ACO Invites F1 Teams

[cosworth151]

The governing body of Le Mans has turned up the pressure on Max & the FIA.
ACO chief Remy Brouard has stated that Le Mans would welcome any of the current F1 teams into their series, and would be happy to let them have a voice in the rules making process.

Also, the honorary starter for this week-end's 24 hour race is Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo. Ferrari has already spoken of Le Mans as a possible substitute for F1.

I can remember that, up until the late 190's and early 1980's, Sports Endurance racing was the equal of F1 in prestige.

[Scott]

Cos, you can remember the 190's?  Wow man, you're older than you are letting on. 

[cosworth151]

Cos, you can remember the 190's?  Wow man, you're older than you are letting on. 

I felt that way last night. I was watching the movie "Le Mans" and realized that the race in the movie was 39 years ago! 

[Steven Roy]

I thought Le Mans was facinating this year. I missed a few hours early n and three hours in the morning when I fell asleep in front of my computer but it was close all the way.  Shame Peugeot did a Ferrari and realeased one of their cars straight into the path of the customer Peugeot and Audi had problems with a couple of their cars.  Would have been facinating to have 6 competitive cars to the end.

[lkjohnson1950]

Classic. The Peugeots appeared to be faster on the straight while the Audis were quicker in the corners. The team lollipop man certainly failed by releasing the #7, but it was just bad luck they got a puncture and ripped the car up going 8 miles back to the pits. Great race, I have loved LeMans since I saw my first GT40.

Lonny

[Jericoke]

ACO chief Remy Brouard has stated that Le Mans would welcome any of the current F1 teams into their series, and would be happy to let them have a voice in the rules making process.

I can remember that, up until the late 1970's and early 1980's, Sports Endurance racing was the equal of F1 in prestige.

Wow, Ferrari really wants to put their eggs in the basket of an organisation that was once the equal of F1, and is now barely a footnote in the eyes of a public?  FIA may not be doing things right, but it's hard to say that ACO is doing things better.

[Willy]

I think you will find that endurance races such as LeMans are not merely a footnote to the race fans of Europe. There it is as well loved as F1 just not promoted as well over on this side of the pond.

Many manufacturers spend untold millions on developing cars to race Le Mans that do not want, or feel the need to be, involved in F1.

[Jericoke]

I think you will find that endurance races such as LeMans are not merely a footnote to the race fans of Europe. There it is as well loved as F1 just not promoted as well over on this side of the pond.

Many manufacturers spend untold millions on developing cars to race Le Mans that do not want, or feel the need to be, involved in F1.

The F1 manufacturers already feel that F1 doesn't do a great job in North America.  And there is plenty of endurance racing here. 

As for the 'untold millions', I'm betting that it's on the order of Max's cap.  In fact... I wonder why Max didn't spell out the reasons for his cap.  Well, aside from the obvious that it was pulled out his...

[lkjohnson1950]

I doubt that the Peugeot V12 turbo diesel is a great deal cheaper than any F1 car. And the expense of building at least 4 of them and campaigning them with full crews and 3 drivers per car is probably astronomical. Winning LeMans is serious business in Europe. Porsche won't build a P1 car because it would have to be a diesel and they don't do diesels. It's really very hi tech and for me fascinating.

Lonny

[cosworth151]

The one place they do save money is travel. Not having half the season run in the far corners of the world (in front of mostly empty seats) must be a great savings! 

Le Mans racing does have a variety of technology that has been sadly missing from F1 for the past decade and a half. The film Truth in 24 points out that one can tell which car is approaching just by the sound. A V8 'Vette, a V12 Ferrari, a Porsche boxer 6 and an Audi TDI all sound vastly different. I can remember when the same could be said of a Cosworth V8, a Ferrari flat 12, etc.

I know that Le Mans needs to level the playing field between diesels and gas engines, but it's still a great series.

[SennaMan]

I have loved Le Mans for close on 60 years - real cars driven by real men over an insane distance/time

it is the oldest motor race still going, for good reasons

the race in the 1950's was more popular than the fledgling F1

stuff of legends and as cossie points out part of its tremendous appeal is competing cars are drawn from a wide variety of engine layouts - the different sounds and looks of the cars is heaven for petrolheads

[lkjohnson1950]

Believe the Indy 500 might be a tick older than LeMans, but these days not nearly as interesting.

Lonny

[SennaMan]

Believe the Indy 500 might be a tick older than LeMans, but these days not nearly as interesting.

Lonny

yeah Lonny, the indy first took place in 1911 whereas Le Mans began in 1923

[thanks mate - I should have written the oldest "sportscar endurance race".]

[david1275]

Le Mans racing does have a variety of technology that has been sadly missing from F1 for the past decade and a half. The film Truth in 24 points out that one can tell which car is approaching just by the sound. A V8 'Vette, a V12 Ferrari, a Porsche boxer 6 and an Audi TDI all sound vastly different. I can remember when the same could be said of a Cosworth V8, a Ferrari flat 12, etc.

Good point Cos, Variety of design and power train is sadly missing from F1. I think if the regs allowed the teams to design the cars the way they wanted within a set of parameters that did not limited design freedom, this would be very interesting.

[Jericoke]

Le Mans racing does have a variety of technology that has been sadly missing from F1 for the past decade and a half. The film Truth in 24 points out that one can tell which car is approaching just by the sound. A V8 'Vette, a V12 Ferrari, a Porsche boxer 6 and an Audi TDI all sound vastly different. I can remember when the same could be said of a Cosworth V8, a Ferrari flat 12, etc.

Good point Cos, Variety of design and power train is sadly missing from F1. I think if the regs allowed the teams to design the cars the way they wanted within a set of parameters that did not limited design freedom, this would be very interesting.

That's what the FIA proposed... within a cap.  The FOTA chose heavily regulated designs instead.