Shock News #2: Porsche Withdraw From WEC and Le Mans for 2018

[GP20]

LMP1 was already dead.

 

[Andreas Knöpke]

Well, this is probably not going to be the popular opinion today but here goes: Meh. Last years only excitement in the LMP1 was Toyota braking down,

You clearly did not watch the opening race of the 2016 season in Silverstone where Porsche and Audi had a super sick side by side battle based on different hybrid power distribution.

 

[Scottt]

Kind of hard to get excited about Porsche joining Formula E... Porsche and open wheel racing has never really seemed to mix.

 

[Timmy UK]

Never go full retard

Ah, you must be from one of the colonies, America perhaps?
Sorry, I do not understand what you are trying to say.
Could you explain in English perhaps?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Rodent]

You clearly did not watch the opening race of the 2016 season in Silverstone where Porsche and Audi had a super sick side by side battle based on different hybrid power distribution.

True, I only really watch WEC at Le Mans. I generally prefer other outlets for my endurance fix. I don't disagree that they could provide good racing at their finest though. Mental note to have a look at that race.

Edit: Le Man? I've been watching too much US based racing.

 

[Craig Dunkley]

Sadly I am not surprised, although yes it is indeed very sad.
Porsche have been there, done it, wore the tee shirt, conquered all, so to speak.
Time to move on, time to sink money into something else.

 

[Christian Moreau]

Well, that's that I guess.

WEC needs a major rethink over the next little while. Start looking at the DPi program and figure out a way to perhaps wiggle that in. P1 is a dead class and nobody is going to want to go near Hybrids unless a more affordable development solution is found. Some of these racing series are playing a dangerous game. There's nothing wrong with technological advancements, but things are getting too complex, and too expensive, which makes it difficult for privateer teams to hop onboard these solutions.

The ACO/FIA has lots of work to do.

 

[protonv5]

Well, that's that I guess.

WEC needs a major rethink over the next little while. Start looking at the DPi program and figure out a way to perhaps wiggle that in. P1 is a dead class and nobody is going to want to go near Hybrids unless a more affordable development solution is found. Some of these racing series are playing a dangerous game. There's nothing wrong with technological advancements, but things are getting too complex, and too expensive, which makes it difficult for privateer teams to hop onboard these solutions.

The ACO/FIA has lots of work to do.

Exactly. This whole Electric/Hybrid thing that all the younger crowds want to shove down our throats is simply not the answer. They want it to be. The governments want it to be, but the fact is I've not seen cars more unreliable than now. The costs have spiraled out of control while the racing itself has become dull and boring. Advancing racing into space-travel complexity is not the answer. Sure, advance. Ok, we've been doing that. But in the end it's a guy driving a car. You want to see some sliding, struggling for grip and be in awe of the incredible cars before your eyes. LMP1, F1 has lost this entirely. So, lets change it then. Go back to combustion engines as the only power source, take away some downforce and now we've got some racing. Electric/Hybrids are killing racing. Just look. Everyone is leaving. Killing motorsport is the way forward?

 

[Blamer]

God knows I tried watching those Formula Silence races.
Please, don't tell me that's the future

 

[N'Gear]

Was nice while it lasted. Sad to see LMP1 end like this, at least we had the luck to witness a great era of endurance racing.
The best way to go right now, in my opinion, is to get more power out of the lmp2 ,while keeping the costs low.
To the Porsche fans like me, we still have an amazing sounding RSR on track, and very competitive aswell.

 

[stingray_SIX_TWO]

Seeing the RSR prosper is going to be fun no doubt. I really don't see the big loss except that Toyota got robbed of that one last shot (for now) to grab the Trophy. Thing is if you know their history you know this didn't start with the TS040/50 and won't end with it.

You're right we are lucky to have witnessed this and there isn't much more we could've asked for with the Audi/Peugeot Diesel era, Porsche's return, introduction of the Hybrid and Toyota's epic episode of bad karma. How anyone could not just simply love this stuff (and the cars) is beyond me.

If anything maybe some of the Privateers are now more encouraged to put cars on the grid for LMP1 in 2018.

 

[jaysm]

I am not overwhelmingly opposed to F-E, but do they have to be so underpowered and slow?
250hp / 225kph, and on top of that 800kg so they come in give or take at F3 level, or just under? More hp but much more weight.
Anything less than 400-500hp is a feeder formula gimmick.

