Ginetta Announce LMP1 Car for 2018 WEC

[Riblo]

Yeah I'm kind of torn slightly, the current LMP1 Hybrids are amazing rocket ships and although their looks are slightly love it or hate it I love the way LMP1 is at the moment.

If it comes to the point though that the ACO and FIA have to get rid of the hybrids to keep the category alive then that's what has to be done. My only worry is that the manufacturers will want small capacity turbos (like their road cars). Whereas what I really want is 3.5litre V10's...

In an ideal world we would get to the stage of customer cars again and that would be back to the Group C type of era, the fact that Ginetta are offering this chassis is a bit of a lifeline and will hopefully bolster the grids over the coming years.

LMP1 could the the main class for turbo engines and the LMP2 could be the class for NA engines... So everybody is happy...
LMP1H could survive only if it would became like a covered wheels F1 class in shorter races that can be good for generalist TV broadcasts... WEC is fascinating but it's a niche class cause it requires deviotion and passion (and time) to follow a 6 hours or longer race...
IMHO

 

[Grand Tourist]

I looked up tsome stats and times of the post-2000 era at Le Mans 24H, more specific the prestations of Peugeot, Audi and Porsche...
Peugeot 908 FAP Hdi:
best quali lap = 3:22.888 (p1)
total laps = 382
budget available in 2011 = €70M
4 years later...
Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro:
best quali lap = 3:22.346 (p1)
-total laps = 348
budget available older to later peiods = €50-100M
7 years later...
Porsche 919 Hybrid :
best quali lap = 3:19.733
total laps = 384
budget available last year = €100M+-€150M
Most laps done was 397 in 2010 by Audi R15 TDi Plus.
Fastest lap was in 2015 by Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro = 3:17.465 in lap 317.
So actually, for an average of 3 secs/lap faster (at Le Mans!) Porsche spent €30-80M more than Peugeot did. I would like to see a season between the 908 HDi, the R15 TDi, The R18 E-Tron Quattro and the Porsche 919 Hybrid. Would the difference be that great considering the difference in budget spent?
In other words, has it been worth it, taking into account in 2009 there were still 11 DIFFERENT MAKES LMP1 cars for 11 TEAMS totalling 20 LMP1 cars (Peugeot and Audi with TDi technology that is) vs last year's 5 MAKES and 5 TEAMS totalling 9 LMP1 cars!!
From a spectator's point of view, I'd say drastic measures need to be taken (without disrespect for the LMP2 and GTE class, which are great too and much more versatile) in order to save LMP1 from manufacturor monopoly.
Remember the post-2000 pre-2012 Titans :

the last emperor of the non-hybrid period. Innovation is great as long as it doesn't sufficate the diversity in a competition...and that is what happened with LMP1 today.
A sad story .

 

[fortyfivekev]

Hybrid has been standardising for the last few seasons anyway (batteries good, flywheel bad, super-capacitor bad) so the ACO may as well just specify a standard system to use and then the cost would drop hugely. The cars can still be quick and you still get some "eco" cred but without the massive development budgets.

 

[Ryan Soucy]

Ginetta is a bold and very true to their goes company. Their products are reliable and beloved by anyone who ever came in contact with them. I have a friend who owns two GT4 G55's in the US and he absolutely love those things. I assume the car will not be an hybrid, so will compete only with Rebellion (R-One AER) and Bykolles (CLM P1/01 AER). It's a very good move for the sport, though....

Where does your friend campaign the GT4's? World Challenge or Track days?

I like Ginetta, good spirit there and all their cars are very sharp. I hope this doesn't stretch them too thin. Between Radical and Onroak and Ginetta selling prototypes to rich amatuers, there can't be that thick of a market, but I want them all to be viable.

 

[Vincent.C]

Fastest lap was in 2015 by Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro = 3:17.465 in lap 317.

Fastest lap during race ! Real fastest lap is 3.16.887 with Porsche 919 hybrid 2015 n°18 (June the 10th 2015).

 

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This all achieved with a massively lower fuel consumption. Innovation costs, only polluting the environment does not cost us (on a racetrack, in a short term)...

 

[Riblo]

This all achieved with a massively lower fuel consumption. Innovation costs, only polluting the environment does not cost us (on a racetrack, in a short term)...

If "innovation" means a race made by only 3/4 teams with 1/2 cars each i prefer returning to the stone age...

 

[Grand Tourist]

This all achieved with a massively lower fuel consumption. Innovation costs, only polluting the environment does not cost us (on a racetrack, in a short term)...

Please, Hybrids are NOT going to save the environment, will never happen. elctricity pollutes as much as diesel or fuel...go take a look at what is happening in some countries where a mass of electronic pollution is happening as we speak, waste of electronic digital devices bought by all of us. Consuming any form of power supply is polluting the earth we live on. What goes up....
The only way to stop polluting is to stop developping technology, stop doing anything at all but we are way too far in over our heads to solve that problem. Its just that the rich countries are dumping their used goodies in the poor countries. Also Europe is promoting this green electricity crap as it is its most common form of income via power supply. Americans have oil, Russians have gas, Chinese have stonecoal mines (all generally speaking). Europe has its electricity program. You want to stop polluting, get off your pc and dsipose of it...no wait that is what is happening right here...

This being OFF TOPIC, my only post about this matter because some people still live in utopia (not saying pollution is ok!!)

 

[TheReaper GT]

Where does your friend campaign the GT4's? World Challenge or Track days?

I like Ginetta, good spirit there and all their cars are very sharp. I hope this doesn't stretch them too thin. Between Radical and Onroak and Ginetta selling prototypes to rich amatuers, there can't be that thick of a market, but I want them all to be viable.

Last time I spoke to him, he was running an all Ginetta league based in Miami. Some of their members raced world challenge.

 

[Ryan Soucy]

Man, only in Miami can you have an all-Ginetta league. Baller.

This is what I'd like to do. 33,000 GBP (~$45k), you get a race series supporting British Gt and you keep the G40 at the end. http://www.ginetta.com/racing.php?championship=grdc&tab=info

 

[Ryan Soucy]

This being OFF TOPIC, my only post about this matter because some people still live in utopia (not saying pollution is ok!!)

Wait, though, aren't those people in the pictures recycling? They're going to re-use some of the precious metals that have been used once and give them 2nd/3rd lives (likely in Mac products). How would they recycle carbon monoxide and NOx emissions from petrol and diesel cars? You'd be depriving these citizens from earning a living...

But yes, please dispose of electronics responsibly...

 

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Hmm, not many replying here. I guess, as usual, most just don't care about the future of racing.

 

[Akra]

Hmm, not many replying here. I guess, as usual, most just don't care about the future of racing.

Well, to be honest there's not many replying as the second page has been filled with incorrect facts about energy usage, incorrect context about waste and generally an agenda being pushed rather than a discussion. So lets get it back on topic rather than reading more misinformation on energy consumption.

Ginetta LMP1. I'm sceptical. The Ginetta LMP3 might've helped launch LMP3 successfully and get Ligier interested, but technically, the car was poorly designed, poorly built and poorly supported. The build quality was shocking, and in 4 hour races they had silly issues like headlights not staying in position. Teams complained of a spare parts shortage as well. Then Ligier showed up, Ginetta had a falling out with ORECA and took all their toys away. They've now put a big Chevy V8 into the back of the LMP3 car and are calling it a P2 car (dropping the LM), when it really isn't a P2 car.

So as much as I love the idea, I'm remaining sceptical. I'm sure it'll be fast, but Ginetta aren't known for build quality and support. And since this is going to be running a 24 hour race, and requires much more support than the LMP3 did, it might prove problematic.

Also, to answer previous questions - there is no LMP1 Private class for next year. A class requires at least 3 cars entered to be a class (that's why Rebellion entered 2 cars at the start of 2016). With only 1, the class gets bundled back in with the hybrids. There's only LMP1 next year, no sub class.