2619 replies to this topic

[Anja]

I think it's time to finally start a topic for the next season. Which will look like this:

 

24-25 February - Prologue (Losail)

2 March - Qatar 1812 km (Losail)

21 April - 6 Hours of Imola

11 May - 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

15-16 June - 24 Hours of Le Mans

14 July - 6 Hours of Sao Paulo (Interlagos)

1 September - Lone Star Le Mans (Circuit of the Americas)

15 September - 6 Hours of Fuji

2 November - 8 Hours of Bahrain

 

 

And we have an announcement from Alpine who confirm their driver lineup: Nicolas Lapierre, Ferdinand Habsburg, Paul-Loup Chatin, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Mick Schumacher, and Charles Milesi.

 

https://media.alpine...eason/?lang=eng

Edited by Anja, 22 November 2023 - 09:29.

[Beri]

So Schumacher finally landing a seat with other racing royalty Ferdinand Habsburg. Quite the line up Alpine has gotten themselves.

[BobbyRicky]

So Schumacher finally landing a seat with other racing royalty Ferdinand Habsburg. Quite the line up Alpine has gotten themselves.

 

aka Ferdinand Zvonimir Maria Balthus Keith Michael Otto Antal Bahnam Leonhard von Habsburg-Lothringen for us peasants.

 

 

[mjex]

Apparently Kubica will test today in private Ferrari.

[registered]

Lapierre in a top-class car, will it turn out to be a disaster again or does he only do stupid **** when in a Toyota

[FLB]

Apparently Kubica will test today in private Ferrari.

 

It's more than just a test: AF Corse Signs Kubica for 2024 Season – Sportscar365

 

 

“I’m happy that my path and the path of AF Corse will be the same next season,” said Kubica.

“AF is one of the most successful teams ever in motorsport: I’m sure we’ll do a great job together. What’s more, I’m back in an Italian team, which is no small matter.”

AF Corse states that more information about Kubica’s role in the team will be released “in the coming weeks.”

[registered]

So not private but third AF corse car?

[Dan333SP]

It's more than just a test: AF Corse Signs Kubica for 2024 Season – Sportscar365

 

Love this, he was so good in P2 last year and I'm one of the folks who were really hoping the Ferrari F1 team would have signed him back in the 2008-2010 era. 

[Dan333SP]

So not private but third AF corse car?

 

It's not official yet, but the rumors kept circling about Richard Mille Racing which ran a GTE car in name only, it was really another AF Corse car with AF Corse mechanics and team support run under the sponsor's banner. This may be the same thing. 

[Peat]

Couple of decent WEC news days this week. Rock on!

I, for one, had assumed that Kubica would be part of WRT's BMW Hypercar programme.

[jonpollak]

I thought Robert was headed to the second Jota Porsche?
But of course, I listen to rumors
https://youtu.be/epv...99YomuCnA_bpDO8

Jp

Edited by jonpollak, 22 November 2023 - 11:53.

[Dan333SP]

The rumor mill had Button, Vettel, and Robert all sharing a Jota, so clearly that was jumping the gun a bit! 

[Viryfan]

It seems like Vettel got cold feet about the Jota project.

[Dan333SP]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Button hasn't announced full season plans for next year yet other than joining WTR for Daytona? Hoping to still see him in the Jota. 

[Dan333SP]

Pretty sure I need to find a way to make it to COTA next year for the WEC race. With or without Vettel and Jenson this season should be incredible and I'm really excited about Robert in a Ferrari and Mick in the Alpine. 

[Silverstone96]

Just wonder if Vettel may also be in third Ferrari now.

[Muppetmad]

Kubica in a Ferrari will be amazing to see  Hopefully he'll have two strong drivers alongside him so that the car can challenge for the win at Le Mans.

[Anja]

Different series, 12 years overdue, not a full factory drive... but it's still amazing to hear about Kubica in a Ferrari. With all due respect for Jota, I think this was an easy choice for Robert. 

[FLB]

Just wonder if Vettel may also be in third Ferrari now.

The rumour for now is Robert Shwartzman and a driver who's had a relationship with Ferrari in recent years.

[jonpollak]

I’d be rather good with that.
Bobby needs a top line drive.

Jp

[ezequiel]

The rumour for now is Robert Shwartzman and a driver who's had a relationship with Ferrari in recent years.

Could be Rovera

[Muppetmad]

Kubica/Shwartzman/somebody strong would be a formidable lineup.

[Burai]

Callum Ilott doesn't have a lot on next year.

[Muppetmad]

Ilott is fast, but error-prone. I don't think he'd be suited to endurance racing.

[Silverstone96]

The rumour for now is Robert Shwartzman and a driver who's had a relationship with Ferrari in recent years.

Well seb still just about fits that

[Beri]

The rumour for now is Robert Shwartzman and a driver who's had a relationship with Ferrari in recent years.

 

Schwartzman should have been in the line up of the eventual winning Le Mans car to begin with. 

[Peat]

Ilott is fast, but error-prone. I don't think he'd be suited to endurance racing.

 

[Muppetmad]

 

Point taken 

[ezequiel]

Kelvin van der Linde tested the Akkodis ASP Lexus alonside López, so he may end up there.

