Nissan LMP1 Discussion

[Gingers4Justice]

As MyNameIsNigel suggested, this is news which really deserves its own thread.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112085

Nissan is fully committed to entering the LMP1 class at the start of the 2015 World Endurance Championship, the Japanese manufacturer has revealed.

It had previously stated that it was working on concepts for an LMP1 programme, which is a condition of its 2014 'Garage 56' Le Mans 24 Hours entry with the ZEOD RC experimental racer, and that funding had yet to be signed off.

Now it has revealed that key decisions about the project are being made and that Nissan's first outright challenger for Le Mans honours since 1999 is on course to be on the grid for the opening round of the WEC in 2015.

Nissan global motorsport director Darren Cox told AUTOSPORT: "Any motorsport programme is dependent on the decisions of a company's board of directors, but we are pushing ahead as though it is all happening.

"We are making decisions, entering discussions with suppliers and on target to be at Silverstone [the opening round of the WEC this year and last] in April 2015."

Cox would not discuss details of Nissan's plans, although he did admit that the hybrid powerplant's internal combustion element would be petrol-powered.

"We are not doing this in a conventional way: it will be a global project, so NISMO [Nissan's motorsport arm in Japan] and Ben [Bowlby, designer of the ZEOD], will be involved," he explained.

The next wave of announcements concerning the ZEOD, including confirmation of the configuration of its internal combustion engine, are due at the end of this month.

Looks like we could find out officially about the Nissan's powerplant before we find out about Porsche's!

[MyNameIsNigel]

Thanks for opening this new thread.

Let's now hope the company's board of directors will stick to this plan.

[Bandicoot17]

Does that not refer to the ZEOD's powerplant??

This is great news though, although the part about the board of directors worries me slightly, as to me it sounds as if the program isn't signed off yet.

[Simmi]

It's interesting because, again, this isn't a nailed on confirmation.

Everything looks to be going in the right direction - but Cox seems to imply it hasn't been agreed at board level?

Hopefully they'll be in a position to announce something officially soon as a company.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Simmi

It's interesting because, again, this isn't a nailed on confirmation.

Everything looks to be going in the right direction - but Cox seems to imply it hasn't been agreed at board level?

Hopefully they'll be in a position to announce something officially soon as a company.

Yeah, I thought that was a bit weird really. I've interpreted it as Cox having the verbal go-ahead, if not the official financial one.

This would be very odd things to be coming out with if not.

[Maelochs]

Internal company politics---different divisions with different VPs having different views and visions of and for the company. One faction tries to force the hand of another by presenting a fait accompli--"We have already invested X time and money, we would be better off following through and gaining the benefits than cutting our losses."

[isynge]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Yeah, I thought that was a bit weird really. I've interpreted it as Cox having the verbal go-ahead, if not the official financial one.

This would be very odd things to be coming out with if not.

I suspect Nissan's 2015 budget will only be officially signed off much later in 2014, much like every other large company. Thus, Cox probably has the budget to do Garage 56, the LMP2 engine, Race Academy, and design/prep work for an LMP1, but no authority to commit to actually racing anything in 2015.

[deltawing]

Originally Posted by isynge

I suspect Nissan's 2015 budget will only be officially signed off much later in 2014, much like every other large company. Thus, Cox probably has the budget to do Garage 56, the LMP2 engine, Race Academy, and design/prep work for an LMP1, but no authority to commit to actually racing anything in 2015.

Bingo!

[Breinig]

Originally Posted by isynge

I suspect Nissan's 2015 budget will only be officially signed off much later in 2014, much like every other large company.

I very much doubt that this is a question of annual budgets. 2015 budget will not be signed of before Oct 2014.

This shall be a multi-year project. As in any large company, the decision is not going to be taken on an annual basis but on a project basis. Once a decision for the project is taken, the budget shall be principally defined for the upcoming years, of course allowing annual adjustments (the extreme case exercised by Peugoet).

The board has to do a go or halt decision for the project, they may do that anytime during a year.

I would agree that this is the answer to ACO's demand, without being really committed. At the same time I would expect to get the clarification latest in June. If they want to kick off such a project, they will need to start soon.

[Peat]

I call BS.

"It had previously stated that it was working on concepts for an LMP1 programme, which is a condition of its 2014 'Garage 56' Le Mans 24 Hours entry"

With that statement in mind, how can they say anything other than 'Yes, we are working on P1 for 2015...."

My guess is that they will show up with the ZEOD this year, have lacklustre performance - proclaim it as a great success and 'the future' and disappear again.

Please prove me wrong Nissan. PLEASE.

[JoestForEver]

Any motorsport programme is dependent on the decisions of a company's board of directors, but we are pushing ahead as though it is all happening.

mmm........sounds quite like a department head asking for budget from the board of directors by pushing his stuff to do something in advance. Not really a solid confirmation.

