Support NeoGAF

[nature boy]

Race about to start. 20% chance of rain, but it's the Nurburgring.

 

[bobnowhere]

Eurosports.de are streaming it free worldwide for some reason.

http://video.eurosport.de/wec/video-live.shtml

Combine with Radio Lemans

 

[nature boy]

Traffic is bonkers.

#2 Porsche spins, hope it recovers the 9 seconds to the leader.

 

[bobnowhere]

Yeah, the #1 almost wiped themselves out on a GT3 Porsche when it overshot the first corner passing the Audi.

 

[nature boy]

Two hours to go, Porsche 1(#2)-2(#1), Audi 3-4, Toyota 5-6.

First four are separated by less than 30 seconds.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

FCY after the leading #2 919 briefly tangles with an AM 911.

Edit: Both Porsches pit together, but the #2 loses time for a new nose. WEBBAH aboard the #1 and in the lead.

 

[nature boy]

#2 gets a drive-through, IMO fair penalty, Lieb should've been more cautious.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

The battle for second between Duval and Jani has been great, and it's about to get more interesting: Lotterer is flying and ought to be right in the mix in no time.

 

[NHale]

The battle for second between Duval and Jani has been great, and it's about to get more interesting: Lotterer is flying and ought to be right in the mix in no time.

Lotterer did more in 1 lap behind Jani than Jani tried with Duval. Being so careful with your car doesn't get you wins.

EDIT: Lotterer driving like he's driving online multiplayer. So many divebombs.

 

[Mastah]

Now that F1 is done I can finally watch it and there's fantastic battle between 2 Audis and Porsche. Good to see WEC never stops to deliver.

 

[NHale]

Now that F1 is done I can finally watch it and there's fantastic battle between 2 Audis and Porsche. Good to see WEC never stops to deliver.

It's unbelievable that endurance racing is thriving showing interesting races while F1 is stuck in a boring era since the hybrid era.

Also I didn't realize Porsche #1 is almost out of the title race after just 3 races. They are 90,5 behind the leader and there is only 150 pts available (if it ends like this they will be 77 pts behind with 125pts available).

 

[nature boy]

Yes, only the #2 has a chance to win the drivers' championship.

But today, the #2 only has itself to blame.


Ford not having a great day.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Mexico City this weekend, friends.

With about 10 min left in the session, Audi leads FP1. Toyota #6 is out until FP3 after suffering a crash and with the repair job requiring a new monocoque. Also, Ant Davidson will not race this weekend due to bruised ribs from testing last month.

 

[nature boy]

6h of Mexico about to start in 45 minutes.

Any takers?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

LOL @ CLM jumping one of the Toyotas at the start.

 

[nature boy]

Toyota #5 in trouble.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Stop & go penalty for the leading #1 Porsche, (inadvertently crossing the pit entry line), gives the lead back to the #8 Audi. Top three within 10 seconds with rain on the way.

Thus far, I have to say that the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit suits the multi-class format rather well. Managing one's way through traffic is everything here.

 

[Jezbollah]

Raining now.

I hope we see this track in the next Forza. Looks fun.

 

[nature boy]

Audi #8!


Porsche's race to lose.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Lotterer is reeling in the #1 by something like 3-4 seconds per lap with a dry line starting to form on the track. Only a minute behind now.

Audi's call to run slick inters might yet prove brilliant.

 

[Elfforkusu]

Ooh, thanks for the updates, forgot there was a race today!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Lotterer going out on slicks.

GOD MODE ACTIVATED

 

[nature boy]

Porsche expecting more rain?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Oh shit, Lotterer locked up and lost it. In the pits now; Toyota takes second.

 

[Elfforkusu]

Oh shit, Lotterer lost it.

!!!

Saw it. He's back on the track, lost 30+ seconds. Decent shot to the right side, but didn't pit. I guess they're going to find out the aftereffects the scientific way.

e: Welp, into the pits now. Save us Toyota!

 

[Elfforkusu]

LMP2 leader has to pit with a brake failure with 34 minutes left. Endurance racing

 

[nature boy]

Oh great a bit of rain.

 

[Chiramii]

What a race, the rain really puts an interesting end on it.

Edit: #1 off, my god!

 

[Jezbollah]

Bloody hell #1 Porsche off with 5 mins to go!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

#1 Porsche is off.

Looks like Bernhard might get away with it, though.

 

[nature boy]

TImo got lucky there.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Goddamn, what an amazing motor race. I don't think I could have taken another twist.

I can't recall the WEC having a better 6-hour event in a very long time. Maybe ever.

I don't care whose it is, but Webber had better take a swig out a shoe atop the podium.

 

[nature boy]

Great race, best 6-hour race this season and probably the best since Silverstone last year.

Now it's pouring down lol.

 

[DD]

Mexican team winning the Mexican race on LMP2 class! Arriba, muchachos!

