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24h Le Mans 2021

Started by HistoryFan , Mar 10 2021 16:07

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84 replies to this topic

#1 HistoryFan

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Posted 10 March 2021 - 16:07

Let's have a look at the starting grid.

Hypercars

Toyota: Kazuki Nakajima, Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley

Toyota: Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, José María López

Glickenhaus: Gustavo Menezes, Olivier Pla, Richard Westbrook

Glickenhaus: Ryan Briscoe, Pipo Derani, Romain Dumas

Alpine: André Negrão, Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxivière

Former overall-winners

Nakajima (3)

Buemi (3)

Dumas (2)

Hartley (2)

most experienced drivers

Dumas (20)

Lapierre (13)

Pla (13)

#2 ARTGP

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Posted 10 March 2021 - 16:33

The Alpine lineup is arguably the weakest.

#3 William Hunt

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Posted 11 March 2021 - 00:41

The Alpine lineup is arguably the weakest.

Lappièrre is a quicker driver as any of the Glickenhaus drivers except Menezes

Alpine is not a factory effort in reality, it's Signatech racing under the Alpine name with a modified Rebellion, for a small private team their line-up is pretty good.

#4 ARTGP

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Posted 11 March 2021 - 01:47

Lappièrre is a quicker driver as any of the Glickenhaus drivers except Menezes

Alpine is not a factory effort in reality, it's Signatech racing under the Alpine name with a modified Rebellion, for a small private team their line-up is pretty good.

Lapierre was the slowest of all of the Toyota LMP1 drivers during his stint with that team. There is a reason he got let go from that outfit.

I don't rate Lappiere higher than Derani, Briscoe, Pla, or even Dumas who is getting up there in age. Especially not Derani or Pla.

Edited by ARTGP, 11 March 2021 - 01:48.

#5 HistoryFan

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Posted 07 April 2021 - 13:19

LMP2 (25 cars)

United Autosport #22 (Oreca-Gibson): Filipe Albuquerque, Philip Hanson, Fabio Scherer

Jota #38 (Oreca-Gibson): Anthony Davidson, Antonio Felix da Costa, Roberto González

Panis #65 (Oreca-Gibson): Julien Canal, Will Stevens?, James Allen?

G-Drive #26 (Aurus-Gibson): Roman Rusinov, Nyck de Vries, Franco Colapinto

IDEC #48 (Oreca-Gibson): Paul-Loup Chatin, Paul Lafargue, Patrick Pilet

Richard Mille #1 (Oreca-Gibson): Sophia Flörsch, Tatiana Calderón, Beitske Visser

IDEC #17 (Oreca-Gibson): Ryan Dalziel, Dwight Merriman, Kyle Tilley

DragonSpeed #21 (Oreca-Gibson): Juan-Pablo Montoya, Ben Hanley, Henrik Hedman

United Autosport #32 (Oreca-Gibson): Nico Jamin, Manuel Maldonado?, Jonathan Aberdein?

Racing Team Nederland #29 (Oreca-Gibson): Giedo van der Garde, Frits van Eerd, Job van Uitert

Inter Europol #34 (Oreca-Gibson): Alex Brundle, Renger van der Zande, Jakub Smiechowski

Graff #39 (Oreca-Gibson): Vincent Capillaire, Arnold Robin?, Maxim Robin?

G-Drive #25 (Aurus-Gibson): Pietro Fittipaldi, Rui Andrade, John Falb

Duqueine #30 (Oreca-Gibson): René Binder, Tristan Gommendy, Memo Rojas

High Class #20 (Oreca-Gibson): Jan Magnussen, Dennis Andersen, ???

United Autosport #23 (Oreca-Gibson): Paul di Resta, Alex Lynn, Tom Gamble?

PR1 Mathiasen #24 (Oreca-Gibson): Patrick Kelly, Mikkel Jensen?, Ben Keating?

Jota #28 (Oreca-Gibson): Stoffel Vandoorne, Sean Gelael, Tom Blomqvist

WRT #31 (Oreca-Gibson): Robin Frijns, Ferdinand von Habsburg, Charles Milesi

WRT #41 (Oreca-Gibson): Robert Kubica, Louis Delétraz, Ye Yifei

ARC Bratislawa #44 (Ligier-Gibson): Miro Konôpka, ???, ???

