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[/13/Ален Шмит/]

New look, strengthened FIA World Endurance Championship for the future



 
• 2018 / 2019 Transitional years towards a stronger future • 24 Hours of Le Mans to become final race of extensively revised calendar • Change to LMP1 technical regulations • WEC Prologue to start in April and offer endurance testing

President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Pierre Fillon, and CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Gérard Neveu, today outlined the pathway to an exciting new-look, strengthened WEC.

The plans include several innovative features which will not only continue the close and exciting competition between prototypes and GTE cars that has become the calling card of the WEC, but also offer competitors a viable and sustainable business model for the future.

The recent announcement of the withdrawal of certain manufacturers has offered the FIA and ACO an opportunity to accelerate the evolution process which was already underway, and to develop an exciting and enticing vision for the future.

Full details are still being finalised and will be announced in due course, but several innovative features were revealed which will ensure the continuation of a strong world endurance championship, one that has since its inception in 2012 become a vital part of manufacturers’ marketing and technical development strategies and the draw for entrants wishing to compete at the highest level in endurance racing.

Three fundamental parameters have been taken into account during the formulation of the new-look WEC, with the calendar, logistics, sporting and technical regulations being at the heart of the decisions:

• All decisions must stay in line with Endurance Racing and the values of the discipline. The 24 Hours of Le Mans remain the point of reference.
• The major focus remains the client (the competitor), the product (the sporting competition that is delivered) and the fans.
• As a priority, for each of these decisions, the financial and economic aspects must be taken into consideration. It is essential to allow the WEC’s teams and partners to continue in the WEC with a viable and sustainable business model.

The plans have been presented to, and received the full support of, the President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Jean Todt and the FIA Endurance Commission led by its President, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones. The calendar and new sporting regulations will be presented to the FIA World Motor Sport Council for ratification in the coming days.

Significant calendar changes for future races; 2018/19 to be a transitional season

Five years ago, when the WEC was newly created, the desire was expressed to work on an inversed calendar, finishing at Le Mans with the flagship 24 Hour race. This has not been possible until now.

In the future, there will be a 2018/2019 season and a 2019/2020 season and so on, the season’s races straddling two calendar years…and Le Mans will close the Championship each year.

2018/19

• 5 & 6 April: The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA) **
• 4 & 5 May: WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 16 & 17 June: 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)
• 13 & 14 October: 6 Hours of Fuji (JPN)
• 03 & 04 November: 6 Hours of Shanghai (CHN)
• February 2019 Place and event TBC
• 15 & 16 March 2019: 12 Hours of Sebring (USA) *
• 3 & 4 May 2019: WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 15 &16 June 2019: 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)

NB * The 12 Hours of Sebring will be a combined event with the IMSA WeatherTech Championship but two separate races will be held. From 10.00am to 10.00pm on Saturday, the IMSA WeatherTech race, and from 12 midnight to 12 noon Sunday the FIA WEC.

** The Prologue test at Circuit Paul Ricard will offer teams the opportunity to complete 36-hour endurance testing in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The provisional 2018/2019 calendar, which remains subject to validation by the FIA World Motors Sport Council, will see four races taking place in 2018 and four in 2019 as part of an 18-month “Super Season” - for the same budget as in 2017.

This transition season will be exceptional and include the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps twice and, even better, a double helping of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

According to provisional calculations, in 2019/2020 an LMP2 team will run in the WEC with a budget similar to 2016; meaning 20% less than now.

With the new format of calendar, the number of races will be reduced from 9 in 2017 to 8 in 2018/2019 (over 18 months) then to 7 in 2019/2020 which is expected to be the ‘cruising speed’ for the WEC into the future.

This reduction automatically results in a cost reduction for the teams (entry fees, running costs, consumables etc) but also allows for new logistics to be used: using shipping rather than flying freight meaning that transportation costs are divided by three.

