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Ferrari considering LMP1 return?


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#51 Rubens Hakkamacher

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 14:56

I would not be so certain that F1 continues post-Bernie. I'd go as far as to say that the only reason it hangs together is through Bernie.

The natural option would be LMP running on the F1 tracks.




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#52 Der Pate

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 16:31

I would not be so certain that F1 continues post-Bernie. I'd go as far as to say that the only reason it hangs together is through Bernie.

The natural option would be LMP running on the F1 tracks.


I would have never thought of such a thing. F1 was there long before Ecclestone showed up...

#53 SonnyViceR

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 16:39

The natural option would be LMP running on the F1 tracks.


The most legendary and popular sportscar events are held outside of the soulless F1 tracks. It's unfortunate that the ACO/FIA are trying to change this

#54 muramasa

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 16:50

Posted Image
I would love it if it is true!!

If german Designer Sasha Selipanov would have his way , the Ferrari enrty for Le Mans would look like this. Brilliant!
link

reminded me of this :lol:

Posted Image


#55 TheMidnight

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 18:36

The most legendary and popular sportscar events are held outside of the soulless F1 tracks. It's unfortunate that the ACO/FIA are trying to change this


Some of the ALMS tracks are amazing, they're just not pretty enough for f1. I'm a huge fan of Road Atlanta, Sebring, Road America... Amazing courses

#56 BRG

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 19:28

But please, I did point out already, but maybe not good enought, it least within GT racing the trend appears to be for ever larger engines, starting with the arrival of Vipers and Corvettes in the late 90s. They event phased out the turbocharged 911s, long a respected value at Le Mans in GTs.

I take your point and of course amongst GT cars, they do tend to have big engines. But the 911s are still there, if not in such numbers as before. Indeed, both the GTE Pro and GTE Am categories at Le Mans this year were taken by 911s. Of course, even the Porsche 911s have much larger engines than they used to have.

#57 SonnyViceR

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 19:53

I take your point and of course amongst GT cars, they do tend to have big engines. But the 911s are still there, if not in such numbers as before. Indeed, both the GTE Pro and GTE Am categories at Le Mans this year were taken by 911s. Of course, even the Porsche 911s have much larger engines than they used to have.


Yes but Porsche's victory in PRO had more to do with BoP than anything else this year.

In GTE and GT3 BoP and waivers make it irrelevant how big capacity your engine has. For example the (illegal) 8 litre engine of Viper has bigger air restrictors than the 5,5 liter Corvette, both in the non-BoP restrictor diameter table, as well as when you count in the BoP adjustments. The 458 has been restricted to pieces while Porsche gets favourable breaks all the time. And so on...

Edited by SonnyViceR, 02 August 2013 - 19:54.


#58 Henri Greuter

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 21:08

I take your point and of course amongst GT cars, they do tend to have big engines. But the 911s are still there, if not in such numbers as before. Indeed, both the GTE Pro and GTE Am categories at Le Mans this year were taken by 911s. Of course, even the Porsche 911s have much larger engines than they used to have.



In absolute capacity yes, but when the turbo factor is applied, let's make it the 1.4 that was used in the past, then technically the current GT Porsches still have smaller engines than the 3 liter and largercapacity turbocharged versions that were used in the mid and late 90s. From what I recall, those engines in the 911GT2 versions were over 600 hp and I wonder if the current atmo engines are that strong.

And, I must acknowledge that too (So here I do) the turbocharged GT2 Porsches were not only pushed out of business because of the big block engines in the American built "Locomotors". The fact that these "locomotors" were front engined and that the 911GT2 was rear engined and could not legally use all kind of developments that made a 935 work so well despite the engine location was another factor. The GT2 was simply at the end of the line of its development potential if power outputs of 600 and more had to be used. A fact I am aware of. Corvette and Viper simply had more development potential in the basic chassis design.

Henri

#59 Rubens Hakkamacher

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 22:44

I would have never thought of such a thing. F1 was there long before Ecclestone showed up...


Which doesn't really have any bearing on it's future, does it?




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#60 JHSingo

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 23:14

Strange source, but Top Gear has spoken to Ferrari about the matter. No confirmation, but no denial either, interestingly.

http://www.topgear.c...lmp1-2013-08-01

#61 Juan Kerr

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 23:19

It would be FANTASTIC

I think Fisichella, Géné, De la Rosa and Kobayashi would be in the team for Le Mans.

I asked Giancarlo a question a couple of weeks ago if he wanted to drive the LMP1 cars at Le Mans and he said no way he is a Ferrari driver so he drives only GT3! Now that would be awesome if they went to prototypes wouldn't it! Fisi would love it!!

#62 gtbred

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 02:21

I would like to see a all Andretti team in a LMP-1 Ferrari!

#63 John Player

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 02:44

Could Kimi's long term future that he talked about be linked with this project?

#64 William Hunt

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 02:47

would love to see Massa drive an LMP1 Ferrari at Le Mans

#65 Der Pate

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 08:10

Which doesn't really have any bearing on it's future, does it?


I didn´t deny anything! I wouldn´t have thought of a dying F1 after Bernie until now...

#66 sheepgobba

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 13:00

It annoys me how the F1 media bangs on about Mark's supposed "retirement". Retirement infers he is not going to race anything, at all, which we know to not be true. You wouldn't say you were "retiring" if you were going from one job, to another.

