[WEC] 6 Hours of COTA

[Akrapovic]

• Official Website
• Official Live Timing
• Live Timing
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• Timetable
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• Live Stream (Link to paid official stream)

[TF110]

Live timing now working on the WEC's site, thankfully.

[isynge]

Rather sadly going to miss this one - dinner party on Saturday evening which rather mitigates me seeing it. Sure I can be a good dining guest and not spend time playing with phone and wait for Sunday to stream it, but somehow watching a race with a second screen with live T&S is better.

Hey ho - sure there'll be other races, if not at COTA...

[TF110]

Looks closer than Mexico up front through first practice. Hope it stays that way. The heat will be a major factor for the race.

[XtC24]

This doesn't look close to me now, but I also hope Toyota will find some speed and we will have a proper race...

In Mexico there was no serious issues in LMP1, but at COTA there could be some attrition. Maybe a LMP2 victory
And Toyota has no air conditioning, the drivers will drown in sweat in the cockpits.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by XtC24

This doesn't look close to me now, but I also hope Toyota will find some speed and we will have a proper race...

In Mexico there was no serious issues in LMP1, but at COTA there could be some attrition. Maybe a LMP2 victory
And Toyota has no air conditioning, the drivers will drown in sweat in the cockpits.

They said that at Le Mans too, but they turned out fine in that regard. Seems the Porsche #1 currently has a big gap, but that was a qualifying sim. I don't know if the others did the same.

[chernaudi]

Problem is that Le Mans was day into night and started later in the afternoon.

COTA is due to start basically at high noon and go though the hottest point in the day.

At LM, there was some relief from the heat due to a couple hours later start time vs COTA. But this is at the discretion of the ACO, just like Le Mans.

[TF110]

They have 3 drivers, if it gets too hot they swap. It's not going to be a problem. It never was.

[seanyb505]

Really excited, and bummed I won't be there for the final wec Cota race. Have fun at the salt lick all who go.

[chernaudi]

Could be a problem if the ACO enact that rule that the max consecutive time a driver can spend in a car is 80 minutes.

That could mean doing driver changes every 1.5 stints or single stinting drivers if the ACO go that way. Which since ACO regs also mean that you basically have to double stint tires, Toyota can lose a lot of time in the pits, unless they can get their drivers in the cars before the fueling is done.

Porsche could have a big advantage with their AC system. That's unless the ACO look at the Toyota's ventilation system and says that should be sufficient.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Could be a problem if the ACO enact that rule that the max consecutive time a driver can spend in a car is 80 minutes.

That could mean doing driver changes every 1.5 stints or single stinting drivers if the ACO go that way. Which since ACO regs also mean that you basically have to double stint tires, Toyota can lose a lot of time in the pits, unless they can get their drivers in the cars before the fueling is done.

Porsche could have a big advantage with their AC system. That's unless the ACO look at the Toyota's ventilation system and says that should be sufficient.

Pretty sure they didn't have AC last year either and it was no issue.

GTE looks close with Aston and Ford. Could be a good race between them.

[Purist]

Slight confusion here. The SC365 article lists fast LMP2 time as a 1:54.031, while the time sheet lists it as a 1:54.601. Just wondering what's up with that, as it doesn't look like a simple typo.

Also of note, the fastest IMSA DPI/LMP2 lap earlier this year was a 1:54.809. I was kind of suspecting this would happen; it wouldn't surprise me to see a WEC LMP2 pull off a time in the 1:51s.

[chernaudi]

My opinion is that if a ventilation system can keep temps stable and below the ACO's prescribed max, it shouldn't be an issue if you run AC or not.

But this can only be a problem if the ACO lets it. I'm well aware of the horror stories of Le Mans in 2000 and '05 and Texas Motor Speedway in '00. But we also have to remember that almost everyone managed conditions at LM in '06 (nearly as hot as this year, 2000 and 2005) and COTA in '13.

I'm actually more worried about LMP1 cars making it to the end mechanically and electronically before their drivers give out.

[Akrapovic]

If you can do a driver change within the fuel time then it becomes a non-issue.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Purist

Slight confusion here. The SC365 article lists fast LMP2 time as a 1:54.031, while the time sheet lists it as a 1:54.601. Just wondering what's up with that, as it doesn't look like a simple typo.

Also of note, the fastest IMSA DPI/LMP2 lap earlier this year was a 1:54.809. I was kind of suspecting this would happen; it wouldn't surprise me to see a WEC LMP2 pull off a time in the 1:51s.

1:51 is probably not going to happen. 53 is more likely. Surely its a tire thing. Contis are not at the level of Michelins or Dunlops?

[seanyb505]

Correct on continental tires. Definitely not on the level of others.

[Spyderman]

Guess what: no live timing.......AGAIN!

[XtC24]

It's working now.

[bentley speed 8]

Hope Toyota are up there with Porsche this time around.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by bentley speed 8

Hope Toyota are up there with Porsche this time around.

That 1:45.7 by Buemi in FP3 was the fastest time this weekend. But only a tenth up on what Porsche did in FP2. I think Porsche on pole is likely but the race is another story. Tire wear will be a big issue and whoever is kind to them and has pace on a double stint will have the advantage.

[deggis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjYy0VkrrMA

Not my stream.

[TF110]

Porsche #1 has changed tires 3 times in this qualifying. I would imagine it went back to the first set.

[Akrapovic]

Not a great session there. Huge gap in P1, and it was all about track limits. Hope the P1 gap is smaller in the race.

Looking forward to Sebring. Nobody is getting track limit penalties at Sebring.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Not a great session there. Huge gap in P1, and it was all about track limits. Hope the P1 gap is smaller in the race.

Looking forward to Sebring. Nobody is getting track limit penalties at Sebring.

I don't know if Toyota changed tires, did they?

[Akrapovic]

Honestly never noticed. Do Toyota usually do it? Porsche always give the second driver a fresh set, but I missed them giving the third run a fresh set too. That seems unnecessary given the gap they had to Toyota.