Changes to LMP1 technical and sporting regulations from 2018/2019 regulations

• From 2018/2019, and in the future, there will only be one category (and consequently one classification) in LMP1
• To make it as accessible as possible to join this category from the 2018-2019 season onwards, the level of performance of the current non-hybrid LMP1 regulations managed via equivalence of technologies will be aligned with the current LMP1 hybrid regulations.
• Each competitor entered in LMP1 will have the same potential of performance independent of the type engine power used. Very clearly there will always be a slight advantage for the hybrid engine in terms of autonomy related to lower fuel consumption.
• There will be no changes made to the current chassis regulations (only LMP1 chassis will be eligible) but to facilitate the access to LMP1, more choice and engine power options will be offered. Depending on the selected criteria, an Equivalence of Technology will be implemented between turbo compressed and normally aspirated engines (as done in the past between petrol and diesel).

All these decisions will apply for the next two seasons.

Other regulatory decisions, which are still being finalized, will be announced later on covering areas such as a reduction in the number of private tests and collective tests proposed.

The 2020 LMP1 regulations will be substantially altered as compared to the model presented during the last 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The ACO and the FIA remain wholeheartedly convinced that technology including Hybrid systems must keep its place of honour in Endurance racing, but not at any price. The budgets invested over these last years in LMP1 Hybrid are no longer sustainable and a return to reasonable budgets should allow all manufacturers to compete in this discipline.

More details on the Technical Regulations will be presented over the coming weeks.

President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, Jean Todt: “I am delighted with the new schedule and the changes to the WEC championship that will allow this great discipline within motorsport to make a fresh start."

President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Pierre Fillon, comments: “We would like to sincerely thank Jean Todt, President of the FIA and Sir Lindsay Owen Jones, President of the Endurance Commission and all the commission members for their support. Many decisions, essential for the future of the WEC, have been made in record time.

“With the support of the WEC’s friends and partners at IMSA, agreement has been reached to return to Sebring with the 12 Hours of Sebring in the WEC calendar and we are really delighted about this.

“With all these decisions, we are confident of seeing a full and very competitive grid next season. We are already discussing with several manufacturers and privateer teams who are investigating very seriously entrance from 2018/2019 season in LMP1, taking into consideration that the LMP2 and GTE grids are already strong with a high level of commitment for the future.”

Fiona MILLER

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

BMV predstavio M8 GTE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by /13/Ален Шмит/, 12 September 2017 - 15:45.

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Cheng: DC Racing LMP1 Effort “Not Impossible” for 2018/19



Jackie Chan DC Racing team co-owner David Cheng has admitted it’s “not impossible” to see the team step up to LMP1 next year, amid increased talks of a potential manufacturer-backed effort in the restructured class.

The Jota Sport-run operation, which currently leads the LMP2 title race in the FIA World Endurance Championship, has laid out ambitions of eventually moving to the top prototype class with a Chinese manufacturer.

That timeline could now potentially be accelerated following the FIA and ACO’s newly announced plan to combine hybrid and non-hybrid prototypes into a single category via Equivalence of Technology for the 2018/19 ‘Super Season.’

“After this race, I’m back to China and back to work,” Cheng told Sportscar365 in Austin, site of this weekend’s Six Hours of Circuit of The Americas. “In some ways, we’ll know real soon.

“To make it realistic for next year, it has to happen quite quickly.

“From my side, it’s a little out of my hands too as we have to see what all the manufacturers think of [the ‘Super Season’] format.

“I think if we can nail something down quickly, and I know the general interest is there, it’s not impossible.

“At the same time, if we want to sit down and really do it right and make the long-term plan, it’s something maybe we look at once it shifts past the ‘Super Season.’

“But who knows. We could get a go-ahead [soon].”

Cheng said he’s been in discussions with multiple prospective manufacturers since the team’s historic class victory at Le Mans, although admitted that time’s running out to put a program together for next year.

He said the topic of LMP1 chassis options has been a discussion “around the dinner table” but nothing they’ve yet explored in great detail.

A handful of options should be available to customers next year, including projects from Ginetta and Dallara/BR Engineering, as well as continued rumors of potential upgraded LMP2 cars from ORECA and Onroak Automotive.

“That question depends on the lede time we’d have,” Cheng said. “Can you do something more bespoke or do you do something as a temporary bandage and evolve from it?

“To be honest, it depends what I can do on the China side.”

Cheng believes the restructured class, which is aimed to give non-hybrid LMP1 cars a chance of victory, is the right step forward, particularly for LMP2 teams such as his looking to make the next move.

“What the ACO did was to really give a platform for teams to expand, which I think is the correct decision,” he said.

