Endurance Racing Discussion Thread - WEC, ELMS etcSports Cars 

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Northstar
Are fans allowed in the Hypercar regs?
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Well after reading the regs I guess not so there goes that idea.

3.4.1
Any system operated automatically and/or controlled by the driver
to modify any airflow when the car is in motion is forbidden, unless
explicitly authorized by the present regulations.
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But there is an unless. 🤔
 
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www.motorsport.com

WEC rejects ByKolles Le Mans Hypercar entry for 2022

www.motorsport.com www.motorsport.com

WEC boss Frederic Lequien confirmed in the wake of the announcement of a record 39-car entry for the WEC in 2022 on Wednesday morning that it had to reject a number of applications from teams for this season.

But he would not go into detail why the German-based ByKolles team was not able to return to the WEC after a year's absence in the Hypercar class, which has attracted just six entries for the coming season.

"The selection committee has decided that we do not have all the necessary criteria to accept this entry," he said. "It is a decision of the selection committee."
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I wonder what happened 🤔
 
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It seems G-Drive is the latest "victim" of the sanctions.

sportscar365.com

Rusinov Refuses to Accept FIA’s “Discriminatory Conditions” – Sportscar365

Roman Rusinov speaks out on FIA's Russian driver mandate to race in
sportscar365.com sportscar365.com

I get the whole "don't bite the hand that feeds" thing, but surely it would be more beneficial in the long run to just bite their lip instead of trying to play the victim card while the people responsible for their funding are invading an innocent country.
 
Northstar
It seems G-Drive is the latest "victim" of the sanctions.

sportscar365.com

Rusinov Refuses to Accept FIA’s “Discriminatory Conditions” – Sportscar365

Roman Rusinov speaks out on FIA's Russian driver mandate to race in
sportscar365.com sportscar365.com

I get the whole "don't bite the hand that feeds" thing, but surely it would be more beneficial in the long run to just bite their lip instead of trying to play the victim card while the people responsible for their funding are invading an innocent country.
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Northstar
It seems G-Drive is the latest "victim" of the sanctions.

sportscar365.com

Rusinov Refuses to Accept FIA’s “Discriminatory Conditions” – Sportscar365

Roman Rusinov speaks out on FIA's Russian driver mandate to race in
sportscar365.com sportscar365.com

I get the whole "don't bite the hand that feeds" thing, but surely it would be more beneficial in the long run to just bite their lip instead of trying to play the victim card while the people responsible for their funding are invading an innocent country.
Click to expand...
I had composed a detailed post about the fact we are merely fans and as such are not privy to much information and facts that are behind the scenes of the team. If I ask about the engine they are running I would be kicked out. We are not allowed to know too much about finer details. And we cannot say too much in case it isn't true.

But it took seconds to find out on Google that G Drive is a subsidiary company of state owned Russian gas company Gazprom from Sportscar365 which can get access to news from behind the scenes. If the European football governing body UEFA can do it the FIA can. The UEFA ended their alliance with the company as a title sponsor of the Champions League competition and the final has been moved from St. Petersburg at a stadium named after Gazprom to Paris. But like a lot of Russian athletes, as we see with the Olympics, G-Drive can compete yes, but stripped of their identity. They win a race they will not get to see the Russian flag fly. They will not hear the anthem. Nothing to link them to Russia.

But I would be all for suspending them. The LMP2 class is packed with very good teams like WRT and United Autosports.
 
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Diehardracer
I had composed a detailed post about the fact we are merely fans and as such are not privy to much information and facts that are behind the scenes of the team. If I ask about the engine they are running I would be kicked out. We are not allowed to know too much about finer details. And we cannot say too much in case it isn't true.

But it took seconds to find out on Google that G Drive is a subsidiary company of state owned Russian gas company Gazprom from Sportscar365 which can get access to news from behind the scenes. If the European football governing body UEFA can do it the FIA can. The UEFA ended their alliance with the company as a title sponsor of the Champions League competition and the final has been moved from St. Petersburg at a stadium named after Gazprom to Paris. But like a lot of Russian athletes, as we see with the Olympics, G-Drive can compete yes, but stripped of their identity. They win a race they will not get to see the Russian flag fly. They will not hear the anthem. Nothing to link them to Russia.

