346 replies to this topic

[thegamer23]

The test happened 

 

Rossi Relishes Hypercar Debut

 

I'd love to see the Doc in the Hypercar.

Feel like the more speed there is in the car the faster he can go, and his words kinda hints that

GT may be a little bit too restrictive for him, even if he had really good races.

Edited by thegamer23, 04 November 2024 - 18:44.

[TF110]

I don't wanna say no way, but I don't believe the McLaren hypercar rumors until they are out there testing it after their announcement. Too many on and off rumors concerning them. I want to believe but I don't.

Edited by TF110, 05 November 2024 - 05:13.

[BRG]

McLaren to wec is the VW to F1 of wec

That might be true, if only McLaren hadn't already won Le Mans.

 

Feel like the more speed there is in the car the faster he can go

In other news, water is found to be wet.

[juicy sushi]

I hadn't realized until recently just how tin-pot Lambo's motorsports efforts were.  In retrospect, that makes their GT3 successes pretty impressive, but they are on a hiding to nothing with their LMDh.  They need to find some outside funding to cover their gap.

[juicy sushi]

Lambo quits WEC.  No Hypercars, no GT3s.  The Bull has been sent to the slaughterhouse:  https://www.dailyspo...it-fia-wec.html

[Disgrace]

Not a surprise. The two-car minimum entry is stupid.

[azza200]

such a stupid 2 car rule 

[FLB]

Lambo quits WEC.  No Hypercars, no GT3s.  The Bull has been sent to the slaughterhouse:  https://www.dailyspo...it-fia-wec.html

Not quite. DSC says an IMSA program is still on the cards, though there may be a change of 'service provider' (i.e. Iron Lynx).

[Dan333SP]

Lukewarm feelings on the Lambo program here. Never felt like they were all in, the car is nothing particularly special in style/performance, the brand really has no history of success at this level... it'll be cool to see them more frequently in IMSA but I can't imagine they'll invest in an improved version of the car to better sustain a longer term effort. Could be one final hurrah for a full season and then sell to collectors and out. 

[Henri Greuter]

Lambo quits WEC.  No Hypercars, no GT3s.  The Bull has been sent to the slaughterhouse:  https://www.dailyspo...it-fia-wec.html

 

Part of the trouble shooting and remedy finding of the VAG concern?

 

Anyway, seems as if the end of the beginning of the big boom of wannabe WEC competitors entering and remaining.

Who'se next to go?

If the VAG group is in dire troubles indeed, Porsche?

[Henri Greuter]

Lukewarm feelings on the Lambo program here. Never felt like they were all in, the car is nothing particularly special in style/performance, the brand really has no history of success at this level... it'll be cool to see them more frequently in IMSA but I can't imagine they'll invest in an improved version of the car to better sustain a longer term effort. Could be one final hurrah for a full season and then sell to collectors and out. 

if the hypercar had a V10 like in the GT3  you would have written something different I'm sure....

 

 

Edit: But in all honesty from me, the sentiments you have towards Lambo and its history within endurance racing, I anderstand them and I feel very much the same about them. For me It simply is not a brand known for racing but for showing off with ectreme shaped impractical GT's.

Edited by Henri Greuter, 06 November 2024 - 19:10.

[juicy sushi]

It would at least have been a selling point.  Generic-LMDh from guys with inadequate resources was always going to fade into the background when other brands were coming to the party with money and cars that worked.

[Dan333SP]

if the hypercar had a V10 like in the GT3 you would have written something different I'm sure....


Edit: But in all honesty from me, the sentiments you have towards Lambo and its history within endurance racing, I anderstand them and I feel very much the same about them. For me It simply is not a brand known for racing but for showing off with ectreme shaped impractical GT's.

You know me! Absolutely would be bummed to see them withdraw if they’d had something unique from an engine sound perspective, and losing the GT3 is a bummer for that exact reason. Still, without anything unique about the car it’s just a generic LMDh. Closest analog for me was the Nissan DPi, it looked cool and was sometimes competitive but it wasn’t an earth shattering loss when they left.

[Dan333SP]

Also based on the Ligier, I might add. Ligier-based cars don’t have a great track record so far.