“It gives teams like us a place to go and expand. As we are quite ambitious, if we see nothing but a dead end, we would explore going somewhere else.”

With its current commitment in the WEC part of a two-to-three year plan, Cheng sees the team continuing in LMP2 should a LMP1 deal not materialize for next year,

“If we can’t get manufacturer involvement, we’ll be staying in LMP2 and doing a strong effort like we have and waiting for the opportunity,” he said.

“I believe as long as you’re doing a good job and good performance on track, it will come.”

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Silverston je dobio mesto u novom 18/19 kalendaru, ažurirani kalendar izgleda ovako:

• 6 & 7 April: The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA)
• 5 May: WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 16 & 17 June: 86th  24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)
• 19 August: 6 Hours of Silverstone (GBR)
• 21 October: 6 Hours of Fuji (JPN)
• 18 November: 6 Hours of Shanghai (CHN)
• February 2019 Place and event TBC
• 16 & 17 March 2019: 12 Hours of Sebring (USA)
• 4 May 2019: WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 15 &16 June 2019: 87th 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

FIA ANNOUNCES WORLD MOTOR SPORT COUNCIL DECISIONS

Thursday, 21 September 2017, Paris - The FIA held its latest World Motor Sport Council meeting today in Paris

The meeting began with the FIA President Jean Todt paying special tribute to those affected by the natural disasters occurring in Mexico and Puerto Rico this week.

The President, on behalf of the entire FIA, the World Motor Sport Council, and the broader motor sport community offered his support and condolences to those affected by the tragic events, and recognised the presence of the FIA Vice President José Abed, attending on behalf of Mexico despite the devastating earthquake that affected that country’s capital.

The following decisions were taken during the meeting:

FIA World Endurance Championship

The World Motor Sport Council offered its full support for the FIA Endurance Commission in its efforts to further strengthen and promote the FIA World Endurance Championship; one of the FIA’s most important assets.

The unique and extended provisional calendar spanning both 2018 and 2019 for the FIA World Endurance Championship was confirmed as follows:



The FIA Endurance Commission was also encouraged to pursue a number of exciting and innovative proposals that it is currently working on, with the aim of enticing new manufacturers to the Championship.

The World Motor Sport Council also agreed to a number of Technical Regulation amendments for 2018 and 2019.

• From 2018, incorporation of the LMP1 Non-Hybrid cars into a single classification with the LMP1 Hybrid cars (while maintaining the current specific technical regulations).
• It is proposed to equalise the lap performances of the best LMP1 Non-Hybrid and Hybrid cars by adjusting the instantaneous fuel flow and fuel consumption per lap for the Non-Hybrid cars. A fuel range advantage for Hybrid cars (one extra lap at Le Mans) will be enforced.
• A technological coefficient between naturally aspirated engines and turbo engines will be implemented in order to open up the field of possible engines for LMP1 Non-Hybrid cars.
• From 2019, a ban on fluidic switches and energy brought to the general aerodynamics of the car – this is in anticipation of potential complex and expensive developments in this area.

Next

The next World Motor Sport Council meeting will be held on 6 December in Paris.

https://www.fia.com/...cil-decisions-7

 

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Sebrins WEC round in 2019 to be 1500-mile event



Sebring's return World Endurance Championship race in 2019 will be a 1,500-mile event, it has been announced.

The Florida track was confirmed as part of the WEC's 2018/19 'superseason', which kicks off with the Spa 6 Hours in May 2018 and ends with the Le Mans 24 Hours the following year.

WEC's Sebring race shares the bill with IMSA's traditional 12-hour event in March 2019, which will take place on the Saturday running from 10am to 10pm before the WEC race begins at midnight.

Amid concerns that another timed event would detract from the Sebring 12 Hours, it has been decided that the WEC event will be run over a fixed distance of 1,500 miles (2,414km), or 402 laps.

The idea of Sebring being a distance race had already been mooted by WEC boss Gerard Neveu when the fixture was first announced earlier this month.

It is understood that IMSA was unhappy with the idea of there being two races with the title Sebring 12 Hours and pushed for another duration or distance for the WEC fixture.

This year, only 348 laps were completed by the winning DPi in the IMSA-run event, however, the faster speeds of LMP1 cars compared to DPi machinery, combined with the likelihood of fewer caution periods, mean the WEC race is likely to end up being of similar length to the 12 Hours.

