[WEC] FIA World Endurance Championship

[AGD]

I came across this article talking about the F1 teams and suppliers being upset about the Bahrain F1 race still. There's some interesting stuff in there. I'm not sure how much relevance there is with the WEC race, but it's hard to imagine that the companies involved with the WEC aren't thinking the same things even if it is a much, much lower profile event.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewben..._concerns.html

[wewantourdarbyback]

Originally Posted by vyselegend

Sorry if this was already mentioned, but I just noticed the WEC official website is beta-running already:

http://www.fiawec.com/

Let's hope they make it clean and practical...

Nice video.

[AGD]

It sounds like chaos might be returning to Bahrain again this year. There are reports/allegations of more uprising/torture related deaths in recent days and it seems the protesters are becoming more violent. The US is also moving Embassy employees in Bahrain to safer locations due to the unrest. But, hey, Bernie says Bahrain is just dandy so it must be true!

[Simmi]

One bit of info which seems to have slipped under the radar is that the entry deadline appears to have been extended in the aftermath of the Peugeot pull-out.

Looks like you could still enter the WEC now if you wanted. This was just retweeted by Rebellion.

@SportSystemeSPS SportSysteme
Following late Peugeot withdrawal from the FIA WEC, FIA and ACO have decided to extend entry deadline of the WEC until 31st Jan.

I wonder what implications that will have if any. Might the Feb 2 date for entry list announcements get pushed back?

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I wonder what implications that will have if any. Might the Feb 2 date for entry list announcements get pushed back?

Good question, but I don't know. Is the ACO hoping that Peugeot will change their mind? Or that others will come out of the woodwork now that Peugeot is done? I'm not really sure why there needs to be an extension because of Peugeot, but we'll see.

Another small oddity is that Ullrich was saying yesterday (at least in an article that was released yesterday) that Audi's participation in the WEC is unconfirmed but likely. Unconfirmed? I assume that it is confirmed or not internally and maybe they are waiting to announce things publicly, but when is that going to happen? When the entry list is revealed? Surely Audi sent in a completed entry form whether their participation is in limbo or not. Not that I think it is in limbo, but I don't know. Maybe they don't want to commit to doing every event at this juncture now that they don't have to? Maybe they are waiting to see whether they want to race the R18 or R18H so they can announce everything publicly at once? Who knows. It's just odd that it's almost February and we still don't know which races the heavy hitters are going to be in for sure.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Simmi

One bit of info which seems to have slipped under the radar is that the entry deadline appears to have been extended in the aftermath of the Peugeot pull-out.

I doubt the decision would have been made without a specific request (or requests) from potential entrants. Very interesting.

[deggis]

A decoy for Toyota.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

I doubt the decision would have been made without a specific request (or requests) from potential entrants. Very interesting.

Henri asked for help. Or maybe it was extended in the belief that a private Peugeot could be sorted. Maybe Audi got the jitters and had to go for a long walk to think for a few days. I would hope the shiny new TS030 has convinced them they have competition this year.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by deggis

A decoy for Toyota.

You would think that Toyota would have entered the WEC regardless of whether they plan on going for the championship, but maybe not? Besides, I would think that Audi, Toyota, Peugeot, or anyone like that could show up at Sebring the week of the race and be allowed to race for the championship even if that race week was the first time the ACO heard about the effort!

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by AGD

You would think that Toyota would have entered the WEC regardless of whether they plan on going for the championship, but maybe not? Besides, I would think that Audi, Toyota, Peugeot, or anyone like that could show up at Sebring the week of the race and be allowed to race for the championship even if that race week was the first time the ACO heard about the effort!

Of course, I don't think factory entries have to pay much attention to deadlines like that, the ACO will always roll out the red carpet for them.

Kind of odd decision, I don't see how Peugeot's withdrawal would motivate any other entries to join the WEC, if anything it has weakened the upcoming season.

