The never ending Toyota return to Le Mans (LMP1) Saga

[Articus]

Originally Posted by supermario21

I remember this happening. I think it was an Audi though, one of the E-trons while it was on the chase. It was either Fassler or Kristensen I just can't remember. It happened in the morning hours a little bit after dawn IIRC. The Vette just spun off and nobody really mentioned it.

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

Huh, I clearly remember a Vette being spun around and forced to gently back up to the hole in the fence on the SPEED broadcast.

Thats exactly what I am talking about. I remember the car backing up to the hole and then getting around again being pretty torn up in the rear after backing into the wall.

If it was in the early hours of morning then I guess it could not have been a Toyota.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by TF110

I said according to the math. But along your line of though, I didn't say Toyota couldn't do 11 lap stints on the same tires and do 44 laps I'm just doing the math on what happened in the race as an average, I thought that was just a fun thing to do, not a definitive conclusion.

Sorry, I didn't realise that you did it just for fun. Although I did realise it wasn't a definitive conclusion. For fun I used logic, but let me know when you don't want anyone to discuss one of your fun points.

[tyronnezx]

Originally Posted by Matador

Would love to see Lotterer "come home" to Toyota.

+1 to this. but hes now an Audi guy meanwhile Loic Douval still races for Toyota in SGT. this makes no sense to me whatsoever and Douval should just goto Toyota instead

[gwyllion]

Duval turned down the offer from Peugeot because he really wanted to be an Audi factory driver. To me that means that he will likely stay with Audi next year.

He was the fastest driver in the ultra and he made no mistakes during the race.

[CTD]

A danish tabloid (Ekstrabladet) has talked to Tom Kristensen and got a story out of a quote from Tom K: (loosely translated)

I got Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich word that's there is more left in me, but i still got an empty contract

Jeg har sportschef Dr. Wolfgang Ullrichs ord for, at der er mere tilbage i mig, men jeg har fortsat et tomt papir

Tom K has been approached by Toyota, this is certain. But that he took up the offer, is unlikely i my mind.
http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/anden_s...cle1777743.ece

[gwyllion]

That story sounds hard to believe. I would think that Kristensen and McNish can stay at Audi as long as they like.

[gwyllion]

Has anyone come across pictures from the TS030 without the rear body work?

The best I could find, are these two pictures:


source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurent...7630180793298/

It is obvious that the photographer was instructed not to take pictures from the rear end of the car.

I read in the garage visit topic that the gearbox and hybrid system were visible. This suggests that the engine cover was off. However, I can only assume that it was forbidden to take pictures in the garage.

[chernaudi]

That also maybe explain why Toyota did an around about method of changing the tail after Nakajima struck the DW, almost as if TMG intentionally designed the tail so it could be removed without lifting the rear deck, though I think in that situation that it would've been quicker to have lifted/changed the engine cover.

[chernaudi]

Sorry to double post, but Dagys' LM wrap up notebook says that there's still strong rumors of a 2nd Toyota entry for Fuji, namely as TMG have salvaged the #8's tub from the LM accident.

[FstrthnU]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie3Hz...ature=g-user-u
Motor Trend uploaded a well-produced video today covering the Toyota effort (including a peek at Toyota Motorsport's facilities which hold all of Toyota's F1 and Le Mans cars). A shame about the ending of course, but it's far from over for the Toyota team

[Acid09]

Nice, but a bit of poor research in there, the #8 wasn't leading while the accident occurred.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

I read in the garage visit topic that the gearbox and hybrid system were visible. This suggests that the engine cover was off. However, I can only assume that it was forbidden to take pictures in the garage.

We saw EVERYTHING!.
But sadly, not photos of the rear of the cars where allowed.
If you have any specific questions i can try answering them based on my memory .

Fx. the V8 engine is very tiny and mounted very low and center in the chassis. (and by tiny, it's incredible tiny)

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by Acid09

Nice, but a bit of poor research in there, the #8 wasn't leading while the accident occurred.

Indeed. And they make it seem that the #7 Toyota got out of contention for a win because of accident damage. No mention of the reliability issues...

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Sorry, I didn't realise that you did it just for fun. Although I did realise it wasn't a definitive conclusion. For fun I used logic, but let me know when you don't want anyone to discuss one of your fun points.

I'm a bit puzzled by what you're getting at. I thought I used logic backed by facts when I said Toyota were kinder to the tires than Audi by the amount of times they changed tires. My stint calculations were just 'estimates' or 'for fun'. Not my comment about the tires. I just did a simple calculation with the lap amounts and the time they changed tires. Not trying to be argumentative, just going off the information we had from the race.

[Japanese Samurai]

Originally Posted by CTD

We saw EVERYTHING!.
But sadly, not photos of the rear of the cars where allowed.
If you have any specific questions i can try answering them based on my memory .

Fx. the V8 engine is very tiny and mounted very low and center in the chassis. (and by tiny, it's incredible tiny)

Did you see rear subframe?
(Dome S102 has CFRP sub frame)

[Simmi]

I don't really think it's right to be given access to the cars and then to try and tell people their internal secrets - cameras or no cameras.

[Fogelhund]

It really is hard to take seriously a factory effort that fields one car. Simply put, if they want to be on terms with Audi, they'll need to put forth a similar effort.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

I read in the garage visit topic that the gearbox and hybrid system were visible. This suggests that the engine cover was off. However, I can only assume that it was forbidden to take pictures in the garage.

Correct.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Japanese Samurai

Did you see rear subframe?
(Dome S102 has CFRP sub frame)

As i remember, No.
If we did, it certainly wasn't gold.

[Japanese Samurai]

Thanks!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I don't really think it's right to be given access to the cars and then to try and tell people their internal secrets - cameras or no cameras.

Yes.
But i'm not able to recollect anything worth any value to anyone.

But if i could, i wouldn't tell

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

It really is hard to take seriously a factory effort that fields one car. Simply put, if they want to be on terms with Audi, they'll need to put forth a similar effort.

That part comes next year. Two cars in the WEC and three at Le Mans.

[wewantourdarbyback]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

It really is hard to take seriously a factory effort that fields one car. Simply put, if they want to be on terms with Audi, they'll need to put forth a similar effort.

They don't, they are only in the WEC this year because the ACO/FIA begged them.

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by CTD

As i remember, No.
If we did, it certainly wasn't gold.

Nope didn't see that either. If I remember correctly the engine was mounted directly to the monocoque and the transmission directly behind that.

[deggis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrNCH7eWCmw