LMP1 changes confirmed

The idea of combining hybrid and non-hybrid LMP1 cars into one class announced when the new road map for the WEC was unveiled at the Mexico City round earlier this month was also confirmed by the WMSC.

The lap-time performance the two types of cars will be equalised as announced by allowing the non-hybrids to use more fuel per lap, but a fuel-range advantage for hybrids will be maintained.

The advantage given to turbocharged engines by the fuel-flow regulations introduced in 2014 will be removed for the superseason and the 2019/20 season to try to encourage privateers to enter LMP1.

The use of fluidic switches to direct air flow around aerodynamic surfaces has been banned, says the WMSC statement, "in anticipation of potential complex and expensive developments in this area".

 

https://www.autospor...o-be-1500-miles

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Kuvajt je na dobrom putu da uskoči umesto Bahreina na kalendaru ako ovi završe stazu na vreme, ona jeziva pauza između Kine i Sebringa se mora nekako popuniti. Trka u Februaru je bila označena kao TBC i tu bi Kuvajt mogao upasti..
 

Report: New Kuwait Circuit Vying for WEC Race

Kuwait could play host to the FIA World Endurance Championship as early as next year, with the new Hermann Tilke-designed FIA Grade 1 venue reportedly in the running to potentially replace Bahrain on the 2018 calendar.

Kuwait Motor Town, a 3.7-mile circuit located 35 miles south of capital city of Kuwait City, is expected to be completed in 2018, with ground have already broken on the 148 million Euro facility earlier this year.

With a Formula One date appearing to be unlikely, Tilke revealed in an interview with German publication “Sport Auto” that local promoters are looking “into attracting the second best world championship behind F1, and that is currently WEC.”

WEC boss Gerard Neveu wouldn’t confirm they are in talks with Kuwait but did indicate that its current contract with Bahrain is up at the end of this year.

Bahrain, which has hosted rounds of the WEC since the championship’s launch in 2012, has held an exclusivity deal for the Middle East, with industry sources indicating that a bidding war could develop between the two countries for the date.

While it’s unclear if negotiations have advanced in recent months, Neveu said they are always in contact with numerous circuits and promoters that have shown interest in hosting a round.

“This is why you have these rumors because it’s the end of [a contract] cycle for some circuits, so we’re looking at doing for next year,” Neveu said last month at Spa.

The 2018 WEC schedule could have a significantly different look to it, with the possibility of a reduction to eight rounds and varied race lengths, away from its traditional six-hour format that has been used for all regular-season events since 2013.

Neveu indicated that contracts with other circuits are also up for renewal, rumored to include Mexico City and Circuit of The Americas, although Neveu said a three-year extension with Fuji Speedway has been signed.

The government-funded Kuwait Motor Town, meanwhile, is set to feature multiple circuit configurations, as well as a karting track, off-road course, drag strip, driving academy, plus an on-site shopping mall and hotel.

http://sportscar365....g-for-wec-date/

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Servia eyes IMSA Prototypes as next career move
Tuesday, 10 October 2017
By Marshall Pruett / Images by Scott LePage/LAT & IMS Photo



 
IndyCar veteran Oriol Servia is looking to IMSA's Prototype class as the next destination to extend a long and distinguished career.

The Catalonian, who was recently hired by the Verizon IndyCar Series to help test and develop its new 2018 bodywork and electronics alongside Juan Pablo Montoya, would welcome competing against the Colombian and fellow open-wheel veteran Helio Castroneves in a Daytona Prototype international or privateer LMP2 chassis as IMSA's top class prepares for a big influx of talent next year.

"The interest really started from wanting to drive something competitive and continue doing what I've been doing for 20 years," Servia told RACER. "Three years ago I put driving on pause to manage [the Dragon Racing] Formula E team, and I really found I wasn't ready to stop driving and committed to myself that driving would be the main focus until it's time to retire, and that is many, many years from now."

Having driven for Andretti Autosport, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Team Penske since his full-time IndyCar career wound down after 2013, the chance to go for a championship in IMSA's Prototype category has become a major goal for the 43-year-old.

