[WEC] WEC 2019/20 season

[JoeW04]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Perhaps I am missing something, but I don't see this solving timetable congestion. Assuming ELMS retains the 4 hour event and the Saturday slot, then Saturday timetable will be identical.

Sunday would indeed cut 2 hours off the race, but looking at the timetable, there is only two races. Sunday actually starts an hour later, and the first track action isn't until 10am. If they had too much congestion then they really should consider moving the Formula 3 race an hour earlier, or dropping it completely from the Silverstone weekend as ELMS is already the support event. The Le Mans Cup event doesn't attend due to timetable constraints and tbh, I doubt anyone would miss F3.

I won't even bother watching the F3 tomorrow morning, paint drying springs to mind

[Anyopenroad]

I'd drop F3 in a heartbeat and replace it with 2x1hr Le Mans Cup races.

Bearing in mind that during the ELMS race today there were probably more people in the WEC pitwalk than watching the race on track, we should remember that ELMS is very much the support race this weekend. The crowd was really thin.

It's a shame about the 6hr->4hr change but I'm relieved to see Silverstone on the calendar at all.

As an aside, I much prefer the 2-day ELMS format forced on them this weekend. 3-day ELMS weekends stretch the track action very thin indeed.

[gregc]

If the shortened duration is at Silverstone's request, then I assume they'll be dropping the Sunday ticket price by a third to compensate?

Yeah, I doubt it.

If the schedule is that tight then I agree with the others saying lose the F3 races, don't short change us on the main event!

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

I'd drop F3 in a heartbeat and replace it with 2x1hr Le Mans Cup races....

Or even a round of British GT.

[Akrapovic]

British GT is run by SRO, so I doubt they'd be up for it, although it is a nice thought.

I'd drop Formula 3 completely, add Le Mans Cup and do a special weekend for them. Friday practice/qualifying, Saturday 1 hour race, Sunday 1 hour race.

[isynge]

I'm okay with the prospect of 4 Hours (although goes without saying that 6 would be better, especially with the heritage of it being a Silverstone 6 Hours going way back) - so long as what they fill the time with is a bit more meaningful than F3.

Le Mans Cup I could run with, but that's got a fair bit of cross over with ELMS, so maybe less enthused. Historics would be something I could see the appeal in (with all the usual caveats about them being processional) - although would that just serve to show that relatively speaking current LMPs don't look that wonderful?

[outnumbered]

Disappointed to see the reduction to 4 hours for Silverstone. Do they think that the "casual" motorsport fan is put off by the prospect of a 6 hour race, and they can get more bums on seats with a shorter event ? It's hard to imagine any worthwhile support event given you have the ELMS race the previous day.

[GT6]

Just had the usual e mail from silverstone to fill in the survey, took every opportunity to moan about shortening the race to 4 hours

[gert]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Although there was a weird statement during ELMS, but I forgot who said it - they said Silverstone was basically the only place other than Le Mans where you'll get that many top line sportscars in one weekend

I don't remember the exact quote, but what they said was basically that instead of 6 hours of sportscar racing, Silverstone would have 8 AND a far larger car count (i.e. the car count of WEC + that of ELMS).

IIRC, that was Graham Goodwin, and the way he told it - it occurred to me as that was how the organizers would try to sell it, and not something he himself would buy into...


Later on in the ELMS race, this was brought up again, and then the possibility of the LMP3 races was added

[Irie]

If they wanted to shorten the race a bit why not return to the 1000km format?
This year the race would have ended after
1000km / 193.3 km/h (per alkamel average speed of #8) = 5 hours and 10 minutes

[Brake dust]

Overall I like the calendar - except for potential conflicts such as Bathurst. One of the interesting things about the fan survey results used to justify varied race legnths, is that we indicated that we liked the sporting regs the way they currently were (2017). Why did they change them at Le Mans this year! Sorry I digress. As far as varied race legnths is fine - but not a shorter race at Silverstone. With a date now that should have better weather, Silverstone has the potential of becoming a huge spectacle. Huge fan base. I do belive Bahrain will work well. The weather will be crappy where i live at that time of year - so I will be happily watching the race regardless of the local attendance.

