[WEC] WEC 2023 Season - A new beginning!

[Sodemo]

Yea, years ago the F1 Bridgestone inter was legendary in that it could run in almost fully dry conditions and actually tolerate it for a few laps.

[J Jay]

That's the best, but least likely, option. Those slick intermediates were arguably the most advanced technology in the LMP1-H era.

[Matador]

Or maybe not have an exclusive tire manufacturer and see how that works out from a tyre performance standpoint :P

[Steve McQ]

This is common sense, something the rulemakers are not very used to these days. So even less likely to happen unfortunately.

[Mike E]

Having a single tyre supplier removes another BoP variable. It's not going to change any time soon.

[Adam43]

And it reduces costs. That coupled with what you say about performance means the common sense solution is one tyre supplier. It is part and parcel of why we have so many competitors.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Adam43

And it reduces costs. That coupled with what you say about performance means the common sense solution is one tyre supplier. It is part and parcel of why we have so many competitors.

[chernaudi]

WEC already has class exclusive tire makers with Michelin (LMH/LMDH) and Goodyear (LMP2 and GT3 next year). So that's already resolved.

[Adam43]

Yes.

[Adam43]

Tyre warmers are back! Le Mans only. All classes.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...r-le-mans.html

[v8supes]

It was inevitable, they'll stay post Le Mans btw.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Tyre warmers are back! Le Mans only. All classes.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...r-le-mans.html

So this will mean we can expect a pre-Le Mans BOP change too, because the ACO said that won't happen just like the tyre warmers....

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by v8supes

It was inevitable, they'll stay post Le Mans btw.

I hope not. I hope they go back to the IMSA way.

Originally Posted by joeb

So this will mean we can expect a pre-Le Mans BOP change too, because the ACO said that won't happen just like the tyre warmers....

a certainty

But, will the rule about not spinning you wheels when you leave the pit come back?

[KlBD]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Tyre warmers are back! Le Mans only. All classes.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...r-le-mans.html

I wonder how this will work for the non-WEC teams. Do they just have to dig up the old mothballed ones, or rent some tire warming tents from Michelin or someone else for Le Mans?

Also, how exactly is this fuel thing going to work? Were the tire heating tents previously not electrically powered?

[J Jay]

Maybe Michelin weren't being honest after all. It's easy to blame the tools when the tools are actually at fault.

The ACO won't want to keep this up for any longer than necessary, so Michelin effectively have two months to sort it out.

[Adam43]

I guess it is just a conservative approach to the big one.

[veeten]

Pretty much, we all knew that most of this was to be a shakeout year, for cars, teams, and even rules. By next year, we will have a better handle on things and can concentrate on the racing.

[TF110]

I think the case has been made by the crashes that for all the energy you've saved not warming tires, the teams probably spend more energy just to replenish their spare parts. We'll see how it plays out post-LM.

[S griffin]

Tyre warmer ban lifted for LM. What does everyone think of this decision?

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...0manufacturers.

[Sodemo]

If they have them they may as well use them.

[GingerPixel]

Given the amount of end swapping going on with cold tyres, I think it's a good choice. It would totally change the charateristics of LM if the same issues were occurring there, at night, in the rain.

[JT240Z]

Still don't understand this fixation on tire warmers in the EU. In IMSA, we have never had tire warmers and we race in the rain and at night in cold weather. Seems to me a bit of a lame excuse to poor driving practices.

[Simmi]

While teams/drivers aren't up to speed on the tyre warm-up, essentially it just harms your product.

Ferraris losing a lap at Spa crawling around. Cars crashing in a straight line at walking pace. 'World leading' drivers looking amateur. Extra safety cars. That's a bad product.

With so many eyes on Le Mans it's just not worth it.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by JT240Z

Still don't understand this fixation on tire warmers in the EU. In IMSA, we have never had tire warmers and we race in the rain and at night in cold weather. Seems to me a bit of a lame excuse to poor driving practices.

There's an element of drivers being weaned off tyre warmers, but the fact that some of the drivers speaking out have IMSA experience suggests there is more to it than just blaming the drivers.

If the same drivers can do it in IMSA but not WEC, we need to look at what is different in both series regarding tyres, both in terms of construction and regulations regarding them.

[JT240Z]

Originally Posted by J Jay

There's an element of drivers being weaned off tyre warmers, but the fact that some of the drivers speaking out have IMSA experience suggests there is more to it than just blaming the drivers.

If the same drivers can do it in IMSA but not WEC, we need to look at what is different in both series regarding tyres, both in terms of construction and regulations regarding them.

Goodyear v/s Michelin? All IMSA prototype cars run the same Michelin tires. If the tires are the problem in ACO then they need to get with the program and fix the problem. Tire warmers are just a bandage fix for a more systemic problem.

Drivers will complain about things they allowed to complain about if it helps their performance.