"I love IndyCar racing – I still want to win the Indy 500 and feel that I drove my best race this year and passed the entire field before we had problems," he said. "And since July, I did more development for the 2018 car (below), and looking at how competitive my times were in testing next to Montoya and Hinch and all the other guys, I keep learning and enjoying myself and want to do it in a place where my experience can help and I see this happening in IMSA.



"I did Daytona 10 years ago in a DP and really enjoyed it, went to Monterey a few weeks ago for the IMSA race and loved the intense competition and how many good drivers are there, so there's no doubt I would find it very satisfying. It's only natural for me to look at Prototype as a place to go with all the changes to adding more downforce and power, which is very similar to what we have had in IndyCar."

DPi seats are almost full with 2018 approaching, but Servia isn't limiting his interest to factory entries.

I love to drive and think I can bring a lot to the table for any Prototype team," he said. "Everybody would love to drive for a manufacturer team, but I would also love to race with an independent P2 team, to work with other drivers and share anything that I can, if we can go and beat the DPis.

"I watched Petit Le Mans and saw how much fun and how competitive my fellow IndyCar drivers were. I want to be there, fighting with them, or against them; it doesn't matter. It's difficult to break into a new playground, and I know some team owners might know my name more than me individually, but I'm confident that if I can get in, we can do some great things together as a team."

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

New Judd V10 engine boost for privateer LMP1 entrants



Engine Developments, which produces Judd engines, is developing a new V10 powerplant to take advantage of regulation changes aimed at boosting the number of privateer LMP1 entrants in the World Endurance Championship next year.

The British company is continuing its collaboration with Japanese design company AIM to produce the new AIM-Judd 5.5-litre normally-aspirated V10, which builds on the success of its previous sportscar designs.

The powerplant exploits changes to the rules for 2018 devised to allow normally-aspirated engines to be competitive with turbocharged units under the fuel-flow regulations introduced for the 2014 season.

This has been done to boost the pool of engines available to privateers with non-hybrid machinery, who have been guaranteed lap-time parity with factory hybrid P1s.

The engine is built around a new 72-degree cylinder block billed as "significantly lighter" than previous Judd sportscar engines and incorporates new combustion chamber and piston designs.

It will also have a revised cooling system and an updated engine management system with an electronic throttle and fuel-flow management software.

Exploiting non-turbo benefits

Engine Developments believes that the new engine can "deliver extremely competitive lap times without the problems of throttle response, complexity and reliability associated with turbocharged engines", according to a statement.

"The expected technical regulations in LMP1 will guarantee parity of performance between various engine types used through a rigorous homologation procedure," the statement continued.

"We therefore believe the V10 platform should be the natural choice for any LMP1 team that is serious about having a trouble-free run in the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours."

The engine will be available to teams on a lease-only basis in time for the beginning of the 2018/19 WEC 'superseason'.

Prototype history

Engine Developments has a long history in sportscar racing with the Judd V10 developed out of its early-1990s Formula 1 unit.

Its four-litre Judd GV4 engine won the Daytona 24 Hours in the back of a Doran Dallara SP1 in 2002 and its successor, the five-litre GV5, notched up podium finishes at Le Mans with Pescarolo Sport in 2005 and 2006.

The company subsequently joined up with AIM to produce a wide-angle version of the enlarged 5.5-litre GV5, which was run by the Creation Autosportif LMP1 squad in 2008-09.

https://www.motorspo...ne-lmp1-965276/

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

The ACO has confirmed that three of the four current LMP2 chassis suppliers – Dallara, Ligier and Riley/Multimatic – have had their 'joker' upgrades approved for their sprint and Le Mans aero packages for the 2018 season.

As was reported by RACER last month, the ORECA 07 is the only one of the three to have its aero packages frozen to allow the other three to close the gap in performance, which was especially noticeable at the Le Mans 24 Hours back in June.

"The spirit of these adjustments is to guarantee a hotly-contested category as well as a level of competitiveness between the constructors and the teams," the ACO's statement reads. "The teams won't suffer financially from the cost of these evolutions, which will be borne in their totality by the chassis manufacturers."

There is one change from the initial decisions, with Dallara having successfully lobbied to have an upgrade approved for its sprint package, after the original suffered from major balance issues, believed to be linked to a problem with the front splitter, a part common to both versions of the P217.

