[LM24] Le Mans 2016 Entry List (and Driver Updates)

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

It'd be great to see her race there.
Was she lined up in the Formula Racing reserve entry this year?

Sadly not. The line up there was Mikkel Mac, Johnny Laursen and Andrea Rizzoli.

[Deleted]

Axe prospects of WTR forever. Not that anybody was believing in it anyway but read this laughable change of mind:
http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....&postcount=837

[Mike E]

RLL considering 2016 NAEC program ahead of 2017 LM entry (maybe too early to start a 2017 entry list speculation thread...).

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/11898...ep-for-le-mans

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Mike E

RLL considering 2016 NAEC program ahead of 2017 LM entry (maybe too early to start a 2017 entry list speculation thread...).

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/11898...ep-for-le-mans

I read that to mean that he could enter in 2016, with the NAEC effectively acting as his qualification (hope) to get into LM. If he's looking to take Graham to Le Mans then surely the Indycar calendar is going to be a deciding factor. It seems like they are going to stretch that out slightly for next year so hopefully it opens out a gap. But I wouldn't bank on it missing Test Day and race day.

[August]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I read that to mean that he could enter in 2016, with the NAEC effectively acting as his qualification (hope) to get into LM. If he's looking to take Graham to Le Mans then surely the Indycar calendar is going to be a deciding factor. It seems like they are going to stretch that out slightly for next year so hopefully it opens out a gap. But I wouldn't bank on it missing Test Day and race day.

Detroit will be on the week after Indy like this year when it clashed with the Test Day.

[Pilgrimage]

Just saw an article mentioning that Montoya would like to do Le Mans - not imminently but... and would only do it if he had a chance to win.
He's in with a shout of the triple crown if he does win it (Indy/ Monaco GP/ Le Mans).

[GT6]

That has been discussed on one of the other threats in the main sportscar forum Gav, so have a look in there, most people seem to think he has little chance of a factory drive

[CTD]

Benny Simonsen, Allan Simonsen's younger brother, expressed yesterday on national danish television that he wishes to enter the 24hours of Le Mans in the future.
He has the potential with winning at the 24H of Spa, I just wonder what team would take him in, with so many danes in the GT field already...

[Hawkwood]

Porsche confirm it's decided that Tandy and Bamber will be back.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120575

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

Porsche confirm it's decided that Hulkenburg and Bamber will be back (or at least that they want them back.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120575
No mention of Tandy though.
Strange considering he was the star of 2015.
Or possibly might he be moving to a full season car?

Article actually does mention Tandy, and the quote from Porsche is that the only hang-up for reuniting the winning crew from this year is Hulkenberg and the 2016 F1 calendar (which has not been released yet).

[J Jay]

I'm not getting any feeling of a move for Tandy or Bamber from that article:

Originally Posted by Andreas Seidl

Ideally we will have the same three guys back in the third car, but first we have to wait and see about Nico's Formula 1 situation

Sounds to me like Tandy and Bamber are both done deals for a 919 at Le Mans next year and probably only that, given both of them are also the "dedicated" test drivers for the LMP1.

[CTD]

Understandable choice from Porsche, however it will probably mean that Michael Christensen won't be promoted into the 919 next year

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Article actually does mention Tandy, and the quote from Porsche is that the only hang-up for reuniting the winning crew from this year is Hulkenberg and the 2016 F1 calendar (which has not been released yet).

Yeah I know, I mis-read it initially.
I was hoping I'd edited my post quickly enough that no-one noticed my error

[kpkorsager]

Formula Racing said that they will be at Le Mans 2016. Eihther they qualify via ELMS or they would do WEC next year.
Mikkel Mac, Johnny Laursen and just maybe Benny Simonsen?

[CTD]

Or Christina Nielsen

[Deleted]

It's essentially just glorified AF Corse satellite team so they'd get in if AF put priority over it when handing the entry requests to the ACO

[Hawkwood]

According to Graham Goodwin, the chances of Juan-Pablo Montoya landing a factory LMP1 drive at Le Mans in 2016 (for an attack at the Triple Crown) are: "very, very high!"

Now wouldn't that be an amazing story!

