57 replies to this topic

[Victor_RO]

http://www.dailyspor...c-and-imsa.html

 

The centenary Le Mans is going to be legendary. Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, possibly others in the top class? This will top 1999 for stacked top class entries.

 

As for Penske - 4 cars, 2 in WEC, 2 in IMSA, customer cars too, multi-year contract, this will definitely mean some very healthy grid numbers as long as teams have the budget to run one of these things (at least it won't be on the same scale as the old LMP1 hybrids). Will this be Penske's final milestone conquered with the LM24?

[Risil]

Big news!!

 

Who's gonna drive them?

[paulb]

Apologies upfront, this will be a team I will not mind seeing dominating the competition.

[juicy sushi]

http://www.dailyspor...c-and-imsa.html

 

The centenary Le Mans is going to be legendary. Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, possibly others in the top class? This will top 1999 for stacked top class entries.

 

As for Penske - 4 cars, 2 in WEC, 2 in IMSA, customer cars too, multi-year contract, this will definitely mean some very healthy grid numbers as long as teams have the budget to run one of these things (at least it won't be on the same scale as the old LMP1 hybrids). Will this be Penske's final milestone conquered with the LM24?

Damn, a 4 car dual-series campaign with Penske.  That is a very, very big statement of intent, and I can't wait to see the driver line-up.

Edited by juicy sushi, 04 May 2021 - 14:33.

[Victor_RO]

Big news!!

 

Who's gonna drive them?

 

Already pegging Pagenaud from the Penske side. Beyond that... who knows? Porsche still has such a stacked lineup of works drivers in GT + Formula E + juniors in Supercup... and there will also be someone coming in from elsewhere, guaranteed. It's probably the hardest question to answer frankly.

 

 

Damn, a 4 car dual-series campaign with Penske.  That is a very, very big statement of intent, and I can't wait to see the driver line-up.

 

AND customer cars too.

[Ben1445]

The return of the privateer/professional teams on both sides of the pond racing fairly cheap customer cars surely can't be a bad thing for top-level prototype racing. 

Edited by Ben1445, 04 May 2021 - 14:36.

[juicy sushi]

For 30 years all anyone has ever wanted is someone to build another Porsche 962.  It seems like it may be Porsche themselves who do it.  As for the Penske drivers, I think Pagenaud and Will Power, plus Newgarden and McLaughlin as occasional third drivers.  From Porsche Kevin Estre, maybe Neel Jani, Andre Lotterer, Pascal Wherlein, Richard Leitz, Gianmaria Bruni and I guess Earl Bamber or Matt Campbell are probably contenders.  

[Dan333SP]

I think we knew Penske would be running Porsches again, but I don't think anyone expected full works campaigns in both series with 2 cars each! The news about the prototype convergence keeps getting better. I love this! 

[Ross Stonefeld]

JPM must be signed. #SorryFernando

[HistoryFan]

Big news!!

 

Who's gonna drive them?

 

I hope Montoya.
 

[red stick]

I hope Montoya.
 

Triple Crown musings in 3, 2,  . . .

 

But he's currently a McLaren driver.

Edited by red stick, 04 May 2021 - 15:41.

[Ben1445]

With any luck, the way this is all shaping up will make all the heads up at the ACO and IMSA wonder why on earth they didn't pursue prototype convergence earlier...

[HistoryFan]

Lotterer would also be nice.

[Dolph]

http://www.dailyspor...c-and-imsa.html

 

The centenary Le Mans is going to be legendary. Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, possibly others in the top class? This will top 1999 for stacked top class entries.

 

As for Penske - 4 cars, 2 in WEC, 2 in IMSA, customer cars too, multi-year contract, this will definitely mean some very healthy grid numbers as long as teams have the budget to run one of these things (at least it won't be on the same scale as the old LMP1 hybrids). Will this be Penske's final milestone conquered with the LM24?

 

Where can I buy a ticket?

[Dolph]

JPM will be 47 in 2023. That's the age Mr. Le Mans retired. I don't believe Penske will kick off a new big-time Porsche partnership with a driver that has an overdue BB date. Would be nice to see JPM in a Penske Porsche at Le Mans though

Edited by Dolph, 04 May 2021 - 15:33.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Half the drivers signed will be more 'meh' than JPM, just watch.

[Risil]

Apologies upfront, this will be a team I will not mind seeing dominating the competition.

US vs Europe competition is something we don't see often enough (that is my main takeaway from the 120-odd years of motor sport history).

[ARTGP]

Good lord.

Edited by ARTGP, 04 May 2021 - 15:50.

[FLB]

Le Mans has been unfinished business for The Captain since 1971...

[noikeee]

So Porsche v Audi in the same series isn't a problem anymore?