"The decisions were made after analysis of the results of different endurance events, in particular in the ELMS at Silverstone, Monza, Spielberg, Le Castellet, Spa and the Le Mans 24 Hours, the ACO and the FIA discussed the situation and proposed a selection of modifications to the constructors. This selection of technical solutions should enable them to close the gap to the 2017 benchmark car, the ORECA 07.

"The ACO and the FIA have made clear to the different protagonists the rules and objectives of these modifications: namely, to maintain the competitiveness of the three constructors in relation to ORECA in 2018 without, however, these modifications giving one of them a consistent advantage compared to the benchmark car.

"The ultimate aim is to ensure that LMP2 remains a category in which variety and hotly-contested racing prevail."

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Ginetta LMP1 Chosen by Manor and TRS Racing For 2018/19 FIA WEC
1st November 2017 • Ruth Harrison

Manor Endurance Racing and Chinese based motor sports specialists, Talent Racing Sports (TRS) have chosen the new Ginetta LMP1 as the basis for their planned entry into the 2018/2019 FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), including entries into both the 2018 and 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours.



The step up to LMP1 with Ginetta comes after two FIA WEC seasons running in the LMP2 prototype class. The new Ginetta will see the team challenging for overall race wins in the World Endurance Championship, including at Le Mans as part of new look to the FIA WEC.

The initial announcement from Manor and TRS Racing confirms the chassis will be a Ginetta LMP1 with the engine partner to be confirmed in due course.

Lawrence Tomlinson, Chairman Ginetta Cars;“I am delighted with the confirmation of the selection by TRS Racing and Manor Endurance Racing of the Ginetta LMP1 for their programme. The opportunities for all involved here are tremendous, for Ginetta, for the team, and for their backers. To take on endurance racing at this level is one of the toughest technical challenges in the world. It’s great to have a racing partner who relishes those challenges just as much as we do.”

John Booth, Manor Endurance Racing Team Principal; “We are very happy to be entering the LMP1 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship. We have been learning this championship for the last two years and we are confident that the time is now right for us to step-up to the LMP1 category. We have known the people at Ginetta for many years and we believe that, working together, we will be able to develop a competitive LMP1 package.”

Graeme Lowdon, Manor Endurance Racing Sporting Director; “I think that the LMP1 category provides a fantastic challenge for us but we can rely on a lot of experience gained over the years, in particular those spent in Formula 1, relating to the management of the design, research, testing and development processes that are so important for a successful LMP1 team.”

Ewan Baldry, Technical Director, Ginetta Cars;“This is more great news for the team designing and building the new Ginetta LMP1 cars. We have an incredibly strong team of people working on the LMP1 project, both in-house and as consultants. Our development team’s expertise is second-to-none, and I know they are looking forward to working with John, Graeme and their people.”

 

https://www.ginetta....2018-19-fia-wec

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

WEC evaluating road car-style designs for LMP1s



The next breed of factory LMP1 racer could be styled in the image of manufacturers' high-performance road cars.

The proposal has emerged from round table meetings set up by the FIA and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest to come up with a new set of regulations that will come into force at the start of the 2020/21 World Endurance Championship.

It has been driven by a push to revive dwindling manufacturer interest in the P1 division.

ACO sporting director Vincent Beaumesnil confirmed that rules to create something akin to the GTP prototypes of the late 1990s and early 2000s was "one of the options".

But he said it wasn't the right time to elaborate on the plan.

"We are right in the middle of its so we prefer to take a bit more time before really explaining it," he told Motorsport.com.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH technical director Pascal Vasselon explained that the idea of the proposal was to "make sure the bodywork supports better the manufacturer's products".

"At the moment an LMP1 is a kind of generic prototype and you have to paint it to put your mark on it," he said.

"The idea could be to go towards bodywork that is clearly closer to real cars — it could interest manufacturers who at the moment who are not interested in a generic LMP."

Vasselon suggested that the styling would be much more extensive than in IMSA's Daytona Prototype international class in North America.

The DPi rules allow for changes to the front and rear bodywork, as well as the sidepods, of the LMP2 base car in order for a manufacturer to introduce its styling cues.

The idea would borrow a key element from the latest GTE regulations introduced ahead of the 2016 WEC season.

Competing manufacturers would be given an aerodynamic performance window in which their car would have to sit to ensure a level playing field.

