LM24 Race 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans: ACO/FIA WEC '18/'19 Season Finale - Page 76

S griffin · 17 Jun 2019, 10:53 (Ref:3912401)

The fact is Le Mans is a test of endurance of man and machine. If a car in front has a problem with a car or a tyre, then it's hard for them, but then that's a part of Le Mans, who can run the smoothest and quickest to the chequered flag

gert · 17 Jun 2019, 11:02 (Ref:3912404)

I really enjoyed the race as a whole.

Losing the win for #7 was unfortunate, it would have seemed "more fair" to have them win, since in my eyes they deserved it more than the #8.

However, I think it would have been wrong for Toyota to switch the #7 and #8 around, becaue that for certain would have been a manipulated / staged / team-ordered win.

I don't believe the conspiracy theories that Toyota wanted the #8 to win over the #7. If they really wanted that there would have been much better ways to achieve that without the obvious heartbreak for the #7 crew. Neither Vasselon nor Leupen are idiots, and would have thought out a much better and subtle way long before the race even started - IF the #8 was to win at all cost.

The #7 was the best team for about 22 and a half hours. Unfortunatly for them, the race lasts 24 hours, and during the last 90 minutes they made several errors.

I think the person responsible for placing the sensors or reading the sensors (it's a bit uncear exactly what went wrong) as well as the person deciding to only replace 1 tire will not have slept well.
The same may be true for the team manager of #7 for not overruling the decison to only change that one tire, and maybe some of the general Team Management (Leupen/ Vasselon/some other) as well, if they feel they could and should have overruled that decision.

I'm happy for SMP & AER for the result they got. The car is fast, very fast for a private LMP1but has been involved in incidents too frequently. At least the #11 had a near troublefree run this time around.
I think both Rebellion would have been up there as well, and maybe even in fron of the #11, but the reliaility wasn't there this time, and they had too many errors.

Not a classic Le Mans maybe, but one I enjoyed very much

Anyopenroad · 17 Jun 2019, 11:41 (Ref:3912411)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gert

I don't believe the conspiracy theories that Toyota wanted the #8 to win over the #7. If they really wanted that there would have been much better ways to achieve that without the obvious heartbreak for the #7 crew. Neither Vasselon nor Leupen are idiots, and would have thought out a much better and subtle way long before the race even started - IF the #8 was to win at all cost.

I agree. In fact it would arguably have been a better story for Toyota if the #7 team had won:

There wouldn't have been the subdued podium ceremony.
The subsequent discussion would have been about the winners not the losers.
No cynicism (however unfounded) about favouring Alonso.
They would have delivered two different winning teams in two years (including two Japanese winners).

broadrun96 · 17 Jun 2019, 11:43 (Ref:3912412)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gert

I really enjoyed the race as a whole.

Losing the win for #7 was unfortunate, it would have seemed "more fair" to have them win, since in my eyes they deserved it more than the #8.

However, I think it would have been wrong for Toyota to switch the #7 and #8 around, becaue that for certain would have been a manipulated / staged / team-ordered win.

I don't believe the conspiracy theories that Toyota wanted the #8 to win over the #7. If they really wanted that there would have been much better ways to achieve that without the obvious heartbreak for the #7 crew. Neither Vasselon nor Leupen are idiots, and would have thought out a much better and subtle way long before the race even started - IF the #8 was to win at all cost.

The #7 was the best team for about 22 and a half hours. Unfortunatly for them, the race lasts 24 hours, and during the last 90 minutes they made several errors.

I think the person responsible for placing the sensors or reading the sensors (it's a bit uncear exactly what went wrong) as well as the person deciding to only replace 1 tire will not have slept well.
The same may be true for the team manager of #7 for not overruling the decison to only change that one tire, and maybe some of the general Team Management (Leupen/ Vasselon/some other) as well, if they feel they could and should have overruled that decision.

I'm happy for SMP & AER for the result they got. The car is fast, very fast for a private LMP1but has been involved in incidents too frequently. At least the #11 had a near troublefree run this time around.
I think both Rebellion would have been up there as well, and maybe even in fron of the #11, but the reliaility wasn't there this time, and they had too many errors.

