As far as a viewpoint, I believe that this is a difficult proposition. I'll recognize that there are some very capable privateers, such as Pescarolo, yet should we expect them to prepare cars equal to that of Audi and Peugeot? From time to time, that will happen, but the odds do seem heavily stacked against such an occurance.
We have a Catch 22 situation here. There is no factory petrol engine campaign, so we cannot truly judge the on track performance differentials. Yet, there is no factory backed petrol engine campaign, as there is a perception that they cannot compete.
While the ACO may feel satisfied in knowing that they've appeased Audi and Peugeot, they'll have eliminated any probability of other manufacturers racing P1 at LM, who aren't interested in diesels. This short-term pandering, is likely to be a long-term headache.
October 19th, is a ludicrous time of the year to be introducing new rules, that will affect the competition in LMP1 and between LMP1 and LMP2. The ACO needs to get their act together, and provide competitors, manufacturers, and the racing series, time to prepare how to effectively (or not) race in ACO rules based series.
The most reasonable solution, at least to me, is to allow the series to manage things as they see fit, within the basic rules guidelines that the ACO constructs for the LM race. I might think that the ALMS will think long and hard about these new guidelines, and (I hope) ignore them completely (except maybe the fuel tank size) for 2007, and maintain the IMSA performance balancing bulletins of 2006.
The ALMS can install the LMP2, GT1, GT2 performance reductions for 2008, which should encourage the LMP2 manufacturers to build LMP1 machinery for 08', but give them time to be somewhat competitive with their LMP2 investments. The continued ALMS message should be to balance out the Petrols and Diesels, through bulletin
06-10.