Porsche shutters LMP1 program

FLRacingFan

FLRacingFan

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for...you guessed it...Formula E.

R.I.P. LMP1 and maybe the WEC. It was fun while it lasted.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-confirms-lmp1-exit-at-end-of-season/

grid-le-mans-2015.jpg
 
FLRacingFan said:
for...you guessed it...Formula E.

R.I.P. LMP1 and maybe the WEC. It was fun while it lasted.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-confirms-lmp1-exit-at-end-of-season/

grid-le-mans-2015.jpg
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WEC is ******.

No other words to describe it and Toyota's budget was no where close to what Audi and Porsche spent. I feel bad for the mechanics and drivers, only so many disciplines to get into and only so many seats.

This ****** blows to see an awesome sport die out as fast as it came to life. Probably turn it into a GT3 series, this blows man.
 
Yeah, what Kiante said... this blows, man.
 
Kiante said:
This ******* blows to see an awesome sport die out as fast as it came to life. Probably turn it into a GT3 series, this blows man.
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LMP1 was doomed the minute the cars became too complex and expensive for the privateers.

This is what happens when you allow manufacturers to drive the cost of competing through the roof. The privateers never had a chance against the hybrid cars, so they bailed and went to P2. Any team on the P2 grid can buy a car and have an equal chance, but you can see from the Bykolles project what kind of chance a privateer has in the LMP1 class.

Usually manufacturers bail because they are getting thumped. Audi ruled for years, but after a few years of not winning everything they bailed. You can't justify spending that kind of money and not winning. This time, though, the manufacturers are bailing because there is no value in it for them. Porsche does get anything out of beating Toyota. They are supposed to beat Toyota, so any time they lose it doesn't make them look awesome.

Audi was right to get out for a lot of reasons, and Porsche is right to get out because $200mil per year is too damm much money to spend just to beat a company they are supposed to beat. Poor Toyota is in it simply to win Lemans, but now their chance may be gone. There is no sense in them going just to beat Bykolles and maybe one or two other privateers who again, they are supposed to beat anyway.

The FIA will have to come up with something fast. They can't make P2 the premier class because you can't have a manufacturers championship if you don't have any manufacturers. Their best option is to make P2 the premier class and allow DPI cars with limited manufacturer participation. Let them sell cars and body kits, but keep the factory teams out. This would allow the current P2 teams to not only keep racing, but race for the overall win, and also allow manufacturers to compete as suppliers. That's the simplest solution that they could put into effect today, right now, but don't expect the French to adopt something that's not their own idea.
 
It isn't worth it when you don't have any competition and car that doesn't look anything like the brand. Winning gets pretty empty when you are racing yourself. About like taking your sister to the prom. They are whippin ass in the lower series with a car that looks similar to a showroom car and costs gillions less. Another techno fail.
 
Porsche are being dragged into the emissions scandal now, so that didn't help. I suppose it helps in the aftermath to be able to point towards joining an all-electric race series, just like they did with Audi.

Although I think the budget thing is really of their own doing, Toyota have spent way less than VAG did with both Porsche and Audi and they've been competitive in their team in the WEC, they just haven't been able to seal the deal at Le Mans.
 
I doubt that, that isn't Toyota's long history. Still isn't, Nascar proves that, F-1 did also.
 
StandOnIt said:
I doubt that, that isn't Toyota's long history. Still isn't, Nascar proves that, F-1 did also.
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After the F1 debacle they made it a point to not spend so much and embarrass themselves at an international level again. And that's Toyota Motorsport based out of Germany, supposedly funded by Toyota's R&D group, not really anything to do with TRD and Toyota USA here. That's why they never used a third car at Le Mans until this year, as an absolute last resort kind of thing. Audi and Porsche were rumored to be spending in the area of $200m a year while Toyota only just recently got up around $100m.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Audi and Porsche were rumored to be spending in the area of $200m a year while Toyota only just recently got up around $100m.
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Imagine what kind of DPI program you could put together with that kind of money. That or imagine what kind of killer DPI program you could built with a tenth of that money.
 
Doc Austin said:
Imagine what kind of DPI program you could put together with that kind of money. That or imagine what kind of killer DPI program you could built with a tenth of that money.
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I still think VAG start a DPi program with one of their brands soon but I don't see it for Toyota. Their LMP1 program is funded by R&D, so unless someone else within the organization feels it fits it probably won't happen. They have a ton of hybrid models so I can see why.
 
wasn't for me, much better more competitive racing in the slower less expensive ranks IMO
 
downnice said:
This is awful for fans of endurance racing
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It's not so bad if we get something better, and anything is better than having a full field of four cars.

Maybe WEC and IMSA can merge
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Never going to happen. The only reason we have IMSA to begin with was because Big Bill france set up and financed John Bishop so he could start it. The reason France wanted an American sanction body was because he saw how the French absolutely destroyed endurance racing changing the rules all the time to eliminate French opposition. Big Bill was never again going to allow those people to sanction his 24 race at Daytona.

However, if the FIA were to adopt a DPI/P2 class like IMSA has, we could very well see the biggest sportscar renaissance since the mid 60s.
 
Just does not make financial sense to do half the season in Europe and
another half in the US if they merged. P2 DPI is the way to go. Factories should
just be involved with the GT products they sell in showrooms and leave the
P classes to the privateers and big teams to mix and match as they please
with the approved suppliers. I am just glad IMSA/Weathertech has righted
the ship although Taylors have really dominated. I think it will be more competitive
down the road.
 
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