[Rodger Davies]

yeah, i can't see that either, but the optimist in me says they've got wind of a way to get a private Peugeot in. Or to give Pescarolo longer to tie a sponsorship deal together.

It's probably only for an entry or two so I doubt they'll move their 2 Feb announcement date, especially as it's usually done at a glitzy ceremony with plenty of journalists present. Hope they'll stream the announcement on RLM again this year.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

yeah, i can't see that either, but the optimist in me says they've got wind of a way to get a private Peugeot in. Or to give Pescarolo longer to tie a sponsorship deal together.

Perhaps it's something with Peugeot, but perhaps teams like Muscle Milk or Dyson, who perhaps turned down entries, might become more interested with Peugeot not in the picture. Who knows what the ACO's intention is because it seems like everyone is just guessing.

If someone does enter in late, I wonder what the first team or two on the reserve list will think! I'm sure they will not be amused.

It's probably only for an entry or two so I doubt they'll move their 2 Feb announcement date, especially as it's usually done at a glitzy ceremony with plenty of journalists present. Hope they'll stream the announcement on RLM again this year.

The Motorsport Total article being discussed in the Peugeot thread seems to imply that the announcements will go on as scheduled. As for RLM, their coverage last year seemed to be mostly Hindy reading off the ACO's PowerPoint slides! It's better than nothing I guess.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by AGD

It sounds like chaos might be returning to Bahrain again this year. There are reports/allegations of more uprising/torture related deaths in recent days and it seems the protesters are becoming more violent. The US is also moving Embassy employees in Bahrain to safer locations due to the unrest. But, hey, Bernie says Bahrain is just dandy so it must be true!

I really don't like seeing motorsport being associated with regimes like the one in Bahrain, it doesn't do it any favours.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I really don't like seeing motorsport being associated with regimes like the one in Bahrain, it doesn't do it any favours.

Motorsport shouldn't care what regime the races are in. As long as the regime stays out of motorsport, then motorsport should stay out of politics!

Sport and politic doesnt match, therefor it not sensible for anything other than cheap PR points, and saving them of the discussion of Sport and Politics.

The Olympics where held under the Nazi rule and Stalins communism, the Bahrain regime doesn't come close to those two in terms of cruelty!

[deggis]

"Sport and politics doesn't match", unfortunately they already matched when the race was put in the calendar. It's an oxymoron in this case.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by CTD

Motorsport shouldn't care what regime the races are in. As long as the regime stays out of motorsport, then motorsport should stay out of politics!

Sport and politic doesnt match, therefor it not sensible for anything other than cheap PR points, and saving them of the discussion of Sport and Politics.

The Olympics where held under the Nazi rule and Stalins communism, the Bahrain regime doesn't come close to those two in terms of cruelty!

The Olympics were never held under Stalins regime but that's beside the point. Politics and sport don't mix and motorsport should care what regimes it races in.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The Olympics were never held under Stalins regime but that's beside the point. Politics and sport don't mix and motorsport should care what regimes it races in.

No, but it was still Stalinism which ruled, and people was still treated in humain.

You contradict yourself when saying sport and politics don't mix and then state that motorsport should care. Once motorsport say "we wont race because of how you treat your people", they become political.
Democracy is not a right its a political choice.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by CTD

No, but it was still Stalinism which ruled, and people was still treated in humain.

You contradict yourself when saying sport and politics don't mix and then state that motorsport should care. Once motorsport say "we wont race because of how you treat your people", they become political.
Democracy is not a right its a political choice.

I don't contradict my self at all. By racing in a place such as Bahrain motorsports is associating itself with the regime. It's not a matter of "we wont race because of how you treat your people", it's a matter of not racing there in the first place.

[helgi]

Oh, gosh! At UAE all women must wear paranja and you can not even take a photo of some sultans' palaces. But it doesn't stop someone to race in Dubai. What politics are you talking about? It's all about money.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by helgi

Oh, gosh! At UAE all women must wear paranja and you can not even take a photo of some sultans' palaces. But it doesn't stop someone to race in Dubai. What politics are you talking about? It's all about money.

