GTE / GTLM 2018, on the way to a new GT1 era

[TF110]

That looks pretty good.

[hondafan37]

Interesting interview with Stephane Ratel, he said:

*GT1 still exists today. They are called Vulcan Aston Martin or Ferrari FXX McLaren P1 GTR. The goal is to establish a link with GT1 yesterday.
*A true championship for Hypercar could only do the ACO. These cars would make the crowd dream. ACO has the right event for this.
*He does not agree with the GT convergence because it will raise costs and a GT3 to 600000 euros is dead.

http://www.endurance-info.com/fr/ste...lexceptionnel/

[GT6]

For all of those in the uk that remember the high point of GT1 and would like to see them again ITV4 is showing the goodwood members meeting 2017 at 8pm and there is a good showing of some of them

[hondafan37]

GTE-Pro Set for Automated BoP System in Fia WEC.
Le Mans will have specific BoP.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/a...ut-in-gte-pro/
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/l...till-in-works/

[WolfsburgRS]

Porsche customer RSRs possible for 2018, including interest from the states reportedly. It would be really exciting to see customer RSRs back at the pro level in IMSA.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/p...f-new-911-rsr/

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgRS

Porsche customer RSRs possible for 2018, including interest from the states reportedly. It would be really exciting to see customer RSRs back at the pro level in IMSA.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/p...f-new-911-rsr/

I would like to see Falken and Flying lizards again in GTLM

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

I would like to see Falken and Flying lizards again in GTLM

Falken's cash is gone to other ventures, and FLM will not be involved without Porsche support. They are a pure customer driven effort now.

[Salamus]

Yeah, teams come and go in the GT ranks all the time. Anyone remember when Dick Barbour had Porsche support, and Alex Job, and Petersen White Lightning, and Freisinger, and GruppeM, the list goes on and on for Porsche.

[hondafan37]

Qualifying race for GTE-Pro and potentially GTE-Am cars on Saturday!!!
I like this idea!!!!
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/w...o-gte-in-2018/

The future of the GTE-Am class in the FIA World Endurance Championship will hinge on the success of GTE-Pro, according to series boss Gerard Neveu, who revealed the category would eventually be dropped if the Pro class continues to grow.
The GTE-Pro class currently features eight entries, following the return of Porsche, and is expected to expand to at least ten cars next year with the addition of BMW, and potentially a rumored factory backed Corvette program.
New manufacturers, including Lamborghini and McLaren, are understood to be evaluating joining the GTE-Pro grid by as early as 2019, which Neveu admitted could tip it over the edge
“So far we have the space on the grid, so there’s no reason [for change],” Neveu told Sportscar365. “But if one day we have 15 or 16 GTE-Pro, I don’t see a way you can keep GTE-Am, honestly.”

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/g...-class-growth/

[broadrun96]

The biggest reason for a drop in GTE-AM is the fact the 2016 Porsche is a HANDFUL for the pros and even the established teams are sticking with their old 911s until or if the new one is available. The 488 scared some teams it seemed and they are trying to recover, and the Dalla Lanas of the world are 2+ years from a new Aston if they stick with one year old regs. Unless that's been dropped when I wasn't looking. Don't think the WEC is really in a position to get rid of GTE-AM anytime soon, but then these are the guys who def count everything before it hatches.

[carbsmith]

It has nothing to do with a drop in GTE Am cars. It's the field filler class in WEC and will only be there as long as there is space needing to be filled. If there was enough LMP1 and GTE Pro entries they'd drop LMP2 as well, but given it's the largest class there isn't any kind of scenario in sight for that.

Right now there is 22 cars in LMP1, LMP2, and GTE Pro and 5 cars in GTE Am. BMW is a guaranteed 2 cars added to the first group and SMP and Ginetta is a somewhat likely addition of anywhere from 3-8 cars (mind you this does assume someone takes Manor's spot in LMP2), so with the 35 car cap for the air freight it's even narrowly possible to run out of space to run a viably sized stand alone GTE Am class next season let alone a couple years in the future if more manufacturers join. ELMS would be happy to have them.

