FIA GT3 Corvette a victim of success

kyoung · 6 Jun 2010, 14:28 (Ref:2705468)

Added 60kg more, minimum weight now 1330kg, and a smaller restrictor (50mm down from 52).

They pretty much destroyed any shot the GT1 Vette had; now I guess they want to (equalize?) the GT3 car out of competiveness.

I knew it wouldn’t last after the dominating Brno performance.

dxk1 · 6 Jun 2010, 15:11 (Ref:2705495)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyoung

Added 60kg more, minimum weight now 1330kg, and a smaller restrictor (50mm down from 52).

I knew it wouldn’t last after the dominating Brno performance.

It is amazing at how quickly they "equalize" the Vette, but really drag their feet with some of the other marks!

DK

AndrewF31 · 6 Jun 2010, 16:09 (Ref:2705540)

Well, that is just pathetic. The Vettes haven't even dominated so much yet. The Lambos and Aston Martins have been just as consistent.
At Brno, sure, the Vettes were very competitive and a bit faster on the straights but Jarama/Paul Ricard don't have the same type of straights Brno has.
Really unfortunate to see FIA and SRO always sticking it to the Vettes.

zac510 · 7 Jun 2010, 10:35 (Ref:2705975)

Isn't that the whole point behind these weight penalties in certain racing series? All winners are victims of their own success!

kyoung · 7 Jun 2010, 13:27 (Ref:2706067)

Quote:

Originally Posted by zac510

Isn't that the whole point behind these weight penalties in certain racing series? All winners are victims of their own success!

There is a difference between success ballast and making a car uncompetitive from the get go. The FIA killed the Vette in GT1 by making it the heaviest car to start with; at least the GT1 Corvette teams won’t have to worry about success ballast, the FIA made it unlikely they will ever need it.

GT3 Corvette teams have some very good drivers; some ranked as silver that probably should be ranked as gold, change the driver ranking not the car.

MJ_N_09 · 10 Jun 2010, 17:33 (Ref:2708476)

Can the FIA just flat out admit already that they hate the American makes, but only keep them around for variety?

pederb · 12 Jun 2010, 01:37 (Ref:2709544)

Did they not just win at Brno? And take a 3rd place?

They seem to do pretty well

Purist · 12 Jun 2010, 05:54 (Ref:2709573)

Corvette started the GT1 season at the lower minimum weight: 1200kg instead of 1250kg. Also, they got their Race 2 results at Abu Dhabi after being demoted 10 grid slots for technical infractions. Even the added weight, and only having three cars at Brno, the Corvettes have the third best finishing record in GT1 this year. And despite what you may want to believe, the Ford GT1 actually has the worst record so far this season. However, it certainly didn't help that they only had three cars in the first four races.

I'll have to take a look at the Corvettes' GT3 results thus far. However, the Corvettes in GT1 and GT3 have had a definite top-end advantage. And you say the straights at Brno are short, but if the Corvette was already pulling a gap on a short straight, how much more of a gap would they pull on a longer one?

**FIRE** · 12 Jun 2010, 11:41 (Ref:2709699)

Corvette powered drivers are currently 1st, 3rd and 5th in FIA GT3 standings....

cmk · 12 Jun 2010, 16:37 (Ref:2709974)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

Can the FIA just flat out admit already that they hate the American makes, but only keep them around for variety?

And given the Porsche over the last few years and the R8 this year, I guess they hate the Germans? And given the struggles Ferrari and Lambo had for a few years, the Italians too?

Really, it's a performance-balancing class and the Vettes have been very strong both in FIA GT3 and the ADAC and FFSA domestic series this year. Of course they are getting pegged back...

airbusA346 · 3 Jul 2010, 13:35 (Ref:2721463)

Looks like the Corvettes need more weight and a reduction in restrictor diameter.

Tom.

tux · 3 Jul 2010, 13:43 (Ref:2721464)

Didnt seem to do too bad in the race today.... positive weekend so far in GT1 too.

Got to hand it to Chevy theyve definetly done a great job with the engine and chassis for the road car.

JAG · 3 Jul 2010, 15:18 (Ref:2721479)

Performancing balancing is fine upto a point but when the stakes are high you will inevitably see more discontent.

