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6 May 2018, 08:50 (Ref:3820258) | #676 | |||
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Hmmm, not so convinced of that. Elsewhere among the great unwashed maybe, but I don't think it affects much at all here. |
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6 May 2018, 08:51 (Ref:3820259) | #677 | |
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I don't think this thread got longer because of Alonso comments. The users we see in here are generally the users we see in this forum anyway. There's not many 'F1 only' fans who have made their way in.
The first race of the season, a new era, and Spa probably all added up. |
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6 May 2018, 09:49 (Ref:3820275) | #678 | ||
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Agreed.
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6 May 2018, 11:45 (Ref:3820308) | #679 | |
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So since no-one's even mentioned LMP2... how does that look for Le Mans then... will it be Oreca fest or not? It's hard to tell how the special-waiver-EVO kits have worked out for Dallara and Oak. The RTN Dallara, before it's collapse, seemed to have a good pace at the start when in the hands of pro, but is that actually accurate representation of anything? Those things were 'fine' everywhere else except LM last year as well (in the ELMS). And Onroak, that JOKE showing from Larbre Comp doesn't exactly give us clues of anything.
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6 May 2018, 12:01 (Ref:3820313) | #680 | |
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If you look at the timing result, Canal (silver rated) has been pretty quick all week-end at the wheel of the Larbre Ligier. To me, it's the only thing to remember from this really poor Larbre showing (again).
Combine that to the pace of the Dallara/van der Garde/Michelin package, it seems we could have a decent fight at Le Mans, provided that Dallaras and Ligiers have good trios at the wheel, and good teams too BTW. And when I look at the entry list as it stands now, it should be the case. However, Oreca still outnumbers everyone else. |
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6 May 2018, 12:01 (Ref:3820314) | #681 | |
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I think LMP2 will be the one to watch at Le Mans, although I would be surprised if anyone beats ORECA
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6 May 2018, 12:09 (Ref:3820319) | #682 | |
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I actually hope Oreca is still unmatched, because as much as I despise how Hughes de Chaunac lobbied to create French Cartel Empire with the dumbified spec ruleset, what I hate even more is allowing every other manufacturer except one a bag of gifts just because they built inferior chassis. If you can't have development in your spec class because of frozen technology, waivers are not the answer... EVO kits itself are fine if everyone can make them.
The most interesting thing about P2 though, just like last year, will be to see how high up they'll rise in the overall order. Assuming Manor shows up, the top car should qualify for 11th spot but I think in the race they will finish around 4th or 5th. |
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6 May 2018, 12:23 (Ref:3820322) | #683 | |
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I agree, it should be the best team/car combination that wins. Really ORECA should have no problems though
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6 May 2018, 12:29 (Ref:3820323) | #684 | |
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Yeah I expected few reliability issues for them and/or Zytek last year but didn't really happen, and by now the cars are all fully ironed out
Oreca utterly dominating again would also show nice middle finger to the spec rules What would they do then, another set of special kits for next year, or actual BoP (as is written as possibility in the rules)? |
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6 May 2018, 12:35 (Ref:3820324) | #685 | |||
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If anyone is still wondering why Thomas Laurent has made it to LMP1 so quickly, this should give a good indication. From a certain point of view, the spec series has worked fantastically... |
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6 May 2018, 12:35 (Ref:3820325) | #686 | |
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It’s too easy for ORECA, it’ll be a walk in the park. Really this spec series hasn’t worked and they would do better to look at the way ELMS works
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6 May 2018, 12:41 (Ref:3820326) | #687 | |
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6 May 2018, 13:08 (Ref:3820336) | #688 | |
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The new non-hybrid LMP1s are pretty quick, and the gap to Toyota wasn't as big as I feared. You have say that Oreca know what they're doing. The car came together late but was immediately very quick. Other privateers were a bit disappointing. But Spa is a bit of special track because of the layout and how LD/HD setups work. So maybe not the most representative track to judge the competitiveness of different cars. Bad luck for Dragonspeed. I just really want to see those Ginettas on track, let's hope Manor can sort out their issues. Didn't the chinese fund the team last year aswell? So it's not like there was never any money.
