[WEC] Porsche GTP / Hypercar: factory and customer

[AoB Special Stage]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Perhaps Buemi could show up in a TS050 then - and we could have a proper race.......

Toyota probably won't let him do that either.

[deggis]

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/w...-through-2018/

Webber, who raced for the German manufacturer in LMP1 for three seasons before becoming a motorsport consultant, feels that more details about the new regulations need to emerge, but is confident Porsche will complete the existing cycle.

“Regs help, they’re out. They’re being held back a lot at the moment,” Webber told select media including Sportscar365 at the FIA Sport Conference in Geneva.

“I think we’re fine for ’18, and there’ll be decisions after that.”

When asked directly by Sportscar365 if he expected Porsche to see out its existing LMP1 contract, Webber said: “Yeah.”

Sounds more like an opinion / a gut feeling.

[Articus]

definetly not fact. None of the Audi drivers knew what hit them...None of the Peugeot drivers knew what hit them...These things tend to conclude with ease on paper and abruptly out in the real world.

[chernaudi]

Actually, the Audi guys knew it was going to happen, but not when. They thought that 2017 it would come, not 2016.

It also doesn't help that even Webber's words sound like what Dr. Ullrich said last year. And I have a feeling that even the Peugeot decision was made long before the board went public with it. IMO, most of the decisions are made in advance, and the board just rubber stamps them at a later date.

[Articus]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Actually, the Audi guys knew it was going to happen, but not when. They thought that 2017 it would come, not 2016.

I

Ok? But Toyota is only "confirmed" through 2018. And Porsche is only "confirmed" through 2018. And both could still leave at the end of 2017.

[chernaudi]

As we saw with Audi, none of us are in charge of those decisions, and I do believe that most of the time they're made in advance, even if on a contingency basis. Which is why in reality that such decisions are actually evaluated on a season by season basis, irrespective of proposed timelines.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Articus

Ok? But Toyota is only "confirmed" through 2018. And Porsche is only "confirmed" through 2018. And both could still leave at the end of 2017.

Toyota is commited to the end of 2019. (http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/t...-through-2019/)

And Porsche's 2018 commitment is from the extension made in 2015, when the time of the regulation change wasn't clear. Otherwise it could be 2019 too.

Maybe you are misunderstanding these "commitments". What they mean is that board has greenlighted the progiram for those years. So that's the case as long as they don't decide otherwise.

[chernaudi]

As said above, the dates given are how long a factory, if things remain static, are willing to support a program. That doesn't necessarily mean that it'll run all those years, as almost all racing programs are evaluated on a season to season basis.

[XtC24]

For Le Mans 2018 Porsche withdrawal would be bad but with new P1 privateers and Toyota with their "luck" it could be a race.
But for the WEC it would be disaster.

[Adam43]

So it's not this weekend that Porsche announce their withdrawal. Is it next? Is that because it is Toyota's turn this weekend? Or perhaps Peugeot will announce their withdrawal this weekend. Surely it is the only reason they are considering returning. Or we can just remind ourselves that no team will do as good a job in withdrawing from the sport as Audi did. They really were amazing at that.

[XtC24]

Right, let us hope that Porsche will hit the spot to be right with Toyota at the Nurburgring and for the rest of the season and not a second quicker or slower and we will have good racing.

And for the next season Porsche will take as much as it is possible out of the 919. Andreas Seidl said that they still have lots of new ideas and potential and I believe it. Every year the cars are different and TS 050 will be already in its third year.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Adam43

So it's not this weekend that Porsche announce their withdrawal. Is it next? Is that because it is Toyota's turn this weekend? Or perhaps Peugeot will announce their withdrawal this weekend. Surely it is the only reason they are considering returning. Or we can just remind ourselves that no team will do as good a job in withdrawing from the sport as Audi did. They really were amazing at that.

Good one.

Richard

[Spyderman]

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/f...-12248334.html

[chernaudi]

When do teams unload for Nurburgring? All we have of the sprint spec Porsche is a blurry photo taken at a private test. Also about time for a Nurburgring race thread?

[Aysedasi]

Yep. Who's gonna start it?

[chernaudi]

If I knew where everyone who does these threads finds their resources, I would. But I don't know outside of the WEC's/ACO's sites where everyone finds all their stuff.

[Akrapovic]

I'm on it. It'll be up tonight.

Edit: It's up. Comments welcome.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/f...-12248334.html

That's a bit gloomy again. Google translate.

"The decisions about the future of Porsche are to be officially communicated before the WEC Mexico in early September."

[Spyderman]

Here it is!

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

Here it is!

finally, after so many years, a good looking headlights

[Damian Baldi]

It looks a lot better than the Le Mans version.

[kvenom]

I still think its very ugly.

[Spyderman]

Rear looks very different
https://twitter.com/Porsche_Team/sta...04827526008832

[chernaudi]

The rear looks sort of like the Toyota.

[Spyderman]

Not to me.