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

[deggis]

Another video I found... onboard from Goodwood (and not the boring windscreen view)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5nsNxDlf-Q

The bar in the LCD screen - what is it showing?

[gwyllion]

Supercapacitor charge level?

At the beginning, the charge level is at 67%.
When the car starts on electric power, the charge level drops to around 30% and then the combustion engine kicks in.
Next, the car accelerates on combined power and the charge level drops to around 10%.
During the rest of the video, the charge level gradually increases whenever the car decelerates.

[Rennen]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Will be interesting to see how Toyota go about filling the third car. I don't see any 'big name' signings to be honest if they are keeping their current drivers too.

WEC running:
Wurz/Lapierre + Nakajima (when available)
Davidson/Sarrazin + Buemi (when available)

All they and Porsche will need is ex F1 drivers...plenty of them around! (Should be more of them in my view!)

[carsten66]

Originally Posted by Rennen

All they and Porsche will need is ex F1 drivers...plenty of them around! (Should be more of them in my view!)

Not necessarily ex F1 drivers, there are many experienced world class endurance drivers available who would love to get a call from either Porsche or Toyota...

[Scooter185]

Originally Posted by Rennen

All they and Porsche will need is ex F1 drivers...plenty of them around! (Should be more of them in my view!)

A certain 7 time WDC is available

[tyronnezx]

Originally Posted by Rennen

All they and Porsche will need is ex F1 drivers...plenty of them around! (Should be more of them in my view!)

i was just thinking how awesome this was for Toyota Drivers program?

One ended up equaling the best result for a Japanese driver in F1
the other won a Fia WEC race

i doubt Toyota will go for a high paid driver when there's plenty to chose from in IRL, Gp2 etc

[aneesh99]

Originally Posted by tyronnezx

IRL, Gp2 etc

This is a serious factory effort mate

They have a ton of drivers in SGT (e.g. Wakisaka, maybe give Ishiura another shot) to pick from, that aside, plenty of guys within sports cars that would love to be promoted to a factory drive like Tom Kimber-Smith, sorted

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Scooter185

A certain 7 time WDC is available

Better to get someone who has a karting circuit near Cologne.

[carsten66]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Better to get someone who has a karting circuit near Cologne.

Oh dear, please no, thank you...

[TF110]

Andrea Caldarelli is one of their junior drivers and currently doing SuperGT, I think he may be next in line.

[tyronnezx]

Originally Posted by aneesh99

This is a serious factory effort mate

They have a ton of drivers in SGT (e.g. Wakisaka, maybe give Ishiura another shot) to pick from, that aside, plenty of guys within sports cars that would love to be promoted to a factory drive like Tom Kimber-Smith, sorted

Originally Posted by TF110

Andrea Caldarelli is one of their junior drivers and currently doing SuperGT, I think he may be next in line.

im only just saying no to F1 drivers. instead of trying to pickup F1 drivers for the obvious reasons, Toyota are better getting drivers from IRL, Gp2 if they dont source from SGT or FN
i have a sneak feeling that this 7time WDC may turnup in a porsche

[deggis]

This certain 7 time WDC basically has lost motivation - if he does 24LM (again, remember 1991), it would probably be just for "fun". Is that going to be enough for a factory effort... perhaps at least considering the PR benefits.

[TF110]

I don't know about the lack of motivation. He's still about as fast as Rosberg, and occasionally faster. Mercedes car this year isn't very good on the development side though. I think he'd be good in sportscars. He isn't too old that's for sure. I donno about him in Porsche. He may play a role in Mercedes still. Maybe they'll let him drive a GT SLS.

[deggis]

I was referring to

"During the past month I was not sure if I still had the motivation and energy which is necessary to go on," Schumacher said. "It is not my style to do something which I am not 100 percent feeling for."

[Bentley03]

Did anyone listen to the 'Exclusive TMG Special' Midweek Motorsport last night? Had hoped the podcast would be available this morning, but no.

Anything of particular interest revealed/discussed (although I guess that's subjective)?

[deggis]

Originally Posted by TF110

I don't know about the lack of motivation. He's still about as fast as Rosberg, and occasionally faster. Mercedes car this year isn't very good on the development side though. I think he'd be good in sportscars. He isn't too old that's for sure. I donno about him in Porsche. He may play a role in Mercedes still. Maybe they'll let him drive a GT SLS.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103506

[The Badger]

Oh thank God

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

Did anyone listen to the 'Exclusive TMG Special' Midweek Motorsport last night? Had hoped the podcast would be available this morning, but no.

Anything of particular interest revealed/discussed (although I guess that's subjective)?

It is available if you manage to guess the link. That's how I listened to it at work this morning. http://audio.rpix.org.uk/inside/inside_toyota.mp3

It's basically a tour of the factory and facilities and some discussion with, among other people, Alastair Moffet (am I spelling the names correctly?), Pascal Vasselon and the TS030's designer (I forgot his name).

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Alastair Moffet (am I spelling the names correctly?)

No, it's Alastair Moffitt.....many thanks for the link!

[TF110]

So anything new we havent heard or read? I dont have time to listen at once. Just like to know if theres any new information.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by TF110

So anything new we havent heard or read? I dont have time to listen at once. Just like to know if theres any new information.

Listening to it now.....very interesting, although I'm not sure there's very much we didn't know, or couldn't have deduced, to the point I've listened to.

One thing is for sure, the 2013 TS030 will be a MAJOR evolution of the 2012 car.....'optimisation' being the key word, I would suggest.

[The Badger]

And let someone else , SARD , run a 2012 chassis too .

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

One thing is for sure, the 2013 TS030 will be a MAJOR evolution of the 2012 car.....'optimisation' being the key word, I would suggest.

One change that was mentioned, would be a new monocoque because the current one is designed to accomodate a front hybrid system. The front kinematics will also be changed because the current one is compromised to allow front drive shafts. Both these changes however will not be visible.

I am not sure if Toyota can still make big aero gains.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

One change that was mentioned, would be a new monocoque because the current one is designed to accomodate a front hybrid system. The front kinematics will also be changed because the current one is compromised to allow front drive shafts. Both these changes however will not be visible.

I am not sure if Toyota can still make big aero gains.

So Toyota will design 3 monocoques in 3 years (2012, 2013 and 2014).
That's not small budget

[deggis]

More PR work from Davidson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0pcbR_NjcE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOnAtq4e2xU

Seems to read mostly from a script? =D