Sportscars are the Future

[Mal]

There is a pretty good chance tha Toyota will walk from F1 at the end of the seaon and this was rumoured before the current proplem. Whilst I believe Ferrari will ultimately stay in F1, if Toyota Ferrari and Renault collectively announced they were moving from F1 to LM racing in one hit then much of the fan and media coverage would switch with them.

Trouble is with Bernie threatening to sue it could all get very messy - and Bernie should not be underestimated.

[HORNDAWG]

Sue.. For what?! If those teams tried to start a rival series there may, may, be something to go on. But to move to a different discipline all together, I think not. There is no legal grounds for it as long as the obligatory season is completed and they have not signed on for next year!



L.P.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

Sue.. For what?! If those teams tried to start a rival series there may, may, be something to go on. But to move to a different discipline all together, I think not. There is no legal grounds for it as long as the obligatory season is completed and they have not signed on for next year!



L.P.

That depends on what contract they have signed

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75504

[Tim the Grey]

Are we getting a clue now, as to WHY I do NOT want these teams in sportscars? Too many lawyers. Hell, some teams legal budget would RUN 2 or 3 sportscar teams for a year!

[TWK]

With this introduction, Murphy the Bear covered the F1 scenarios affecting sports car racing today:

Murphy got a call a few minutes ago from a friend with a contact in Monaco. F1 teams left the meeting on Flavio’s yacht with “no comment,” and Bernie saying “More meetings” in answer to “what next?”

The "nuclear option" for Ferrari is sports car, and it's not thought to be entirely far-fetched in the sports car paddock.

[isynge]

There are many ways of seeing this positively. In the event we end up with a 40 million groat budget cap in F1 there's going to be a whole load of under employed motorsports people in a lot of manufacturer outfits who will

(a) be looking for a job, in which case sportscars might be hiring
(b) remain employed by their current employers, who are happy to spend more than 40m and would relish the opportunity to hit another high profile series
(c) form the nucleus of a new core sportscar programme for teams fed up with F1

I'd be skeptical about whether any of this indicates a sustainable golden age for sportscars, but if it comes off let's enjoy it while it lasts. At the very least if Ferrari resurrected something akin to the 333SP I'd be dancing in the streets.

Equally, if RedBull, who seem similarly unhappy, decide to point their money and promotional activities at sportscars then we could see some really exciting results - although if we end up with events mobbed to an unable-to-move extent I'd argue that might not be the best outcome!

[Tim the Grey]

And F1 stylee prices to get in to races somewhere on the Pacific rim!

[GTfour]

As for Ferrari,Toyota and other big manufacturers comming to LM,I'm all for it,but please,not even more influence of FIA bobo's in sportscar racing.

These guys are responsible for things like no more wheelspin when leaving the pits,also for new tracksections with the fences a million miles from the track for "safety" and destroying the hill at the end of the mulsanne straight as well as the destruction of the busstop chicane at Spa.

[GT6]

Watched the GT4's and FIA GT's on channel 5 this morning and it proves to me that, unlike F1, sportscars are looking healthy and beginning to get mainstream coverage on television, the less interferance the better it will be for those of us that like to see racing in cars that look at least similar to those that we can see on the roads.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by GTfour

As for Ferrari,Toyota and other big manufacturers comming to LM,I'm all for it,but please,not even more influence of FIA bobo's in sportscar racing.

These guys are responsible for things like no more wheelspin when leaving the pits,also for new tracksections with the fences a million miles from the track for "safety" and destroying the hill at the end of the mulsanne straight as well as the destruction of the busstop chicane at Spa.

FIA, and FIA alone is responsible for EVERYTHING...

[GTfour]

Originally Posted by deggis

FIA, and FIA alone is responsible for EVERYTHING...

You work for them?

We all know the FIA is a bad influence in ACO sportscar racing. Silly rules,overparanoïc safety measures and outright daft enforcing of the rules(see the taken away Felbermayer win at the Spa 1000km's).

It's clear that many of the bobo's in the ACO are former FIA bureaucrats and they bring with them the sickening habbit of allways changing things for the sake of changing. But hey,as long as profit goes up for them,is it not?

[JAG]

The FIA's influence is a fraction of what it was with effectively zero control over Le Mans and sportscar racing.

[Bas]

Originally Posted by GTfour

You work for them?

So someone who doesn't share your opinion that FIA is responsible or to blame for everything would according to you most possibly work for FIA?