Not a classic Le Mans maybe, but one I enjoyed very much

Exactly that regarding the #7, sensors fail and the team has to react. Their reaction was to not cover their bases and change all 4 but rather take 1. I'm assuming they still had a full set left to use and didn't just have the extra puncture replacement tires so they could change all 4. If they had done as Audi and Porsche have in the past then they would have still been ahead with fresh tires and could have easily covered any moves from the 8. Ending with Lopez seems like a poor choice as well when you have Conway on the team

Not every LM can be a classic, otherwise that claim would lose all meaning. Enjoy the race for what it is and the endurance to get any cars 24 hours at this pace.

gert · 17 Jun 2019, 13:01 (Ref:3912422)

I also see Lopez as the weakest of the 3 drivers on the #7, however I think his last stint was imo his least unimpressive. He didn't do much wrong and everything that went wrong was none of his fault.
They could have changed Lopez to Conway but probably not at the first puncture: if all went right there, Lopez would have brought it home, and there was too much panic already. Maybe putting Conway in would have been too short a call anyway at that time?
For the second puncture they had 4-5 minutes, so could get Conway ready if they wanted.
However I doubt it would have made any difference at all. Conway couldn't have done much more than Lopez already did. Maybe the gap would have been a few seconds closer but not 20.

I feared Lopez was going to bin it, but ultimatly he didn't. Given the circumstances I think he did well on his last stint.

broadrun96 · 17 Jun 2019, 13:32 (Ref:3912429)

I was thinking Conway to finish as an overall prerace plan, not as a reaction to the puncture. I would want the driver in, or ready to jump in if needed at the end.

bobec · 17 Jun 2019, 16:22 (Ref:3912461)

Quote:

Toyota explains why it didn't change all #7 car's tyres

https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/ne...lopez/4475892/

helgi · 17 Jun 2019, 16:35 (Ref:3912462)

There's an anecdote. Russian company has ordered some electronics from different countries and asked a "failure rate" not more than 10 units from 1000. French company said that they have "fr" at that level. Germany company said that they have usually 5 units from 1000. Japanese had send 1000 working units and a special parcel with 10 broken with a note "We do not know why do you need then but still we've sent it".
I mean, it's not the first time "a sensor" steals the victory from a certain trio.

Damian Baldi · 17 Jun 2019, 17:10 (Ref:3912468)

About the #7 I think aside the sensor issue, the car had bad luck with the SCs periods. Every time a SC was released the #7 had a entire minute of gap to the #8 that went lost.

If they could had been able to put a lap over the #8 the race would have been won.

I don't think that giving the lead back from the #8 to the #7 on the last hour would had been a fair thing.

Lopez performance I think wasn't his best, but I think it wasn't bad. There were lot of interviews from argentina's media before and while the race, and I'm noted him stressed or feeling the pressure.

It's been a new drama for Toyota, the idea to make the #7 win the race and the #8 get the championship I think it could be the best scenario.

Damian Baldi · 17 Jun 2019, 17:28 (Ref:3912472)

Lopez comments after the race

Original in Spanish

Quote:

“Cuesta entender esto, es una carrera cruel, me cuesta entender qué paso. Dejamos un juego nuevo para el último para no arriesgar, yo me detuve, cambiamos y puse la goma nueva, hice media vuelta y en el display me aparece que tengo una pinchadura. Llego a boxes, me cambian la goma y salgo con otra pinchadura, me cambiaron la goma equivocada”.

Cuando vuelvo a salir, el coche me segu�*a diciendo que hab�*a un pinchazo, me dijeron que se iba a resetear el sensor, pero al llegar a la curva 1 me di cuenta de que hab�*a algo mal y la presión de goma bajó mucho. Cuando baja de los 0,5 bar tienes que ir a 50 km/h porque si no explota. As�* que una vuelta de 13.6 km a 50 km/h es interminable”.

“En este momento me cuesta entender por que no cambiaron las 4 gomas”.

No saco ninguna conclusión, me da mucha bronca. Trabajé para esta carrera este año, entrené como nunca, analicé como nunca, repasé los errores del año pasado para que no se repitieran. Y la cosa estaba saliendo muy bien. Mike, Kamui y yo hicimos un trabajo sensacional cada vez que sub�*amos al coche. Hasta que logramos esos dos minutos de diferencia”.

“Estaba feliz de subir al coche y terminar la carrera. Pero la sensación de estar ah�* cuando todo pasó es inexplicable”.

Ante un posible comentario de que Toyota favoreciera al #8 en la parte final para permitir su triunfo, el argentino prefiere no considerar esa opción. “No me gusta pensar as�*, porque si no te volver�*as loco. Pienso que las cosas se dan. Si lo hubo o no, ellos sabrán, pero no creo”.