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6 May 2018, 13:14 (Ref:3820338) | #689 | ||
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Considering the amount of LMP2 cars in the world I'm not sure I agree. |
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6 May 2018, 13:26 (Ref:3820341) | #690 | ||
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6 May 2018, 14:25 (Ref:3820358) | #691 | ||
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Forced to use specific chassis out of 4 (3) selected: Quasi Spec Forced not to have any development done on car: Spec Forced to use specific engine: Spec Forced to use specific ECU: spec Forced to have proam drivers: Spec The only thing not spec are the tires. |
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6 May 2018, 14:27 (Ref:3820359) | #692 | |
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As long as you can still choose a chassis and bodywork (with no development, granted) it's not spec. In my opinion anyway. Sort of a pointless discussion though, the main point is that ELMS uses the exact same formula as WEC so it's very odd to suggest WEC should 'use ELMS as an example'.
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6 May 2018, 14:31 (Ref:3820361) | #693 | ||
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Anyway, I AM glad there will be tire war again P2. Too bad that the Yokohama evaluation fron few years ago never materialized but at least Dunlop-Mic is good. About the only place left for this kind of thing besides SGT. |
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6 May 2018, 14:36 (Ref:3820363) | #694 | |||
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However my involvement isn’t this thread was down to me loving Sportscar and having the time (and enough other people who like Sportscar racing rather than moaning all the time). |
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6 May 2018, 14:41 (Ref:3820365) | #695 | |||
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6 May 2018, 15:42 (Ref:3820378) | #696 | |
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6 May 2018, 16:15 (Ref:3820387) | #697 | ||
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As to why I didn't comment on the GT goings on, one, I wasn't able to watch the race live, and I'm not the biggest GT fan out there. I normally follow GTs only when they're the top classes.
I'm a bigger prototype fan, but that doesn't mean that I dismiss GTs, they're just not my absolute favorite. I also think that there was interest in the root of recent news/potential controversies over EOT/BOP on how close the LMP1 field would be. Not just to Toyota, but among the various privateers. And as I said, it wasn't quite as close as I hoped for, but not a disaster. The gap was smaller than it was at times in the Audi R8 days where even at Sebring in 2000 they could gap the field by 1-2 seconds a lap when they needed/wanted to, let alone the same race a year later where they outqualified the field by 4-5 seconds! Granted, they had a couple of FCY or pace car situations, but the top 5-6 in LMP1 were on the lead lap for a long time, and the Rebellion cars (not counting the post race penalty for the #1) lost as much if not more time due to minor problems as due to Toyota's pace. Some development on the privateers, with maybe some EOT help, and I think they could be there for LM and the rest of the season. But onto the GTs. Ford and Porsche were the front runners as expected from reports that I read. I do wonder if the Ferraris and Aston Martins are genuinely off the pace, or are they doing a bit of politicking for LM BOP, since the system for LM is different compared to the bulk of the season. |
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6 May 2018, 17:04 (Ref:3820399) | #698 | |
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The closest team to Toyota, Rebellion, had issues with both cars that basically took their chances from having two cars on the podium away. Not just the plank being excessively worn, but the fuel flow sensor issue that had to be fixed more than once. Those are unnecessary stops that took them off track and into the pits. I haven't done the math, but I do think without that, 2nd place may have been on the cards. 3 safety cars definitely would have helped. There's a lot of things they can fix to get on pace with Toyota that aren't just speed related. Pit stops are the biggest thing.
In all, things will close up imo. GTE always does regardless of gaps in the early races. Lmp1 will once the new teams get their act together and gather the data from Spa and the next round of tests. Lmp2 may actually feature if the Jumbo Dallara shows pace like it did early. |
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6 May 2018, 17:22 (Ref:3820409) | #699 | ||
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The Rebellion issues with the data transmitter were neutralised by a Safety Car later in the race, so it didn't actually cost them any time in the long run (but would've if they had used FCY rather than SC). The data transmitter issue only occured on the #1 - the #3 was trouble free and only suffered due to unlucky timing with the final SC. Same with the poor pit stops - the non-hybrids all lose 2 seconds refiring the engine after the stop, but Rebellion were losing another 2-3 on top of that because they weren't completing driver changes in time. Even if you take that out, they still aren't even close. It might be different come Le Mans, but even if the private teams ran trouble free at Spa they wouldn't have had a chance to win (not saying they should, however). |
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6 May 2018, 17:39 (Ref:3820415) | #700 | |
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I think the safety cars worked against them. Sorry I wasn't clear about that in my last post. I forgot to say that their pit stops were slow as well. So I think without the multiple safety cars which basically gave the #7 it's lap back and put it in touch with those already ahead I think they could have had 2nd and maybe 3rd. The #7 would have had to drive through the field twice. Possible, but I think they would have been 3rd with the lead Rebellion just ahead had everything gone green and pit stops were 'normal' without other issues.
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