Of course it's about money.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't contradict my self at all. By racing in a place such as Bahrain motorsports is associating itself with the regime. It's not a matter of "we wont race because of how you treat your people", it's a matter of not racing there in the first place.

No it's not!
YOU (and some people in general) is making that assumption that those to things have something to do with each other.

Like the Olympics and the Nazi rule!, people didn't see the Olympics associating themselves with the Nazi's.

When you start thinking that racing is associating themselves with the regime/government because they race in that country, then you mix two things which shouldn't be mixed.

And a nice comparison is China, as F1 and Sportscars shouldn't race there because that they allow torture.
Motorsport should NOT lay pressure on regimes/goverments to change into something "more acceptable", because then they lobby, which is a part of politics.

If Baharain, got a good track, can add something interesting to the World Championships and have the money needed to race, then should a public uprising not disturb it, unless it posses a security risk.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by CTD

No it's not!
YOU (and some people in general) is making that assumption that those to things have something to do with each other.

Like the Olympics and the Nazi rule!, people didn't see the Olympics associating themselves with the Nazi's.

When you start thinking that racing is associating themselves with the regime/government because they race in that country, then you mix two things which shouldn't be mixed.

And a nice comparison is China, as F1 and Sportscars shouldn't race there because that they allow torture.
Motorsport should NOT lay pressure on regimes/goverments to change into something "more acceptable", because then they lobby, which is a part of politics.

If Baharain, got a good track, can add something interesting to the World Championships and have the money needed to race, then should a public uprising not disturb it, unless it posses a security risk.

They have every bit to do with each other, it's just people would rather turn a blind eye, hence the Olympics in Nazi Germany and particularly where money is concerned, hence the GP in China.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

They have every bit to do with each other, it's just people would rather turn a blind eye, hence the Olympics in Nazi Germany and particularly where money is concerned, hence the GP in China.

It would be the same as saying racing in France under Sarkozy, is associating oneself with his politics.

The problems starts when people starts to draw parallels between things which doesn't have to have any thing to do with the race itself!

But if it's money which rule, then there is NO idea in why F1 and WEC shouldn't run in Bahrain.

[Gingers4Justice]

It doesn't matter what your political views are, the current regime in Bahrain aren't exactly a pleasant bunch.

Having a race there covers up the issues. It benefits the ruling elite, and not the masses. It gives the regime an opportunity to show everything's fine, that Bahrain can run a race as well as anywhere else in the world.

Unless you believe that Bahrain has a race track purely because they love racing, you're deeply misguided. They have a circuit for economic and political reasons. It's a propaganda tool - just like the '36 olympics became for the Nazis.

The point is, even by racing at a country like Barhain, the sport is getting involved in politics. As bjohnsonsmith says - we shouldn't even be talking about racing there.

I don't see how not racing in a country is seen as "getting politically involved". Maybe the WEC should visit every country in the world, as a country not being on the calendar is a sign that the FIA dissaproves of that government?!

The whole thing is totally political for the FIA who have a lot of interest in the region. People say money talks - yes, it does for the people stamping the "world" in to the series title but as for the ACO and the actuall competitors, how much do they want to be there?

I agree politics and motorsport do not mix. So we should not be racing in Bahrain. But unfortunately, with regimes in the Middle East and governing bodies like the FIA, politics and motorsport have been mixed.

[AndrewF31]

And that happens because only Money is taken into account with businesses. That's why so many regimes exist out there. Just like the Olympics and other sports, motor sports can also be used to falsely show a country is alright.
If the racing could happen without any attempt to use it as a banner of righteousness, it would be alright but it will happen.
Look at the Moscow Olympics and the Los Angeles Olympics. Each of the 'super powers' boycotted each other claiming the other country was evil. Each country/culture/peoples see others in their own way.