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Yes but around the world you are comparing a company, an OEM with enough engineers to supply two or three F1 teams working on ONE project which is make a diesel engine competitive.
The Lolas and AER's of the world are only as good as the benefactors check is as large.
I don't think it would be a stretch to say Lola hasn't been the same since Ford stop writing those huge checks in the GT40 days...
Sure Lola has had developmental "partners" since then, but seriously on their own they are good, just not great. They read the rulebook ala Porsche and when they came out with their 675 car it was just as quick if not quicker than a GT1 or LMP1 cars through the corners. The smallish turbo engine just didn't last very long at the power levels to give them a close to equal power to weight ratio.
But in amature hands (that would be Dyson) they beat Audi a few times and could have won a few more but for late flat tires or technical problems.
But they got SEED money for the project from MG, they didn't do it COMPLETLY on their own.
It is not FAIR to put down Audi and "The Lion" because they saw something in the rulebook they could exploit and had the money to exploit it. Without them, you would have NOT seen a diesel prototype which I think is very important in this day and age of being "green" otherwise you would be one step closer to driving a golf cart to work everyday.
The Lolas, Radicals, AER's and Judd's of the world don't have the money for Direct Injection and Racing Common Rail Diesels. It would be SMART for say John Judd to link up with say International/Harvester who will be making the smaller displacement Duramax Diesel engines for GM and work with them on a REAL option for those without the big pockets of Audi and others.
Power to Weight is one way to come closer to the Diesel powered cars.
Maybe it would have been smarter for Henri to step down in class and develop an LMP2 that could run with the 908 at tighter tracks and just like Audi the 908's haven't been 100% reliable and anything could happen, they might have actually WON a race or two or three or four this year like Penske has.
Its not equal competition at the present time. If a private team had a car just as fast and durable as the Audi, then THINGS would be different. They don't so they aren't competitive, pretty simple if you ask me.
Maybe they aren't asking the right questions to get the answers they want from sponsors and technical partners.
Ego's get in the way because with money comes a king sized Ego to go with it.
Look at Highcroft, he wasn't an operation funded by some OEM someplace, but Duncan had his SHIET together, pitched his idea and got bank rolled by Honda.
What does that say about the level of equipment, shop and drivers at Dyson Racing????
Maybe they didn't think they would get picked by Acura and never called and as they say it never hurts to ask all they can say is NO.
But with no Weaver maybe they were a program in limbo; Who knew they would jump ship from Lola and AER???
Who is the leader on that team? Hasn't Guy Smith been lapping the quickest? Shouldn't he be in the lead car?? Its not like they are setting the house on fire even with the same car and tires as Penske, hmmm.
Martin Short got a deal with Nissan.
Problem was Nissan didn't take Le Mans and beating Audi seriously and of course they are looking to remain profitable and that doesn't include spending millions on a Sportscar effort almost nobody will see unless you put it on the front page of the USA Today like Audi does and has no links to anything currently in production.
The problem is the smaller teams need to get more organized, not so much more money.
Money always helps but like I said you pick the wrong people to work with and you go BACKWARDS.
Intersports is a perfect case in point. They have been the best LMP2 team of the last 3-4 years and even Ray Mallock would say that. For a small team from Ohio, they have made the right moves, until now.
They went with an semi unproven car builder instead of sticking with the one they had, even Lola/AER LMP1; year 2 would have proven faster and more reliable than the Creation/Judd combination.
No N/A powerplant without a helping hand from the rulebook will be competitive with a forced inducted engine or even hybird electric engine.
The Audi puts down 800ft of torque, the Porsche V8 in the Spyder is rated at 248lbs of torque, case closed.
Even if output is the same torque isn't and with traction control will LAUNCH you out of the corners, as witnessed at Mosport with great effect.
How come nobody is building a big torquey twin turbo V8? The AER isn't especially large in displacement...
But it has 4 valve per cylinder it could only be so big by the rules, but with 2 valve engines, as somebody said and I have an old Hot Rod story as well, with a stock block 90 degree Chevy V6, 700-800hp is EASY, very EASY. Yes you bring the center of gravy up but they can design around that - See Audi
I mean Penske found the loophole in the rulebook and asked Benz to make a pushrod V8 racing engine so he could run more boost and he won the Indy 500 with total EASE and I do mean TOTAL EASE, because in CART trim those were ill handling cars... Ask Al Jr...
How come AER isn't building an Alum version of a Ford V8 and slap a couple of turbos on it??? That's why I believe Europeans get caught up in technology just for the sake of it.
I mean it took 12 cylinders and twin turbos to beat McLarens in Cam Am with Reynolds Alum block Big Block Chevys... No Turbos, No Nitrous... All Motor
I think I have proved my point, I'll close my post here....
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