High Class #49 (Oreca-Gibson): Anders Fjordbach, ???, ???

Realteam #70 (Oreca-Gibson): Loic Duval, Norman Nato, Esteban Garcia

Racing Team Nederland #74 (Ligier-Gibson): Narain Karthikeyan, Arjun Maini, Naveen Rao?

Risi #82 (Oreca-Gibson): Oliver Jarvis, Ryan Cullen, ???

Former LMP2 class winners

Filipe Albuquerque (1)

Philip Hanson (1)

Ryan Dalziel (1)

Paul di Resta (1)

Most experienced drivers

Anthony Davidson (12)

Patrick Pilet (12)

Julien Canal (11)

Roman Rusinov (11)

Tristan Gommendy (11)

Rookies

Fabio Scherer

Franco Colapinto

Patrick Kelly

Sean Gelael

Robin Frijns

Ferdinand von Habsburg

Robert Kubica

Ye Yifei

Esteban Garcia

Also interesting note: Karthikeyan returns to Le Mans after a 12 years brake! Don't know whether that's a record.

#6 Bleu

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Posted 07 April 2021 - 14:06

Also interesting note: Karthikeyan returns to Le Mans after a 12 years brake! Don't know whether that's a record.

Jean Alesi has the record: 21 years (1989-2010)

#7 jonpollak

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Posted 07 April 2021 - 15:01

Yuck...

What happened to this glorious race?

It seems these entries get less and less compelling every year.

I hope the new rules fix this because outside of the Richard Mille entry I could give a damn about any of 'em.

Jeez..

#8 Dan333SP

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Posted 07 April 2021 - 15:06

Yuck...

What happened to this glorious race?

It seems these entries get less and less compelling every year.

I hope the new rules fix this because outside of the Richard Mille entry I could give a damn about any of 'em.

Jeez..

Jp

It's a transition year, plus the fact that LMP2 has become a giant one-make show (with the exception of 2 uncompetitive Ligiers).

The next 3-4 years could be really exciting with LMDh cars, Peugeot/Ferrari/ByKolles hypercars, and a move to GT3 cars as the top GT class. Should create a lot more diversity, and I'm hoping some of the LMP2 teams will consider affordable customer LMDh/LMH cars and step up.

#9 jonpollak

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Posted 07 April 2021 - 15:24

Hopefully some of the top IMSA teams joining as well.

Wake me when it's interesting again.

#10 ARTGP

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Posted 07 April 2021 - 16:53

It's a transition year, plus the fact that LMP2 has become a giant one-make show (with the exception of 2 uncompetitive Ligiers).

The next 3-4 years could be really exciting with LMDh cars, Peugeot/Ferrari/ByKolles hypercars, and a move to GT3 cars as the top GT class. Should create a lot more diversity, and I'm hoping some of the LMP2 teams will consider affordable customer LMDh/LMH cars and step up.

I cannot fathom why LMP2 doesn't have BOP amongst the chassis considering they aren't allowed to develop.

Edited by ARTGP, 07 April 2021 - 16:53.

#11 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 07 April 2021 - 17:25

No By Kolles in the race this year?

#12 HistoryFan

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Posted 08 April 2021 - 13:02

No By Kolles in the race this year?

no.

#13 HistoryFan

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Posted 08 April 2021 - 13:03

Yuck...

What happened to this glorious race?

It seems these entries get less and less compelling every year.

I hope the new rules fix this because outside of the Richard Mille entry I could give a damn about any of 'em.

Jeez..

Jp

The LMP2 grid is quite good with 9 former F1 drivers on the entry list up to this date.

#14 Ben1445

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Posted 08 April 2021 - 13:06

The Hypercar class doesn't look all that bad either when you consider what late-stage LMP1 was offering us and that it's also a taster of what's to come.

#15 HistoryFan

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Posted 08 April 2021 - 13:17

GTE-Pro (7 cars)

AF Corse #51 (Ferrari): James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Jules Gounon?

Porsche #91 (Porsche): Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz, Frédéric Makowiecki

Porsche #92 (Porsche): Neel Jani, Kevin Estre, Michael Christensen

AF Corse #52 (Ferrari): Miguel Molina, Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon?

Weather Tech #79 (Porsche): Cooper MacNeil, Matt Campbell?, Mathieu Jaminet?

