2023 WEC

FLRacingFan

FLRacingFan

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To my surprise, Peugeot hadn’t completed a 24-hour test prior to homologation and debuting mid-season. That’ll be part of their test program before the year comes to a close.



Glickenhaus are looking to close on a financial package to run the self-owned #708 next year. The #709 is owned by HK Motorcars and doesn’t appear to be looking to race next year.

 
Doc Austin said:
Not sure what to make of this, but I like it.

De Tomaso Set For Racing Revival With 2024 Hypercar

De Tomaso Set For Racing Revival With 2024 Hypercar
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com
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One of those things to take with a healthy bit of skepticism but I definitely like the idea/concepts. The P72 is an incredible-looking car. It’s good to see there’s one rule set capable of attracting boutiques as well.
 
Here's the latest on driver lineup with pictures of all the cars.

I like the Bykolles.

GTP & Hypercar, Where Things Stand On Driver Line-Ups | dailysportscar.com

The 2023 season is just weeks away with IMSA's GTP class and a much expanded FIA WEC HyperCar class. With the automotive line-ups, with a couple of uncertainties, pretty much nailed in, the storylines have moved both to the relative preparedness of the cars, and to the drivers who are set to...
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com
 
Richard Mille shuts down his team, but Signatech is in line with Alpine. I think three cars would have been stretched them thin.

Alpine is running two cars next year, so I'm guessing Richard shut down his team because of it. Also, his inituative promoting women and drivers from other disciplines has been a success.

sportscar365.com

Richard Mille Racing Team Ceases Operations – Sportscar365

WEC outfit Richard Mille Racing Team ends LMP2 program after three seasons...
sportscar365.com sportscar365.com
 
McLaren appear to be closer than ever to finally committing to Hypercar with an LMDh project. Dallara chassis, Cosworth engine, run by United Autosports. Hopefully this finally comes to fruition…

 
FLRacingFan said:
McLaren appear to be closer than ever to finally committing to Hypercar with an LMDh project. Dallara chassis, Cosworth engine, run by United Autosports. Hopefully this finally comes to fruition…

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Like with Aston and Audi, I'll believe it when I see it.
 
Kiante said:
Like with Aston and Audi, I'll believe it when I see it.
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I said that about the Ferrari, and there it is.

I think Aston is officially out.

I read there was one finished Audi chassis, but that probably got turned into a Porsche. We might see Audi eventually, but they are probably going to put a year or two on the Portsche to learn the new game. I have not seen an official announcement either way, but more cars would be good.
 
Doc Austin said:
I said that about the Ferrari, and there it is.

I think Aston is officially out.

I read there was one finished Audi chassis, but that probably got turned into a Porsche. We might see Audi eventually, but they are probably going to put a year or two on the Portsche to learn the new game. I have not seen an official announcement either way, but more cars would be good.
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Audi shut the program down in March but didn’t confirm it until they snuck it into the bottom of their 2026 F1 press release in September.

Both Endurance Info and DSC are very reliable and are indicating McLaren are as close as ever so I feel good about. I understand it’s always good to have a healthy bit of skepticism though.
 
Skepticism is great when it comes to things like Bykolles, or Ginetta, but Mclaren has been talking about LMDh for awhile. I wish they would just get with it because these things take so long to put together. Like, the rules have been out for two or three years and we're still waiting for for a lot of supposed entries. Ferrari is going to show up a full two years after Toyota raced their hypercar, and I hope we don['t have to wait that long for a McLaren.

I don't mean to sound greedy because what we have coming this year is going to be ultra mega. I'm just excited we may finally be on our way to another Group C/GTP type of era
 
Doc Austin said:
Skepticism is great when it comes to things like Bykolles, or Ginetta, but Mclaren has been talking about LMDh for awhile. I wish they would just get with it because these things take so long to put together. Like, the rules have been out for two or three years and we're still waiting for for a lot of supposed entries. Ferrari is going to show up a full two years after Toyota raced their hypercar, and I hope we don['t have to wait that long for a McLaren.

I don't mean to sound greedy because what we have coming this year is going to be ultra mega. I'm just excited we may finally be on our way to another Group C/GTP type of era
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McLaren just seem to take their time doing an evaluation and commercial packaging before signing off on a deal. It took them about three years to go from Alonso doing the 500 to a full IndyCar program and a few years to finally commit to Formula E for next season.

I believe another aspect of it was they had trouble sourcing an engine for the project. Their production car engine doesn’t meet the crank height requirements, and there was an engine partner exploration with Ford that didn’t come to fruition. I take it that’s why they’re said to be sourcing from Cosworth now.
 
FLRacingFan said:
McLaren just seem to take their time doing an evaluation and commercial packaging before signing off on a deal. It took them about three years to go from Alonso doing the 500 to a full IndyCar program and a few years to finally commit to Formula E for next season.
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Which is why I wish they would get with it. They should really be here already. The rules have been in place for two or three years.
 
GTE-Am will become LMGT3 in 2024 when GT3 cars are introduced to the series. The so-called “premium bodywork kits” will no longer be mandatory but permitted.

 
The Pescarolo brand is looking to return in 2024 with a customer LMH entry. Henri sold the brand back in 2016 so it’s a different group now.

