The never ending Toyota return to Le Mans (LMP1) Saga - Page 114

KlBD · 8 May 2012, 22:32 (Ref:3071473)

I know there's an Indycar race at Milwaukee the weekend of Le Mans, but ol SeaBass is skipping it....Simon Pagenaud anyone? That would be a long shot for sure but incredible if it did happen!

gwyllion · 8 May 2012, 22:35 (Ref:3071474)

Keep on dreaming. Pagenaud is driving a Honda powered Indycar and he has committed for the full season. No way that he will be in Toyota at Le Mans.

KlBD · 8 May 2012, 22:39 (Ref:3071476)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Keep on dreaming. Pagenaud is driving a Honda powered Indycar and he has committed for the full season. No way that he will be in Toyota at Le Mans.

Still, it's weird to see him as one of the only ex-Peugeot drivers not in a drive this year, though his commitment to IndyCar (and a very vindicated one at that given his performance so far) makes that understandable. Still, one can certainly dream, right?

gwyllion · 8 May 2012, 23:12 (Ref:3071485)

Another driver worth considering is Guy Smith. He is without a drive because Dyson could not find the necessary funding for a Le Mans entry.

Rennen · 8 May 2012, 23:19 (Ref:3071488)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

@Rennen: Has Anthony already tested the car? Did he get much running the last time at Paul Ricard before Lapierre's incident?

He hasn't driven it at all yet...Hopefully today!

strider · 8 May 2012, 23:23 (Ref:3071489)

I'd like to see Adam Carroll in the car. It has been mooted in some quarters, but not officially.

gwyllion · 8 May 2012, 23:27 (Ref:3071491)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rennen

He hasn't driven it at all yet...Hopefully today!

It will be interesting to hear his comments on the car, especially in comparison with the Peugeot.

With his F1 and Peugeot experience it should not take that long to get up to speed. Gene said that he only needed 20 laps to adopt the Audi.

tyronnezx · 9 May 2012, 01:29 (Ref:3071510)

Quote:

Originally Posted by strider

I'd like to see Adam Carroll in the car. It has been mooted in some quarters, but not officially.

FK it! lets bring Ralph Shumacher and his milkshake bacK!

gwyllion · 9 May 2012, 06:57 (Ref:3071554)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TF110

A short video of the updated car in France pitting- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dSsg...ature=youtu.be

Two more videos on youtube from the Magny Cours test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zK5e20Tf2s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v01lKu50pDQ (high quality)

TF110 · 9 May 2012, 07:15 (Ref:3071562)

Definitely looks better in motion. The front end looks less busy as well. Maybe just my eyes but maybe the car has some slight updates.

gwyllion · 9 May 2012, 07:21 (Ref:3071566)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TF110

Maybe just my eyes but maybe the car has some slight updates.

I notice no updates. They drove straight from the photo shoot in Spa to the test at Magny Cours. Maybe they will test some small updates in Aragon already, or else at the end on the month in Paul Ricard.

TF110 · 9 May 2012, 07:33 (Ref:3071572)

The thing I was looking at was the diveplanes. They just looked different to me for some reason. Probably just the different livery throwing me off.

gwyllion · 9 May 2012, 09:35 (Ref:3071634)

The endurance test has started.

Quote:

Originally Posted by @toyota_hybrid

Team has begun its endurance test at Motorland with #TS030 #HYBRID. Drivers are driving... Mechanics are training... http://pic.twitter.com/SzqDWvOM

NelisB · 9 May 2012, 10:46 (Ref:3071666)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

The endurance test has started.

Hope they train them good. It's one of those things you can get "free" time with. though the Audi mechanics are the best in the business at the moment.

Simmi · 9 May 2012, 13:00 (Ref:3071720)

Godspeed Toyota TS030. Godspeed.

gwyllion · 9 May 2012, 13:52 (Ref:3071752)

McNish expects Toyota to be very fast.

Quote:

We've got the chance to win Le Mans but we also have the competition that will be there for the first time. And by what I understand, they'll be very fast.

Seeing some of the Toyota guys at Spa last weekend, they looked reasonably confident. I don't like seeing competition looking reasonably confident, If I'm honest with you! But I know how much we learn when we race and they weren't able to race in Spa, which I think everyone was disappointed.