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

According to Graham Goodwin, the chances of Juan-Pablo Montoya landing a factory LMP1 drive at Le Mans in 2016 (for an attack at the Triple Crown) are: "very, very high!"

Now wouldn't that be an amazing story!

It would be amazing given how half the forum said no manufacturer would touch him. Shows what we know.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Simmi

It would be amazing given how half the forum said no manufacturer would touch him. Shows what we know.

To be fair, the JPM from nowadays is rather different from the JPM we knew in his F1 days, and even his Sprint Cup days. He's still got the fire on track but his attitude is (dare I say it?) far better nowadays and possibly suited to this kind of attack.

The PR opportunity for whoever snatches him up for a 2016 Le Mans entry is going to be GIGANTIC in the Americas (particularly in Latin America).


All I can add to this is: Mark Miles and Indycar, please, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!! don't be idiots, and please avoid scheduling a race against Le Mans.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

All I can add to this is: Mark Miles and Indycar, please, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!! don't be idiots, and please avoid scheduling a race against Le Mans.

Surely Ganassi running the Ford GT programme will help give a bit of sway towards making this happen - you would hope...

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Surely Ganassi running the Ford GT programme will help give a bit of sway towards making this happen - you would hope...

JPM runs for Penske though, but I see your point. With all the "Triple Crown" miles to be had from this (IndyCar needs as much good publicity as it can get) I can't see there being any conflicts.

With Button looking ever more likely to make the switch as well next year is already looking like a good one.

[GT6]

There is a very limited number of competative LMP1 drives for next year, 9perhaps 9 for porsche 9 audi and 6 for nissan and toyota although not sure how competitive they will be in 2016 and even the audi drives are perhaps not looking as good next year, so how are these people going to get positions with quality drivers already in most of the seats

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by GT6

There is a very limited number of competative LMP1 drives for next year, 9perhaps 9 for porsche 9 audi and 6 for nissan and toyota although not sure how competitive they will be in 2016 and even the audi drives are perhaps not looking as good next year, so how are these people going to get positions with quality drivers already in most of the seats

The only Porsche seat up for grabs really is Hulkenburg's?
Audi? Not a clue. I don't know if any of them have been confirmed for 2016 yet?
Toyota? Possibly/Probably swapping two drivers.
Nissan? Literally not a single clue.

Too many excellent drivers for the amount of seats.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

According to Graham Goodwin, the chances of Juan-Pablo Montoya landing a factory LMP1 drive at Le Mans in 2016 (for an attack at the Triple Crown) are: "very, very high!"

Now wouldn't that be an amazing story!

Isn't he going to do a LMP1 test with Porsche soon? Not convinced this potential Triple Crown attack will happen in 2016, a year later seems somehow more logical to me. But bring him on, JPM in a real sportscar will be something to watch!

Edit: yep!

Juan-Pablo Montoya is the latest high profile visitor to the WEC paddock, the Colombian Indycar star a guest of Porsche this weekend and revealing to WEC TV’s Louise Beckett that he follows the Championship closely “I watch all of the races. It would be very cool to get a chance to drive one of these cars!”

It looks very likely that he’ll get the chance after Porsche confirmed today that “Talks are taking place about a possible test,”

Jakob Ebrey also caught a moment with JPM and Penske’s Tim Cindric in the Porsche garage. Let the rampant and unfounded speculation commence!

Montoya has several links into the team including contacts via his time with the BMW F1 effort, many elements of which were incorporated into the Porsche LMP1 start-up. He’ll turn 40 years old on Sunday

Montoya is also no stranger to endurance racing. With three overall wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona, his familiarity and aptitude in sports car racing is obvious. And as a winner of the Indy 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix, a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche would see JPM join Graham Hill as only the second driver to win the three marquee events.

from http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/0...d-montoya.html

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by J Jay

JPM runs for Penske though, but I see your point. With all the "Triple Crown" miles to be had from this (IndyCar needs as much good publicity as it can get) I can't see there being any conflicts.

What I'm saying is - I don't think Indycar would alter their calendar on behalf of one driver. But the fact that a massive influential team owner is running a works programme at Le Mans might be more important in terms of sway.