They can't just operate like GTE Am is guaranteed to be there forever then go WHOOPS when they announce the entry list in February.

[TzeiTzei]

Just get rid of it. GTE-Am adds nothing... nothing to the series. Waste of space.

[Matt]

Nah, GTE-Am is fantastic because of the scheduled DHH meltdowns about SOMETHING in the class every race weekend.

[Speed-King]

See signature.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Matt

Nah, GTE-Am is fantastic because of the scheduled DHH meltdowns about SOMETHING in the class every race weekend.

You know he races P2 right?

[Matt]

Originally Posted by joeb

You know he races P2 right?

Yep, but that doesn't stop the complaint train ahahah

[PorscheFanNo1]

It makes you wonder if a few GTE-AM cars would move inte GTE-PRO if the AM category was dropped. I can see a few AM cars/teams/drivers really wanting to stay in WEC even if the AM category is dropped. Maybe it wont actually affect the grid size much at all...?

[carbsmith]

If GTE Am was being dropped there would already be more cars in the other 3 classes than there is in the 4 right now and they'd be within a small number of cars of the entry cap so inherently it can't have much effect. But sure if there's say 3 more slots left when you eliminate the class there is the possibility of some of the teams still taking them to race in what would then just be GTE.

[Juntos]

What is the point of having GTE-Am today?? Okay. I know I don’t know you at all and you probably could give a damn about what I have to say. Most of the people in racing business are in it because they’re thrill seekers or adrenaline junkies. But for some of them, there’s something dark going on. I think ACO and FIA need help. Time to fold GTE-Am.

[hondafan37]

I have a question:
what things can be matched with the BOP and in what things can not influence the BOP?
And this question is because Ford chose to make a prototype 2 years ago and not race with the Mustang, and is analyzing a Evo Kit, Ferrari is analyzing a Evo Kit too, Porsche decided to build a mid-engine of your 911, and BMW in the like Ford way will come with a prototype in witch Adrian Newey leave your stamp.
If the BOP matched everything, what would be the need to build such extreme cars?
Personally I like it, I prefer the most extreme cars

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/f...kits-for-2018/

[hondafan37]

aumento de peso, reducción de potencia en la balanza de pagos Le Mans-espec�*fica

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/f...-specific-bop/

[BrentJackson]

Originally Posted by Juntos

What is the point of having GTE-Am today?? Okay. I know I don’t know you at all and you probably could give a damn about what I have to say. Most of the people in racing business are in it because they’re thrill seekers or adrenaline junkies. But for some of them, there’s something dark going on. I think ACO and FIA need help. Time to fold GTE-Am.

I agree on the folding of GTE-Am, but the next step should be GT3 cars in the WEC for those teams who wouldn't be able to keep up with the factory GTE teams. IMO, that's long overdue.

[Articus]

Ford in quite the conundrum. That Bourdais car was pretty much the car everyone is expecting to win the race again. That Bourdais-Hand-Muller line-up is possibly the strongest lineup in the entire GTE field (rivaled and only just by the Porsche GTE factory cars).

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Articus

Ford in quite the conundrum. That Bourdais car was pretty much the car everyone is expecting to win the race again. That Bourdais-Hand-Muller line-up is possibly the strongest lineup in the entire GTE field (rivaled and only just by the Porsche GTE factory cars).

I bet they have lots of drivers lining up to get that seat though. I'm sure they can pull somebody into the car with little trouble. But like you say, can they actually replace the talent and experience Bourdais brought?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by joeb

I bet they have lots of drivers lining up to get that seat though. I'm sure they can pull somebody into the car with little trouble. But like you say, can they actually replace the talent and experience Bourdais brought?

That was quick:
http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/ite...ais-at-le-mans