Translated

Quote:

"It's hard to understand this, it's a cruel race, it's hard for me to understand what happened. We left a new set of tires for the end to not risk, I stopped, we changed and put the new tires, I made a half turn and on the display it appears that I have a puncture. I get to the pits, they change the tire and I go out with another puncture, they changed the wrong tire. "

When I go back out, the car kept telling me that there was a puncture, they told me that the sensor was going to be reset, but when I arrived at turn 1 I realized that something was wrong and the tire pressure dropped a lot. When it goes below 0.5 bar you have to go to 50 km / h because if it does not explode. So a lap of 13.6 km at 50 km / h is endless. "

"At this moment it's hard for me to understand why the 4 tires did not change."

I do not draw any conclusion, it gives me a lot of anger. I worked for this race this year, I trained like never before, I analyzed like never before, I reviewed the mistakes of the last year so that they did not repeat themselves. And the thing was going very well. Mike, Kamui and I did a great job every time we got in the car. Until we achieved those two minutes of difference. "

"I was happy to get in the car and finish the race. But the feeling of being there when everything happened is inexplicable. "

Before a possible comment that Toyota favored # 8 in the final part to allow his victory, the Argentine prefers not to consider that option. "I do not like to think like that, because otherwise you would go crazy. I think things happen. If there was or not, they will know, but I do not believe. "

chernaudi · 17 Jun 2019, 18:20 (Ref:3912478)

Pruett reporting that GTE Am results are still provisional as the ACO are debating on whether or not to penalize an as of yet unnamed team for a possible fuel capacity violation.

MaskedRacer · 17 Jun 2019, 18:30 (Ref:3912484)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Pruett reporting that GTE Am results are still provisional as the ACO are debating on whether or not to penalize an as of yet unnamed team for a possible fuel capacity violation.

Uh-oh..this has to be the Keating Ford.

chernaudi · 17 Jun 2019, 18:34 (Ref:3912488)

Either Keating or Project 1. I don't think that Pruett would mention this if there wasn't a US/IMSA interest in it. Both Keating and Lindsey are regular IMSA competitors.

broadrun96 · 17 Jun 2019, 18:46 (Ref:3912491)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Either Keating or Project 1. I don't think that Pruett would mention this if there wasn't a US/IMSA interest in it. Both Keating and Lindsey are regular IMSA competitors.

Yup, cause he hasn't ever reported on other racing activities at all.

chernaudi · 17 Jun 2019, 18:50 (Ref:3912496)

Pending appeals, Keating Ford penalized. DQ'd for fuel capacity irregularity.

whitemr2 · 17 Jun 2019, 18:52 (Ref:3912497)

That is a very political correct answer from Lopez.
Hmmm, I hope it was just a stupid mistake/ fault from the team. We will never know for sure.

chernaudi · 17 Jun 2019, 19:02 (Ref:3912500)

#68 Ford in GTE Pro penalized/DQ'd for oversized fuel tank per SC365.

**skycafe** · 17 Jun 2019, 19:14 (Ref:3912503)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chernaudi

#68 Ford in GTE Pro penalized/DQ'd for oversized fuel tank per SC365.

This wss the 4th place car. Prepped in US, as wss Keeting car. But all the Fords would likely be identical(?)...

Akrapovic · 17 Jun 2019, 19:24 (Ref:3912505)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Pending appeals, Keating Ford penalized. DQ'd for fuel capacity irregularity.

The only source I've found for that was a random tweet which said 0.83 over the capacity. That's what the 68 Ford was over by. Is there not a mix-up between Fords here?

fieldodreams79 · 17 Jun 2019, 19:24 (Ref:3912506)

Quote:

Originally Posted by skycafe

This wss the 4th place car. Prepped in US, as wss Keeting car. But all the Fords would likely be identical(?)...

Sounds like we need to DQ and ban them all

chernaudi · 17 Jun 2019, 19:29 (Ref:3912509)

Now I can't find anything other than a FB message by Marshall Pruett regarding a possible penalty for the #85. For sure the #68 has been penalized.

Endurance Info also had an article up regarding possible DQ for the 85, but now that's a dead link.

At least one other car might get DQ'd per SC365 for a similar infringement.

GT6 · 17 Jun 2019, 19:39 (Ref:3912511)

This is silly fords DQ a day after the race, what a farce

chernaudi · 17 Jun 2019, 19:54 (Ref:3912514)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

This is silly fords DQ a day after the race, what a farce

I agree. After a normal WEC race, we find out about such penalties hours, as in low single digits, afterwards. Not a day in a half later.

chernaudi · 17 Jun 2019, 20:19 (Ref:3912518)

Racer Magazine article:

https://racer.com/2019/06/17/no-68-f...QkW2omW10A4HAY

Akrapovic · 17 Jun 2019, 20:20 (Ref:3912519)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Racer Magazine article:

https://racer.com/2019/06/17/no-68-f...QkW2omW10A4HAY

What was that saying about conspiracy theories?

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