|
I don't see the 1km EV mode rule as a safety issue. If the cars are intended to be at least as fast as LMP2s, then they'd, by proxy, would be at least as fast as LMP900s would probably be on newer tires.
We have to remember that the ACO almost crapped a brick when the Toyota GT-One did under 3:30 at LM in qualifying, as did the Audi R8 a couple of years later. And we know that the R8, just on modern tires alone, probably would be doing well under 3:25s at LM, as could the GT-One.
We do have to remember that the ACO have changed rules often out of the sake of keeping cars at or below a laptime at LM (used to be 3:30, now approx 3:20), and most of the changes that have been made by the cars by the teams is to get around the ACO's attempts to slow the cars. Which leaves us with the fact that modern cars, in terms of laptime, aren't really much faster than an old Audi R8 or R10 put on modern tires with a factory driver in them. Which that says a lot just for advances in tire technology.
But no, I don't like the 1km EV rule out of safety, I think it's a gimmick. Just as to a large degree right now Formula E is a gimmick. If the ACO want teams to save fuel on EV mode, why not make the cars do the whole length of pit road on EV mode, something that Toyota don't even do now (when leaving the pits, once it hits pit road speed, the engine cranks over and idles on all the Toyota LMP1s since 2012).
|