Corvette #63 (Corvete): Nick Catsburg, Jordan Taylor, Antonio Garcia

Corvette #64 (Corvette): Alexander Sims, Nick Tandy, Tommy Milner

Former GTE-Pro winners

Gianmaria Bruni (3)

Richard Lietz (3)

Daniel Serra (2)

Tommy Milner (2)

James Calado (1)

Alessandro Pier Guidi (1)

Michael Christensen (1)

Kevin Estre (1)

Antonio Garcia (1)

Jordan Taylor (1)

Most experienced drivers

Richard Lietz (14)

Antonio Garcia (14)

Gianmaria Bruni (12)

Neel Jani (11)

Tommy Milner (11)

Frédéric Makowiecki (10)

#16 Izzyeviel

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Posted 09 April 2021 - 13:28

When is the big day?

#17 HistoryFan

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Posted 10 April 2021 - 13:27

21st/22nd August or what do you mean with big day?

#18 jonpollak

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Posted 10 April 2021 - 13:33

May30th
Jp

#19 Stephane

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Posted 10 April 2021 - 14:03

wrong thread jp

#20 jonpollak

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Posted 10 April 2021 - 14:59

lol.

Jp

#21 BRG

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Posted 10 April 2021 - 16:15

Wake me when it's interesting again.

Jp

God, if you don't find this entry an interesting one, I suggest you take up fishing or something more engrossing.

#22 BobbyRicky

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Posted 10 April 2021 - 19:56

Speaking of interesting: Former driver of fast cars for a living, Eric Comas, has somehow managed to get a Nissan R390 GT1 to be a road-legal car.

The plan is to restore/roadlegalize it and then drive from wherever he resides to this years race.

Should check out https://www.instagram.com/r390gt1/ for some interesting photos of the progress and assorted pics of the R390 itself.

Edited by BobbyRicky, 10 April 2021 - 19:59.

#23 HistoryFan

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 11:06

GTE Am (23 cars)

TF Sport #33 (Aston Martin): Ben Keating, Felöipe Fraga, Dylan Pereira

Dempsey Proton #77 (Porsche): Matt Campell, Jaxon Evans, Christian Ried

AF Corse #83 (Ferrari): Nicklas Nielsen, François Perrodo, Alessio Rovera

Project 1 #56 (Porsche) Egidio Perfetti, Matteo Cairoli, Larry ten Voorde?

GR #86 (Porsche): Ben Barker, Michael Wrainwright, Tom Gamble?

JMW #66 (Ferrari): Thomas Neubauer, Jody Fannin?, ???

Aston Martin #98 (Aston Martin): Paul Dalla Lana, Augusto Farfus, Marcos Gomes

Iron Lynx #85 (Ferrari): Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, Manuela Gostner?

Proton #99 (Porsche): Patrick Long, ???, ???

Iron Lynx #60 (Ferrari): Paolo Ruberti, Raffaele Gianmaria, Claudio Schiavoni

Dempsey Proton #88 (Porsche): Julien Andlauer, ???, ???

AF Corse #54 (Ferrari): Giancarlo Fisichella, Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci

Project 1 #46 (Porsche): Dennis Olsen, ???, ???

Iron Lynx #80 (Ferrari): Matteo Cressoni, Rino Mastronardi, Andrea Piccini

Spirit of Race #55 (Ferrari): Duncan Cameron, Matt Griffin, Aaron Scott

Absolute #18 (Porsche): Andrew Haryanto, Alessio Picariello, ???

Cetillar #47 (Ferrari): Antonio Fuoco, Giorgio Sernagiotto, Roberto Lacorte

Kessel #57 (Ferrari): Takeshi Kimura, Mikkel Jensen? Côme Ledogar?

Herbert #69 (Ferrari): Alfred Renauer, Robert Renauer? Ralf Bohn?

Inception #71 (Ferrari): Ben Barnicoat, Brendan Iribe, Ollie Milroy

TF #95 (Aston Martin): John Hartshorne, Ross Gunn?, Ollie Hancock

Rinaldi #388 (Ferrari): Pierre Ehret, Christian Hook? Manuel Lauck?

