[WEC] 2018-2019 WEC Super Season

[hondafan37]

Neveu talks about future calendars.
Mexico and Bahrein could be out of that .
The season could have 8, 9 or 10 races.
The length of races is also under discussion, shorter races, a longer race, or a big race at the end of the season are some possibilities.
GTE Pro Qualifying Races could take place as soon as next year.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-for-2018.html

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

Neveu talks about future calendars.
Mexico and Bahrein could be out of that .
The season could have 8, 9 or 10 races.
The length of races is also under discussion, shorter races, a longer race, or a big race at the end of the season are some possibilities.
GTE Pro Qualifying Races could take place as soon as next year.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-for-2018.html

GTE Pro Qualifying Races idea sounds good because I love the idea of this category having the floor to themselves. It will only work if the main WEC enduro race is 4 or 5 hours.

[TF110]

That'd give the GTE's more screen time since it's all to themselves. That might convince more manufacturer's to join (looking at you Chevy).

[bentley speed 8]

It could work well since there it is highly likely that we will have 3 more manufacturers in GTE in the following years (BMW, McLaren and Lamborghini)

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by TF110

That'd give the GTE's more screen time since it's all to themselves. That might convince more manufacturer's to join (looking at you Chevy).

Chevy might want to have a GTE Pro full season WEC entry because I don't know if the one off's can be competitive at Le Mans anymore. I would not be surprised to see Corvette left behind in the exhaust of Porsche, Ford and Ferrari at Le Mans this year. I hope not but we'll see.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by bentley speed 8

It could work well since there it is highly likely that we will have 3 more manufacturers in GTE in the following years (BMW, McLaren and Lamborghini)

I like the idea, but you really do need more cars in there to make it work. What would the minimum number of cars to make it useful? is 10 to few? do we need 15?

[TF110]

Originally Posted by joeb

I like the idea, but you really do need more cars in there to make it work. What would the minimum number of cars to make it useful? is 10 to few? do we need 15?

10 would be equal to just adding the 2 new BMW's to the current PRO roster. But that's kinda slim imo. At Spa there's 13 GTE's including the AM class. They need to bolster their lineup.

[hondafan37]

more details of GTE Qualifying Races here:
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/n...rade-the-show/
Gerard Neveu says the concept of GTE qualifying races would “upgrade the show”
The proposed format, which is understood to be a 60-minute sprint race, potentially with a pit stop and driver change, would feature on Saturdays prior to the WEC’s regular-season headline races.

[chernaudi]

I think that the WEC can do with a couple of 10-12 hour races. I think that this could be the last year for COTA. IMSA's attendance hasn't improved with them moving the race to May, and that'll probably get replaced by either Indy or Montreal. NA is too important for the WEC to give up on, but COTA hasn't been the right place since the novelty of 2013 wore off.

I'd like to see Bahrain get the axe and replaced with Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Bahrain is a fairly boring Tilkedrome (it has it's highlights, but only a few and that's no different than any of Tilke's grade 1 tracks) and the controversy that the government there has caused over the years can't be ignored. However, the ACO don't seem to be inclined to ignore that same government's payouts to them, even if the race is also poorly attended.

Mexico could be on the way out. RGR basically promoted the race last year, as their team owner was also the race promoter. But with no RGR and issues with sponsorship for the race, that can be an issue going forward.

[one five five]

Won't GTE races on the Saturday just drive the costs up? Why not have P1/P2 sprint races on the Saturday too then for qualifying?

Would shorter races really work (i guess they'd mean 4hr distances?) given that the works P1 teams all employ 3 drivers per car? That wouldn't leave much driving time for some of the drivers in a race that short.

Maybe cut it back to 8 races and have an 8hr and a 12hr thrown in there?

[Akrapovic]

You don't have P1 and P2 sprint raves because they already get a lot of coverage. The idea for the GTE Sprint race is to give them some time in the spotlight without the LMPS overshadowing them.

I think race lengths should all vary. 1000km of Silverstone (in the age of the Internet, TV times are becoming less important). 12 hours of San Paulo. 4 hours of Monza. 35 seconds of China.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I think race lengths should all vary. 1000km of Silverstone (in the age of the Internet, TV times are becoming less important). 12 hours of San Paulo. 4 hours of Monza. 35 seconds of China.