It was very odd seeing the picture of the Toyota and the Audi sitting at Eau Rouge, but only for a picture and not seeing them duke it out on track. But we will see that when we get to Le Mans.

source: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...sh-spa-wec/P2/

NelisB · 9 May 2012, 16:28 (Ref:3071800)

Could it be that toyota chose not to race at Spa because they know the BOP is in their favor now and they want to hold that advantage until le mans?

ronnie peterson · 9 May 2012, 16:34 (Ref:3071804)

So, Anthony Davidson drove the TS030 for the first time in Aragon today.

Quote:

Enjoying 'finally' getting the chance to test with @Toyota_Hybrid in Spain this week. First impressions are very encouraging!

https://twitter.com/#!/antdavidson/s...61854134665216

Dario911 · 9 May 2012, 17:45 (Ref:3071830)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NelisB

Could it be that toyota chose not to race at Spa because they know the BOP is in their favor now and they want to hold that advantage until le mans?

I think Toyota would be more interested to discover the behaviour of the car in a real race, than going to Le Mans hoping in a good BoP. They could discover more things in a real race, than in a mere simulation. Only in a race, you can test all the possible situations. I think it could be a serious risk to arrive in Le Mans to discover a car not so performing in race conditions, and with a not so favorable BoP as they hoped for.
Rather, I think Toyota is trying to improve the car avoiding a direct comparison with Audi, maybe for the suspect troubles to its hybrid system.
On the other hand the exit of Ishiura from the team could be related to their necessity to have more experienced drivers in LMP1 and endurance races.
Formula 1 drivers are not experienced in endurance, but on the other way they are experienced on fast cars, in a competitive series. Le Mans is becoming year by year closer to a sprint 24 Hours race, and fast drivers can be determining for the global performance of the car. Much more than in the past.

alexkiller8 · 9 May 2012, 17:59 (Ref:3071836)

how could do they know that bop is helping them if they didn't never race? by the way, toyota didn't join the first 2 races, so can't benefit of bop adjustaments before le mans, end of story. If there won't be strange surprises, the car will run at le mans with 900kg with 1x43.3mm as restrictor.

Dario911 · 9 May 2012, 18:09 (Ref:3071843)

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

how could do they know that bop is helping them if they didn't never race? by the way, toyota didn't join the first 2 races, so can't benefit of bop adjustaments before le mans, end of story. If there won't be strange surprises, the car will run at le mans with 900kg with 1x43.3mm as restrictor.

In fact, they cannot have any idea of the BoP since they've only tested the car, but never raced against opponents. This second option would have been better to have real datas to study before of the race. But Toyota was not on the same opinion.
I've used the term "hoping" answering to NelisB, 'cause Toyota can't have any real indication about BoP, for this reason.
That's the point.

alexkiller8 · 9 May 2012, 18:15 (Ref:3071844)

for sure they will have better indications for an endurance use of the car because other team hardly will do expensive 30h endurance test. In my opinion bop won't change a thing, audi cars will be faster than toyota cars, and these ones will be faster than the other private lmp1.

Dario911 · 9 May 2012, 18:22 (Ref:3071846)

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

for sure they will have better indications for an endurance use of the car because other team hardly will do expensive 30h endurance test. In my opinion bop won't change a thing, audi cars will be faster than toyota cars, and these ones will be faster than the other private lmp1.

Toyota will not be a real competitor for Audi, this year. Anyway I agree about the fact Toyota will be faster than private LMP1s. On the other hand, they're always a work team, with very a good crew. But this year Le Mans will be an Audi solo. We should wait 2013 for Toyota real attack, hoping they'll be able to face Audi on the same plain after just one apprenticeship year!
Things will be a bit boring, this year, and I'm really disappointed for Pug decision to leave endurance.
Any real challenge in 2012, in LMP1.

Dario911 · 9 May 2012, 18:41 (Ref:3071856)

The recipe to win in Le Mans is simple: test and race your car before to be in la Sarthe in June.
Audi, Pug and all the winning manufacturers always did it. And results are there to show it was the right strategy.

gwyllion · 9 May 2012, 20:38 (Ref:3071903)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NelisB

Could it be that toyota chose not to race at Spa because they know the BOP is in their favor now and they want to hold that advantage until le mans?

Unlikely because they believe that Audi has 70 hp more

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