D'station #777 (Aston Martin): Fuji Tomonobu, Satoshi Hoshino, Andrew Watson

former GTE-AM class winners

Matt Campbell (1)

Christian Ried (1)

Egidio Perfetti (1)

Julian Andlauer (1)

most starts

Patrick Long (16)

Christian Ried (11)

Giancarlo Fisichella (11)

Rookies

Dylan Pereira

Jaxon Evans

Alessio Rovera

Thomas Neubauer

Andrew Haryanto

Alessio Picariello

Antonio Fuoco

Alfred Renauer

Ben Barnicoat

Brendan Iribe

Ollie Milroy

Fuji Tomonobu

#24 Henri Greuter

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 11:48

Speaking of interesting: Former driver of fast cars for a living, Eric Comas, has somehow managed to get a Nissan R390 GT1 to be a road-legal car.

The plan is to restore/roadlegalize it and then drive from wherever he resides to this years race.

Should check out https://www.instagram.com/r390gt1/ for some interesting photos of the progress and assorted pics of the R390 itself.

Little known fact about the other roadlegal R390.

Nissan showed a red street legal homologation example of the R390 at Le Mans, a red panted car.

It doesn't exit anymore....

Because.... (as I learned in August '18 at Laguna Seca)

The car was reworked into the blue long tail '98 model street version shown one year later.....

#25 Venom21

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Posted 15 April 2021 - 23:05

Glickenhaus following the Nissan/Ginetta way of doing things it seems. Boast on twitter/Reddit about the project and competing with Ferrari, skip the WEC opening because car is not anywhere close to ready for primetime, wing and prayer it at LeMans and then skip the rest of the season because they don't have sponsors.....

Edited by Venom21, 15 April 2021 - 23:06.

#26 FLB

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 11:11

KMag and his father will share an LMP2 ORECA at Le Mans:

https://www.enduranc...racing-au-mans/ (en francais)

#27 BRG

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 11:19

Well, they've got Motul.

Perhaps not such a big sponsor as it sounded? Have they tried calling Rich Energy?

#28 Myrvold

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 11:21

Glickenhaus following the Nissan/Ginetta way of doing things it seems. Boast on twitter/Reddit about the project and competing with Ferrari, skip the WEC opening because car is not anywhere close to ready for primetime, wing and prayer it at LeMans and then skip the rest of the season because they don't have sponsors.....

I might be wrong here as I haven't follow it too closely. But isn't the homologation locked for several years? And as long as they dont race, they can keep developing?

#29 HistoryFan

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 11:58

KMag and his father will share an LMP2 ORECA at Le Mans:

https://www.enduranc...racing-au-mans/ (en francais)

very nice.

#30 HistoryFan

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 12:08

Innovative car (1 car)

SRT41 (Oreca-Gibson): Takuma Aoki, Nigel Bailly, Snoussi Ben Moussa?

Rookies

Takuma Aoki

Nigel Bailly

#31 FLB

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 12:14

Innovative car (1 car)

SRT41 (Oreca-Gibson): Takuma Aoki, Nigel Bailly, Snoussi Ben Moussa?

Rookies

Takuma Aoki

Nigel Bailly

Snoussi Ben Moussa is out. Endurance Info says he's replaced by Francois Heriau:

https://www.enduranc...breves-du-jour/ (en francais, in the middle of the article)

#32 maximilian

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 12:16

Snoussi Ben Moussa?

Gesundheit!

#33 johnbarton

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 14:09

KMag and his father will share an LMP2 ORECA at Le Mans:

https://www.enduranc...racing-au-mans/ (en francais)

will be interesting to follow their progress - i believe this will be the first year for many years that Jan has driven a prototype at Le Mans?

#34 Ben1445

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Posted 23 April 2021 - 20:30

I might be wrong here as I haven't follow it too closely. But isn't the homologation locked for several years? And as long as they dont race, they can keep developing?

Yes, I think that is the case. I also think it's homologation to the end of the LMH rules as well, so that's five years. Not something you can take lightly and rush out before it's ready.

I don't think it's a fair comparison with Ginetta. Worrying signs would be their (very respectable) drivers jumping ship and Motul cutting ties, not skipping a first round to be 100% ready for a very long homologation cycle. There was also a global pandemic in the middle of the preparation years which made even Toyota, with their deeper pockets and level of experience, more than a little bit nervous about being ready for homologation at the first race.

#35 HistoryFan

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Posted 24 April 2021 - 11:45

Update: