GPWizard F1 Forum
Other Sports => Other Sports => Topic started by: cosworth151 on June 09, 2015, 01:21:33 PM
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The 24 Heures du Mans is this week-end! This will be about the last chance to watch it before the Fools In Authority destroy the LMP2 class.
The LMP1 should be quite a race. Front engines, mid engines, gas, diesel, V8, V6, V4, turbo, non-turbo - proof that great racing is possible without going to a semi-spec racer formula.
GT will also be quite a show. Front, mid & rear engines, V10, V8, flat 6...
The schedule is available here:
http://www.24h-lemans.com/live/en/
Radio LeMans also has extensive, round the clock coverage all week:
http://www.radiolemans.com/
Andy Blackmore has his always excellent Spotters Guide:
http://www.spotterguides.com/portfolio/15lm/
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Hope to catch a little of it.
I'll have to see if it's on TV anywhere in Canada (We've only got about 20 English language sports channels though, you'd think one might pick it up)
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Fox Sports is claiming to have flag to flag coverage. As well there is this website, which will be streaming most of the weekend I think.
http://www.lemans-tv.com
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Fox Sports is claiming to have flag to flag coverage. As well there is this website, which will be streaming most of the weekend I think.
http://www.lemans-tv.com
I had no idea I got that channel. What a pleasant surprise. I wonder what other channels I'm (over) paying for that I've never seen.
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Radio Le Mans says they will also have a live video feed beginning one hour prior to the start. See the link in my initial post.
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Nico Hulkenberg wins Le Mans! He, Earl Bamber & Nick Tandy drove the #19 Porsche 919 to victory in the 2015 Le Mans. Tandy is the 30th British driver to win the 24 hours. Mark Webber, Timo Bernard & Brendon Hartley took second in Porsche #17.
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Nico Hulkenberg wins Le Mans! He, Earl Bamber & Nick Tandy drove the #19 Porsche 919 to victory in the 2015 Le Mans. Tandy is the 30th British driver to win the 24 hours. Mark Webber, Timo Bernard & Brendon Hartley took second in Porsche #17.
I did manage to catch the last hour.
Same guys that made me not watch Speed for F1 coverage. They couldn't say the last active F1 driver to win LeMans... if only they had 24 hours and Google to find out.... :DntKnw:
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I had the audio muted with Radio Le Mans turned up for the commentary. BTW, the last active F1 driver to win Le Mans was Johnny Herbert in a Mazda 787B in 1991. His co drivers were Volker Weidler and Bertrand Gachot.
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I had the audio muted with Radio Le Mans turned up for the commentary. BTW, the last active F1 driver to win Le Mans was Johnny Herbert in a Mazda 787B in 1991. His co drivers were Volker Weidler and Bertrand Gachot.
I know that the Canadian GP coincided with LeMans for a long time.
I remember that Martin Brundle, who was driving at Le Mans, would be replaced by an actual Canadian alongside Murry Walker for the BBC coverage. (Even included Greg Moore (RIP) one year!)
Given the opportunity to race Le Mans, I'm not surprised more drivers didn't go. Surely Kimi or Vettel would love to take a crack at Le Mans.
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There were rumors that Alonso wanted to race there this year, but McLaren said no.
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There were rumors that Alonso wanted to race there this year, but McLaren said no.
Wouldn't want him to feel what it's like to drive a race car >:D
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F1 team managers don't like their drivers doing Le Mans because of the high potential for a huge crash. The heavy traffic with "Sportsman" drivers who don't watch their mirrors and the closing speed of a 919 catching a 458 make for a very dangerous race. It's actually amazing they don't have more accidents than they they do,
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F1 team managers don't like their drivers doing Le Mans because of the high potential for a huge crash. The heavy traffic with "Sportsman" drivers who don't watch their mirrors and the closing speed of a 919 catching a 458 make for a very dangerous race. It's actually amazing they don't have more accidents than they they do,
If you're suggesting that Nico was seen as 'expendable' then why wasn't Kimi out there in a Ferrari? |-(
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Don't know how Nico's bosses feel about him. I doubt that they hold him as dear as Ferd or Lewis. It is generally true that F1 drivers have clauses in their contracts that prevent them from doing dangerous things, esp. in season. I'm glad for Nico, I don't think he is rated as highly as he should be in F1.