 

[nature boy]

No one watching the Cota 6h?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Reporting for duty!

Audi seems to have the R18 dialed in this weekend; Porsche and Toyota are nowhere on pace ATM, although as Mexico showed, shit happens in endurance racing.

 

[nature boy]

Yeah surprised by the lack of pace from Porsche.

Audi on fire.

 

[dubc35]

Watching a bit, also watching F1 qualy replay and college football. It looks like no one is at cota though. It's such an amazing deal compared to F1, I would totally go if I wasn't on the other side of the country.

 

[Mobius 1]

It's fucking hot here in Austin. Sunset was 40 minutes ago and it barely cooled at all.

 

[Juicy Bob]

So Porsche win. Again.

About as competitive as F1 is tbh

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Mark Webber calls time on his racing career to become Porsche representative

Stuttgart. At the end of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship season Mark Webber will quit his professional racing career to become Porsche special representative. The six-hour race in Bahrain on November 19 will be the last time the reigning World Champion from Australia will compete as a works driver.

Afterwards new tasks await the nine times Formula One Grands Prix winner: 40-year old Mark Webber will represent Porsche at global events and as a consultant will contribute by lending his experience to the motorsport programmes of the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart. This includes talent research as well as driver training for up and coming professionals and the huge number of worldwide Porsche amateur racers.

Alongside rally legend Walter Röhrl (69) Webber is now the make’s second representative. Both are distinguished by a successful racing career as well as by a huge affinity to Porsche.

 

[wowbaggerBR]

No more Webbah, no more Audi:

http://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/audi-to-leave-wec-at-the-end-of-2016-843080/

Man, this is just sad. Leaving to focus on F-E...

 

[Jezbollah]

Gutted

But understandable IMO. Given the 2018 regulations, emissions saga and the fact VW has (had) two brands racing LMP1s.

I hope they come back soon. Or maybe sell their cars to a customer team to run in next year's championship

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Wow, nothing indeed lasts forever, but even considering that there might well be a fire behind all the smoke of recent rumors, I can't say that I was at all prepared for this.

It will be quite a task to surpass Audi's achievements in contemporary sportscar racing, but here's to hoping that their leaving the sport might compel another manufacturer to fill the void.

I can't help but feel that Audi could only be succeeded, though. Never replaced.

 

[NHale]

The rumors said they were leaving at the end of next year. Such a shame because everyone involved believed they have the best package in the field besides reliability issues that were step-by-step being solved.

Porsche and Toyota is too little...

 

[NHale]

Unbelievable how #2 Porsche is still fighting for the title considering the number #1 has been dominant since the bad luck/stupidity at the start of the season that ruined their chances of repeating.

 

[bobnowhere]

There are some rumours going around that Joest will still run next year with the 2017 R18 chassis but with a straight petrol/gasoline engine instead of the hybrid. Seems unlikely but you never know.

 

[Silver Arrows]

The WEC wants another LMP1 team badly

The loss of Audi from the World Endurance Championship’s top LMP1 class affected far more than just the feels. After the conclusion of the 6 Hours of Bahrain, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest announced that the WEC has ditched a planned 2018 regulation revamp in the name of cutting costs.

The most visible targets of such cost-cutting moves are Peugeot and BMW, both of whom have hemmed and hawed around the idea of an LMP1 entry, but have claimed that rising costs in the class have prevented them from building one.

I seriously don't think, as much as the racing is leagues better then F1, that the WEC has much life left. The costs are spiraling out of control, and for the money that you are pumping continuously into WEC, you might as well head into F1. I wouldn't be surprised if manufacturers want to have a sports car team badly, they'll go GT3.

There can be some ways to prevent the death of the LMP1 class: mainly, making it so that privateers and even some of the works teams don't need the complex and finicky hybrid systems and just run on gas engines.

Then again, I heard through the grapevine that Fernando Alonso has all but confirmed that he wants to drive for Porsche, and there are a few GP2 and F1 young guns that are itching to get in, so who knows.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Then again, I heard through the grapevine that Fernando Alonso has all but confirmed that he wants to drive for Porsche, and there are a few GP2 and F1 young guns that are itching to get in, so who knows.

Sounds like it.

Taken from DSC:

“You’ve had a fantastic career and now all your success with Porsche. You didn’t wait for me there, it would have been nice but you’ll still be around and I will ask you many things when I join your adventure.”

 

[Silver Arrows]

Sounds like it.

Taken from DSC:

That's the weird thing about WEC at the moment though: with the leaving of Audi Sport and the spiraling costs making it prohibitive, it is looking like a storm is coming. Yet you have established F1 drivers wanting to jump ship, and GP2 and young gun F1 drivers wanting to join in on the fun because they know as well as the fans that sportscar racing is at it's best since the late 90's.

So which one wins out?