[Ben1445]

So Porsche v Audi in the same series isn't a problem anymore?

When it costs as little to race as it does in LMDh, apparently not.

It’s a very different kettle of fish to LMP1 and even Formula E on that front.

[ARTGP]

So Porsche v Audi in the same series isn't a problem anymore?

 

I'm sensing sarcasm here .

 

But in case not, it never was an issue before the P1 pull out when they were both spending F1 budgets. The Audi pullout was simply diesel-gate austerity measures.

Edited by ARTGP, 04 May 2021 - 16:42.

[juicy sushi]

Heck, other VAG brands have also indicated a willingness to get in on the party.  Could you imagine Porsche vs Audi vs Lamborghini vs Bentley at Le Mans?  They'd be able to form their own class...

[Ben1445]

But in case not, it never was an issue before the P1 pull out when they were both spending F1 budgets. The Audi pullout was simply diesel-gate austerity measures.

Well... it rarely boils down to a single, standalone issue does it. Audi's quick departure was certainly triggered by Diesel-gate, but the surrounding conditions on cost were hardly favourable either. 

 

They both went off to Formula E for a bit for far less money than the P1 programs, but costs there have undoubtably risen in that time with open competition on powertrain design. Porsche have now said they are staying put for Formula Gen3, whilst Audi is leaving to go play with batteries in the Dakar Rally. 

 

Both of them can easily justify LMDh alongside those programs because it's a mostly spec, BoP'd platform on which they can build a semi-works/customer racing program like they already do in GT racing. Except it's a shot in the top prototype class of both WEC and IMSA, with a car which they can legitimately claim to be a hybrid in the marketing materials. It's ideal really. 

Edited by Ben1445, 04 May 2021 - 17:02.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Does that pull money up from GTs? And is that good or bad?

[juicy sushi]

We know the GTE program is dead, but Porsche will keep making GT3 cars as long as they have customer demand.  I guess in Audi's case it's more a matter of how much longer they want to make the R8?

[Ben1445]

Heck, other VAG brands have also indicated a willingness to get in on the party.  Could you imagine Porsche vs Audi vs Lamborghini vs Bentley at Le Mans?  They'd be able to form their own class...

Well, it's just engines, badges and bodywork that they need to provide at the end of the day. They could probably all get away with using a derivative of the same 4.0L V8 twin-turbo which is used in models of all four of the aforementioned VAG brands. Then they can get individual design departments to come up with the look of each brand's car and hey presto, BoP (and sandbagging) does the rest. 

[juicy sushi]

Well, it's just engines, badges and bodywork that they need to provide at the end of the day. They could probably all get away with using a derivative of the same 4.0L V8 twin-turbo which is used in models of all four of the aforementioned VAG brands. Then they can get individual design departments to come up with the look of each brand's car and hey presto, BoP (and sandbagging) does the rest. 

Except Audi are going with their now unused DTM engine rather than the v8 that Porsche will be using...

[Ben1445]

Except Audi are going with their now unused DTM engine rather than the v8 that Porsche will be using...

Has that been confirmed? I know it's been their preference but they've also said that they're working with Porsche to develop the car where there are synergies. 

 

Ultimately I think it is more likely that they will have that variation there rather than using a single engine, but if all four of those VAG brands joined I doubt we would see four separate engines...

 

Edit: Also, that DTM engine has reportedly been chosen for use in their Dakar Rally car, serving as a range extender, to be paired with their FE powertrain and a brand new battery ...  so I don't think it's otherwise unused. 

Edited by Ben1445, 04 May 2021 - 17:39.

[Myrvold]

Party like it's 2006.

[JHSingo]

Hope Penske paint theirs yellow and get sponsorship from DHL again. 

[ARTGP]

I wonder if this is part of the reason that Penske ditched Acura.

[Ben1445]

Hope Penske paint theirs yellow and get sponsorship from DHL again.

I’m hoping for a brand new livery to become iconic in its own right

[Dan333SP]

I wonder if this is part of the reason that Penske ditched Acura.

 

100%, I wouldn't be surprised if Acura put the feelers out for having Penske run their LMDh program in IMSA but Porsche had already approached them about this project. 

[Dan333SP]

I wonder if we'll see both the IMSA and the WEC Penskes all racing at Le Mans, would be a bit like the Ford GT programs converging at Le Mans each year. 

[paulb]

I'm excited about the customer car aspect.

 

That could mean even larger, competitive grids.

[TennisUK]

I wonder if we'll see both the IMSA and the WEC Penskes all racing at Le Mans, would be a bit like the Ford GT programs converging at Le Mans each year.

surely we will.

The Audi approach sounds a bit less full on than Porsche’s. Interesting to see if ACO give LMDh a chance of victory - after all LMH has Ferrari AND Peugeot...

