[WEC Race] WEC 2013 Round 2: Spa-Francorchamps

[wewantourdarbyback]

Originally Posted by deggis

Highlights by Toyota: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49UHfegwNU4

Two things: 1) For some reason the voice over style (if not content) on that reminded me of those North Korean propaganda videos you see on documentaries.

2) They're off to the 'mythical' circuit of Le Mans? Was I dreaming when I was in a very real place for the last two years?

[FordCosworthPanoz]

British version of Microsoft Sam.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by wewantourdarbyback

2) They're off to the 'mythical' circuit of Le Mans? Was I dreaming when I was in a very real place for the last two years?

A great PR word is mythical. Guilty of busting out a mythical here and there myself at work.

[wewantourdarbyback]

Originally Posted by Simmi

A great PR word is mythical. Guilty of busting out a mythical here and there myself at work.

I'm buying you a thesaurus with the word 'mystical' highlighted.

[Scooter185]

That's a proper use for the word mythical, like legendary or fabled.

[deggis]

The same voice has also appeared in some WEC videos, and the logo in the corner suggest that might be WEC production, possibly just edited for Toyota considering it totally ignores other classes. I've also heard that voice in some other motorsport magazine programs.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by deggis

The same voice has also appeared in some WEC videos, and the logo in the corner suggest that might be WEC production, possibly just edited for Toyota considering it totally ignores other classes. I've also heard that voice in some other motorsport magazine programs.

Very recognizable voice, used to narrate an F1 show that aired on SPEED that stopped around 2009.


But I honestly thought 'he' was a computer program until I heard his voice again on the WEC stuff.

[Maelochs]

Actually it is Not a proper use of the word "mythical." "Mythical" is not synonymous with "legendary." "Mythical" refers to a thing which exists only in myth, while "legendary" can mean something about which legends---which are not always fictional--are told. Myths are always fictional.

The track at Le Mans is a temporary street circuit about which legends are told. It does not exist only in myth, even if it only exists for a week or so each year.

[Gingers4Justice]

Really really can't stand those sorts of videos. Ridiculous use of English, annoying narrator and over-dramatic stringed background music. Baahhhh. Unwatchable.

If MuscleMik can put something together a hundred times better, you wonder if it's worth Toyota bothering at all, just to get a few thousand youtube hits from a community who knows what happened anyway.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

If you thought Robot voice in the Toyota video was bad look what I've managed to find from Audi, decent enough video but that voice... :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cdxmXw5mas


I was unaware Ernie from Sesame Street did Narration/Video PR work for Audi Sport

[Scooter185]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Actually it is Not a proper use of the word "mythical." "Mythical" is not synonymous with "legendary." "Mythical" refers to a thing which exists only in myth, while "legendary" can mean something about which legends---which are not always fictional--are told. Myths are always fictional.

The track at Le Mans is a temporary street circuit about which legends are told. It does not exist only in myth, even if it only exists for a week or so each year.

"Legend" has come to mean people or events that are to use a more modern term "epic" and that will be talked about for a long time; however the term, by definition, describes something that either existed long ago -and thus has probably been exaggerated by oral retelling- or is fictional. "Mythical" and "Fabled" can be used in the same modern context as Legendary is, describing someone/something that we will tell stories about for years to come.

All 3 terms are derived from story telling.

[wewantourdarbyback]

I will have to side with Maelochs here, Mythical is something from myth, a story that doesn't exist. Legendary has a different meaning in modern terms, being used for people or places that have existed but have been noted in history, the two don't fit together any more.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Myths are always fictional.

Not necessarily. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myth

1. a : a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon

Greek mythos "speech, thought, story, myth, anything delivered by word of mouth"
http://etymonline.com/?term=Myth

'Myth' is quite similar to the mentioned synonyms. It's just that words like 'legendary' and 'epic' are overused these days and seem more natural in such cases.

Stories we now commonly call mythology were in fact once religious beliefs. Religion is myth by definition (see above). Yet there are many who believe it to be true. Therefore something called a myth is a story or belief that may or may not be true.

[Dario911]

I've just finished to read an article on the italian magazine Autosprint about WEC Spa race. After the belgian 6 hours, ACO would have decided for the new BoP before of Le Mans, and Aston was under "investigation" because is basically unrestricted. This explains very well because Vantage was not as fast as usual! This mean the british manufacturer was racing for the podium (2nd place was ideal), in order to avoid any revision of the BoP. If so, Porsche and Ferrari will be slower in confront of the Astons, as they were in Silverstone, and Aston may have a straight line to the podium (if we don't consider reliability issues or race incidents).
I hope ACO will balance in the best way as possible the situation, I would not be happy to watch another race altered by the BoP!

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Dario911

I've just finished to read an article on the italian magazine Autosprint about WEC Spa race. After the belgian 6 hours, ACO would have decided for the new BoP before of Le Mans, and Aston was under "investigation" because is basically unrestricted. This explains very well because Vantage was not as fast as usual! This mean the british manufacturer was racing for the podium (2nd place was ideal), in order to avoid any revision of the BoP. If so, Porsche and Ferrari will be slower in confront of the Astons, as they were in Silverstone, and Aston may have a straight line to the podium (if we don't consider reliability issues or race incidents).
I hope ACO will balance in the best way as possible the situation, I would not be happy to watch another race altered by the BoP!