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by gert

I don't remember the exact quote, but what they said was basically that instead of 6 hours of sportscar racing, Silverstone would have 8 AND a far larger car count (i.e. the car count of WEC + that of ELMS).

IIRC, that was Graham Goodwin, and the way he told it - it occurred to me as that was how the organizers would try to sell it, and not something he himself would buy into...


Later on in the ELMS race, this was brought up again, and then the possibility of the LMP3 races was added

it was me - and I forgot Sebring with the double-header there - it most certainly was not something suggested to me by the organisers - in fact the calendar was announced while I was in the booth - I wasn't at the media briefing

[Akrapovic]

I had a slight thought that it may have been a hint at (more) issues with the Sebring round.

[Tique]

I believe also that the unsolvable clash with PLM will be finally solve

[LC2guy]

Originally Posted by Tique

I believe also that the unsolvable clash with PLM will be finally solve

Seems it will be solved after all !

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...-in-japan.html

[Coach Ep]

Sebring 1000 miles to start at 4pm on the Friday of the 12H weekend (tentative).

From the snippets of the various 2019 tickets on sale announcements.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by LC2guy

Seems it will be solved after all !

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...-in-japan.html

Yep, sorted...

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...-calendar.html

[Akrapovic]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...f-history.html

“I have seen too the answers from fans referencing the Motorsport fan survey as the source of that feedback, and there they are, in part at least, not correct"

"The fans opinions are not correct in what their opinions are. Let us tell you what the opinions were!"

[Bentley03]

Gerard Neveu's response to the shortening of the 2019 Silverstone round...

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...f-history.html

[Aysedasi]

Rumour has it that we might be blessed with the Masters Series...…

[Akrapovic]

I've stopped getting excited for those. I used to love the idea, but I got bored of cars driving around at half speed by a rich man who can barely turn a wheel. I used to get up early to watch them at Le Mans, but it just became the Darren Turner appreciation society as he'd be the only one at speed. The Mazda 787B doesn't quite sound the same when it idles by driven by random person as it does Johnny Herbert.

To be honest, the Masters Series is another reaction to them still not working out that the fans quite like Silverstone. They did their best not to have it in the super-season, they cut it down again in the next season, and now cite a private study rather than the public study for the reason, and are going to just throw in a masters demo event because they know this isn't what was asked for.

Edit: This bit is hilarious

I can say though that I think some of the responses have got the wrong idea when we spoke of taking into account the wishes of the fans

I know English isn't his first language, but that's a properly funny statement to make.

[Bentley03]

I'm actually quite enthusiastic about the prospect of the Masters Endurance Legends coming to Silverstone, regardless of how they are peddled, it'll be nice to see those cars on track again. But, in no way do I consider that compensation for the two hours of race time we'll lose. To me, four hours is bordering on a sprint race, with very little 'endurance' involved. Seems the opinions of racegoers (by which I mean those with a passing interest in the discipline) hold rather more weight than the opinions of those with a passion for endurance racing. Six hours passes all too quickly, four hours...barely time for a sneeze and it's gone.

[Aysedasi]

Agreed. I'm dead against the savage reduction of race time, that coupled with the ludicrous 'blink and you'll miss it' qualifying only makes the show that much poorer, IMO. But yes, I would love to see the Masters cars on track again, however they're peddled.

[gregc]

I'll be voting with my wallet - if it stays at 4 hours then 2019 will be the first time I won't be going since I started following endurance racing (not that long, admittedly!).

They just had their best attendance at Silverstone for a WEC race, albeit almost certainly helped by the Alonso/Button factor, proving that many people are happy to pony up to watch a 6 hour race live, then decide to cut it by 1/3 for next year based on a local survey (the published results of which are conspicuous by their absence).

Masters series is nice and all, but doesn't even come close to making up for stiffing us on the main event.

[Irie]

Do you think we will see Manor back in some form after the Ginetta fiasco?

Maybe running again in LMP2 or with another LMP1 car?