GT World Challenge Europe 2020

[MaskedRacer]

Not sure if anybody has mentioned this but I love the opening jingle to any of the GT World Challenge racecasts. Song is implanted in my head that's for sure.

[bentley speed 8]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

Not sure if anybody has mentioned this but I love the opening jingle to any of the GT World Challenge racecasts. Song is implanted in my head that's for sure.

Honestly, I missed it very much this year.

[chunterer]

That huge scrap in the lower regions of the top 10 was great viewing!
I accept purists hate the FCY followed ny SC periods as i'm sure the Vervisch Audi team would too!

However it does encourage drivers to try and make up places.

[GregUK]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I accept purists hate the FCY followed ny SC periods as i'm sure the Vervisch Audi team would too!

However it does encourage drivers to try and make up places.

They do this after a few laps of FCY to allow the drivers to get heat back into the tyres before going green.

Whilst it is not popular here, the teams and the drivers generally prefer it.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by GregUK

They do this after a few laps of FCY to allow the drivers to get heat back into the tyres before going green.

Whilst it is not popular here, the teams and the drivers generally prefer it.

Could just say over the radio "30 seconds until green", where they are allowed to swerve to warm them up. The whole procedure is crazy.

The race was great when it was green flag. Great to see all the difference makes too. I think we only were missing Acura. BMW needs a bigger presence for sure. That one Lexus was quite impressive continuing the performance AIM/Vasser is doing in GTD. Would not mind more "Lexi" as well.

I wonder how much time was spend on "FCY/Safety car". Too much without doubt. Surely somebody in SRO knows the fans hate it?!!

This is why I enjoy the 60 minute races more now. Big props to GTWorld for showing all the practice and qualifying. I loved just seeing the cars circulate. Maybe we don't need the commentators for the practice and pre-qualifying videos though. And this comes from me who thinks John Watson is a god.

[gert]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

I wonder how much time was spend on "FCY/Safety car". Too much without doubt. Surely somebody in SRO knows the fans hate it?!!

https://www.timing71.org/ra/9aa43598...587f0d617169ec

According to the analysis here, there was
* 1:49:11 of green flag racing
* 0:39:38 of FCY
* 0:27:26 of Safety Car
* 0:04:49 of Yellow Flag (that's local yellow, I assume)

That's 1:07:04 of combined FCY - Safety Car, far more than a third of the race.

[tux]

Well i enjoyed it and i say that as someone who last year didnt really enjoy the series. I guess you dont know what youve got until its gone.

As for there being too much time under FCY/SC i think thats true, im sure SRO paid attention to it, after all they moved GT4 from Brands Hatch to Silverstone (pre covid) for the same reason.

[chunterer]

Hmm the caution period time stats are unpleasantly surprising from Imola!

I guess SRO will stick to what they are doing this year but perhaps they could consider revertimgvto just a standard SC next year?

[Aysedasi]

It was suggested that the caution periods were extended for what looked to be some relatively straight forward retrievals due to a smaller number of marshals (and perhaps recovery vehicles) than one might normally expect?

[Akrapovic]

I've no problem with extended yellows due to lack of man power.

The SRO FCY -> SC thing has been a thing for a few years. It's just to bunch up the cars and make closer racing again. I don't like it. Same with the minimum fuel times and maximum stint lengths. It's all too scripted.

GTWC is very very close to being awesome, but the pit stops and FCY/SC issues need resolved. Otherwise, it's generally an excellent series.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I've no problem with extended yellows due to lack of man power.

The SRO FCY -> SC thing has been a thing for a few years. It's just to bunch up the cars and make closer racing again. I don't like it. Same with the minimum fuel times and maximum stint lengths. It's all too scripted.

GTWC is very very close to being awesome, but the pit stops and FCY/SC issues need resolved. Otherwise, it's generally an excellent series.

Well said. This sums up the state of SRO racing for the past 3 years now. Time for somebody in that organization to wake up and fix it.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I've no problem with extended yellows due to lack of man power.

The SRO FCY -> SC thing has been a thing for a few years. It's just to bunch up the cars and make closer racing again. I don't like it. Same with the minimum fuel times and maximum stint lengths. It's all too scripted.

GTWC is very very close to being awesome, but the pit stops and FCY/SC issues need resolved. Otherwise, it's generally an excellent series.

Well, I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed the three hours (I watched it all) far more than your average F1 race/highlights.... and I'm not even a GT man, to tell the truth.....

[Akrapovic]

Honestly, I think the issue shows up far less in the 3 hour races. Teams run 3 drivers, so it makes sense to do the 3 hours as single driver stints.

The Spa 24 is a different matter though, because everyone has to run identical stints. Pit stops are a mandated time (literally. The cars waiting in the box until the time is complete), and you can't save fuel to extent stints or anything because the stint length is mandated too (65 minutes). So this means everyone does identical things - runs 65 minutes and then does a full service stop. Because there's no advantage to trying anything else.

Part of the beauty of endurance racing is the different strategies. That's literally regulated out of SRO racing now. Ok in the 3 hours it isn't that big a deal, but in the 6 and 24 hour events it ruins it a lot. Like when the ACO had fuel and tyres at the same time, and suddenly strategy was rubbish and everyone did the same thing.

I really enjoyed the races too. But I also know it could be a lot better than what we're currently getting.

[Aysedasi]

Ah, I didn't appreciate that. That sounds like complete nonsense for a 24 hour race (or 6 for that matter).

[tux]

The explanation given previously was that SRO and the teams didn't want to spend lots of money on sophisticated strategy software, strategists and the "ultimate" pit equipment because invariably the rich will spend and the poor will leave.

