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[nature boy]

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Thread WIP, first big thread for me so give me a break .

Official site: http://www.fiawec.com/

News: http://www.motorsport.com/category/wec/ (Official Media partner)
http://www.dailysportscar.com/
http://www.sportscarone.com/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/FIAWEC

2015 thread

About

The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series usurps the ACO's former Intercontinental Le Mans Cup which began in 2010, and is the first endurance series of world championship status since the demise of the World Sportscar Championship at the end of 1992. The World Endurance Championship name was previously used by the FIA from 1981 to 1985.
The series feature multiple classes of cars competing in endurance races, with sports prototypes competing in the Le Mans Prototype categories, and production-based grand tourers competing in the LM GTE categories. World champion titles are awarded to the top scoring manufacturers and drivers over the season, while other cups and trophies will be awarded for drivers and private teams.

Cars are divided into the following categories:

LMP1
LMP2
GTE (Pro+Am)


Calendar:

1. 6 Hours of Silverstone - 17/04/2016
2. WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps - 07/05/2016
3. 24 Hours of Le Mans - 18/06/2016
4. 6 Hours of Nürburgring - 24/07/2016
5. 6 Hours of Mexico - 03/09/2016
6. 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas - 17/09/2016
7. 6 Hours of Fuji - 16/10/2016
8. 6 Hours of Shanghai - 06/11/2016
9. 6 Hours of Bahrain - 19/11/2016

Where to watch

The official site offers live timing for free, live streaming from the website is a paid service: http://members.fiawec.com/liveConnect

http://www.radiolemans.com/ Only audio commentary.

European? Motors TV and Eurosport will broadcast the races live (no pratice or quali).
Yankee? Fox Sports.
Rest of the World? Sorry, don't have the updated list of broadcasters yet. Will updated if and when.



LMP1

Great ArsTechnica article on the hybird LMP1s
- Both Audi and Porsche will not run a 3rd car in Le Mans, to save costs derived from Dieselgate.

- Nissan ended their endurance program after the embarrassment at the 2015 Le Mans.

Technical Changes:


- Energy per lap reduced by 10MJ (representing a reduction of 7.5% for the faster cars)

- Instantaneous fuel flow reduced by the same proportions

- Additional head protection padding for the driver

- Hybrid power/energy delivery restriction of 300kw for Le Mans only

- Three different homologated bodywork iterations will be allowed during the season, reducing to two in 2017 to further control costs

- Wheel arch vents will be around 25% larger as part of a drive to improve safety

- Further testing and wind tunnel restrictions

Full regulations: http://www.fiawec.com/presentation/regulation.html

Porsche 919
#1: Timo Bernhard + Mark Webber +Brendon Hartley
#2: Romain Dumas + Neel Jani + Marc Lieb

There's a 2.0L direct-injection turbocharged V4 gasoline engine
- Porsche 919 is a evolution on the 2015 all-conqueror. It has a 2.0L direct-injection turbocharged V4 gasoline engine combined with a 8MJ hybrid system.

Audi R18

#7: Marcel Fässler + André Lotterer + Benoît Tréluyer
#8: Lucas Di Grassi + Loïc Duval + Oliver Jarvis
- Audi has a totally new R18. The internal combustion engine is still a 4.0L V6 turbodiesel, but Audi has upgraded to the 6MJ class.

Toyota TS050

#5: Anthony Davidson + Sébastien Buemi + Kazuki Nakajima
#6: Stéphane Sarrazin + Mike Conway + Kamui Kobayashi
Completely new contender, the TS050 moves Toyota to the 8MJ category with a 2.L V8 twin-turbo engine.


Also in the LMP1 category there are private teams with no hybrid systems.

Rebellion R-One
#12: Nicolas Prost +Nelson Piquet Jr+ Nick Heidfeld
#13: Mathéo Tuscher +Dominik Kraihamer +Alexandre Imperatori

DCLM P1/01 - AER

#4: Simon Trummer +Oliver Webb + James Rossiter

 

[nature boy]

Reserved for LMP2 and GTE categories.

 

[Juicy Bob]

Welcome to LMP1 Kamui Kobayashi.

Toyota #6 all the way, baby!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm liking these shiny new digs. Cheers, nature boy!

Looks like the new fuel-flow restrictions have done little to slow the P1s. In FP2 and on a green track Porsche was already under last year's pole time, with Audi and Toyota yet to attempt a low-fuel run. The relentless pace of development in this hybrid era continues to impress.

Fingers crossed that the Ford GT fares better than at Long Beach...

 

[Psychotext]

Neeeeeeeooooowwwwwnnnn

 

[ElTorro]

Audi R18

Are the cars getting uglier and uglier with every season?

 

[Mastah]

Right now:

 

[Psychotext]

Good old blighty.

 

[nature boy]

Audi breakes Porsche's run of pole positions and locks up the front grid. Although it was damp, Audi are looking good.

6h of Silverstone starts at 12:00 pm London time.

Have to say looking forward to the start of the WEC season far more than I've ever been with F1.

 

[Hackbert]

still just one page? or has silverstone a seperate thread. looking forward to the race today. f1 was a nice warmup

 

[bobnowhere]

still just one page? or has silverstone a seperate thread. looking forward to the race today. f1 was a nice warmup

Looks like it should be dry for the race but cold. Judging purely on Friday's dry running, Porsche should disappear up the road with Audi and Toyota fighting for the rest, but...

Toyota will want it dry too, they looked poor in the wet yesterday.

