[WEC] WEC 2021 season

[Bentley03]

Calendar announced

Monza and Kyalami in, Shanghai out, Silverstone back to 6 hours!

Terrific calendar IMO

[Bentley03]

Silverstone WEC race is on the Saturday instead of the Sunday (ELMS race switches to Sunday in 2020), so wondering if track action will begin on Thursday instead of Friday...?

[J Jay]

Would you look at that, they actually did it.

Fuji even further back in November seems destined for a soaking (even moreso than its usual October date), but that's a nitpick in what is otherwise a good calendar. Hopefully Kyalami is day/night as the IGTC race was.

[claude2cv]

And the shortest races are 6 hours ☺

Sean

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

Monza and Kyalami in, Shanghai out, Silverstone back to 6 hours!

This is very good

[Deleted]

2020-2021 - The best calendar WEC has had since series launch meets the worst regulations WEC has had since series launch

[chernaudi]

Pretty much a dream calendar, and at least as of now Sebring is listed as a 1000 mile race. Would've liked to maybe see Monza before LM as an appetizer for the big show. But Spa is the traditional pre-LM race now and it does give more use to LM aero packages outside of LM, LM test weekend, WEC Prologue and maybe Spa.

[Akrapovic]

Best WEC Calendar so far. Any ideas on improving it would be very picky. Impressive stuff.

[chernaudi]

There's also no WEC Prologue per se. It's been replaced basically by a combination of the LM test weekend and a WEC Promoters test at Silverstone the week before the 6 Hours weekend.

So far everyone's pretty happy with this calendar. Does that mean hell has frozen over? The ACO did something right by most of us for once?

[NaBUru38]

Except for Bahrain, it's an amazing calendar.

[Mike E]

Some more details here

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/1...-calendar.html

[Gingers4Justice]

I always saw Shanghai as a necessary evil, but not sorry to see it go. I liked Zuhai as an ILMC venue - not a Tilkedrome and it doesn't take a big crowd to make it look like it's attended well. Hope they figure out a way of going back to China some day.

[rich07]

Fantastic calendar with the exception of Bahrain. Monza is a most welcome addition. Kayalami should make for some spectacular racing too.

[TF110]

I was hoping to see them go to Australia or somewhere in South America like my favorite in Argentina. But glad to see Monza. I'm not convinced Kyalami is a good track for these cars but we'll see because I haven't witnessed any races on the revised track.

[Adam43]

I would have liked a four hour race. Just one for variety. But it’s decent.

Not sure if the Kyalami will be much cop, but good to be back there and see.

[Purist]

There's no need to watch the whole thing by any stretch, TF110, but here's a race from the current Kyalami that should give a pretty comprehensive look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6WRgAiQoss&t=3765s

[broadrun96]

In a surprise to no one, Goodyear gets the LMP2 spec deal for WEC and ELMS.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

In a surprise to no one, Goodyear gets the LMP2 spec deal for WEC and ELMS.

"We are proud to have been chosen for this challenge"

I'm sure you are but here's response to that from 4 years ago where Dunlop was _proud_ to not be in a spec tire situation
https://tentenths.com/forum/showpost...4&postcount=11

[Deleted]

Sorry for double post but the time limit for editing already passed. So two things from the DSC version: http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/1...-supplier.html

This has broken shortly after DSC learned that tomorrow’s 8 Hours of Bahrain will be the last for High Class Racing on Goodyear tyres, the Danish team set to switch to Michelin for the remaining WEC rounds this season. This leaves just the JOTA and Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECAs running with Goodyear in the FIA WEC from CoTA onwards.
Ironic that teams are investing for the outgoing manufacturer (I'm sure they've been notified ages ago of the chose one) which has continued to make progress... goes to show that having tire war actually does matter. Sighhhhhhhh

However, going forward, with teams from the ELMS and WEC both racing at Le Mans together, it’s a logical move for the ACO to select one tyre manufacturer across the two championships.
This logic makes no sense considering GTE-AM teams use spec Dunlops in ELMS yet switch for Michelins for LM out of free will. How's that fine but not for LMP2

[chernaudi]

I can think of only one thing: Spec tire = control over LMP2 pace without taking away so much engine power they can't out-drag GTE cars down the straights. We do also have to remember that with the LMPH deal with Michelin being quasi spec (Michelin will be allowed to develop different specs for different types of LMPH, but will still be solo supplier), a spec tire deal for LMP2 is a no brainer.

But we do also have to remember that GTE, at least GTE Pro, is being pushed as being open tire, though all the teams in both GTE classes right now run on Michelin.

[Deleted]

Back when the spec P2 regulations were announced, there were still three available parameters to making actual difference:
1) Chassis of 4 options
2) Best drivers (read: choosing the correct fake-silver)
3) Tire choice of theoretically unlimited options

Now for LM 2021 there is only fake-silver because obviously chassis must be Oreca 07 and tires are standardized

[chernaudi]

And as I've pointed out, Goodyear selling a spec tire to LMP2 teams is basically a knock on to ensure that LMP2 doesn't get too close pace-wise to LMP Hypercar. It's better than knocking LMP2 back to or below GTE power levels, which totally defeats the purpose of the power bump from 2017.

[Deleted]

Yet whatever one's reasoning or excuse may be for WEC, the same ones cannot be used for ELMS.

At least there's a glimmer of hope yet that tires remain open for ASLMS. With the old non-spec-cars still allowed there I think there's at least 50-50 chance of tires being in the same consideration too.

[chernaudi]

Granted, much of this discussion might be be happening if Hypercar didn't get pegged with 1040-1100kg minimum weight and getting pegged back almost certainly back to probably LMP2/last gen non-LMP1 hybrid/first gen LMP1 hybrid lap times.

One bit of irony, though. Slowing down the cars might maybe make it possible for the LM distance record to be in peril of falling. I don't believe that faster cars are bad, but between the ACO relying on gentleman or rookie drivers in non-OEM backed/non-full pro classes and faster cars being harder to handle in general and making big accidents more likely, the slower laptimes might be met with fewer accidents/slow zones/FCYs at LM.

Toyota have had the pace in race trim to match or break the distance record the past couple of years at LM, but FCYs and slow zones kept them from making it.

That being said, if the planet align, 2020 LM might be the best chance for a new distance record.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Best WEC Calendar so far. Any ideas on improving it would be very picky. Impressive stuff.

Easy. Bahrain has got to go. A waste of an event for sure. COTA or The Bend would be better.