|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
30 Nov 2013, 02:19 (Ref:3338420) | #6751 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,793
|
|||
|
30 Nov 2013, 02:20 (Ref:3338421) | #6752 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,814
|
Toyota should go all out in 2014, just like they did in '98 and '99.
Why hold back now? I mean, Porsche and Audi will again post devestating line ups, attacking with three LMP1 missiles. If Toyota wants to make a serious effort, they should go with three cars. Don't forget that in '98 and '99 Toyota nearly managed to win Le Mans outright. It was basically bad luck that stopped them from taking the top spot... |
||
|
30 Nov 2013, 03:08 (Ref:3338434) | #6753 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,884
|
Quote:
You can't really buy luck. You either get all your bad luck out of the way by repeatedly entering Le Mans, or you learn to tame certain things to make sure bad luck has a minimal impact. Toyota kind of missed the point in '98 and '99. The latter I will admit was particularly unlucky...but if they had a third crack in 2000, who knows what they could have done with what they learned? I've also been a bit miffed with Toyota's spending at times, but thinking about it, if you were on the board at Toyota...why would you give TMG much more money? They're supposedly running on a pitiful budget compared to Audi, yet they've been able to beat them. Ignoring the WEC and focussing on LM, they had the pure pace in 2012 to fight for a few hours, and the reliability and strategy to finish a close second in 2013. They've never been closer to winning Le Mans. TMG are doing a fantastic job. As for Porsche? I'm not convinced they'll be much of a threat in 2013 in the first half of the season. Taking the name out of it, it's a completely new operation. As such, I doubt they'd enter three cars at Le Mans. |
|||
|
30 Nov 2013, 03:46 (Ref:3338445) | #6754 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,795
|
Hasn't Porsche pretty much confirmed that they will only run two cars next year? I seem to recall something like that.
|
|
|
30 Nov 2013, 08:43 (Ref:3338496) | #6755 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,132
|
|||
__________________
In order to finish first, first you have to finish |
30 Nov 2013, 09:25 (Ref:3338509) | #6756 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,559
|
I think Toyota has a huge benefit with the opening up of these hybrid powertrains in terms of output. That supercapacitor can pack a punch. So much so that Vasselon says the rear tires would be under too much strain. So logically theyll move to awd. Its going to be interesting to see (if they go 8mj) how much power they claim next year. Right now at full song its 300hp for ~2.2 seconds.
|
|
|
30 Nov 2013, 10:03 (Ref:3338518) | #6757 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,132
|
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
In order to finish first, first you have to finish |
30 Nov 2013, 11:57 (Ref:3338546) | #6758 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 734
|
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
Eat, sleep, race, repeat. |
30 Nov 2013, 12:04 (Ref:3338551) | #6759 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 6,270
|
|||
__________________
When in doubt? C4. |
30 Nov 2013, 22:33 (Ref:3338761) | #6760 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,559
|
Quote:
|
||
|
1 Dec 2013, 15:26 (Ref:3338911) | #6761 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,434
|
As TF110 mentions, likely there will be different power settings for the hybrid systems---sometimes the extra power could be used in a potentially tire-wrecking burst to get through traffic leaving a corner, or maybe ofr a longer duration at a lower level to take some of the load off the combustion engine, to stretch fuel.
I don't recall seeing anything in the rules which weould preclude this, and given the limits of tire technology, I would wonder if a full 300+ power blast to a set of tires wouldn't be counterproductive. As I recall, Audi only tried double-stinting once at Bahrain and lost time doing so, while Toyota didn't even try. In the past, using more powerful motors, Peugeot and Audi could regularly double- and sometimes triple-stint. This makes me wonder if that burst of hybrid power isn't taking tires just a little past what they can actually handle and increasing wear, and if even more power might do more harm than good. |
|
|
1 Dec 2013, 16:27 (Ref:3338928) | #6762 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,923
|
Problem is that Audi routinely double stinted at Silverstone and Spa, and in fact were planning on possibly triple stinting at Silverstone. Toyota had troubles at Silverstone because of set up issues and their LM spec car at Spa struggled due to it's low downforce bodywork not helping to keep the car planted in faster corners.
