2018 24 Hours of Le Mans / 24 Heures du Mans (Live Stream)

[Shad3R]

We have had this conversation before...

The GT is a GT car despite protestations. If it were a prototype it would have been forced to run in the prototype class.

Just because Ford took advantage of the rules does not mean the car is a prototype, they merely made a good car and went outside the box to do so. A radical design does not make it illegal, nor does it deserve to be thought of as a "cheat".

If we keep thinking in that manner there will be no innovation:

Audi would not have developed a diesel car,
There would be no hybrid technology,
The original Ford GT would not have enjoyed the success it had at Le Mans,
There would have not been development and implementation of active suspensions, ABS, traction control, hybrid power, aerodynamic efficiency to improve fuel mileage, etc...

The car is a legal GT according to IMSA, the FIA, the ACO. If it becomes a customer GT3 car it will be considered legal in every series it races.

The issue is those who think car makers should follow a stringent, conservative approach to building a winning race car. We should be lauding those who think outside the box to build a winner.

Just my thoughts on the matter. Does not make me right, just another one with an opinion.

All of this is reduced to which street car every manufacturer releases.
The Ford GT is a Ford GT, its not a disguished prototype, the MK1 was a CAR that was able to race in the Vintage Prototype class, now the car is able to race in the GTE class, i see no problem here, Corvette could easily release a mid engine car and be more competitive, the same with aston martin, but every brand have their personality, its normal.

I dont know why people see problems with the Ford GT even after getting punched to the floor with the damn BoP.

 

[farjam]

Fords hit with Le Mans minimum drive time penalties

https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/fords-hit-with-le-mans-minimum-drive-time-penalties-1046658/
:|
so Nicki Thiim's car is in top 8 now

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Haven't time to read this whole thread and not much Le Mans knowledge, but I have a question to the guys that do. Do you think it was staged that #8 Alonso car wins or were they genuinely racing each other? From a publicity perspective you'd expect team bosses to want Alonso's name in the headlines, so it would suspiciously make sense. Also I saw from a #7 onboard clip that it was coasting for 100 meters before braking. Was this necessary for fuel saving or something darker that they were doing it to let #8 get ahead. Or maybe they were both doing it?

Toyota, ACO, Everyone got the result that gave most PR. But that is down to Lopez not being good enough this year either. Not some shady intra-team stuff.

 

[Hiro Abe]

LeMans has always been a somewhat passing interest but over the past year I have been watching a LOT more racing of all sorts since it is so readily available. I watched maybe a total of 4 hours of this race - unfortunately, I didn't have access to the televised version just the on camera feeds which I watched with the radio coverage - and another hour or so of the radio coverage alone. I was hoping to read through this thread to discover some things I missed and maybe check out in replays. Instead, there's a lot of negativism throughout. Made me wonder why some of you even watched the race. You guys are obviously knowledgeable of LeMans and WEC, I would rather hear more about what you did like or interested you in the race.

So Toyota and the #8 team had a distinct advantage. I get it. But at the end of the day, you can't deny that sooooo much can go wrong during a 24 hour race that to survive it and bring it home is quite an accomplishment, no?

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Last year a P2 almost took the overall and any non-hybrid P1 with a relatively trouble-free race surely would have. Don't see anyone complaining about that race though.

Why should anyone complain? The LMP1's ran with equal opportunities. No penalty for being faster than the other. The P2's likewise. It was Le Mans like we all want.

LeMans has always been a somewhat passing interest but over the past year I have been watching a LOT more racing of all sorts since it is so readily available. I watched maybe a total of 4 hours of this race - unfortunately, I didn't have access to the televised version just the on camera feeds which I watched with the radio coverage - and another hour or so of the radio coverage alone. I was hoping to read through this thread to discover some things I missed and maybe check out in replays. Instead, there's a lot of negativism throughout. Made me wonder why some of you even watched the race. You guys are obviously knowledgeable of LeMans and WEC, I would rather hear more about what you did like or interested you in the race.

So Toyota and the #8 team had a distinct advantage. I get it. But at the end of the day, you can't deny that sooooo much can go wrong during a 24 hour race that to survive it and bring it home is quite an accomplishment, no?

I did like the P2 race, even though G-Drive won convincingly. There's the ever-lasting Silver-driver debate there. Just like last year with Laurent, it seems like Pizzitola is more a gold, than silver-driver. Regardless, the team outclassed everyone.
Loic Duval came storming at the end, trying to get a podium. Which would've been lost anyway as Perrodo drove for more than 4 hours in one go.
I liked the GTam, mostly due to Dempsey winning it, and the happiness he had for his team winning it. It was exciting with GTam, also due to the fact that there's always a big risk that the gentleman driver stuffs it.

It's the P1 and partly GTpro that was amputated this year.
And while much can happen and go wrong during 24 hours. The risk that something happens is smaller when you know you have a written advantage, and can go at 99% instead of 100%.

 

[2112]

All of this is reduced to which street car every manufacturer releases.
The Ford GT is a Ford GT, its not a disguished prototype, the MK1 was a CAR that was able to race in the Vintage Prototype class, now the car is able to race in the GTE class, i see no problem here, Corvette could easily release a mid engine car and be more competitive, the same with aston martin, but every brand have their personality, its normal.

I dont know why people see problems with the Ford GT even after getting punched to the floor with the damn BoP.

I think it has to do with the aero of the GT. It is so outside the box for a GT that people say it has to be a prototype. Yet....

I never hear the same argument for the Glickenhaus. I wonder if the Glick would get the same treatment if it won more...

I also think some don't like that a car with a truck engine beat their car with an engine designed from the ground up for racing.

 

[Shad3R]

I think it has to do with the aero of the GT. It is so outside the box for a GT that people say it has to be a prototype. Yet....

I never hear the same argument for the Glickenhaus. I wonder if the Glick would get the same treatment if it won more...

I also think some don't like that a car with a truck engine beat their car with an engine designed from the ground up for racing.

Yeah, that V6 Ecoboost has to hurt a lot (it sounds beautifull i have to say)
GTE is always full of crying bout BoP and GTE`s sandbagging

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Ouch.

LMP2-Winning G-Drive Oreca Excluded

 

[farjam]

Ouch.

LMP2-Winning G-Drive Oreca Excluded

o boi i didn't see that coming wow a win for Alpine

 

[Shad3R]

Ouch.

LMP2-Winning G-Drive Oreca Excluded

Vergne doesnt deserve that.... he drove like a god the 24hrs.

 

[rubaru]

Juan Pablo Montoya
2003 Monaco GP Winner
2000, 2015 Indianapolis 500 Winner
2018 Le Mans LMP2 P3
He's my vote for who needs a shot at the Triple Crown.

 

[farjam]

Ouch.

LMP2-Winning G-Drive Oreca Excluded

The worst part is if #26 did its 36 pit stops without using that illegal modification to gain 8 seconds in every pit stops ,they could still win it , at least on paper if they could do their pit stops similar to alpine pit stop times they could win it by almost a minute margin, but on paper