[Henri Greuter]

You know me! Absolutely would be bummed to see them withdraw if they’d had something unique from an engine sound perspective, and losing the GT3 is a bummer for that exact reason. Still, without anything unique about the car it’s just a generic LMDh. Closest analog for me was the Nissan DPi, it looked cool and was sometimes competitive but it wasn’t an earth shattering loss when they left.

Always good and nice to see that we still can find common ground and meet another halfway at certain points about certain matters.

[ARTGP]

Bourdais to LMP2: Bourdais Joins Tower LMP2 Lineup for 2025 – Sportscar365

[Viryfan]

Bourdais to LMP2: Bourdais Joins Tower LMP2 Lineup for 2025 – Sportscar365

For Imsa but there is no real clash with WEC so he will be able to double up his driving duties.

[jonpollak]

Phil Hanson joins the #83 Ferrari lineup, most likely replacing Shwartzman.

Thank you Anja.

Jp

[ARTGP]

Kubica still making it harder than it needs to be for Ferrari 

 

Kubica Suggests Staying in No. 83 Ferrari Now Likely – Sportscar365

 

 

Providing an update on his future plans shortly afterwards, Kubica gave a firm indication that he plans to remain with AF assuming that the commercial aspects can be agreed.

“We are a new group, all three drivers racing the car for the first time this year,” Kubica told Sportscar365. “Motorsport is at such a high level that you need to work on small and fine details, and this requires time.

“When I chose AF 12 months ago, it was a straight idea of staying [for multiple seasons]. For me it doesn’t make sense to change things.  But, as is often the case in motorsport, some things have to click.

“We see things positively both ways and I hope it’s a question of a short amount of time to see if we can make it work or not.”

“In the end, when I was choosing this year, Le Mans is the priority,” he said. “Of course it would be nice to be competitive everywhere, but we have seen this year it’s very difficult to be competitive everywhere.

“I would like to be in the best possible car for me in Le Mans, and probably today that is the No. 83 car.

“I have to be honest, I was in talks, and there might be opportunities in other places, but I think that staying in the No. 83 is my best chance at Le Mans.”

Edited by ARTGP, 08 November 2024 - 21:45.

[flingsofdeon]

Who else would he have spoken with? Cadillac, Aston and Alpine? Massively want a Le Mans win for Kubica

[juicy sushi]

Ferrari should sign Bottas just to make a point.

[Viryfan]

Who else would he have spoken with? Cadillac, Aston and Alpine? Massively want a Le Mans win for Kubica

Nobody because of his Orlen contract.

[flingsofdeon]

Nobody because of his Orlen contract.

What’s so prohibitive with it, out of interest?

[FLB]

What’s so prohibitive with it, out of interest?

The Hertz titile sponsorship of Jota is supposed to continue (Cadillac). Alpine is sponsored by ELF, who are seemingly getting interested in using racing more to promote the brand  (   Winfield Racing School and ELF reunited! - Kartcom). 

 

Oreln may not necessarily be compatible as a title sponsorship for either team, as it is for the third 499P.

[Viryfan]

The Hertz titile sponsorship of Jota is supposed to continue (Cadillac). Alpine is sponsored by ELF, who are seemingly getting interested in using racing more to promote the brand ( Winfield Racing School and ELF reunited! - Kartcom).

Oreln may not necessarily be compatible as a title sponsorship for either team, as it is for the third 499P.

Cadillac, Toyota and Porsche are tied to Exxon Mobil.

Peugeot and Alpine are tied to Total Energies brands.

[HistoryFan]

BMW could hire Kevin Magnussen according to Motorsport aktuell. Nick Yelloly moves to Acura and also Connor de Phillippi and Jesse Krohn could be replaced at BMW.

[Dan333SP]

BMW could hire Kevin Magnussen according to Motorsport aktuell. Nick Yelloly moves to Acura and also Connor de Phillippi and Jesse Krohn could be replaced at BMW.

 

Would be funny for KMag to end up in a BMW. Burned a bridge with Peugeot, had a topsy turvy F1 return, and ends up in a much more competitive Hypercar in the end. 

[Viryfan]

Not sure he burned bridges, he just applied a contract clause.

Most WEC drivers have an F1 call up clause.

[juicy sushi]

Kevin seems smart enough to know not to go back to a sinking ship.

[Dan333SP]

https://www.dailyspo...n-the-east.html

What on earth is this? Seems like it’s an A1GP scheme for prototypes. LMP2 as it exists today is basically a prototype spec series, not sure what appetite exists for this? I wonder what cars they are trying to source.