We saw this with Audi and Toyota last year--that as the season wore on post LM, both had more and more troubles with double stinting. Could it be Michelin not keeping up with tire development to go along with improvements that Audi and Toyota have fitted, or could it be the nature of the tracks? It seems that the Tilke-drome F1 tracks--with long straights linked by slow corners which increases reliance on mechanical grip--may be harder on tires than a Silverstone, Spa, Le Mans or COTA. Also, at LM, Audi quadruple and even quintuple stinted, while Toyota quadruple stinted. Both teams did that routinely during the race when it was dry. |
||
|
1 Dec 2013, 18:48 (Ref:3338969) | #6763 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 734
|
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
Eat, sleep, race, repeat. |
1 Dec 2013, 19:02 (Ref:3338975) | #6764 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,923
|
You do seem to forget that Allan's late race stop was because of flat spotting his tires when he spun to avoid a slower car. Ben's Audi was struggling with a non-functioning hybrid system, and Allan's spin happened so late that I'd bet that Audi put him on the softest tires that Michelin had on hand.
Also, Ben was doing essentially a triple stint (2.5 stints on his last set of tires) to take advantage of a fuel strategy. McNish was let off the leash, probably on soft tires like PLM in '08, to try and win the race. |
||
|
1 Dec 2013, 19:33 (Ref:3338985) | #6765 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 734
|
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
Eat, sleep, race, repeat. |
2 Dec 2013, 05:13 (Ref:3339119) | #6766 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,354
|
Quote:
|
|||
|
2 Dec 2013, 09:05 (Ref:3339160) | #6767 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,559
|
Quote:
|
||
|
2 Dec 2013, 09:09 (Ref:3339161) | #6768 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 6,270
|
Mike Conway poached from Delta-ADR/G-Drive and signed by Toyota as test/reserve driver for 2014.
EDIT: This will most likely mean that he'll be substituting for Kaz Nakajima whenever FNippon/Super Formula/whatever-it's-called-nowadays events clash with any WEC round, and if the rumours about the third car at Le Mans are true, I suspect he'll be racing in that one. Last edited by Victor_RO; 2 Dec 2013 at 09:19. |
||
__________________
When in doubt? C4. |
2 Dec 2013, 11:03 (Ref:3339199) | #6769 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 9,044
|
Good news that Mike is staying in sportscars.
I too saw this and immediately thought about a third car at Le Mans. Make it happen Toyota bosses! |
|
__________________
For when your year runs from June to June - '11/'12/'13/'14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/xx/'21/'22/'23/'24 Instagram: rsmotorsportmedia |
2 Dec 2013, 14:29 (Ref:3339274) | #6770 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,054
|
Good news for Conway, he's got a good (and hopefully long) future in sportscars.
|
||
|
2 Dec 2013, 20:09 (Ref:3339428) | #6771 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,559
|
If theyre signing new people, hopefully that means their budget is increased. Maybe that will lead to a third car. In the autosport article, Kinosh ta San says "...car for 2014 and Beyond". Sounds good to me! Hopefully they stay around for a good while and win LeMans, maybe more than once.
|
|
|
2 Dec 2013, 20:24 (Ref:3339440) | #6772 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 824
|
Quote:
|
|||
|
2 Dec 2013, 20:56 (Ref:3339460) | #6773 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,738
|
Applying for an entry does not mean that they will have the budget to actually start the race. This year Toyota also had two full season entries in the WEC, but the second car missed Sao Paulo and COTA.
|
|
|
4 Dec 2013, 14:24 (Ref:3340131) | #6774 | ||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,472
|
Are the aco accepting entries for 2014 already? I thought that happened a little bit later.
|
||
|
4 Dec 2013, 14:31 (Ref:3340134) | #6775 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 6,270
|
|||
__________________
When in doubt? C4. |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
[LM24] Toyota plans Le Mans return with hybrid! | Bentley03 | 24 Heures du Mans | 424 | 8 Nov 2010 19:56 |
[LM24] Best LMP1/LMP900/LMGTP Manufacturer of the '00s at Le Mans | Danny_GT2 | 24 Heures du Mans | 11 | 11 Aug 2009 18:26 |
[LM24] Acura Heading to Le Mans in 2008 and LMP1 in 2009 | Mal | 24 Heures du Mans | 45 | 11 Jul 2007 23:05 |
[LM24] When do you think Porsche will return to Le Mans? | H16 | 24 Heures du Mans | 3 | 14 Nov 2001 10:38 |