But yes, the more sports car racing gets up F1's nose, the better. I can't imagine what Joe Saward's reaction would be if Ferrari do make an LMP1 car... :rotfl:




Why?


Why not? Taking resources away to another category isn't ideal, especially the last few years..

#67 JHSingo

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:35

Why not? Taking resources away to another category isn't ideal, especially the last few years..


Ferrari is easily big enough, and has enough money, to do both.

Besides, given how much they're struggling in the artificial racing world of F1, they'd probably have a better chance at winning a proper motor race like Le Mans.

#68 mlsnoopy

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:47

What are the engine rules for lmp1? Could Ferrari use these in other to give the engine extra testing and development.

#69 starp

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 15:34

I really don't see Ferrari taking up LMP1 right now. If they continue to have lower-than-desired results in F1, then people like LdM will just be accused of "taking their eye off the ball". They might want to diversify in the future, so that when they are unsuccessful in any one series they can still have success in another series. But the timing isn't correct currently, as it would appear that they are giving up on F1. They'd rather go down in a blaze of glory than appear to surrender.

#70 Victor_RO

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Posted 03 August 2013 - 16:35

What are the engine rules for lmp1? Could Ferrari use these in other to give the engine extra testing and development.


2014 onwards - any 4-stroke piston engine as long as it is fitted with a fuel flow restrictor based on the energy content of the fuel used.

#71 phoenix101

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Posted 04 August 2013 - 16:39

I really don't see Ferrari taking up LMP1 right now. If they continue to have lower-than-desired results in F1, then people like LdM will just be accused of "taking their eye off the ball". They might want to diversify in the future, so that when they are unsuccessful in any one series they can still have success in another series. But the timing isn't correct currently, as it would appear that they are giving up on F1. They'd rather go down in a blaze of glory than appear to surrender.


They don't have to enter as a factory team. They could bolt a GT3 engine (sans air-restrictors) into a third-party chassis and sell it to privateers in WEC. It would be a sort of modern 333SP, and as long as they had a decent chassis manufacturer, the project would be a money maker, not a distraction.

#72 August

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Posted 04 August 2013 - 18:35

I'm not a big fan of Ferrari but Ferrari racing for the win at Le Mans would probably boost viewing figures.

#73 NotAPineapple

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Posted 04 August 2013 - 19:12

Ferrari is easily big enough, and has enough money, to do both.

Besides, given how much they're struggling in the artificial racing world of F1, they'd probably have a better chance at winning a proper motor race like Le Mans.


This caught my eye. Ferrari are not a big company at all in terms of either money or people. They would need a massive cash injection from Fiat or a shift of budget from their road car division to fund an LMP project.

#74 Victor_RO

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Posted 04 August 2013 - 19:49

They don't have to enter as a factory team. They could bolt a GT3 engine (sans air-restrictors) into a third-party chassis and sell it to privateers in WEC. It would be a sort of modern 333SP, and as long as they had a decent chassis manufacturer, the project would be a money maker, not a distraction.


Some LMP2 teams have been trying to get Ferrari engines for their cars since 2011, but Michelotto was too busy producing engines for the GTE and GT3 cars to shell out extra engines to fit into prototypes.

#75 BoschKurve

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Posted 04 August 2013 - 19:55

I certainly would like to see Ferrari return to Le Mans. It's possible this considered return may have to do with the fact that it seems to be becoming more obvious to many if you want to find road relevance in racing, Le Mans is the place to pursue it. F1's road relevance is a joke.

#76 phoenix101

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Posted 05 August 2013 - 18:45

Some LMP2 teams have been trying to get Ferrari engines for their cars since 2011, but Michelotto was too busy producing engines for the GTE and GT3 cars to shell out extra engines to fit into prototypes.


LMP2 is cost-capped. Ferrari earn more revenue by selling €350,000 458 Italia GT3s than they can earn from selling €345,000 Ferrari-powered LMP2 racers. I wouldn't have wasted my time on LMP2, either.

LMP1 privateer cars are not cost-capped, and many Ferrari enthusiasts would probably kill to own one. That's not to say that Ferrari will build an LMP1 privateer car, but they could use it as a money-maker, unlike LMP2. The Ferrari privateer car could be particularly valuable if it is capable of winning the privateer class, and the lack of batteries would help residual value for collectors, imo.

#77 Lennat

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Posted 05 August 2013 - 21:38

Ferrari versus Porsche... That would make me properly interested in sports cars. :)

Edited by Lennat, 05 August 2013 - 21:38.


#78 SR388

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Posted 06 August 2013 - 03:26

Hopefully this would encourage ford to make a return!

#79 BRG

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Posted 06 August 2013 - 16:59

Hopefully this would encourage ford to make a return!

Highly unlikely. Where are Ford at present? Out of WRC, not in any current touring car or GT series (as works efforts at least), nowhere near any single seater series, bar Formula Ford which they haven't actively supported for ages.

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#80 helioseism

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Posted 06 August 2013 - 17:17

Where are Ford at present?


NASCAR.

#81 ApexMouse

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Posted 06 August 2013 - 17:35

Hopefully this would encourage ford to make a return!


MURICA

#82 BRG

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Posted 06 August 2013 - 17:51

NASCAR.

Not as a in-house works entry though which was my point. Private teams putting a Blue Oval onto the Car of Tomorrow isn't the same as Ford themselves building a car and running it in a racing series. AFAIK Ford aren't doing that anywhere. Even their WRC effort was outsourced to Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport outfit.