[PayasYouRace]

1812 km is a really odd length for a race.

[EightGear]

1812 km is a really odd length for a race.

 

It's the year Qatar got independence or something. 

Whatever.

[Dan333SP]

The rumour for now is Robert Shwartzman and a driver who's had a relationship with Ferrari in recent years.

 

Wouldn't they go with Lilou Wadoux? She is a factory driver as of last year and tested the 499P already, would be good publicity to have a young very talented woman in the car as well, 

[JvsKVB77]

Wouldn't they go with Lilou Wadoux? She is a factory driver as of last year and tested the 499P already, would be good publicity to have a young very talented woman in the car as well, 

Maybe i am wrong, but she is Silver grade driver,which not eligible for Hypercars. 

[Dan333SP]

Maybe i am wrong, but she is Silver grade driver,which not eligible for Hypercars. 

 

Only Bronze is excluded from Hypercar, Silvers are fine- 

 

https://www.24h-lema...-hypercar-57563

[Dan333SP]

Also, anyone know the race length for Cota next year? All the press releases mention Lone Star Le Mans but say nothing about length/distance. I'm guessing 6 hours since most races are around that, but can't confirm. 

[FLB]

Wouldn't they go with Lilou Wadoux? She is a factory driver as of last year and tested the 499P already, would be good publicity to have a young very talented woman in the car as well, 

Because she is backed by Richard Mille and this would not be a Richard Mille-sponsored entry.

[ARTGP]

Kubica in a third Ferrari? '24 is coming along extremely well.  

[Gemini]

Oh man... I can imagine these future debates... whether this is car is equal to factory Ferraris or whether it is inferior, and how much inferior 

Edited by Gemini, 22 November 2023 - 16:02.

[Dan333SP]

Oh man... I can imagine these future debates... whether this is car is equal to factory Ferraris or whether it is inferior, and how much inferior 

 

Good news with the Hypercar regs is that manufacturers have to homologate just about everything on these cars and need to give customers identical machinery, hence why depending on setup Jota and Proton were able to show up Penske from time to time. 

[Dan333SP]

Because she is backed by Richard Mille and this would not be a Richard Mille-sponsored entry.

 

Was about to ask where you got that but found this in the DSC article on Kubica- 

 

AF Corse is set to enter a third, privately owned, car in the World Championship alongside the pair of factory entries that they field.

The car is believed to be entered under AF Corse SRL with no mention of Richard Mille, long expected to have been part of the effort.

 

https://www.dailyspo...e-for-2024.html

 

On Wadoux, isn't she contracted to Ferrari as a factory driver with or without Richard Mille backing? 

Edited by Dan333SP, 22 November 2023 - 16:25.

[FLB]

Was about to ask where you got that but found this in the DSC article on Kubica- 

 

AF Corse is set to enter a third, privately owned, car in the World Championship alongside the pair of factory entries that they field.

The car is believed to be entered under AF Corse SRL with no mention of Richard Mille, long expected to have been part of the effort.

 

https://www.dailyspo...e-for-2024.html

 

On Wadoux, isn't she contracted to Ferrari as a factory driver with or without Richard Mille backing? 

 

Ask yourself: Where was she in 2022...? Ferrari took her on Richard Mille's behalf. It's paying off so far. She's also an ambassador for the watchmaker: https://www.richardm...rs/lilou-wadoux

Edited by FLB, 22 November 2023 - 17:17.

[FLB]

Picture of Kubica in the car: La première photo de Robert Kubica dans la Ferrari 499P ! - Endurance Info (endurance-info.com)

[highdownforce]

VSC for 2024
https://sportscar365...or-2024-season/

[registered]

So FCY/Code80 followed by real safety car?

[FLB]

Lello is now officially a BMW driver: Marciello Joins BMW Factory Roster | dailysportscar.com

[Stephane]

Another badly kept secret

[ARTGP]

Ryan Briscoe is a free agent (that's been known for a while with Glick exit). So maybe there's an opportunity with Jota.  

Edited by ARTGP, 24 November 2023 - 19:39.

[Anja]

Kelvin van der Linde tested the Akkodis ASP Lexus alonside López, so he may end up there.

 

Didn't take long for an official confirmation: https://sportscar365...-lmgt3-program/

Edited by Anja, 24 November 2023 - 20:18.

[Dan333SP]

The rumour for now is Robert Shwartzman and a driver who's had a relationship with Ferrari in recent years.

 

I guess the rumor was incorrect, seems like the lineup will be Yifei Ye moving over from the Jota plus Schwartzman and Kubica, don't think he's had any previous association with Ferrari but it sounds like Chinese backers are at least partially responsible for the effort rather than Richard Mille- 

 

https://www.dailyspo...car-effort.html

 

Will be interesting to see what sort of livery they go for. Would love to see this car in something other than red. 

[FLB]

I guess the rumor was incorrect, seems like the lineup will be Yifei Ye moving over from the Jota plus Schwartzman and Kubica, don't think he's had any previous association with Ferrari but it sounds like Chinese backers are at least partially responsible for the effort rather than Richard Mille- 

 

https://www.dailyspo...car-effort.html

 

Will be interesting to see what sort of livery they go for. Would love to see this car in something other than red. 

*That* is a surprise.