Mmm... nice thread for a long long winter...
As I've been asked by some old members at the TT meeting
I'll try to post once in a week, and this fits perfectly with this topic.
Actually, I noticed that the debate raged already on some french forums, but I was surprise too that nobody tried to launch it here... the post race syndrom maybe ?
There's plenty to discuss :
- what about the past Audish decade at its very end last week-end ?
- what about what we lived in 1989 and 1999 (remember what we had in 1992, in 2000) ?
- what about new rules and new categories ?
- what about hybrids and consomption based ACO's rules ?
- what about the goodbye to GT1 (remembers something to me) ?
- what about the actual crisis and car builders hability to commit in new projets ?
- what about gossips ?
Well, to paraphrase some Clarcksonish TV animator, "let's find out !"
I'll chose for this week-end the link between the last three decades (oh my, it could worked for the last
four !)... the end of C group led to a major failure : I'm watching/re-reading those days old tapes and ACO's annual of this critical period. We went from best to worst possible field (quantity in 1992, quality in 1994 : pathetic !). We didn't have much better last millenium turn up : what a difference between 1999 and 2000... we needed two years to see some great cars back on business (Dallara Oreca, Bentleys, MGs). Two years is a very long time, meaning two races without any passion or real opponent for the winner.
I'd like some examination of what the LMP1 field could be in 2010 and 2011. We'll have 3 Audis (confirmed by Dt Ulrich) and 3 Pugs (confirmed by Peugeot's staff on the podium), if the boards agree despite the running crisis (not done, IMHO).
What about AM ? Prodrive was clear about its intention to go F1 instead... is AM able to go by itself to LM ?
Oreca : as AM, Hugues de Chaunac was clear bout equivalences. If the category is not more balanced between diesel and gas, it's a big no no (perfectly understandable BTW).
Pescarolo : it will be "Pug" or nothing, or so.
And what about the quite anonymous (let's be honest : as I was away from the forum for three years, I knew nothing about what I saw, and was unable to expect anything of Zytek, Ginetta and so on... and when I listen Johnny Mowlem on RLM say "let's face it : money talks more than ever this year", all has been said about the teams rolling here) rest of the P1 field ? One week later, I even can't remember who's behind the leaders on the scoring board. Let's see what's what : Pug, Pug, Audi, AM, Oreca, Pug... er... Pescarolo ?... er... I think that the Essex Porker is not far but... oh well... can't say. See ? That's my old brain probably
That said, the outsiders did sterling job compared to what we had some years in the same decade ! And the cars were awsome... but who's who ?
We need more opponents for the lead, or at least we need to believe that, well in some conditions, it's possible for the strong outsiders... the best exemples : 1991 (Mazda), 1999 (BMW). At least give us a real AM potentiel winner.
A very provocative answer... your turn now !
