No more LMP1?

Trackmouse wrote: Good. I hope they do. So many sanctions need to bring cars back into a class where it's the original body and suspension mounting points. No more tube frames. Then we will see who is the best in a REAL car.

I've often thought the same thing. I like to see tech development in racing, but I think it's important for that tech to be somewhat relatable to what's on the street, or what will be in a couple of years. It's nice to think that a lot of racing series could benefit from increased interest if the cars were more like what can be purchased in the showroom. But I also think there's not much interest (and therefore not much money) in most racing series today just because fewer people care about racing.

In reply to STM317:

Yep. And NASCAR needs to make all the cars showroom stock. Literally- buy it. Race it. Wreck it. Just like your heroes on tv.

WEC should just adopted the DPI, LMP1 has been long dead it was just entertaining to watch Audi win. FIA should have just opened up the manufacturing in Lmp2. I think it is a mistake for Porsche to go Formula E, it is a series that has garbage racing on cookie cutter tracks. Once the competition heats up and one manufacturer gets a advantage watch this series disappear. WEC will always have Lemans and be able to survive.

STM317 wrote: We just have to find a way to get more lithium to keep up with demand, or develop better batteries.

Now that's the cool thing about electric racing-they can apply new technologies to future road cars, just like Honda did in the late 80's.

Solid state batteries would do away with Lithium and all liquid-based batteries. They charge WAY faster than the others, and carry a greater charge. Couple that with the advancement in Cathode/Anode tech incorporating Graphene, and we'll see 600+mile cars on the road in 10 years.

In reply to The0retical:

This all day.

In reply to Trackmouse:

NASCAR can start having Teams run a stock block and heads, Limit Horsepower via a Controlled ECU, allow Ford and whoever to run Turbos and such, and start running 5-speeds. Or maybe start a Hybrid powered stock car series too. NASCAR has got to get more Manufacturer involvement.

In reply to Chada75, I don't think Nascar particularly cares much about manufacturer involvement. In their mind, they provide an entertainment, not so much a diehard racing series. They want the best formula for the entertainment of their fans, not what works best for car manufacturers. I know a bit about this as I was a small part of the team that got Toyota into Nascar. They could produce a basic "Nascar" car if you will, throw the same basic motors made from an outside source and go racing now without any involvement if needed. They've threatened it before and could pull it off.

In reply to tube frame cars, they are much cheaper to run and easier to fix than unibody cars. It would drastically drive up the cost of some of the classes.

To the original topic, I like the LMP1 cars, but as a class, the racing is usually not that great compared to other classes. It reminds me of the way Group C cars ended up, or the old Group 7 Can Am cars. Once you end up in a place where they are too expensive to produce a decent size field, and only a couple can win, the class is more of less doomed. Glad I got to see them, but it is time for a class revamp.

trigun7469 wrote: I think it is a mistake for Porsche to go Formula E, it is a series that has garbage racing on cookie cutter tracks.

Whaaat? FE has pretty good racing. Plenty of close fights and passing. They never have the F1 problem of cars spending much of the race trying to steer clear of, or struggling in, the wake of the car in front. The tracks are definitely the weak point, but that's a temporary situation. I think they'll be running many of the same tracks as F1 soon enough. Look at it this way, street circuits are well-suited to cars with low top speeds and limited range, and a fledgling series looking for attention...

In fact, I think the 2017 F1 rules were a direct response to the amount of racing action in FE.

Trackmouse wrote: In reply to STM317: Yep. And NASCAR needs to make all the cars showroom stock. Literally- buy it. Race it. Wreck it. Just like your heroes on tv.

Why? The people that bash it will continue to do so. Most current fans relate to the cars as they are similar to the cars that thousands of people are racing at tracks across the country. No need to change them into something else to satisfy someone who is never going to watch anyway.

With reguards to FE, take a look at Nick Heidfeld's run up the hill at this years Goodwood FOS, it was impressive.

As to the LMP-1 cars, to me they are the coolest race cars on the planet. Diesel electric vs gas electric, V4 vs V6 vs v8 all making 1000hp they are really something to watch in the flesh. Something will come around to take their place but I will miss them.

alfadriver wrote: (I can say that Formula E racing does not interest me- having to switch cars in the middle of the race kind of defeats the purpose of racing- which car is faster)

Also there is news today that next season's cars will have enough range for the entire race.

GameboyRMH wrote:

alfadriver wrote: (I can say that Formula E racing does not interest me- having to switch cars in the middle of the race kind of defeats the purpose of racing- which car is faster)

Also there is news today that next season's cars will have enough range for the entire race.

That's not fresh news, it's part of the 2018-19 rule set I mentioned earlier. It may have started making the rounds of the blogs, though.

I don't think electrics will replace ICE in endurance racing for a while. Not if the goal is actually racing. Range and recharge/replacement are way off - until a team can figure out how to make a battery last as long as a tank of gas, then do a hot swap. At Le Mans, that's about 100 miles of race pace. Once we're there, it's going to get good. But it'll take a while, we learned this year that none of the LMP1s have enough electrical power to do a lap at limp-home speed, and Nissan managed one electric lap in practice in 2014.

The entire purpose of Le Mans is to push forward technology. Let's hope that a manufacturer has the nerve to take this on and convince the ACO to let them do it.

GameboyRMH wrote: Also there is news today that next season's cars will have enough range for the entire race.

Yeah, but they'll weigh almost as much as a Miata, and still only make 180 hp. By top flank formula car standards, Formula E is SLOW.

Bumping this because why not?

New report that ACO is working with IMSA to standardize some prototype regulations. This could potentially mean that IMSA DPi cars could run in place of the now basically defunct LMP1 class.

Just in time for Joest to work it's magic with Mazda's DPi program. I'm pretty ok with this.

Edit:A link would probably help

Last week Racer reported DPi-s are still a no-go for WEC but it would be cool with me if they'd kindly reconsider. 

I find formula E exciting. This IS the future and it's bleeding edge technology right now

In reply to conesare2seconds : FIA is highly political and probably looks at the DP-I as proletariat car.

Pretty sure there are rumors flying around that DPi is going to be the top level car for the ACO for the new rules of 2020. 

The current P1 is essentially dead.