Lamborghini GTP / Hypercar: weigh in

[Adam43]

Each teams arrangements are different. Some are more factory than others. Funding amounts and sources are different.

It’s clear Lamborghini isn’t supporting a program as much as others.

Some are just factory, others designed to support customer cars too.

Lots of variation out there. Cool.

[Adam43]

This is relevant to the 2 car thing, but I am picking out a nuance to it.
https://www.dailysportscar.com/2024/...quirement.html

Originally Posted by Rouven Mohr

On one hand we appreciate having a second car. Our development progress is slower because we have less data and fewer opportunities for different race strategies. But it is an additional effort for a company small like us, but we like challenges and we will find a Lambo way to deal with it.

Interesting he notes the development being helped with two cars.

[veeten]

Reasons as to why its better to go with 2 cars in WEC. The IMSA part of this question is in what they're doing right now, in going with the endurance races and not the sub-4 hour ones.

[v8supes]

Usually my posts bring very little value but today i bring genuinely exciting news, if you are into this sort of thing. Chinese Lego brand CADA have produced a "Lego" Lamborghini GTP/Hypercar building set. Obviously its not officially branded but its very obvious as to what it is.

https://decadastore.com/products/cada-1-10-phantom-wing

Quite a curious brand because they have official Sauber F1 sets with a few other interesting pieces. I dont think this "Lamborghini" set is all that detailed especially compared to the official Lego Peugeot but i dont think its bad value.

If you wish to purchase the set id recommend doing so via Amazon as its much cheaper than the official CADA store. https://www.amazon.co.uk/CaDA-C51303...s%2C151&sr=8-1

[joeb]

Originally Posted by v8supes

Usually my posts bring very little value but today i bring genuinely exciting news, if you are into this sort of thing. Chinese Lego brand CADA have produced a "Lego" Lamborghini GTP/Hypercar building set. Obviously its not officially branded but its very obvious as to what it is.

https://decadastore.com/products/cada-1-10-phantom-wing

Quite a curious brand because they have official Sauber F1 sets with a few other interesting pieces. I dont think this "Lamborghini" set is all that detailed especially compared to the official Lego Peugeot but i dont think its bad value.

If you wish to purchase the set id recommend doing so via Amazon as its much cheaper than the official CADA store. https://www.amazon.co.uk/CaDA-C51303...s%2C151&sr=8-1

That is clearly a "Phantom Wing" and not the Lambo....

[NaBUru38]

They have some licenced cars as well.

https://decadastore.com/collections/sports-car

[TF110]

This Motorsport.com story doesn't sound like very good news. I hope they decide to stay, even if it's just the IMSA enduros.

[PhilipR]

Dries and Marciello said they were not too sure on the funding for the Lambo project hence they chose BMW instead as it felt more secure and more baacking from the manufacturer

[tomcug]

The end is near.

[PhilipR]

Sometimes I do wonder if the BOP nature of the class has made some manufacturers think they can do LMH/LMDH on the cheap and rely on BOP to balance any deficiencies and some now come to terms that it still requires serious investment. Hence I am a bit skeptical of the Aston Martin effort as again I am not sure on the funding for that one. Hope it works out for them and my skepticism is wrong

[GT3_Fan]

Originally Posted by TF110

This Motorsport.com story doesn't sound like very good news. I hope they decide to stay, even if it's just the IMSA enduros.

Perhaps the idea is to keep it going with an IMSA enduro sked in 2025. And maybe try to revitalize a larger effort after jokers for 2026?

[tomcug]

Originally Posted by GT3_Fan

And maybe try to revitalize a larger effort after jokers for 2026?

No cash, no jokers, but also no running as much as you can with as many cars as possible which is crucial to gather as much data as possible that's very needed for a fresh car. I don't think it'll get any better for Lambo.

[joeb]

If only every race was on the Indy GP circuit in the rain, this car would be great!

[TF110]

I think from reading what they have said, there's only enough to develop the car and run 1. Also the wec requiring 2 all year is a deal breaker if they've already committed to the imsa enduros. They just don't have that budget.

[broadrun96]

There's a lot of money being spent by folks who don't hold the purse strings on here. Racing costs money. Oddly the same folks who don't get that also have a burning hatred of LMP2/3. You can't have both. LMP1 showed even manufacturers have limits and this is the best option to have full grids. The budget of Audi 20 years ago isn't comparable to WEC or even expanded IMSA budgets. ALMS had 4 enduros at a total of 30 hours, IMSA has 5 at 58 hours, just those events alone double the budget. Add in the 4 sprints for GTP or 6 for GTs and the budget grows more. WEC has 66 hours with international travel costs. Budgets are orders of magnitude greater now.

[PhilipR]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

There's a lot of money being spent by folks who don't hold the purse strings on here. Racing costs money. Oddly the same folks who don't get that also have a burning hatred of LMP2/3. You can't have both. LMP1 showed even manufacturers have limits and this is the best option to have full grids. The budget of Audi 20 years ago isn't comparable to WEC or even expanded IMSA budgets. ALMS had 4 enduros at a total of 30 hours, IMSA has 5 at 58 hours, just those events alone double the budget. Add in the 4 sprints for GTP or 6 for GTs and the budget grows more. WEC has 66 hours with international travel costs. Budgets are orders of magnitude greater now.

The way I see it, when you are factory effort you do try to make sure you have the budget to compete and have the cars ready. Lamb/Iron Lynx do not have funding for 2 cars in WEC or to do full IMSA seasons, when they have an overweight car and might require jokers to improve is not good enough.
They also only signed up for the NAEC races for 2025, not even the full IMSA calendar.

Personally I much rather have a smaller field with well funded teams and cars that can be competitive, than have one off entries who are at the back and then they drop out after a year or less (see Isota) due to funding

[FIRE]

What was the management of Lamborghini thinking to give this project the green light? Only a short time vision or did Giorgio Sanna sell them something unrealistic?

[flatlandsman]

I think the writing was on the wall when the main guy quit mid year really, if it ends up being dumped.

The car shows promise, but also paying guys like Kvyat and Grosjean cant be cheap. I would imagine both are probably two of the highest paid drivers on the grid

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by FIRE

What was the management of Lamborghini thinking to give this project the green light? Only a short time vision or did Giorgio Sanna sell them something unrealistic?

I think when you're already working with a modest budget and then you trash your only test car during that process... Then delays and homologation deadlines mean you lock in a compromised package that's never going to be competitive even with BoP.

There's no point throwing good money after bad - so I'd like to see them do the NAEC to keep their eye in and then spend their time testing and then chucking as many jokers as they can at the car. There's no point pounding round all year in IMSA collecting data with a slow car you're not going to take forward.

However when you step back you have to think it increases the risk of the thing just being pulled. Hopefully not.

[broadrun96]

Yeah, the wreck, only one car and homologation getting close had to cut the program's legs off before it even got started. Have to think they're gonna run them in IMSA to try and sell them off to a collector/historics guy and move on for 26 with the new GT3 car

[TF110]

I dont think they'll cancel the project. I see them doing the endurances in IMSA, and trying to develop the car. At least that's the logical way to do it. Don't over exert yourself. Do 1 car and use the rest of the funds to make it better for next time.