In GT2 performance balancing is used to tweak existing regulations but a GT1/GT3 can be rendered uncompetitive overnight on the whim of an official with no regulations to refer back to.

gwyllion · 5 Jul 2010, 07:32 (Ref:2722035)

Corvette 1-2 in both Paul Richard races. Keilwitz/Hohenadel have 138 points, Lambotte/Parisy 87 points, and first non-Corvette couple (Walter/Hürtgen) 66 points. Who still believes that the SRO is wrong in slowing down the Corvette?

kyoung · 5 Jul 2010, 23:36 (Ref:2722407)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Corvette 1-2 in both Paul Richard races. Keilwitz/Hohenadel have 138 points, Lambotte/Parisy 87 points, and first non-Corvette couple (Walter/Hürtgen) 66 points. Who still believes that the SRO is wrong in slowing down the Corvette?

They just added 40 more KG, the car is now at 1370kg. Maybe the Vettes can do the course in reverse, which would surely even things out.

GT3_Corvette Z06R_30.06.2010

kyoung · 6 Jul 2010, 00:05 (Ref:2722414)

This is before success ballast...

Corvette Z06R GT3 1370 kg
Alpina B6 GT3 1330 kg
Audi R8 LMS 1320 kg
Aston Martin DBRS9 1320 kg
FORD GT 1270 kg
911 GT3 R 1250 kg
430 SCUDERIA GT3 1230 kg
Lamborghini LP 560-4 1215 kg

gwyllion · 6 Jul 2010, 07:40 (Ref:2722454)

That performance balancing decision was taken before the Paul Richard weekend, which was totally dominate by Corvette. That is why airbusA346 said that FIA will probably increase the weight/decrease the restrictor size even more.

gwyllion · 6 Jul 2010, 08:03 (Ref:2722467)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyoung

This is before success ballast...

The weight numbers are pretty useless without the power numbers. It is all about power/weight ratio.

According the FIA GT3 website the Corvette has 560 hp, so it has 2.45 kg/hp. The power number might have changed with the smaller restrictor, but it gives an indication.

Compare that for instance to the Audi, which has 525 hp according to the Audi website and hence has 2.51 kg/hp.

kyoung · 6 Jul 2010, 12:23 (Ref:2722566)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

That performance balancing decision was taken before the Paul Richard weekend, which was totally dominate by Corvette. That is why airbusA346 said that FIA will probably increase the weight/decrease the restrictor size even more.

Don’t teams get 2 weeks to adapt to the changes just like GT1? I don’t think the Corvettes were running with the increased minimum weight ballast at Paul Ricard.

Other teams/marques have set fastest lap times during qualification for the races; all this will do is assure that the other Corvette teams not running up front will be finishing even further back. The Katzenjammer Kids are excellent drivers and the team has used great strategy to win races. That’s what success ballast is for, if you want to assure an outcome, i.e. that Keilwitz/Hohenadel will not win, add more weight/restrict their car and leave the other teams alone. Why even watch a race, you can pretty much predict the outcome by checking who was restricted/weighed down on the FIA regulations page.

gwyllion · 6 Jul 2010, 12:51 (Ref:2722574)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyoung

That’s what success ballast is for, if you want to assure an outcome, i.e. that Keilwitz/Hohenadel will not win, add more weight/restrict their car and leave the other teams alone.

Look who is second in the championship. Other team, other drivers, same car

kyoung · 6 Jul 2010, 13:20 (Ref:2722589)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Look who is second in the championship. Other team, other drivers, same car

Lambotte/Parisy; again, two very capable drivers, but what about the other half of these teams, they have not even come close to a podium finish. Seiler/Lunardi has their moments too, but ends up fading in the end. The cars are fine as they are; if you want to make sure the Dalmatian and the Silverpinkgreenteam don’t win, weigh them down, not every Corvette team out there is having the same success.

Bob Riebe · 8 Jul 2010, 16:59 (Ref:2723602)

It is contrived competition, what do you expect other than the usual dropping down to the lowest common denominator.

By now you should be used to it.

It always has been, and will be, butt-fudge.

Dauer 962 · 12 Jul 2010, 14:17 (Ref:2725508)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

That performance balancing decision was taken before the Paul Richard weekend, which was totally dominate by Corvette. That is why airbusA346 said that FIA will probably increase the weight/decrease the restrictor size even more.

The Corvette raced in Paul Ricard without those extra 40 kg issued to them on the 30.06 due to a formal error of the FIA.

kyoung · 12 Jul 2010, 14:50 (Ref:2725520)

Looks like they want to make sure this time, they reissued the same bulletin last week.

GT3_Corvette Z06R_09.07.2010

tux1234 · 12 Jul 2010, 15:24 (Ref:2725539)

To be fair even the extra 40 kilos wouldnt have stopped them running away with it at Paul Ricard

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