So with the ACO regs announced regarding hybrids in P1, Toyota coming with a hybrid, Peugeot testing theirs, and Audi rumoured to be working on a new version of the R18 with some sort of energy recovery, could 2012 be a landmark year in P1? We could have 3 factories battling at Le Mans all with hybrids. And Porsche is waiting in the wings for 2014, will there be others? This is road-relevant technology so it has to appeal to the manufacturers. We could be on the dawn of a golden age in the top class at Le Mans again.
Is the ALMS really the leader in green racing seeing as none of these will be entries there other than WEC round(s)?
The big battle now in P1 moving forward, albeit still diesel vs petrol, could turn more into hybrid vs internal combustion only. This could be a game changer and surely (sadly as an Aston fan) Aston will be reconsidering the viability of a shoestring budget P1 effort. No diesel and no hybrid will make any effort mid pack at best. Imagine being a Rebellion or an Oak, unless regs change further you will need to have either a diesel and/or a hybrid system to be competitive. The factories won't be keen to lease these out so other routes will have to be taken - Hope Polevision, the Williams system, etc. Making it prohibitively expensive.
Why would anyone fund the Deltawing? Less weight, smaller engine, big deal. Isn't that what P2 used to be? That's not technology, that's efficiency. Garage 56 should be for new technologies IMO.
I think the future propulsion technologies are coming fast, next year even, and deserved a separate thread. The future may finally be here.