I like a varied format as well. Every race being six hours makes the individual events seem to similar. It could change strategy significantly if the races varied

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by joeb

I like a varied format as well. Every race being six hours makes the individual events seem to similar. It could change strategy significantly if the races varied

Yeah. They said they want every event to feel special. Well they don't because they're all the same. A 12 hour race and a sprint race in there would feel special.

[deggis]

Instead of Bahrain going out we'll probably get 12 Hours of Bahrain. Surely an instant classic.

The GTE sprint race idea is stupid. It is gimmicky. Less than about 15 car grid won't cut it when you compare to Blancpain grids. And are they expecting teams (drivers might forget it sometimes...) going 100% and risking the main race next day. Would probably more confusing (as if the different classes weren't already) for the average viewer: why are these GT cars doing a quali race but not the other classes.

Only positive I see that the qualification right now is so pointless across the classes except for the 1 Championship point and except that Le Mans where there is at least a big PR bonus. (Quali might as well as be replaced with extended practice session durations and then the grid being formed from those times.)

[deggis]

FIA President Jean Todt is pushing to “harmonize” the calendars in FIA-sanctioned championships to prevent future clashes between series, including the World Endurance Championship.

Todt held a meeting with Formula One’s Director of Motorsports Ross Brawn, FIA World Endurance Championship CEO Gerard Neveu and Formula E boss Alejandro Agag in Monaco last weekend to discuss the current calendars and work towards a “better alignment” of schedules in the future.

The rest: http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/t...harmonization/

[rbs]

1000km of Silverstone

The last Silverstone 1000Km was in 2010, from 2011 it has been a 6 hour race although one race was shortened when it was red flagged in the middle of a very heavy rain storm.

[Akrapovic]

I still like the GTE Qualifying race, but I'd also like to see LMP1 and LMP2 qualifying going back to proper flying laps. The averages just isn't as fun IMO. I like qualifying when it's a flat out balls to the wall single lap.

[chernaudi]

The reason why the WEC did it was to prevent what was common in F1 and what Audi and Toyota did in 2012, where they spent most of the session in the garage or on pit road just waiting to run a fast lap and call it a day.

Granted, the averages deal IMO kinda sucks, but the only other way to make them run the whole session is to turn it into a practice session (like at LM) and don't have tires used in qualifying count towards the race provided that they start the race with the tires they used to set their fastest laps in Q.

[TF110]

Leave it how it is now imo. I like the average qualifying thing. I agree they should have qualifying tires as an additional set but start the race on one of the same sets used in qualifying.

[seanyb505]

The average is nice because you get to see that many more fliers

[deggis]

I'd be fine with Le Mans like practice-qualifyings and then just setting the grid from those times (or maybe so that FP1 doesn't count, but FP2 and FP3 does, and slightly longer sessions). The qualifying feels so pointless right now. Maybe they could make the schedule more compact this way too if that helps to save costs or something.

[TzeiTzei]

I find the average more difficult to follow. You spend more time looking at the timing page than the cars.

[Simmi]

Yeah maybe I'm not clever enough to follow it but I don't really get too excited by the current qualifying. That said the alternative is a lack of track action as everyone says. I'm happy enough just to see cars on the track.

As long as they don't touch LM qualifying I'm not too fussed.

[GT6]

Always love qualy especially on wednesday as it is the first time you see and hear the cars, position on grid for a 24 hour race is less important but just great to see the cars go round and you start to get an idea of how they will perform at the weekend, But this year i will see them a little earlier, role on this sunday

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I still like the GTE Qualifying race, but I'd also like to see LMP1 and LMP2 qualifying going back to proper flying laps. The averages just isn't as fun IMO. I like qualifying when it's a flat out balls to the wall single lap.

The GTE qualifying race will only work on WEC rounds where they cut the race distance of the enduro race to 4 hours. I'm sure Silverstone can be one of those 4 hour races, perhaps COTA and Bahrain could be the others.

Which events you think should stay at 6 hours? Reduce to 4 hours?