What is not being proposed is that the P1 division moves towards the introduction of hypercars such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie or the LaFerrari.

There appears to be a consensus that racing homologated road cars would not facilitate the reduction in costs that is a key target of the rule-making process.

The new rules would continue to allow the manufacturers to showcase their energy-retrieval technology.

Vasselon insisted there as still a desire to "keep the technology challenging".

The rule makers are attempting to have the framework of the 2020/21 LMP1 regulations in place to go before the next meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in early December.

But Beaumesnil stated that it was "more important to reach the correct decisions" that hitting that deadline.

https://www.motorspo...ce-cars-978750/

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

McLaren has "strong interest" in WEC LMP1's new direction



McLaren has a "strong interest" in potential new World Endurance Championship rules that would allow it to style a future LMP1 contender after its high-performance road cars.

McLaren boss Zak Brown took part in the second roundtable meeting of potential manufacturers working on the new set of P1 rules that are due to come into force for the 2020/21 WEC season - and said he liked the ideas discussed.

"We like lots of what they are saying: with the budgets and the level of technology they are talking, it's heading in a direction that means there is a strong interest on our part," Brown told Motorsport.com.

McLaren's interest was such, he explained, that it had "dedicated someone to go to future meetings and look into this".

The British group has previously hinted that it could return to the WEC's blue riband round, the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Within three months of taking up the executive director position, which includes responsibility for the McLaren Automotive sportscar arm as well as the Formula 1 team, Brown said that he would "love to see" the marque back at the race it won with the F1 GTR supercar in 1995.

He suggested at that point that a Le Mans return would most likely be in the GTE ranks with a car based on one of its sportscars.

More recently, he expressed an interest in McLaren entering LMP1 if a set of cost-effective regulations was put in place.

Should McLaren decide to build a car capable of winning Le Mans outright, it would give Fernando Alonso the chance to chase one leg of the motorsport triple crown with his regular employer.

The two-time Formula 1 world champion looks certain to test a Toyota TS050 HYBRID in Sunday's official WEC rookie test in Bahrain.

Porsche has been another participant in the rules meetings, despite its withdrawal from the LMP1 arena after this weekend's WEC finale in Bahrain.

Porsche GT boss Frank-Steffen Walliser said that the company was always ready to "discuss and listen".

A set of rules that would give manufacturers the chance to give a prototype the look of a high-performance sportscar has been described as "one of the options" by Vincent Beaumesnil, sporting director of WEC promoter the Automobile Club de l'Ouest.

But it appears that this is a firm direction in which the 2020/21 rules are heading.

The ACO and the FIA, who jointly write the rules for the WEC, have targeted putting a broad framework in place in time for it to go before the December meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

BR1 LMP1 Prototype shown off in Bahrain
Friday, 17 November 2017
By Stephen Kilbey / Images courtesy of SMP Racing



 
The brand-new BR1 LMP1 chassis, developed by BR Engineering and Dallara was launched at the Bahrain International Circuit this evening.

Boris Rotenberg, president of BR Engineering, was on hand at the event this evening to take the wraps off the new car which will race in the 2018/19 FIA WEC 'Super Season.' Shortly after, he announced that 2017 ELMS champion 10Star DragonSpeed will also be a new customer team, alongside the expected two-car SMP Racing program which is set to become the first ever Russian-flagged LMP1 WEC effort next year.

SMP Racing's expected two-car effort is set to be campaigned by French Formula 2 outfit ART Grand Prix, powered by the AER P60 twin-turbo V6 engine. DragonSpeed, meanwhile, will run a normally aspirated Gibson V8 with its BR1.



At the launch, Rotenberg explained that DragonSpeed will take the third BR1 chassis, and explained that five drivers have thus far tested the Dallara-built chassis at Motorland Aragon, prior to the launch.

Ex-F1 driver Vitaly Petrov, IndyCar veteran Mikhail Aleshin (sporting a broken arm after a recent cycling accident), Sergei Sirotkin, Kirill Ladygin and Viktor Shaitar have all driven the BR1 in testing so far, where the car completed well over 1000km over two days of running.

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

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Lepotica
 

 

Samo neka je procvetala LMP1 klasa. Ali mi hebeno fale G56 prototipovi, ko da je juče bilo kad sam se zaljubio u Nisan ZEOD RCa...