Date clash

[pink69]

One thing that really annoys me is the date clashs with Le Mans. This is one of the biggest races in the world, yet many drivers that would take part, can't because of prior commitments. Aiellos DTM campaign suffereed because he was away. Many F1 drivers would probably race but the race usually clashes with the Candaioan GP. I think that Le Mans should be the only race on its weekend.

[The Beer Baron]

The Canadian GP was ALWAYS scheduled to coincide with LeMans! No competeing European GP, just a GP a few hours after the checquer falls in France.

The FIA are only coming to LeMans to review safety , and that's been since this year or last.

Do you think Bernie wants his darlings promting LeMans?

[Heeltoe6]

no sportscar series, especially a continental one, should race on LM weekend, and ideally, no other road racing series should either. by some luck of the calendar, f1 did no conflict with LM last year, but i am sure it was coincidental. of course, it seems dates have always conflicted with LM. I remember parnelli jones I think it was(perhaps dan gurney) had to have nascar shoes pilot his trans am cars @ mid ohio back in the 60s a few times because he and his other drivers were at LM

[Banks]

I think you are overlooking one major factor concerning the current F1 drivers. Most, if not all of them are under very stiff contracts which would not allow them to even go anywhere near a sportscar (or anything else for that matter! )

[Speedworx]

Le Mans didn't clash with the Canadian GP this year.

As far as I know, the Canadian GP is on July 6th in 2002 and Le Mans is June 15/16.

The race doesn't clash with DTM either in 2002, but qualifying might.

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Banks
I think you are overlooking one major factor concerning the current F1 drivers. Most, if not all of them are under very stiff contracts which would not allow them to even go anywhere near a sportscar (or anything else for that matter! )

Althought I agree there should be no date clashes with Le Mans at all, even if there wasn't a GP clash with the Le Mans weekend, Banks is right, none of the current F1 primadonnas would be allowed near a sportscar at Le Mans, contract-wise.

[AllonFS]

Aysedasi quote:
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"none of the current F1 primadonnas would be allowed near a sportscar at Le Mans"
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Would they know how to drive a sportscar? They might not be able to cope with gears, lack of traction control, overtaking other cars outside of 'exciting pitstop strategies'...

That's why I will always rate drivers from earlier times over current drivers. Fangio, Moss, Clark etc. were equally at home in whatever car they found themselves in. They were complete drivers, not the limited specialists of today.

[Adam43]

I don't like the drivers aids in F1, but I think that most of the drivers in F1 would make very good Le Mans drivers! The main difference might be the attitude. Learning to temper the speed with a bit of thought for the car.

A choice between Schumacher or Pirro for my car. Ideally both, but Schumacher (if I could afford him) would clearly get the nod.

[AllonFS]

Fair point, although I stuggle to imagine F1 drivers sharing anything, let alone their car. I guess the point I was making is that these days F1 drivers only come to Le Mans after their 'proper' race career is over. In days of yore, they would swap and change each weekend.

I know of the current F1 drivers that Jacques Villeneuve has expressed an interest in Le Mans. However the interview I read sounded like he just wanted to turn up and win so he could do one better than Graham Hill's grand slam, (JW has the CART championship as well). There was no real appreciation of what Le Mans is, maybe that comes at 5am on a wet morning in your third stint in the car.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by AllonFS
Fair point, although I stuggle to imagine F1 drivers sharing anything, let alone their car.

It would be nice for a few F1 drivers to turn up for a crack at Le Mans every year.

I think that most of the F1 drivers would argue that F1 is so demanding that going to Le Mans would just detract from their efforts. Whether this is true or not probably depends on the team and driver. As for them sharing, you have a point!

As for JV. I think you are right, but he's not won at Monaco, unlike Graham Hill.