Isotta Fraschini Hypercar: Is it all over?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by veeten

Well, it's not like any major drivers were breaking down their door to be in their program. Not to mention that it's a small outfit, no big sponsors there, at the moment...

Not breaking down the door, no, but there were almost certainly drivers around with more experience who would might have been willing to take on a WEC and Le Mans drive to keep up their profile via Hypercar.

[flatlandsman]

I do not think the decision to switch teams was from them it was from Vector as they saw little hope in it being anything other than a backmarker and were getting less than decent feedback on updates from IF, this can also be visible with driver choice, largely pay drivers, but next year there are going to have to be two of them and let's hope they drag someone with some experience in there to push it forward. I get having pay guys is great for the team but you are not going to develop it with people who are simply there hanging on every lap, they are not going to find faults and suggest improvements as much, yes drivers like this are dear, but right now it would be worth it as this car could be very useful for the grid in time.

[Adam43]

IF being prepared. The suspension looked a little more crammed in that some, but all still accessible. Pay driver names can be seen on the door.

[J Jay]

I suspect IF will come out of Le Mans rather more pleased than Vector Sport.

Maybe in a few years we'll find out what the fallout was, but for now Isotta are definitely on the right track.

[FIRE]

I don't know how deep their pockets are but will the money keep flowing? Thats my concern for this project.

[flatlandsman]

The trouble is they need a customer team and they are really relying on someone like Kolles who just wants to be there, there are rumors they are trying to rework the Vanwall, this could work, but I doubt is taken seriously, the IF is quicker and more up to date, but they need a customer team someone who is willing to pay to be there, and maybe hopefully secure a Dumas or someone who wants to develop it, but I guess he is perhaps sick of doing that!!

[Matador]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Not breaking down the door, no, but there were almost certainly drivers around with more experience who would might have been willing to take on a WEC and Le Mans drive to keep up their profile via Hypercar.

IKR? It's obscene that talent like Andre Negrao, Bruno Senna and other quick, experienced drivers were not on this grid.

[TF110]

I'm glad the car finished and performed well. It stayed out of trouble and crossed the line in one piece. That alone should bode well for it's future.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I can confirm this as I’ve done 71.5 mph in a 2CV, can count to 4, and have put things in a 911 and a 2CV.

https://x.com/notfifthgear/status/18...744891182?s=61

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Adam43

https://x.com/notfifthgear/status/18...744891182?s=61

Brilliant. Love it.

[TF110]

Awesome! That's quite the advert!

[veeten]

Truth in advertising, what more can you say...

[Matador]

Originally Posted by veeten

Truth in advertising, what more can you say...

Truth is very subjective in this case isn't it? lol

[flatlandsman]

I mean fair play, but let's be fair here it is not much quicker yet than the Vanwall was initally!

[Adam43]

They’re doing alright in pace. And they started at a better relative pace than Vanwall ended.
https://tentenths.com/forum/showpost...&postcount=110

And Vanwall had the advantage of competing against less established teams. Most had new cars then.

I’ve not looked at the consistent lap times from Le Mans this year, but fastest laps show it was closer to the ultimate fastest at this race.

They are doing very well.

[Adam43]

How did the drivers compare at Le Mans?

Well it is hard to read too much into a race with changeable conditions, but here's the data.

Average Lap time

Rank	Car	Fastest	Top 10	Top 20	Top 40	Laps
1	Jean-Karl VERNAY (P) Isotta Fraschini 11	3:32.840	3:33.443	3:34.131	3:36.629	120
2	Antonio SERRAVALLE (S) Isotta Fraschini 11	3:33.204	3:34.767	3:35.612	3:36.877	104
3	Carl Wattana BENNETT (S) Isotta Fraschini 11	3:34.984	3:36.889	3:37.680	3:47.015	78

The two silver team. So Vernay got the most time in the car.

Some comedy maths (not really taking into account SC and conditions and I estimate that if the other two had Vernay's pace they might have been 2 laps closer.

Charts show the spread. Two scales are provided to give a little flavour of the dry periods and wet periods. Even the bigger scale chart is truncated before the SC periods.

[tomcug]

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...for-new-teams/

Isotta Fraschini motorsport manager Claudio Berro says that joining forces with the boutique Italian manufacturer is now the only viable way for a new team to get involved in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2025.

They surely would like to see that happen and I hope they can make it happen but... that's not the only way. There's also this way -> Isotta out, 2 slots for Porsche customers in. And there's no way I'm going to believe any serious customer'd prefer the Isotta over the 963.

[v8supes]

Sounds to me like they are saying, "please give us some money, we want to carry on racing"

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by v8supes

Sounds to me like they are saying, "please give us some money, we want to carry on racing"

Yeah, it's the we were here first you must come through us. I mean please, please come through us, see we have a car already. It's a nice idea and would be great for a private team to add to them and fund a second one. But would they rather run the IF or buy a Porsche. Or convince another to sell one but it's likely the only Hypercar you could buy. Doubt Toyota/Ferrari will be selling if they haven't already, maybe Aston would sell one of the Heart of Racing cars later

[TF110]

In a way, they're right. But will they get any takers? They have a reliable car, it's nearly as fast as the Lamborghini. Maybe better drivers and some money behind it they can show more?

[RL17]

Surely it was all about advertising when the car was being developed- to fund road cars and build a brand.

Despite all the media coverage then, that aspect can’t have gone too well or they’d have new major investors with cash (not just a few drivers).

Advert visually is very true as they are still pretty much bottom of the pile.

[Adam43]

New dude at the top: https://www.dailysportscar.com/2024/...otorsport.html

Claudio Berro got them going. Now it is Miguel Valldecabres's turn to have a go.

And they are up for two cars...

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Adam43

New dude at the top: https://www.dailysportscar.com/2024/...otorsport.html

Claudio Berro got them going. Now it is Miguel Valldecabres's turn to have a go.

And they are up for two cars...

and immediately not last in FP2

[Adam43]

They’re not at the COTA test days. Alpine aren’t either BTW.

Missing out on some circuit prep (although they is some resurfacing between now and the race) and 2025 tyre testing.

I’ll be interested to see if they can keep as close as they have been to the big teams and Peugeot.

[flatlandsman]

As said before I think the car is OK, it needs better drivers to develop it, Vernay is fine, dont know enough about the others, but they seem fairly average pay drivers which is necessary for now perhaps.