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Don't know how Nico's bosses feel about him. I doubt that they hold him as dear as Ferd or Lewis. It is generally true that F1 drivers have clauses in their contracts that prevent them from doing dangerous things, esp. in season. I'm glad for Nico, I don't think he is rated as highly as he should be in F1.
I did mean my comment in jest.
But seriously, given the number of F1 drivers who would love to race LeMans (I presume Hulk wasn't the only one), and that LeMans is supposedly a marketting opportunity, why aren't the F1 drivers out there with their partner teams?
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Don't know how Nico's bosses feel about him. I doubt that they hold him as dear as Ferd or Lewis. It is generally true that F1 drivers have clauses in their contracts that prevent them from doing dangerous things, esp. in season. I'm glad for Nico, I don't think he is rated as highly as he should be in F1.
I did mean my comment in jest.
But seriously, given the number of F1 drivers who would love to race LeMans (I presume Hulk wasn't the only one), and that LeMans is supposedly a marketting opportunity, why aren't the F1 drivers out there with their partner teams?
Can you name the partner teams for McLaren, Williams, Lotus or Ferrari in Le Mans Jeri? It does not happen because the teams have binded their drivers with many such clauses that prevent them from participation, and also may be due to their sponsorship committments and their set of rules.
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McLaren already has a major presence in sports car racing with its 650S GT3 car. Williams & Lotus both get their engines from Mercedes, who build the SLS AMG GT3 car. It wouldn't take much at all to make these cars GTE compliant. Ferrari's 458 Italia took 2nd & 3rd in GTE Pro in this year's race.
BTW, Fisichella has driven a 458 Italia for AF Course (Ferrari's de facto factory team) for the past several years. His car scored a 5th in GTE Pro this year.
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McLaren already has a major presence in sports car racing with its 650S GT3 car. Williams & Lotus both get their engines from Mercedes, who build the SLS AMG GT3 car. It wouldn't take much at all to make these cars GTE compliant. Ferrari's 458 Italia took 2nd & 3rd in GTE Pro in this year's race.
BTW, Fisichella has driven a 458 Italia for AF Course (Ferrari's de facto factory team) for the past several years. His car scored a 5th in GTE Pro this year.
I wanted to know about the LMP1 class Cossie, but if we consider the GT class, then yes, it will be very easy for many F1 drivers to get into Le Mans.
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We are (at least I am) delighted to see Nico Hulkenberg win the Le Mans, on debut, but I stumbled upon this article saying Earl Bamber, his team-mate, was also an debutant. It seems incredible to me that a team with two debutant driver, get the win in one of the most coveted prize of motorsports, many legends had failed to get this trophy in their cabinet, and somehow didn't achieve it.
He seems like a decent bloke, and winning Formula BMW beating Riccardo, but I guess somehow lost his mojo along the period, which would have at least made him one of the contender for a racing seat in F1. Seems like he got that back, and I hope he gets more success down the roads.
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/race/sports-cars/earl-bambers-road-to-le-mans/
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Also, that car was Porsche's Le Mans only, third car entry. It went on to beat their full-season entries. Quite a feat!
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Can you name the partner teams for McLaren, Williams, Lotus or Ferrari in Le Mans Jeri? It does not happen because the teams have binded their drivers with many such clauses that prevent them from participation, and also may be due to their sponsorship committments and their set of rules.
McLaren doesn't have one because it does GT3 (the lowest class permitted at Le Mans is GTE, formerly known as GT2).
Williams doesn't have one because it only does F1.
Lotus had one last year in LMP1 but it was a bit of a disaster and Colin Kolles ended up buying it (it's now even more of a disaster - at least Lotus got through the whole week without getting any of their cars disqualified!)
Ferrari has a partner team and it is called AF Corse or SMP depending on which sponsors are in vogue and what proportion of the money they are bringing in a given year (between them they had 1/8 of the grid this year). They do every class except LMP1 and quite a few Ferrari "alumni" are there. However, they don't like the idea of asking drivers to do both F1 and Le Mans in the same year, probably because they were there back when both series were considerably more dangerous.
If F1 teams were in LMP1 there would probably be crossover. However, this is unlikely because Le Mans teams don't fancy trebling their budgets to join the back of the F1 field and F1 teams don't fancy paying the same to run an LMP1 team competitively as they would to run a F1 B-team.