[Mike E]

Well, I haven't got a clue, but considering the lead time required to mount a credible campaign, getting the ball rolling with verbal authorisation while the board dots the i's and crosses the t's must be a good idea. You can do lots of planning without spending huge amounts of money.

Come on Nissan! Japan vs Germany!

[deggis]

Committed but not really committed = yet another contradictory, nonsensical statement.

Read that before coming here, but the thread title is still misleading if new thread was needed in the first place.

[deltawing]

Originally Posted by deggis

Committed but not really committed = yet another contradictory, nonsensical statement.

Read that before coming here, but the thread title is still misleading and not sure if a new thread is was even required.

Hey, what happened to you? I was missing you these last few days, you disappeared and I was wondering what would deggis say, now that finally the collective has decided there is going to be an LMP1.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by deltawing

Hey, what happened to you? I was missing you these last few days, you disappeared and I was wondering what would deggis say, now that finally the collective has decided there is going to be an LMP1.

Apparently all it took was a major journo to write a wishful headline which is not that connected to what Cox actually said. Pretty disappointed at the "collective".

[deltawing]

Originally Posted by deggis

Apparently all it took was a major journo to write a wishful headline which is not that connected to what Cox actually said. Pretty disappointed at the "collective".

Oh man, I am trying so hard to help you quite while you are ahead, but you just want to hit that wall at full speed, like it is fun!

[Acid09]

This smells like tactics to appease the ACO since they put their foot down and said no G56 without LMP1 in 2015.

Would I be surprised to see Nissan bring the Zeod, milk it for PR and then announce that the board is sadly not allowing LMP1 to happen? Not at all..

This whole thing is turning into a complete farce. I have never seen a manufacturer be this indecisive about joining a racing series. It's absurd.

[Simmi]

It's just because, as has been mentioned on here before, a normally private process is playing out in public.

[TF110]

Nissan wants to win LeMans outright. They cant do that with the zeod. I dont know what it would take besides a car on track to convince some here they are coming back.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by TF110

Nissan wants to win LeMans outright. They cant do that with the zeod. I dont know what it would take besides a car on track to convince some here they are coming back.

An official announcement (read: press release, not something Cox blurbs alone) mentioning what and when.

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by TF110

I dont know what it would take besides a car on track to convince some here they are coming back.

A statement with no qualifiers. No ifs and possibles.

[deltawing]

And then what happens? Are we all going to buy a Versa and put a "P1" sticker on it?

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by TF110

Nissan wants to win LeMans outright. They cant do that with the zeod. I dont know what it would take besides a car on track to convince some here they are coming back.

This forum is full of people who try to prove their worth with cynicism. However, frankly, it isn't real until that car is on track. That is because, the press, the posters on forums and even the team talk crap based on no facts whatsoever and you can't tell the difference between that and reality, because the words on your screen look the same. It's internet cry wolf.

If someone doesn't believe it until they see a car on track fair enough. Although being negative to prove you are clever is tedious and simple.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by TF110

Nissan wants to win LeMans outright.

No. Porsche wants to win Le Mans outright, so they began preparation to debut a competitive LMP1 car in the first round of 2014 while Nissan got on the tricycle bandwagon (aka Bowlby's IndyCar reject programme).

In this statement Cox does sound more committed, yet he mentioned at least two possible excuses in case it doesn't happen. 1). board approval pending 2). "We are not doing this in a conventional way" so there's a high chance Nissan will put forward certain conditions for ACO regarding some creative rule-making so that another iteration Bowlby's g56 wacky racer is admitted and allowed to be competitive in LMP1.

So far this is as much of a news as the endless Ferrari considering Le Mans story. Except in this case we all know what the politics is really about. I'm with deggis here. This is the kind of story Autosport is known for lately.

Originally Posted by Adam43

This forum is full of people who try to prove their worth with cynicism. However, frankly, it isn't real until that car is on track. That is because, the press, the posters on forums and even the team talk crap based on no facts whatsoever and you can't tell the difference between that and reality, because the words on your screen look the same. It's internet cry wolf.

Don't simplify. There is also the context of previous activity and statements by those from whom the words on the screen originate. Would identical LMP1 programme announcements coming from Mercedes and Zoran Stefanović look the same to you?

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Don't simplify. There is also the context of previous activity and statements by those from whom the words on the screen originate. Would identical LMP1 programme announcements coming from Mercedes and Zoran Stefanović look the same to you?

I'm not simplifying, I'm generalising. Thus my concern and frustration that discussions concerning announcements from manufacturers or random dudes develop in similar ways. That's why some will need to see cars on track.