LMP2 will have 15 grid spots reserved for Le Mans if the class is removed for capacity reasons from the rest of the championship in 2024.

www.motorsport.com

Le Mans 24 Hours to reserve 15 slots for LMP2 cars in 2024

A minimum of 15 grid spots at the Le Mans 24 Hours will be reserved for LMP2 cars if the class is dropped from the World Endurance Championship in 2024.
www.motorsport.com www.motorsport.com

www.motorsport.com

Pescarolo name could return to Le Mans in 2024

The evocative Pescarolo name could return to the top flight of endurance racing in 2024 if plans to field a customer Le Mans Hypercar by the marque's new owner come to fruition.
www.motorsport.com www.motorsport.com
 
Terrible schedule developments as Qatar is set to host the season opener from 2024 onwards while the U.S. round is likely to move from Sebring to Indy.

 
Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit will become the 14th different venue in a 13th different country to host an FIA World Endurance Championship race as it hosts the Prologue and opening 6 hour race race for the 2024 World Championship.
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Here's WEC's big mistake. They are completely distancing themselves from the FIA world manufacturers championship, and this includes the 917/512 era as well as all of Group C. Why distance yourselves from the Ford vrs Ferrari era? That's a ton of rich history they seem to want no part of, but they want us to believe sportscar racing started in 2012?

Add to that Group C ran as WEC for a few years, so one can be forgiven for being a little confused as to just what the hell is WEC?

They probably have their reasons, but why divorce yourselves from so much history? Maybe the WEC calls itself something different, but it is a direct descendant of the old FIA world championship. Same championship under the same FIA, so why limit themselves to the last few years? Embrace your own history because it's a damm good one.

As far as Quatar, it's not a very inspiring circuit. It's mostly flat and featureless. There's not a special corner or series of on the entire circuit. I suppose you go where the money is, but it's not going to be nearly as interesting as some place like Portamao and certainly not Spa. If they just have to go after that oil money, why not some place fast and interesting like Jedda? I mean, I'm going to watch it for sure, but the track is decidedly underwhelming.

As far as moving to Indianapolis, we've seen that race fail before. Sebring is, I believe, the longest running major sportscar racing in America, and belongs on the WEC calendar. If they can figure the hypercar thing out to everyone's satisfaction, why not just run everybody together in the 12 hours? Wasn't that the whole point of the convergence?
 
Unfortunately it’s all about where the money is and how the logistics shape up. If Silverstone comes back they’ll start rotating European races…lame and gross. It’s Roger Penske’s and the Middle East’s world and we’re just living in it.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Unfortunately it’s all about where the money is and how the logistics shape up. If Silverstone comes back they’ll start rotating European races…lame and gross. It’s Roger Penske’s and the Middle East’s world and we’re just living in it.
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Ngl, I might skip this race. Especially if Sebring is taken off the calendar.
 
With the bag Qatar and presumably IMS will drop I hope we can at least get an app worth a damn, TV coverage that isn’t the first and last hour on MotorTrend, more free practice sessions streamed, air freight to add a ninth round and open up flexibility in the schedule…
 
FLRacingFan said:
With the bag Qatar and presumably IMS will drop I hope we can at least get an app worth a damn, TV coverage that isn’t the first and last hour on MotorTrend, more free practice sessions streamed, air freight to add a ninth round and open up flexibility in the schedule…
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What they need to do is dump the full half hour of pre-race and full half hour post race coverage. No one gives a damm.
It's the same show every time with the bongo drummers and the jet pack guy. You get a full hour of nothing as opposed to another hour of racing.
 
Action Express has been extended IMSA’s new GTP class invite to Le Mans. At least two Cadillacs on the grid at LM in 2023 (probably three, imo).

 
FLRacingFan said:
With the bag Qatar and presumably IMS will drop I hope we can at least get an app worth a damn, TV coverage that isn’t the first and last hour on MotorTrend, more free practice sessions streamed, air freight to add a ninth round and open up flexibility in the schedule…
Click to expand...
It sounds as if we may get this after all, courtesy of Qatar Airways, in which case this move becomes more palatable. The series’s dependency on sea freight has been a limiting factor on how the schedule is built the past several years.

e sights of the WEC with the number ten now regularly acknowledged as a future possibility, despite not having formed part of the regular vocabulary until very recently!

Notable by their presence were senior figures of the Government-controlled Qatar Airways, the airline a major player in air freight, the world’s third largest intercontinental cargo carrier.
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Qatar & FIA WEC, A Significant Lever To Calendar Expansion? | dailysportscar.com

The launch of the 2024 Qatar race for the FIA WEC, and its associated 6 year contract to join the World Endurance Championship saw some very heavy hitters on site including a senior Government contingent headed up by the Prime Minister and with an almost full-house too from the ACO and WEC...
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com
 
Penske WEC lineups

#5 - Dane Cameron/Michael Christensen/Fréd Makowiecki

#6 - Kévin Estre/André Lotterer/Laurens Vanthoor

Other Porsche factory drivers are Gimmi Bruni, Romain Dumas, Richard Lietz, Thomas Preining. Bruni is likely set for a seat in one of the Proton cars once they’re ready.

 
Race weekend tickets for Le Mans are sold out, Wednesday-Thursday practice/qualifying tickets are all that remain. Record crowd expected, north of the high mark of 263,500 set in 2015 at the height of the LMP1 hybrid era.

 
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