But I would be all for suspending them. The LMP2 class is packed with very good teams like WRT and United Autosports.
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All lmp2 cars run Gibson v8 engines. lmp3 run nissan v8s i believe.

Lmp2 is the most competitive prototype class in racing. All spec chassis and engines. Its all about driver skill.
 
SlowGrayAudi
All lmp2 cars run Gibson v8 engines. lmp3 run nissan v8s i believe.

Lmp2 is the most competitive prototype class in racing. All spec chassis and engines. Its all about driver skill.
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I know. I am a huge fan of LMP2 😅

My post really was about the merits of neutralising a Russian driver or team over completely banning them.
 
Penske shows livery for LMP2 car. I like it.

plmp2.jpg


racer.com

Penske Logistics backing for Penske LMP2

Team Penske announced today that Penske Logistics will be the primary partner on the team’s new LMP2 entry in this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship, which opens March 18 with the 100…
racer.com racer.com
 
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I'd frankly be surprised if ANYONE (besides Corvette Racing because they are just weird) even would be willing to compete in GTE next year with both Porsche and Ferrari Committing to the top class (With even AF Corse themselves running it, not sure about Porsche and definitely not sure if Core Autosport would be tabbed for the effort). Looking at teams as things are right now:

- Dempsey-Proton Racing: If they wanted to, maybe they could be willing to do a Full season with 2 cars and an all-pro lineup with Porsche factory drivers (And of course bring Mcneil Money for that 3rd entry at Le Mans). Big Maybe though.

- AF Corse: Interesting to note that they actually have two cars in both GT classes so in theory, they could run two cars in two classes if they wanted. Big emphasis on "IF" because odds are, Ferrari will very likely want them to focus on the top class.

- Risi Competition: Don't see it happening as it seems like they won't commit to anything full season program full time even in the states (The GT3 class structure could change their minds, but that's another BIG maybe)

- Iron Lynxe: This is a team still relatively new to me so I really have no idea how or if they would want to step up.

- Northwest AMR: Unless Dalla Lana is willing to step out and make room for Aston's usual PRO's (Usually one of them being Darren Turner who I'm convinced at this point is immortal :lol:), I don't see them up to the PRO category unless someone else is willing to chip in.

- D'Station Racing: I'm not sure how big a team they are, but I don't know if they would be willing to squeeze in a move to the Pro category without possibly giving up a full time campaign in Super GT which as usually been their bread & butter as far as I can remember.

Realistically, GTE PRO is looking to be a snooze fest should it somehow continue with the needed four entries because I don't see alot of possibility for there to even have the necessary amount of cars for it. Unless they combine the two together and just make am a subcategory, I think it would be best just to get it over with and switch to GT3 for 2023. The majority of cars in AMs can already be converted to GT3 anyhow (with only the Porsche teams having to switch to new cars) so those AM teams are already well equipped for a class switch should it happen (along with Corvette having a GT3 car now, moreso by force majore because again they are weird).
 
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1993 Le Mans 24 Hours winner and sometime ByKolles driver Christophe Bouchut drove the Vanwall Vandervell LMH at an unknown airport in Germany on March 31, just days after the Colin Kolles-led team revealed the first images of its Gibson-powered hypercar.


On-track testing is scheduled to begin in April, likely at the Most circuit in the Czech Republic, with ByKolles test drivers Tom Dillmann and Esteban Guerrieri set to take over driving duties.


ByKolles had initially been planning to return to the WEC in 2022, but its one-car entry in the Hypercar class was turned down by the selection committee in January.


No explanation was ever provided for why ByKolles failed to secure a berth on a bumper 2022 WEC grid, with team boss Kolles only saying that his squad would be ready to race next year if it “receives a welcome”.


Had the team secured an entry for the 2022 season alongside Toyota’s pair of Le Mans hypercars, Peugeot’s new LMH contender due for Monza and Glickenhaus’ similar non-hybrid car, it would have skipped the opening round at Sebring and joined the championship from May's Spa round onwards.
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More here including photos: https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/bykolles-vanwall-le-mans-hypercar-rolled-out/9539345/
 
Spa 6 hours. Now with the third red flag. An LMP2 car is leading the "race" on pace as well. In the wet they are faster than the Hypercars......
 
Its pretty interesting to see Lamborghini getting more involved in motorsport then it ever was because it was against what the founder intended.

Times have changed. Lamborghini needs motorsport credibility more than ever.
 

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