Originally Posted by GTfour

It's clear that many of the bobo's in the ACO are former FIA bureaucrats and they bring with them the sickening habbit of allways changing things for the sake of changing. But hey,as long as profit goes up for them,is it not?

Those things are not clear at all.
Which and how many ACO bigwigs are former FIA bureaucrats and what is your proof that it´s only change for the sake of change or (more) profit?

Back on-topic I think it would be great to have some of the F1 defectors in sports cars, Toyota with a full works effort or Renault would be awesome.
Also a F1 cost cap could, when in better economic times, lure F1 competitors to run a sportscar program as well as F1.

With Williams signing up for 2010 today, a FOTA / FIA compromise seems closer every day, so Toyota who are imo only looking for an excuse to walk away from F1 might even race sportscars in 2010.

[GTfour]

Originally Posted by Bas

Those things are not clear at all.
Which and how many ACO bigwigs are former FIA bureaucrats and what is your proof that it´s only change for the sake of change or (more)profit?

Well,one does not allways need a windvane to know were the wind blows from.

The hump at the end of the Mulsanne straight,was removed under pressure of the FIA safetynut's and it is for the rest very obvious that most of the projects around and on the track have been to generate ever bigger avalanches of money for the organization.


I'd love to see the like's of Toyota and Renault back in Le Mans too,however. Just keep them FIA boffs away.

[Bas]

Originally Posted by GTfour

Well,one does not allways need a windvane to know were the wind blows from.:

So for all the allegations made you have nothing but a suspicion about from which way the wind is blowing, top notch reasoning

Originally Posted by GTfour

The hump at the end of the Mulsanne straight,was removed under pressure of the FIA safetynut's and it is for the rest very obvious that most of the projects around and on the track have been to generate ever bigger avalanches of money for the organization.

Don´t think so, some changes to the Bugatti were made for (biker) safety, the upgrade in facilities and village was to lift them into the 21st century.

[Mike E]

If Ferrari are so worried about a '2 tier' F1 (capped vs uncapped), then they aren't going to enter a 2 tier P1 (petrol vs diesel).
Anyway, this is just sabre rattling. A compromise will be reached and just maybe F1 won't swallow 90% of the global motorsport budget. We can dream, can't we?

[ger80]

Hope sportscars are not the future for the big manufactors, like to be able to get in the paddock in the future too ...

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Mike E

If Ferrari are so worried about a '2 tier' F1 (capped vs uncapped), then they aren't going to enter a 2 tier P1 (petrol vs diesel).

We dont really know what will happen for sure , with the new diesel V's petrol regs , as nobody has built an FSI engine since the Audi R8 unit , especially a manufacturer . Now we have Aston Martin with FSI technology , but its a new unit ? ..... Im sure Ferrari would make their petrol engines very competitive .

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by ger80

Hope sportscars are not the future for the big manufactors

On the conterary .... I hope sportscars are the future for the big manufacturers !!!

[Lola T70]

Originally Posted by The Badger

On the conterary .... I hope sportscars are the future for the big manufacturers !!!

I would expect F1 to still have the manufacturers but also Sportscars to have an increasing amount of the same.

[acox93]

Originally Posted by The Badger

We dont really know what will happen for sure , with the new diesel V's petrol regs , as nobody has built an FSI engine since the Audi R8 unit , especially a manufacturer . Now we have Aston Martin with FSI technology , but its a new unit ? ..... Im sure Ferrari would make their petrol engines very competitive .

Forgive me if im mistaken, but isnt FSI for turbo cars and its DFI for naturally aspirated cars.

[ger80]

name it as you want, for street cars Audi/VW uses FSI for NA engines and TFSI/TSI for turbos. So the R8 FSI would be names TSI today. DFI is the name used for NA by Porsche ...

[acox93]

Originally Posted by ger80

name it as you want, for street cars Audi/VW uses FSI for NA engines and TFSI/TSI for turbos. So the R8 FSI would be names TSI today. DFI is the name used for NA by Porsche ...

Ok

[deggis]

Originally Posted by GTfour

You work for them?

I wish: http://www.sniffpetrol.com/wp-conten...ardparking.jpg

It's clear that many of the bobo's in the ACO are former FIA bureaucrats and they bring with them the sickening habbit of allways changing things for the sake of changing. But hey,as long as profit goes up for them,is it not?

So, aren't you really blaming ACO?

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Bas

so Toyota who are imo only looking for an excuse to walk away from F1 might even race sportscars in 2010.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...26134552.shtml