LM24 Le Mans 2016 Entry List (and Driver Updates) - Page 26

Mike E · 3 Jun 2016, 07:43 (Ref:3646761)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simmi

That's a real shame for Ruberti. I'm sure the Jack Leconte's phone has been ringing a lot today. They need to find another silver.

Ruberti is a Gold and they already have a Silver and a Bronze in the car so they can take anyone. Nat Berthon??? OK, maybe a GT specialist would be a better idea...

Simmi · 3 Jun 2016, 09:43 (Ref:3646783)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike E

Ruberti is a Gold and they already have a Silver and a Bronze in the car so they can take anyone. Nat Berthon??? OK, maybe a GT specialist would be a better idea...

Wow yeah sorry you're right. I think I mistakenly assumed that Ragues was a gold. I guess that means there's a larger pool of drivers who could take the seat.

LC2guy · 3 Jun 2016, 12:21 (Ref:3646832)

John Lancaster could be in at Greaves according to DailySportsCar

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/0...es-ligier.html

Deleted · 3 Jun 2016, 15:38 (Ref:3646904)

Spotters Guide (June 1) - not the Andy Blackmore version but ACO's own
http://www.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/c...-mans-2016.pdf

Deleted · 3 Jun 2016, 19:50 (Ref:3646953)

Nice, the ESM-Oak oneoff livery looks much better in real life than in those renderings.

Mike E · 3 Jun 2016, 20:06 (Ref:3646965)

Another driver change. Eric Maris replaces Olivier Lombard in the #22. http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/l...ay-notebook-3/

Simmi · 4 Jun 2016, 17:24 (Ref:3647166)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike E

Another driver change. Eric Maris replaces Olivier Lombard in the #22. http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/l...ay-notebook-3/

Sigh. Loads of driver changes this year. More than double the amount we saw in 2015.

Deleted · 4 Jun 2016, 17:26 (Ref:3647167)

Better to have multiple driver dropouts than team dropouts.

Simmi · 4 Jun 2016, 17:34 (Ref:3647169)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiana

Better to have multiple driver dropouts than team dropouts.

I guess if there were some big budget shortfalls then yeah you're absolutely right. It's just interesting how close to the race this is all happening. I doubt we'll find out the real reasons behind most of them.

The sigh was more in reference to the 56th quickest P2 driver from last year (out of 57) joining the race in place of a quicker young driver.

Deleted · 4 Jun 2016, 17:40 (Ref:3647171)

Maybe it's something to do with the Silver driver rating debacle.

(Just a guess, I literally don't know anything about these drivers or what they have done as I don't focus on them)

**Aysedasi** · 4 Jun 2016, 18:09 (Ref:3647185)

Maris for Lombard is certainly not a change based upon driver performance...... There must be filthy lucre involved in that one...... Perhaps a lack of it from Lombard? Will there be a name change for the outfit?

Mike E · 7 Jun 2016, 13:58 (Ref:3647963)

Autosport are reporting that Nat Berthon has replaced Kuba Giermaziak at Greaves.

nobster · 7 Jun 2016, 14:24 (Ref:3647968)

If Larbre wants a really fast driver they better sign up Nick Catsburg

**Aysedasi** · 7 Jun 2016, 17:27 (Ref:3648010)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike E

Autosport are reporting that Nat Berthon has replaced Kuba Giermaziak at Greaves.

I think that one was expected.....

divxx · 7 Jun 2016, 19:27 (Ref:3648048)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike E

Autosport are reporting that Nat Berthon has replaced Kuba Giermaziak at Greaves.

So every driver must pay to race. And here I thought Kuba was the hot shoe in that car, the other two guys are certainly paying customers.

As for the Larbre lineup, unless GM is willing to pay to give Catsburg a tryout, then I think DSC summarized the situation perfectly:

"Leconte is famously uninterested in single lap pace, and famously very interested in a fiscally sustainable programme"

peebee2 · 7 Jun 2016, 20:20 (Ref:3648057)

Quote:

Originally Posted by divxx

So every driver must pay to race. And here I thought Kuba was the hot shoe in that car, the other two guys are certainly paying customers.
[/I]

Don't ever believe team Press Releases! Some teams especially...

**Aysedasi** · 7 Jun 2016, 20:42 (Ref:3648062)

Hmmm, one of our members may have a comment on that.......

Simmi · 8 Jun 2016, 06:26 (Ref:3648140)

Quote:

Originally Posted by divxx

So every driver must pay to race. And here I thought Kuba was the hot shoe in that car, the other two guys are certainly paying customers.

Yeah it's an interesting situation to monitor in the future. While paying towards your seat is nothing new, if you have one quick pro driver, and then another nearly as quick pro driver with budget - then 9/10 the guy with the budget is going to get the nod.