[bella]

what i don’t understand is if it’s such a hated format, why are there so many entries? why has there been such a decent turn out this year?

might it be that people still want to compete in it?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by bella

what i don’t understand is if it’s such a hated format, why are there so many entries? why has there been such a decent turn out this year?

might it be that people still want to compete in it?

Because driving and spectating are completely different things.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by bella

what i don’t understand is if it’s such a hated format, why are there so many entries? why has there been such a decent turn out this year?

might it be that people still want to compete in it?

I dont think anyone here is saying the format is hated.

The format is great, the three hour races are great and the gid is good even at 46 instead of 55 or whatever it was.

The point people, myself included are trying to make, is that it could be so much better with minor tweaks to the way the races are managed- Remove the SC after FCY rule, and remove the stint length rule.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

I dont think anyone here is saying the format is hated.

The format is great, the three hour races are great and the gid is good even at 46 instead of 55 or whatever it was.

The point people, myself included are trying to make, is that it could be so much better with minor tweaks to the way the races are managed- Remove the SC after FCY rule, and remove the stint length rule.

Exactly.

Remember when they did this at Le Mans with the GTE class and it ruined the GTE race, and when they did fuel and tyres together for LMPs and it ruined the strategy? Nobody said Le Mans sucks - just these were bad decisions. The ACO partially rolled these back. SRO needs to do the same.

tux makes a good point in that some of this is to stop innovation and costs, which is fine. But some of it, to be brutally honest, is just laziness. Because it's a BoP class, they attempt to balance the cars. But doing that is hard. So rather than try to work out fuel tank sizes for the cars, they just have maximum stint lengths. So now everyone can only do 65 minutes - you can't do an epic fuel run for an additional lap or anything. And since everyones fuel tanks are different sizes, they're all putting different amounts of fuel in, so rather than work out the corrrect flow rate on the pit equipment they just have a minimum pit stop time. So no matter how much fuel you put in, everyones stop is the same length of time.

All of that is purely so they don't need to work on creating a proper balance in the cars. Just mandate it in the rules.

FCY > SC is just purely for bunching cars up to create racing. That's all that is. Get rid of it for more pure racing and less yellows. This "yellows create yellows" thing is only true when the yellow bunches cars up.

GTWC is really really good to watch. But it could be basically perfect with some minor changes.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Exactly.

Remember when they did this at Le Mans with the GTE class and it ruined the GTE race, and when they did fuel and tyres together for LMPs and it ruined the strategy? Nobody said Le Mans sucks - just these were bad decisions. The ACO partially rolled these back. SRO needs to do the same.

tux makes a good point in that some of this is to stop innovation and costs, which is fine. But some of it, to be brutally honest, is just laziness. Because it's a BoP class, they attempt to balance the cars. But doing that is hard. So rather than try to work out fuel tank sizes for the cars, they just have maximum stint lengths. So now everyone can only do 65 minutes - you can't do an epic fuel run for an additional lap or anything. And since everyones fuel tanks are different sizes, they're all putting different amounts of fuel in, so rather than work out the corrrect flow rate on the pit equipment they just have a minimum pit stop time. So no matter how much fuel you put in, everyones stop is the same length of time.

All of that is purely so they don't need to work on creating a proper balance in the cars. Just mandate it in the rules.

FCY > SC is just purely for bunching cars up to create racing. That's all that is. Get rid of it for more pure racing and less yellows. This "yellows create yellows" thing is only true when the yellow bunches cars up.

GTWC is really really good to watch. But it could be basically perfect with some minor changes.

Well said!

[JimboCycling]

I really enjoyed the race, even if the safety cars do feel unnecessary!

Has anyone else ever wondered if there is a bit of acrimony between SRO and radiolemans? GTWC barely ever gets a mention on midweek motorsport, and I feel like they sometimes refer to a driver 'racing in another series' rather than referring to GTWC directly. Might just be me, I just find it a shame as I like RLM as pundits and would be interested in their views on GTWC.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by JimboCycling

I really enjoyed the race, even if the safety cars do feel unnecessary!

Has anyone else ever wondered if there is a bit of acrimony between SRO and radiolemans? GTWC barely ever gets a mention on midweek motorsport, and I feel like they sometimes refer to a driver 'racing in another series' rather than referring to GTWC directly. Might just be me, I just find it a shame as I like RLM as pundits and would be interested in their views on GTWC.

Yeah there does seem to be a determination for SRO to do everything in house. RLM, along with Mr Goodwin did do a Spa 24 commentary session a few years back and it was excellent.

I think it's more SRO than RLM/DSC/Racer to be honest. They seem like a very closed shop in that regard.

[Marcel ten Caat]

To be honest, why would SRO change the team that does comms all season for just the Spa 24 ?

Last year regular commentators David Addison and John Watson were joined by Bob Varsha for the daytime shifts, with Charlie Butler-Henderson and Martin Haven taking over at night. Dakota Jane and Ryan Myrehn as pit reporters. All very well known in the SRO paddocks, so there's no point in SRO hiring others to do Spa.

IIRC the RLM broadcast some years ago was also done independently, with drivers coming into the media center to sit next to Graham and go on air.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Marcel ten Caat

To be honest, why would SRO change the team that does comms all season for just the Spa 24 ?

I'd be changing Mr Watson full time anyway. He's gone full old man crazy the last few years. With Addison having to play the sane one.

[Aysedasi]

I confess I got a bit fed up with Wattie getting the places wrong. 'He's up into second' Hmm, I think it might be third......