[FIA GT] FIA GT - Silverstone entry list an timetable (merged threads)

[rdjones]

I have just booked my tickets. I can't wait to see the Aston.......

[TheNewBob]

Is it worth booking tickets for? I'm not planning to, considering it's hardly going to sell Silverstone out. Although I hope you don't have to book grandstand seats at the circuit in advance...

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Is it worth booking tickets for? I'm not planning to, considering it's hardly going to sell Silverstone out. Although I hope you don't have to book grandstand seats at the circuit in advance...

You'll save a fiver per ticket by prebooking online. Don't worry about grandstands, it's roving seating.

[rdjones]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Is it worth booking tickets for? I'm not planning to, considering it's hardly going to sell Silverstone out. Although I hope you don't have to book grandstand seats at the circuit in advance...

Oh yeah, but I have gone for the ticket deal which includes the cheap entry to the TOCA round later in the year.

[SALEEN S7R]

Just saw the entry list and ive got to say im a little worried. If the British GT cars werent entered for Magny Cours the grid would be down to just 22 cars! Silverstone will have around 24 by the looks of it thanks to the Aston Martin entries but what happens when we get to Brno and beyond? Numbers are a little thin it would seem.

[JAG]

Thats increased costs and the Maserati factor for you!

[Jeffrey-Lee]

But I don't think you can argue the racing got worse...

SR really needs to sort out something for the Fia GT gt2 category though.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by JAG

Thats increased costs and the Maserati factor for you!

No, I was reffering to the GT2 class. The GT1 field is as strong as it was last year IMO. The quality is certainly stronger anyway, the GT2 field is what needs a definate boost IMO.

[JAG]

So next year when the rest of the 575/550/Murcielagos finally leave, and who knows maybe the Saleens, who's going to be left?

6 Maseratis? and 4 Astons? and couple a Corvettes?

[SALEEN S7R]

But JAG - the 575's and 550's arent going to leave and neither are the Saleen's. As for the Murciealgos they may as well not bother turning up as it is. Besides, its inevitble that cars will die out and leave, the 550s arent new cars anymore and neither are the S7R's, the teams will eventually sell them and update their machinery and purchase new machines, whether it be DBR's, Corvettes or MC12's. The GT1 class isnt the problem, its the GT2 class, it needs more entrants.

[JAG]

Did the teams that sold their 911 GT1s and F1 GTR's upgrade to CLK-GTRS, GT-ONES or even 911 GT1-98s, no, because customer car numbers were limited and the costs of buying and running these cars mounted.

How can a team who only bought a fleet of 575 GTCs 18 months ago possibly justify outlaying £2m+ on two new GT1 cars, espeially when they could run competitively in LMP2, even LMP1, for that kind of money?

[SALEEN S7R]

Who knows JAG, but the machinery wont be obsolete for another couple of years or so at least. The 575's have lots of development left, although the 550s are IMO coming to the end of their development cycle, i would think teams like GPLK, Labre, G.P.C etc would have thought about what they were buying before making their purchases, what i want to know JAG going by ur logic why did GPLK by a C5R? The car dosent have a great deal of development left in it and is already slower than the C6R. Why buy a car that will be uncompetitve in a couple of years?

[JAG]

The 575s may well have development left in them but Ferrari are not commited to the project, even more so with the MC12 on the scene. BCR were a team that gave the 575s every last chance but they realised the car was not upto it.

The C5-R is a good bet as it is so well developed, so why risk running an unreliable Saleen that seems to have missed its window of opportunity? Much of the C5-R running gear can also be directly transfered over to the C6.R.

Costs have already forced out the GT2 runners in FIA GT and it seems perfectly obvious to me that the next in line are the smaller GT1 teams.

[vandijk]

Originally Posted by JAG

The 575s may well have development left in them but Ferrari are not commited to the project, even more so with the MC12 on the scene. BCR were a team that gave the 575s every last chance but they realised the car was not upto it.

The C5-R is a good bet as it is so well developed, so why risk running an unreliable Saleen that seems to have missed its window of opportunity? Much of the C5-R running gear can also be directly transfered over to the C6.R.

Costs have already forced out the GT2 runners in FIA GT and it seems perfectly obvious to me that the next in line are the smaller GT1 teams.

Talking about the C5R, in the LMES paddock I heard some rumours that they will further restrict the car. Any news about that?

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by vandijk

Talking about the C5R, in the LMES paddock I heard some rumours that they will further restrict the car. Any news about that?

Sounds like an attempt to ensure only the newer machinery can win, to discourage teams from entering older cars. A little unfair on the the team if this happens, the C6.R is not as yet available to customers. And the fans just want to see close but fair racing......

[Fab]

Originally Posted by vandijk

Talking about the C5R, in the LMES paddock I heard some rumours that they will further restrict the car.

Really ? Shame ! It was just so exciting for the Monza's race, with a very balanced field between Mazzas, Maranellos, the Corvette (one more please !)... we just miss the AMs now, and all will be perfect in the world OF GTs... too bad for the Saleens, though...

