Thread: The Decline and Fall of Constructors Prototype Racing
View Single Post
Old 11 Apr 2020, 22:24 (Ref:3970162)   #8
Deleted
Registered User
Veteran
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 10,744
Deleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of FameDeleted will be entering the Motorsport Hall of Fame
Quote:
Originally Posted by canaglia View Post
Since I follow motorsport, I've always noticed some kind of middle-age/reinassence cycle across the years... it usually follows the same pattern actually....

a little group of manufacturers get their interest in a championship -> the champ attracts other manufacturers for some seasons -> competition between manufacturers rises as costs get to the stars as well -> some manufacturers begin to withdraw since costs are no longer sustainable ->
scenario A: all manufacturers leave and champ slowly dies or turns in something else
scenario B: all manufacturers but one or few of them remain and write the rules of the new transitory phase

In our days, hybrid madness costs killed lmp1-h.
GTE/GTLM is getting too precious and suitable only for manufacturers or a small circle of private teams. Actually as shown by ford and maybe next year by bmw, a GTE program isn't exactly the priority for a manufacturer as well.
DPi idea was great since costs are almost comparable to a gt3 program, but it seems wasn't interesting enough for most of manufacturers.

Honestly don't expect a mass entrance of manufacturers in lmdh, most of all if toyota will lobby to have their hypercar with a more favourable bop/tech.rules.
It is true, this "cycle of OEMs". Scenario B is pretty much what tends to happen to the overall top class at Le Mans, albeit I do not think it's the only way it happens - and certainly not with this latest set of withdrawals as that had much to do with the unexpected VW scandal, as well as the Nissan and Aston Martin embarrassment stories. Scenario A seems to be the fate of top LMGT class, as best proven by 90's GT1 being replaced by 90's GT2, then that beoming the 00's GT1 and being replaced by 00's GT2. Which probably will get replaced by GT3 later on

However, the main point of this thread wasn't to be focused on the OEM partition, which as said works in cycles anyway, but the decline and fall of small-to-medium sized - or just privateer - prototype constructors, and non-spec racing in general.
Last edited by Deleted; 11 Apr 2020 at 22:31.
Deleted is offline  
Quote