 

[nature boy]

still just one page? or has silverstone a seperate thread. looking forward to the race today. f1 was a nice warmup

Not enough interest in WEC for a separate thread. Only Le Mans gets a dedicated thread.

Race starts in less than 30 minutes.

 

[DrM]

Oh nice, it is even on international MotorsTV

 

[chadskin]

In the US, it's on Fox Sports 1.

 

[Hackbert]

The Ford looks like a mean machine. Audis like a flying saucer with downforce
I am using an ORF Stream, for watching in German. But a real HD Stream would be great....

 

[nature boy]

Cheeky from Webber.

 

[nature boy]

The Ford looks like a mean machine. Audis like a flying saucer with downforce
I am using an ORF Stream, for watching in German. But a real HD Stream would be great....

Porsche has a stream of the onboards on their website:http://www.porsche.com/internationa.../worksracing/raceseries/fiawec/livestreaming/

 

[blanky]

Subscribed to the FIA WEC Live service, so far reallly nice stream. Really nice to see the audis and porsches neck and neck again like last year. I really hope toyota can figure out whatever is wrong with their car, it'd be a shame if they had to hang back the whole time again.

 

[TCRS]

why is there only one 24h race? was there not a 24h spa race?

 

[Juicy Bob]

Is it just me or is John Hindaugh really not fussed today?

 

[bobnowhere]

Damn, the #31 was lucky there. Could have ended very badly.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Still early, but it's wonderful to see the Ford GT right on the pace. The IMSA squad has had their share of issues, (as would be expected), but the potential is certainly there.

 

[Deadman]

I wish MotorsTV would get an HD channel. Or that eurosport pick up races aside from le mans.

 

[Juicy Bob]

I wish MotorsTV would get an HD channel. Or that eurosport pick up races aside from le mans.

Or change their guitary ident jingle more than once a millennium.

 

[nature boy]

why is there only one 24h race? was there not a 24h spa race?

FIA WEC continues the tradition of 1000km races from the 80s and 90s but are now 6 hours.

4 hours to go, Porsche in 1st and 2nd.

Toyota not close enough to Audi and Porsche but not looking bad either.

 

[nature boy]

WTF Hartley. What a brainfart.

Now the #8 Audi in trouble.

 

[TCRS]

what the fug

 

[Juicy Bob]

100% pass under yellow

 

[nature boy]

Oh the Porsche also passed?

Edit: Wow no further action.

 

[Jezbollah]

I wish MotorsTV would get an HD channel. Or that eurosport pick up races aside from le mans.

MotorsTV is a shitshow of a channel. It took them years to get their programming into 16:9. The interactions they had with their own message board highlighted how little they care for their viewers. They closed that board when it turned into a collection of bad feedback they had no intention addressing...

HD will not be coming anytime soon to this channel. I'm frankly surprised that it's still broadcasting..

 

[nature boy]

Oh no Toyota

 

[DrM]

Technical gremlins are starting to show up

And I think that Audi will have to modify their front wheel covers, because something is not right with left front of that Audt from the start on.

 

[nature boy]

One hour to go, and victory is still not clear.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Three manufacturers on three steps of the podium? I'll take that.

Not to rain on Audi's parade, but the R18 was dominant in the first two rounds last year, only to get completely blitzed by Porsche for the rest of the season. That being said, they've come out swinging and I couldn't be happier.

Wurz mentioned earlier that the TS050 was configured for a lower-downforce spec than either of the VAG cars. Not a bad showing for them, considering.

 

[nature boy]

Still not sure what happened in the last hour with the #2 Porsche.

Hope Hartley learns from that stupid mistake. #1 Porsche was ahead and comfortable.

Audi look menacing for Le Mans. Too early to judge Toyota, but they look at least competitive.

 

[Psychotext]

Not a bad start. Should be worth a watch going forward.

Shame about the crash with the Porsches.

 

[Juicy Bob]

Race winning #7 Audi has been excluded after failing scrutineering.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Race winning #7 Audi has been excluded after failing scrutineering.

Wow.

Not surprised they didn't bother to appeal; skid blocks don't lie.

 

[Psychotext]

Has been updated, says there that they have appealed.

Wonder what happened.

 

[nature boy]

Meh Audi won fair and square on the track.

 

[dalin80]

Meh Audi won fair and square on the track.

If you are racing with an illegal car then you are racing on your own.

Running under min ride height is as big of a no-no a team can do so not surprised to see an out and out exclusion.

 

[nature boy]

If you are racing with an illegal car then you are racing on your own.

Running under min ride height is as big of a no-no a team can do so not surprised to see an out and out exclusion.

Well I'm assuming they didn't cheat on purpose. If they did cheat then of course they should be disqualified.

 

[nature boy]

Audi have withdrawn their appeal:

Audi blames “bouncing” for WEC exclusion, will not appeal

 

[Psychotext]

I wonder how far off it was.

 

[blanky]

Everyone excited about Spa? FP1 seems to show that Toyota might have a decent chance and that Audi's monstrosity is just that. Looking forward to the race

 

[Psychotext]

Sadly I'll miss it as I'm travelling. Might try and grab a download when I'm back though.

 

[Silver Arrows]

Awww yeah.

Ready for MURICA to run wild on Sarthe, brother?!

 

[nature boy]

Damn, the 6h of Spa is on Saturday.

Porsche on Pole.

 

[nature boy]

6h of Spa about to start.

Anyone watching?

 

[santi_yo]

A lot of F1 people in that driver list.

I wish I could watch it right now. I love Spa.