[JHSingo]

I’m hoping for a brand new livery to become iconic in its own right

 

If the last few years have taught us anything about manufacturers being able to come up with a good modern livery, I think the chances of that are pretty much slim-to-nil. Unless you like a combination of red, black and white. 

 

Me? I'm a sucker for yellow racing cars, so... 

 

Still think that Penske RS Spyder is one of the best looking racing cars to appear this side of the millennium. 

[red stick]

I wonder if this is part of the reason that Penske ditched Acura.

They came to a mutual parting of the ways.  In part, because Penske had Porsche in his sights, and in part because, if you noticed the cars, Acura footed the bill for that in full with no other partnership.  So when the three year deal came to an end, Acura moved on to less expensive options.

 

And wouldn't you rather go to Le Mans with Porsche? 

[Ben1445]

If the last few years have taught us anything about manufacturers being able to come up with a good modern livery, I think the chances of that are pretty much slim-to-nil. Unless you like a combination of red, black and white. 

Yeah but this isn't Porsche, rather Penske-Porsche with two separate programmes (WEC and IMSA)... whilst in addition to that we will see a raft of other customer cars as well. I think the chances are high for some distinctive new liveries. 

 

I am still firmly of the opinion that the retro livery obsession of late has become oh so very tiresome. 

[JHSingo]

Yeah but this isn't Porsche, rather Penske-Porsche with two separate programmes (WEC and IMSA)... whilst in addition to that we will see a raft of other customer cars as well. I think the chances are high for some distinctive new liveries. 

 

I am still firmly of the opinion that the retro livery obsession of late has become oh so very tiresome. 

 

Eh. Maybe. But then again, I had fairly high hopes for the Acuras when Penske were running those just a couple of seasons ago. Particularly when this was initially unveiled. 

 

 

Only for the real thing to be yet another fairly unimaginative combination of...umm...(orangey) red, white and black. 

 

The only reason there is such a clamouring for retro liveries is because the modern counterparts are usually just so dull and boring. 

[jonpollak]

Apologies upfront, this will be a team I will not mind seeing dominating the competition.

No apologies needed...
I’m right there with ya.
Jp

[Ben1445]

Eh. Maybe. But then again, I had fairly high hopes for the Acuras when Penske were running those just a couple of seasons ago. Particularly when this was initially unveiled. 

 

Only for the real thing to be yet another fairly unimaginative combination of...umm...(orangey) red, white and black. 

 

The only reason there is such a clamouring for retro liveries is because the modern counterparts are usually just so dull and boring. 

Ironically, the 2019/2020 iterations of that Acura-Penske (orangey) red, white and black livery were, themselves, retro tribute liveries to the early 90s IMSA Camel Lights Acura cars. 

 

http://www.dailyspor...e-liveries.html

 

Surely the height of 'unimaginative' livery design is just re-running an old favourite for a quick, hacky bit of nostalgia PR. 

Edited by Ben1445, 04 May 2021 - 19:54.

[Dan333SP]

 

Not Penske, but Dyson went full retro for a race. I rather liked it. 

[BobbyRicky]

Heck, other VAG brands have also indicated a willingness to get in on the party.  Could you imagine Porsche vs Audi vs Lamborghini vs Bentley at Le Mans?  They'd be able to form their own class...

 

Dont forget Skoda and Seat!

[red stick]

"Pink Pig" liveries are always welcome. And a resurrection of the purple and green "hippie" paint job would be fun. But I thought the retro Rothmans livery, among others, fell flat. I agree we largely should move on to the next iconic thing.

[FLB]

Personally, I'd be happy with a combination of marine blue and yellow, with a bit of red and grey splashed in.

 

[red stick]

Pretty. Wonder what the odds are of Sunoco doing something in addition to NASCAR . . .

Edited by red stick, 04 May 2021 - 21:45.

[FLB]

Pretty. Wonder what the odds are of Sunoco doing something in addition to NASCAR . . .

Well, to tell you the truth I expect them lo look more like this:

 

 

[William Hunt]

The centenary Le Mans is going to be legendary. Toyota, Peugeot, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, possibly others in the top class? This will top 1999 for stacked top class entries.

 

Currently confirmed in LMH:  Toyota, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Ferrari, Kolles

 

Currently confirmed in LMDh:  Porsche, Audi, Acura

 

Not yet officially confirmed but as good as certain in LMDh:  Lamborghini, Cadillac

 

Will do either LMH or LMDh:  Alpine

 

Rumoured to be considering LMDh: BMW, Bentley, McLaren

 

BMW may also re-join the GT-Pro class (I hope we'll see Aston Martin there again as well, not counting on them doing LMH now that it's in Stroll's hands)

Edited by William Hunt, 04 May 2021 - 22:01.