[WEC] WEC 2023 Season - A new beginning!

[broadrun96]

And guessing Proton already had that discussion with everyone well ahead of the start of the program

[joeb]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Proton now saying they may not get their 963s on track until post LM, that's not great. 10 days of testing they need before debut and sounds like they're already planning to skip Spa

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...after-le-mans/

Originally Posted by J Jay

I'd be surprised if they took punitive action. The teams can robustly argue that it was out of their hands, and the risk of a failure du to lack of testing/familiarity is more damaging to sponsors, especially if it is at Le Mans.

I understand the need of the teams to test with their new machines and get drivers some experience, but if you had the car before Le Mans and not race it, that seems like a big let down. I understand if you are debuting a new car, but the Porsche will have already competed in multiple races - including the 36 hours of Florida and will be a known commodity to Porsche. I'm sure Porsche would do whatever they need to help a customer like Proton be successful at Le Mans. Even if they haven't had the car for long.

[leepurnell]

Inter Europol released their WEC driver line up today. Good looking signings, but for me a shame not to see Alex Brundle with a drive. Hopefully he has something lined up?

[Tique]

SUrprising indeed, it was annouced last year that Alex Brundle had signed a multi year contract.


https://www.endurance-info.com/auto/...n-2022-et-2023

[Mike E]

A useful summary of sporting regs changes for this season. The pit closure under FCY is garbage, obviously, but WEC's mission to out-bad IMSA and SRO continues on this front, sadly.

https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/whats...c-in-2023/7571

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Mike E

A useful summary of sporting regs changes for this season. The pit closure under FCY is garbage, obviously, but WEC's mission to out-bad IMSA and SRO continues on this front, sadly.

https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/whats...c-in-2023/7571

Why is pit closure under FCY garbage? I'm not being a dick (for a change) asking, but I think I've missed something here.

[Mike E]

It's more interference. Just let them get on with it and take advantage of the FCY if they can. We have almost perfect reliability and enforced performance balancing. Some variability keeps it interesting.

The counter argument is that it could be unfair to someone who just happened to pit before the FCY or who pits just as it's lifted. But pit closure is unfair to someone who has to take emergency service and then immediately pit again.

Keep it simple, is my personal opinion.

[PhilipR]

Emergency pit stops are just 5 seconds right? And FCY speed is pit limiter speed?

In this case a car needing emergency service will lose between 5-10 seconds. A car pitting right before FCY can lose 30-40 seconds ...and in a BOP class that might be very difficult to claw back. And usually cars pit around the same time so the emergency fuel pit stops might not impact as much.
Only time I can see this affecting someone is when they enter for their 5 sec stop and the FCY gets removed whilst they are still in the pitlane

Was there not a similar rule in 2018 or 2019?

[Simmi]

I go both ways on this. I support any instance where strategy and variation can be applied but I do think often FCYs skew more towards luck and chance. Especially as PhilipR says, in a BoP class.

Happy to be proven wrong, but I'm also not sure FCYs are as strategically interesting as we think. Felt like any sort of FCY past a certain point would see most people dive in. They'd also artificially extend the FCY period over a few laps to make sure everyone got a chance to pit.

I'd love to see the data on this but what is the most common cause for a FCY being thrown? Feels to me like it's random bits of debris on track - which is such a minor thing to cause such major swings in time and break up battles.

Without having to make sure everyone can pit now you'd imagine FCYs can be cycled through much quicker and we could be back to green in 2mins rather than 6mins for example.

[Gingers4Justice]

I remember when FCYs were first used in the WEC they'd literally last only a few seconds for debris to be collected, so if it's to keep it green longer, I'm all for it.

WEC gets a lot wrong but they do seem determined to keep the racing green for as long as possible. I always forget how much fannying about there is in an IMSA race until the Rolex 24 around each year.

[Simmi]

Spot the differences on the new Toyota



https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...omparison.html

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Spot the differences on the new Toyota



https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...omparison.html

I think it looks great on the outside but am really interested in the upgrades under the skin. Sounds like they were able to drop some weight and now meet the minimum 1040kg.

[Mike E]

Sebring pit allocations posted. Two Jota P2 entries Nearly there!

https://twitter.com/GearboxGirl/stat...p72w7P_EA&s=19

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Sebring pit allocations posted. Two Jota P2 entries Nearly there!

https://twitter.com/GearboxGirl/stat...p72w7P_EA&s=19

I thought LMP2 wasn't allowed manufacturers? Or is it the "except Alpine" rule?

Amazing how they struggle to get cars into Hypercar because of the manufacturer rules, but they can't get cars out of LMP2 despite the manufacturer rules.

[Sodemo]

The “manufacturer” rules requirement is dumb, I’ve no idea why they put barriers in place of such entries.

[Mike E]

Jota is not a manufacturer

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Jota is not a manufacturer

Yeah but Alpine is.

[Mike E]

Oh right. Yes, silly business.

[veeten]

The thing is, Alpine doesn't manufacture the LMP2 cars, they are Oreca LMP2 cars that Alpine upgraded into LMP1/LMH entries the last three years. They are being returned to LMP2 status for this year while they are building their new LMDh cars for next year.
That's the plan.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Oh right. Yes, silly business.

C'est la vie.

[tux]

As if Vanwall/Kolles are going to turn up.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by veeten

The thing is, Alpine doesn't manufacture the LMP2 cars, they are Oreca LMP2 cars that Alpine upgraded into LMP1/LMH entries the last three years. They are being returned to LMP2 status for this year while they are building their new LMDh cars for next year.
That's the plan.

Uh, maybe WAYYYY back you trace the legacy but the Alpines were NOT built as current LMP2s in any manner, they were the Rebellion cars.

The problem is the TEAM is manufacturer funded rather than the privateer teams who rely on the cash from the drivers in the program to run the cars. I'm guessing Apline has some kind of "yeah, they're definitely paying us" plan with the required drivers to keep the team operating until the new car. Personally think they need to take the year off or have a compliant program, even if it's the defacto Alpine crew. It just looks bad but it's French and the ACO so...

[kvenom]

Originally Posted by tux

As if Vanwall/Kolles are going to turn up.

I don't doubt they show up, but I don't doubt they'll be on fire or crashed out 2hrs into the race either.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Uh, maybe WAYYYY back you trace the legacy but the Alpines were NOT built as current LMP2s in any manner, they were the Rebellion cars.

The problem is the TEAM is manufacturer funded rather than the privateer teams who rely on the cash from the drivers in the program to run the cars. I'm guessing Apline has some kind of "yeah, they're definitely paying us" plan with the required drivers to keep the team operating until the new car. Personally think they need to take the year off or have a compliant program, even if it's the defacto Alpine crew. It just looks bad but it's French and the ACO so...

This. This was explicitly what was said - if you're manufacturer backed, you should be in LMP1 (as it was named at the time).

[RL17]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

This. This was explicitly what was said - if you're manufacturer backed, you should be in LMP1 (as it was named at the time).

Rebellion have been in top or almost top class for years - loads of LMP1 entries as privateers (plus a brief TVR spell) - think Kolles were there 10 years plus or so as well as well as other privateers. Stayed pretty loyal - Audi and Nissan gone and Porsche left as well, Peugeot also away for ages and AM

I'm sure not all manufacturers just employ drivers on talent, as established names bringing in sponsors no different really to drivers buying a seat.

So happy for Rebellion to be given a break to allow a return without losing all drivers and crew etc and if French government are Renaults biggest stakeholder it probably helps ACO to include them