 

[protonv5]

I am not overwhelmingly opposed to F-E, but do they have to be so underpowered and slow?
250hp / 225kph, and on top of that 800kg so they come in give or take at F3 level, or just under? More hp but much more weight.
Anything less than 400-500hp is a feeder formula gimmick.

Well, so now we see the huge limitations with Electric. There is 10 times the amount of energy in a liter of gasoline as compared to the same capacity of Electric. Furthermore, an electric battery can either put out more power and go for a much shorter time or go with less power output and drive longer. This limitation is almost non-existent comparatively with petrol/diesel. Now we see the wonders of petrol-powered cars and Electric's huge limitations. So many are saying Electric is the future, yet the technology in it is next to useless. Also, remember: As I have spent some years in the auto industry me and my colleagues call electric cars coal cars. Because that's what they are. For as much power as you put into the battery, that's how much coal is needed to be burned to produce it. Let's not kid ourselves. Electricity does not appear out of thin air. It takes massive amounts of fuel burned to produce it. And you get very little return for all your coal burning. Diesel/petrol = far more efficient. I'm totally with others here: Let's take this opportunity to build LMP2.

 

[Qazdar Karim]

Simracing is the future

 

[Shap]

Exactly. This whole Electric/Hybrid thing that all the younger crowds want to shove down our throats is simply not the answer. They want it to be. The governments want it to be, but the fact is I've not seen cars more unreliable than now. The costs have spiraled out of control while the racing itself has become dull and boring. Advancing racing into space-travel complexity is not the answer. Sure, advance. Ok, we've been doing that. But in the end it's a guy driving a car. You want to see some sliding, struggling for grip and be in awe of the incredible cars before your eyes. LMP1, F1 has lost this entirely. So, lets change it then. Go back to combustion engines as the only power source, take away some downforce and now we've got some racing. Electric/Hybrids are killing racing. Just look. Everyone is leaving. Killing motorsport is the way forward?

You want to see some sliding, struggling for grip...

Sounds like Formula E to me.

 

[protonv5]

Sounds like Formula E to me.

No, that's struggling to get out of your own way.

 

[mclarenf1papa]

This is really sad news.

Obviously the money required to run a LMP-H team are huge and that will have had a bearing on the boards decision, but it seems more and more the marketing teams are pushing towards green racing like Formula E as the future of motorsport (in Europe anyway).

I love the LMP1-H cars. They are incredible racing machines but the budget required to run them has increased dramatically over the last few years.

I think the ACO and FIA need to really communicate with the car manufacturers and find out what they want. They want to go hybrid racing (as it links with the road car projects) but the issue of cost needs to be addressed. The DPi program and more recently the new Indycar are perfect examples of the organising body and the manufacturers getting together and figuring out what they want.

This may open the door for factory DPi's at Le Mans as in interim solution, it all depends on whether the ACO swallow their pride and allow them. I think there was a little bit of sour grapes with that one as originally they would have been allowed and then they changed their mind. Agreed though that they should run in their own category. They are essentially LMP2 cars but are factory supported (which goes against the spirit of LMP2 being customer teams only) but we'll see.

Where does this leave Toyota? I think they will run next year, even being the only team in the top category, but after that who knows. Someone posted on Facebook that they will be in a position to run this years car next year and save themselves a tonne of development costs and that will probably be the case.

Well, Formula E is really just perceived to be green. The actual environmental cost for the production of batteries, etc. still as far as I know worse than environmental cost for a combustion engine car. Companies are going to FE because it's much cheaper and it helps them sell electric cars to the public and gain the perception of being "green" companies.

 

[Patrik Marek]

oh man, never got to see them in real life and I migh not get another chance, so sad, WEC was the best racing series in the world for me

 

[TylerDurden4321]

What is gonna happen is that Formula E will be hyped, get bigger, manufacturer teams will push Formula E management to allow new developments for the cars that will make it much MUCH more expensive to get make a competitive car and soon it will be the little brother of Formula 1 that is just as dumb and mismanaged, but way slower and on race courses that (while looking cool and awesome) aren't well designed.

 

[BoogerMac]

Not trying to tut my horn (yes I am), but I believe I predicted something similar to this happening in the other shock news thread

I wonder if Porsch may start a Prototype program for IMSA. They're already a very active part of GT LM and GTD. IMSA is getting more popular in North America, so WEC may need to take some tips.