[WEC] BoP. Brilliant or Pants.

[tomcug]

Brand new BOP:
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...-test-day-bop/


So compared to last year we got:

1. -40 hp for Alpine (~7% power reduction),
2. -12 hp for Toyotas (~2% power reduction),
3. +4 kg for Toyotas,
4. 190 km/h AWD activation threshold.

Considering that last year Alpine was off-pace, I wouldn't expect anything else than them being even more off-pace this year.


But this is more interesting:
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...-than-nothing/


So last year they were doing 12-lap stints but this year with less power they expect 11-lap stints That Gibson for sure isn't the king of efficiency but in LMP1 years had well over 650 hp and Rebellions were doing 11-lap stints with same 75 L fuel tank. It almost seems as the less power it generates, the more fuel it consumes.

[kartman24]

Alpine will for sure be after a BOP break BUT theirs is a `grandfathered` car and as such may not be treated in quite the same way as the new gen Hypercars.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by kartman24

Alpine will for sure be after a BOP break BUT theirs is a `grandfathered` car and as such may not be treated in quite the same way as the new gen Hypercars.

Which I have to say is correct, IMO.

[tomcug]

Alpine massively off-pace, as expected. 560 hp is a laughable "BOP trick". Another Toyota snoozefest incoming. I might be wrong ofc but I have no faith in Glickenhaus, they will find a way to ensure that even if their pace is gonna be good (same as Sebring).

Originally Posted by kartman24

Alpine will for sure be after a BOP break BUT theirs is a `grandfathered` car and as such may not be treated in quite the same way as the new gen Hypercars.

But the ACO/FIA guys clearly said that LMP1 and LMH are supposed to be "in the same performance window".
https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/...indow/4724736/

[Adam43]

Hypercar and GT BoP chat for the Le Mans 24 hours 2022.

Gives it a chance to be discussed and not get lost and repeated in the main practice and race threads.

The pre-test day BoP:
Hypercar: http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/Res...S_01062022.pdf
GT: http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/Res...S_01062022.pdf

Why’s it an outrage? Have they got it right?

[canaglia]

alpine and oreca 07 are basically in the same power/weight ratio, this means that alpine can run faster only because of better aero and tyres, but this can help them only in qualifying. As today test proved, alpine has same top speed of oreca 07, as consequence this will prevent alpine from overpassing lmp2 both on straight and when exiting from corners... if ACO won't give them back 600hp, they will be stuck among lmp2 for all the race long.

[tomcug]

Another question is how well their package works at LMP2 weight. In the "success ballast" days, with more subtle adjustments, that Oreca LMP1 was having the tendency to slow down more than expected with added weight and reduced power. Even Vasselon said after Shanghai qualifying that they expected the Rebellion to run quicker considering their 2018 performance with Senna out-qualifying 3 out of 4 Toyota drivers and how much extra weight/power deficit they were given. Of course it's hard to compare directly as tires were different but today they were slower in the afternoon than some LMP2s.

[Aysedasi]

Whilst accepting that it doesn't really make any sense to have an LMP1 which is no faster than an LMP2, I'm not about to cry in my beer about it. They have a grandfathered car which really shouldn't be doing any more than making up the numbers, IMO. I suspect that, despite being a French entry, the ACO would consider it a bit of an embarrassment for the 'Alpine' to win. It's the Glicks and the Toyotas that need to be correctly bop'd so that they can race.

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by tomcug

Another question is how well their package works at LMP2 weight. In the "success ballast" days, with more subtle adjustments, that Oreca LMP1 was having the tendency to slow down more than expected with added weight and reduced power. Even Vasselon said after Shanghai qualifying that they expected the Rebellion to run quicker considering their 2018 performance with Senna out-qualifying 3 out of 4 Toyota drivers and how much extra weight/power deficit they were given. Of course it's hard to compare directly as tires were different but today they were slower in the afternoon than some LMP2s.

impossible to tell by now, R13 was about 830kg heavy and had >700hp, I guess they were struggling when they got some extra weight because the gibson 4.5L is a high rev engine with lmp2 levels of torque release. But honestly 2019-2020 season (excluding 2020 LM where cars ran without handicap ballast) was a joke... you could know weeks before the race who was going to win...

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by canaglia

...you could know weeks before the race who was going to win...

To be fair and honest, that isn't actually an unusual situation at Le Mans..... Surprise wins are in 'hens teeth' territory....

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

To be fair and honest, that isn't actually an unusual situation at Le Mans..... Surprise wins are in 'hens teeth' territory....

but that was mental, it was basically wrestling... I recall in COTA race rebellion was like 2s faster on average qualifying lap and toyotas were nowhere during the race because they had all kind of success handicap... less power from ICE, less MJ for ERS and weight ballast...
and well you can never know what can happen at LM, in 2017 one of jackie chan oreca was about to win

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by canaglia

....and well you can never know what can happen at LM, in 2017 one of jackie chan oreca was about to win

That is true, and I would have loved to have seen it happen!

[Mike E]

Purely from a racing spectacle point of view I would like to see the Alpine running a bit quicker than the others to make up for their shorter stints. It felt like that was the intention at Sebring but the three red flags and other caution periods messed it up. Maybe that's why they are being slowed even more.

[tomcug]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

They have a grandfathered car which really shouldn't be doing any more than making up the numbers, IMO.

That can't be denied in general. But in that case the ACO should have just said "sorry guys, no more grandfathered LMP1s for 2022". That would be fair. What they're doing now is not fair.

[Simmi]

I really wish Peugeot had got their S together and we had a race this year. Rather than picking through the minutiae of BoP breaks looking for a glimmer of hope. Still looking forward to it obviously but we're relying on chaos and chance for intrigue I believe rather than any sporting battle.

Like a few others I think Alpine will get a small bone chucked their way at some point this week. And they will still be nowhere and finish third.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by tomcug

That can't be denied in general. But in that case the ACO should have just said "sorry guys, no more grandfathered LMP1s for 2022". That would be fair. What they're doing now is not fair.

Yes, on balance I can agree with that.

[GT6]

But two points that mean they would always have been allowed, firstly they are french and secondly the top class would be only 4 cars

[LC2guy]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Surprise wins are in 'hens teeth' territory....

So what is really needed is a large amount of non-sun during the race to add a bit of unpredictability.....

I'll get my coat ....... ( will it be needed ??? )

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by LC2guy

So what is really needed is a large amount of non-sun during the race to add a bit of unpredictability.....

I'll get my coat ....... ( will it be needed ??? )

No, shorts, hat and sun cream only......

[GT6]

Andrew will be checking at the entry points for anyone with wellies in thier car and telling security to refuse them admission

[Aysedasi]

Yes, they already have detailed instructions. Forget the glass, watch out for wellies and parapluies.......

[GT6]

i hope you only told the gate security, i know those fully armed CRS police and they will shoot first and ask why you have wellies afterwards

[tomcug]

Alpine drivers worried about lack of straight-line speed:
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...speed-at-test/

[joeb]

Originally Posted by tomcug

Alpine drivers worried about lack of straight-line speed:
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...speed-at-test/

Buemi doesn't seem to buy it. From S365:

***Sebastien Buemi did not appear convinced at Alpine’s claimed straight-line speed struggles during the test day. “There is no reason they should be more down than [at] Spa, and they have more power than Spa,” he told Sportscar365. “We have been racing them since a long time now: there is no surprise. They will be much better in the race, when it counts.”

[tomcug]

I'd call that a typical BOP disagreement. Alpine guys want better BOP so they're saying what they're saying, while Toyota guys certainly don't want their rivals to get better BOP so they're saying what they're saying