; could you please run them for the full WEC season please in your cars? kthxbye"



#23 Richard T

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 21:20

That looks..... Purposeful.


Actually, it looks like a 2013 F1 car with a roof and wheel arches.

Edit: I forgot mean!

Edited by Richard T, 28 November 2015 - 21:26.


#24 Scotracer

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 21:28

LMP1s have been going the high nose route for some time. Not surprised at all by the aero concept at all.

#25 nosecone

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 22:04

I didn't know LMP1 cars can look ugly. Audi proved me wrong



#26 Zava

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 22:21

That looks..... Purposeful.


Actually, it looks like a 2013 F1 car with a roof and wheel arches.

Edit: I forgot mean!

absolutely. first thing that popped to my head was the F138 when I was looking at the frontal shot. 

 

anyway, it is so ugly even my avatar is raging. :lol: recognize him? 



#27 Marklar

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 22:25

Ive already miss your old avatar :cry:

#28 Volcano70

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 23:07

That means Porsche can run a 3rd GT with Tandy, Bamber and maybe someone form Supercup?



#29 Imateria

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Posted 28 November 2015 - 23:26

Interesting design, I just wish they'd stop this rubbish of calling all their LMP1's the R18 from now on. It's quite obviously an all new car over it's predecessor so really shoudl be called the R20 or something.

 

Disappointing about Tandy and Bamber but it's better than the whole marque pulling out, I suspect they'll find themselves with all sorts of LMP2 and GT drives across the world next year (kind of like this year then, actually).



#30 Myrvold

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 00:04

How often have it happened that none of the overall winners will have a shot at winning it again the following year? (As in not driving the top class)



#31 TF110

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 03:11

Interesting design, I just wish they'd stop this rubbish of calling all their LMP1's the R18 from now on. It's quite obviously an all new car over it's predecessor so really shoudl be called the R20 or something.

 

Disappointing about Tandy and Bamber but it's better than the whole marque pulling out, I suspect they'll find themselves with all sorts of LMP2 and GT drives across the world next year (kind of like this year then, actually).

That naming belongs to Renault. The car looks a lot like the Lister lmp1 with a bubble cockpit added-

Lister-Storm-LMP.jpg



#32 404KF2

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 03:17

I can see by the smoke that it's powered by one of those "Clean TDI Diesels". :stoned:



#33 CoolBreeze

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 06:06

That's one ugly looking LMP1 car. Honestly...when was the last we saw something this ugly?

 

Audi scaling back..well..considering how bad habit their drivers have of getting into crashes with the back markers, i hope they know what they are doing :smoking:



#34 Victor_RO

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 07:51

Meanwhile, at the Audi launch, Dr Wolfgang Ullrich was pretty scathing about the persistent Audi to F1 rumours.

"Every year we are asked why Audi Sport isn’t in Formula 1 – I’m tired of it. We have made the decision to stay in LMP1 in the FIA WEC and it was obviously the right one. This is pure bred racing with direct relevance to the technology transfer that can help development and sales of Audi’s road car range.”

http://www.dailyspor...-the-sword.html

So, knowing the F1 media, that will just fan the speculation flames again. Over nothing.

#35 Jager

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 08:04

I don't mind it. Looks agressive and still has some better lines than the Porsche LMP1.

 

What Audi said is "both factory teams would reduce their planned Le Mans attacks". Could we see 3rd cars (2015 spec) run by by privateers - similar to how Kolles ran the R10 in 2009 (& 2010) when the factory team swithed to the R15 ?



#36 Victor_RO

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 08:18

I don't mind it. Looks agressive and still has some better lines than the Porsche LMP1.

 

What Audi said is "both factory teams would reduce their planned Le Mans attacks". Could we see 3rd cars (2015 spec) run by by privateers - similar to how Kolles ran the R10 in 2009 (& 2010) when the factory team swithed to the R15 ?

 

I was thinking about that, but unless they find a "private" team with a significant budget of their own, the two cars from each are all we'll see.



#37 Ben1445

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 09:19

This 'R18' (which really needs a new name) is truly hideous. 

 

Both VW group teams downscaling to 2 cars? If there was ever a time for Toyota to push for more money for three it's now surely... not that they will 



#38 chunder27

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 10:02

Is there any explanation as to why they are cutting numbers?

Or is it just that we think the emissions scandal is the likely culprit?