Karun Chandhok spoke about this recently saying opportunities were harder now to get the best P2 seats as single-seater money flows into sportscars: http://www.motorsport.com/lemans/new...-of-it-744705/

GT6 · 8 Jun 2016, 07:24 (Ref:3648154)

Can't see what the problem is, if you look at the history of the race the ability of very wealthy people to pay for a car and top drivers has been part of it and in some cases they have even won the race. Someone has to pay for racing and if we only have factory or heavily sponsored cars then the race will in some years have trouble getting a full grid. If i had the money and some ability i would certainly spend some of that cash to make my dreams come true and i hope that those opportunities remain. Le mans is special and part of that is the dream of non professional drivers to take part in history

Le Vieux · 8 Jun 2016, 07:54 (Ref:3648158)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

Can't see what the problem is, if you look at the history of the race the ability of very wealthy people to pay for a car and top drivers has been part of it and in some cases they have even won the race. Someone has to pay for racing and if we only have factory or heavily sponsored cars then the race will in some years have trouble getting a full grid. If i had the money and some ability i would certainly spend some of that cash to make my dreams come true and i hope that those opportunities remain. Le mans is special and part of that is the dream of non professional drivers to take part in history

Simmi · 8 Jun 2016, 10:43 (Ref:3648176)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

Can't see what the problem is, if you look at the history of the race the ability of very wealthy people to pay for a car and top drivers has been part of it and in some cases they have even won the race. Someone has to pay for racing and if we only have factory or heavily sponsored cars then the race will in some years have trouble getting a full grid. If i had the money and some ability i would certainly spend some of that cash to make my dreams come true and i hope that those opportunities remain. Le mans is special and part of that is the dream of non professional drivers to take part in history

Yeah I agree 100% with this. It's not really the point I'm making though.

This concerns pro drivers who, in theory, will start coming up against the same barriers that stopped them progressing in single seaters. Limited opportunities, big budgets required at all levels to progress.

divxx · 8 Jun 2016, 20:15 (Ref:3648306)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simmi

This concerns pro drivers who, in theory, will start coming up against the same barriers that stopped them progressing in single seaters. Limited opportunities, big budgets required at all levels to progress.

Agreed. It's not a new phenomenon, but it's a trend that's accelerating with unforeseen consequences. Will Stevens seems like the poster boy for this wave of decently fast and well-heeled Pro who can pick and choose the best teams for the occasion, unlike the typical young inexperienced sportscar ace. Looks like the beginning of a bubble.

I've been wondering about how teams often complain about the newest ostensibly customer-focused race car is much more expensive than its previous generation (I follow a lot of GT3), yet entry lists are staying level or increasing. I guess Gold/Platinum's paying for seats partially explains it.

Also, although he brings up some good points, it's a bit odd that Karun of all people should decry the influx of famous/funded open-wheelers crowding into sportscars.

Deleted · 8 Jun 2016, 20:24 (Ref:3648310)

They could add in LMP3 for Le Mans only (mini class of 5-10 entries or whatever) and force them to run exclusively silver/bronze only, just like in the Road to Le Mans race. That is the focus of LMP3 in the first place, entry way to LMP and this level of racing but not quite as retarded way as LMPC in the States. Then that way they could get rid of the stupid artificial restriction of LMP2 for Le Mans and WEC and let everybody run whomever drivers in the world they wanted, like it used to be prior 2011. The rich business owners could head to bidding for LMP3 seats if they couldn't handle racing with pros in LMP2.

And no it wouldn't mirror the LMGTE PRO/AM or LMP1 Hybrid/Privateer artificial class trophy separation - which as many of you know I despise - as unlike with those the LMP2 and LMP3 are completely different classes in regs, tech and philosophy. Though the new 2017 P2 spec regs ain't helping in that!!. Also you couldn't run anybody but silver/bronze in this imaginary LMP3 class so that too, it'd be strictly amateur.

Also Dome, Norma, ADESS and Ginetta could race at the 24 Hours (if qualified)

Gingers4Justice · 9 Jun 2016, 00:52 (Ref:3648360)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiana

They could add in LMP3 for Le Mans only (mini class of 5-10 entries or whatever) and force them to run exclusively silver/bronze only, just like in the Road to Le Mans race. That is the focus of LMP3 in the first place, entry way to LMP and this level of racing but not quite as retarded way as LMPC in the States. Then that way they could get rid of the stupid artificial restriction of LMP2 for Le Mans and WEC and let everybody run whomever drivers in the world they wanted, like it used to be prior 2011. The rich business owners could head to bidding for LMP3 seats if they couldn't handle racing with pros in LMP2.

And no it wouldn't mirror the LMGTE PRO/AM or LMP1 Hybrid/Privateer artificial class trophy separation - which as many of you know I despise - as unlike with those the LMP2 and LMP3 are completely different classes in regs, tech and philosophy. Though the new 2017 P2 spec regs ain't helping in that!!. Also you couldn't run anybody but silver/bronze in this imaginary LMP3 class so that too, it'd be strictly amateur.

Also Dome, Norma, ADESS and Ginetta could race at the 24 Hours (if qualified)

That's an excellent idea! I'd get rid of GTE-Am to accommodate it. Then you have a class specifically designed for the amatuers who want to lift a trophy.

Gingers4Justice · 9 Jun 2016, 00:53 (Ref:3648361)

On another note, are we expecting any art cars? Or special liveries?

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