This is exactly my theory that I posted in the Porsche vs Ferrari thread.

[MyNameIsNigel]

Originally Posted by Dario911

I hope ACO will balance in the best way as possible the situation, I would not be happy to watch another race altered by the BoP!

Well, the BoP is all about "altering" performance and therefore the outcome of a race, isn't it ?

Some say, that Porsche have been sandbagging at Silverstone and Spa in an attempt to obtain an even more favourable BoP in anticipation of LM. Who is not sandbagging ? This is the question.

I guess this is part of the game in GTE (and in LMP1 BTW...)

All this mess could be avoided by getting rid of the BoP, but that's just my humble opinion.

[Spyderman]

Exactly! BoP is just a cover for poorly written (and calculated) rules.

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by MyNameIsNigel

Well, the BoP is all about "altering" performance and therefore the outcome of a race, isn't it ?

Some say, that Porsche have been sandbagging at Silverstone and Spa in an attempt to obtain an even more favourable BoP in anticipation of LM. Who is not sandbagging ? This is the question.

I guess this is part of the game in GTE (and in LMP1 BTW...)

All this mess could be avoided by getting rid of the BoP, but that's just my humble opinion.

I agree. I don't like BoP, but is undoubtable Aston is running unrestricted since the last year. Anyway, BoP remains the only chance to balance a class composed by so different cars. But the trouble is to find a way for a real balancing, and not trying race by race to find the right solution! If car are so different, it's not possible to put them in the same class, because differences are too much (price, power, displacement, etc.) without a BoP, or a sort of compensation.
But how it is now, it doesn't

[TF110]

You say unrestricted, but thats not a good word to use imo. I wish these cars ran unrestricted! They would shame lmp2 cars if so! But yes the Aston has the least restrictive BOP. I think the new rules should just say build your car to 1200kg and use an engine related to the road car in use. Set dimensions, wing height and size and all that. This BOP is really confusing and flawed.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by MyNameIsNigel

Well, the BoP is all about "altering" performance and therefore the outcome of a race, isn't it ?

Some say, that Porsche have been sandbagging at Silverstone and Spa in an attempt to obtain an even more favourable BoP in anticipation of LM. Who is not sandbagging ? This is the question.

I guess this is part of the game in GTE (and in LMP1 BTW...)

All this mess could be avoided by getting rid of the BoP, but that's just my humble opinion.

I suspect that the above "Porsche" theory will be debunked at LeMans, whilst the "Aston" theory will be proved correct.

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

I suspect that the above "Porsche" theory will be debunked at LeMans

An old proverb says "Mess with the best, be down like the rest".

[zanfo zanfagni]

Aston is not running unrestricted. The car has a lot, maybe too much, waivers but unrestricted is not the right word. Not to create flame, but as aston became super competitive because of favourable bop, Porsche and Porsche fan should not complain about bop, from years 911 runs with weight and restrictors breaks. If the new 911 GTE would be running with standard 1245kg and the base restrictors of 2x28.6mm for a 4.0L, it woule be competitive enough to run with good timelaps for the pole....... of GT-AM class.

[Spyderman]

The Aston's are running a 4.5L engine with 29.7mm restrictors, vs Porsche's 4.0L engine with 29.4mm restrictor. Ferrari is not at all pleased. Porsche have said nothing.
We do not want BoP for Porsche. We want Aston to get some of their BoP breaks (and they have breaks in every possible department of BoP including a 40Kg weight break) corrected. Thats all.

[zanfo zanfagni]

I do not like too much GT field of WEC and LM grid but I have to agree. Vantage is too much helped by bop. In my opinion the real guilty of recent WEC bop issues is 458 GT. During 2011 and 2012 seasons, 458 GT shown to be too much stronger than anything else; it was the car with the best top speed, best performances and best consumes without any bop waiver . As consequence of that, I think that ACO and FIA are intentioned to penalize the italian car not only cutting 5L from fuel tank, aiming to destroy their fuel advantage given by DI, but also giving too much waivers and breaks to the other rival cars. During silverstone week-end it worked, being the aston almost untouchable. During spa week-end it worked even better in my opinion, with the best 458 and the best vantage close in 10 seconds after six hours.

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by zanfo zanfagni

Aston is not running unrestricted. The car has a lot, maybe too much, waivers but unrestricted is not the right word. Not to create flame, but as aston became super competitive because of favourable bop, Porsche and Porsche fan should not complain about bop, from years 911 runs with weight and restrictors breaks. If the new 911 GTE would be running with standard 1245kg and the base restrictors of 2x28.6mm for a 4.0L, it woule be competitive enough to run with good timelaps for the pole....... of GT-AM class.

You seem to forget all the cars of the GTE class are deeply different one from each other, so it's not easy to find the right BoP. Aston is less restricted, and Porsche has a different BoP by Ferrari because the original BoP was not good to balance things.
The only way to balance GTE class should start from homologation specs: street version must weight 1.200 kg, have the same displacement engine, the same number of cylinders, the same output power.
But this would be unreal (single brand championship).
To find the balance between different cars need a BoP, but you can't allow to one of the cars to be so much competitive as the Aston is now, in confront of all the others.
It make me smile, read about las years BoP for the old 997!
The car was six years old, and someone has to whine about BoP! Mmmh... I think the 430 GTE, with the same BoP of the old 997, would have raced for GTE Am pole! The same as for the old 997.