#39 AlexLangheck

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 11:11

The emissions scandal hasn't really affected any of the VW Group Motorsport programmes; when maybe 1 should have been pulled. However, maybe this is their concession - running 2 cars only for both Porsche & Audi; which is better than losing 1 team.

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#40 proviz

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 12:36

If you want aesthetics to dictate racing designs, watch historics where you find cars built as sculptures, before proper aerodynamics know-how came to the fore.

I want to see technological cutting edge and new ideas in the cars. That's why Audi's latest R18 is heartily welcomed! Mind you, it would seem appropriate to give it a new type number.


Edited by proviz, 29 November 2015 - 12:37.


#41 Victor_RO

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 13:35

If you want aesthetics to dictate racing designs, watch historics where you find cars built as sculptures, before proper aerodynamics know-how came to the fore.

I want to see technological cutting edge and new ideas in the cars. That's why Audi's latest R18 is heartily welcomed! Mind you, it would seem appropriate to give it a new type number.

 

It does have a new type number internally, it's designated as RP6 I believe. But since Renault own the copyright to R19 any R2x designation, Audi had to stop at R18.

 

And they used as pretext the fact that they've used the A3, A4, A6, A8 etc. designations for generation after generation after generation of car, so they'll apply that to their race cars as well then.



#42 Myrvold

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 15:37

Is there any explanation as to why they are cutting numbers?

Or is it just that we think the emissions scandal is the likely culprit?

Budgets have rocketed after Porsche came in.



#43 FPV GTHO

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 16:18

I read it's because VAG are saving money to prepare for penalties over the emissions.

Porsches entry raising budgets makes no sense. Both teams outspend Toyota so why would VAG let one brand blindly outspent the other if that was the issue.

#44 FLB

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 16:31

The emissions scandal hasn't really affected any of the VW Group Motorsport programmes; when maybe 1 should have been pulled. However, maybe this is their concession - running cars only for both Porsche & Audi; which is better than losing 1 team.

I'm not too sure the programmes haven't been affected; perhaps just not in a way that's been visible yet. For instance, Graham Goodwin has mentioned that there may have be stillborn programmes, killed off before they were publicly known. On the other hand, Bentley is going to be interesting over the next few days as they are launching a motorsports Twitter account, which could be an indication of a shift in their motorsports programmes. They were/are strongly rumoured to have a prototype programme for IMSA in the US, through M-Sport.

 

Personally, the most interesting thing about yesterday was the presence and participation of Dietmar Voggenreiter, the man who replaced Luca de Meo as Audi's marketing boss. The motorports programmes are traditionally engineering and not marketing at Audi. I also do not see (read) any mention of Rupert Stadler being there. Stadler is currently rumoured to be in danger, if not already replaced... by Dietmar Voggenreiter.

 

Interesting times!


Edited by FLB, 29 November 2015 - 16:34.


#45 FLB

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 16:44

Disappointing about Tandy and Bamber but it's better than the whole marque pulling out, I suspect they'll find themselves with all sorts of LMP2 and GT drives across the world next year (kind of like this year then, actually).

An explaination and ... Whoa, the third to last paragraph!

 

http://www.dailyspor...ec-drivers.html



#46 Kev00

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 18:36

Interesting. Who do you think Tandy was set to replace? Dumas?

#47 huisne

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 19:03

An explaination and ... Whoa, the third to last paragraph!

 

http://www.dailyspor...ec-drivers.html

 

Well, that's certainly interesting.  :confused: 

I wonder what that means exactly. Was Tandy himself "hugely unpopular" within the team, or the fact that they wanted to change the team and release one of their drivers? I doubt Tandy would be that unpopular within the team, he seems like a decent nice guy and he has been a Porsche factory driver for years... 

At this rate, I guess we really have to wait until someone retires before we see another driver in the LMP1 cars.  :)



#48 TennisUK

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 19:21

I heard it was Marc Lieb who would potentially move aside. Given the respect he garners from the engineers at Porsche (he is an extremely capable engineer himself) that could have accounted for the dissent.

#49 AlexLangheck

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Posted 29 November 2015 - 20:22

Isn't Lieb a qualified engineer, with a Doctorate? As well as a mighty fine race driver, he's extremely useful as a test & development driver.

#50 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 08 December 2015 - 07:09

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