[Muppetmad]

I can't think of a worse time to try to make such a scheme work.

[highdownforce]

Two Sprint Races per weekend, if I understood correctly.

This running on Aston Martin LMHs would be something

[juicy sushi]

So, either someone was very high, or they have some money to launder and have ties to someone with a currently commercially unsuccessful trackday special they want to flog about 30 of.  And they think they can run a spec series in the gulf that people will be happy to spend money on getting cars and a license to enter in the desperate hopes they can find 30+ pay drivers to make their money back (because no one is going to be in the stands, and no one is going to watch it online).

[juicy sushi]

Carlin, sorry, Rodin are sniffing around Hypercar projects.  Nothing solid so far:  https://racer.com/20...percar-program/

 

Customer 963s are mentioned, and they are probably the only option unless you have a manufacturer wanting to partner, but we all also know the price tag is 8-10 million per car, and that would take some commercial support that doesn't seem to be floating around looking to be spent at the moment.

[Anja]

JOTA announced the drivers for their Cadillac effort. Nice to see Button stay in the series in a factory team and Bourdais coming over from IMSA for a full season.

 

https://sportscar365...adillac-season/

Edited by Anja, 14 November 2024 - 14:17.

[Stephane]

Bourdais also has an lmp2 drive in IMSA next year, I think

[Viryfan]

Bourdais also has an lmp2 drive in IMSA next year, I think

Yes

[Victor_RO]

Not driver news, but some other WEC-related things moving at an increasingly silly speed otherwise: Le Mans full race week/weekend/campsite tickets for next year sold out in just EIGHT DAYS.

 

https://www.24h-lema...available-59131

[Stephane]

Wasn't it even faster last year ? Like, one hour

[HistoryFan]

Carlin, sorry, Rodin are sniffing around Hypercar projects.  Nothing solid so far:  https://racer.com/20...percar-program/

 

Customer 963s are mentioned, and they are probably the only option unless you have a manufacturer wanting to partner, but we all also know the price tag is 8-10 million per car, and that would take some commercial support that doesn't seem to be floating around looking to be spent at the moment.

 

Won't happen.
 

[Blundle]

As someone who turns 44 before the end of the year I am delighted that Cadillac have gone with not one but two drivers who are older than me.

[juicy sushi]

Iron Lynx will switch from Lambo to Mercedes in GT3:  https://www.motorspo...-lynx/10674553/

 

No word on the future of the LMDh program.

 

I guess we can take this as a hint that perhaps the program is all dead, rather than mostly dead.

 

Edited by juicy sushi, Yesterday, 15:48.

[OvDrone]

Wasn't the rumor about Lambo doing IMSA with someone else than Iron Lynx anyways ?
 

For a second there I thought that Merc was doing Hypercars    Damn you Motorsport.com clickbait. 

[Dan333SP]

I must be missing something... haven't they already confirmed IMSA 2025 with the LMDh? Maybe the service provider switches from Iron Lynx but they've already committed, no? Showing up at Daytona and being fastest in the test and then vanishing would be weird. 

[juicy sushi]

I think weird may be on the table for them.  Maybe the service provider won't switch, and it's just the WEC program shuttering.  Maybe they're going to find a new provider (or will the provider just call themself Prema so it sounds new when not?)

 

At this point, I would believe anything about this program.

[DevilDare]

Somehow missed the Lambo news. Shame but semi expected. Did think Peugeot would be the first of the big ones to pull the plug but technically since they are in LMH they can still have that honour.

 

Great news regarding Mercedes though, fully expecting them to follow with a top class entry in due time. (Isn't it a requirement even?)

[Dan333SP]

Somehow missed the Lambo news. Shame but semi expected. Did think Peugeot would be the first of the big ones to pull the plug but technically since they are in LMH they can still have that honour.

 

Great news regarding Mercedes though, fully expecting them to follow with a top class entry in due time. (Isn't it a requirement even?)

 

It is not, it was only something they were considering when evaluating GT3 entries last year which is why they did not select Mercedes or Audi. With Lambo gone and presumably no other GT3 manufacturers trying to get in, they picked Merc. 

 

They have had rumors around a hypercar, but that's only rumors for now.