[chunterer]

I'd like to see the Lambo's persevered with as well...but money wise i doubt it'll come if VAG are splashing out on the new R9!

Tha Swedish V8 monster that Clarkson can't pronounce is running somewhere as well isn't it, then there's the Carrera GT which might make a half decent GT chassis as well?

There's plenty of potential in GT's it's just down to the cost of entering and competing i guess?

[TheNewBob]

It does seem to be starting up like a cycle... After the previous GT1 class got more and more expensive and manufacturers put their money in... it eventually died, and we were left with a grid of Vipers and 911 GT2's.

I reckon with the older cars like the C5-R, the 550's, Listers, and even now the Saleens (we've already lost the Vipers!) getting towards the end of their life spans, we'll be left with a DBR9 vs MC12 battle which will become very expensive indeed, and this generation of GT1 cars will start to mess up. 2005, and probably 2006, are likely to be the "peak years" where the FIA GT championship gets some terrific arrays of cars, and some fantastic racing.

But with costs always going up, and no new GT2 cars coming up apart from possible arrivals of the Porsche 997 and Ferrari 430, I think by 2007 GT racing will certainly have reasons to be very concerned, unless cheaper options are made available, and more cost-effective GT1 and GT2 cars get produced.

I'd hate to see, in maybe 2-3 years time, an FIA GT grid made of GT2 and GT3 cars. We've had that in British GT already for a little while now, and OK the racing itself is good, but the quality of the cars... well, lets just say the current crop really disappointed me.

Of course everything I've said in this post is just one possible sort of "scenario" and I do indeed hope there are other ways the future can and will pan out which will leave us all feeling very satisfied!

[SALEEN S7R]

I dont know about in a couple of years time the battle for GT1 being just DBR9's and MC12's. The C6R will no doubt be available to customers by the end of 2005 or the start of 2006 and cars like the Murcielago will hopefully be more competitve. The Ferrari 575's have a lot more development to go to IMO, the car is only in what its 2nd year of racing and is making inroads into the MC12's and 550's on pace, sure its a slow process but it is happening.

Cars like the S7R's IMO have maybe 2 or 3 years more of development potential and providing they are run properly could run competitivly for another 3 years or so. At the moment we are spoilt for choice in the GT1 division, but that isnt what makes the racing good, its the teams and drivers that make the racing good. Sure costs have gone up, but so has TV exposure and crowd attendances, and as long as the racing stays good the teams will benefit financially from increased exposure and therefore bigger sponsorship, look at the last couple of years and its easy to see that more and more big sponsors are appearing.

Lets not forget too that new cars will appear on the scene, I would be very suprised if there arent new models arriving in the next couple of years or so. Okay costs might go up, but as long as the crowd figures continue to rise and the TV exposure continues to rise so will the teams budgets. Providing the FIA/ACO work together like they are to ensure one manufacturer does not dominate sportscar racing then I cant see there being a problem.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by vandijk

Talking about the C5R, in the LMES paddock I heard some rumours that they will further restrict the car. Any news about that?

Arn't we forgetting that EVERY GT1 car will recieve extra restrictions if the ACO carry out their threat to further restrict any GT1 car (basically all of them) that laps under 3.52 at Le Mans.

If the GT1 cars are slowed any further thats my interest out of the window completly. They are already a pale shadow of the real GT1 cars, being far too heavy for a start, so to slow them further would be a disaster in terms of fan appeal.

[SALEEN S7R]

I agree JAG, at least regarding the lap times for GT1 cars at Le Mans. Last year the GT1 pole time was a 3:49. Does the ACO really expect GT1 cars to lap 3 seconds a lap SLOWER than last year? If this is the case then I will be very dissapointed, just let the GT1 cars carry on the way that they are I say, every other class is getting faster so its not as if they are going to threaten the P1 and P2 cars on pace at least so I really dont see the problem, the fastest they would go this year IMO anyway is a low 3:46 or a high 3:45.

[JAG]

Agree, wonder if this rule will actually be enforced.

[TheNewBob]

Are there any restrictions on GT2 lap times? If not, then at this rate it won't be that long before the best GT2's are lapping comfortable with the back and midfield of the GT1 class - It's called natural progression - how do you create a good car if you are always trying to get it to slow down to 3:52? Cars get better because they get QUICKER - it's like telling people to start using wooden brakes - driving technology backwards! The cars simply need to be able to get quicker - So even if it's just a second a lap every couple of years, we do need some sort of progression

[JAG]

GT2 also has a limit.

And how stupid would it be if the GT1/2 cars ran with extra restriction in ACO events but not in FIA GT etc.

[TheNewBob]

It would seem pointless - go through a season of development only to be pegged back when the biggest race of the year comes around... I'm presuming the ACO imposed limits on safety grounds, and to protect the image of prototypes being the fastest cars on track - are they trying to fix things so LMP2 is quicker than GT1? Because they run about even at the minute, seemingly... or so I thought (but I'm well aware how wrong I've been on several occaisions lol)