Courtesy of motorsport.com https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/ferrari-at-negotiating-table-for-2020-21-lmp1-regs-1035091/ Ferrari GT racing boss Antonello Coletta told Motorsport.com: "We are around the table with the other manufacturers, but we can't say if we are interested or not interested. "We need to understand what is happening, but if the new category is not so expensive, a lot of manufacturers could be interested."
Would be nice to see it happen. All manufacturers in one class would be ideal. Spend as much or as little as you would want. Keep it out of the smaller classes that independent team's run in.
It isn't going to happen. They like to play this game to get people (FIA and ACO) all riled up and then nothing. I would just like to see them have more of a factory backed presence in GTE/GTLM. It was a bit disappointing not having a Ferrari in GTLM last week at Mid-Ohio to cheer for.
... or at Long Beach a race or 2 ago. But, I started a thread about no Ferrari @ Long Beach, and I was pretty much ridiculed for even bringing it up!
They need to focus their resources on winning an F1 WDC/WCC given this decade long drought. No need to dilute their resources with LMP1 or other series imo.
Ferrari is one among all the GTE manufacturers which are invited to attend the meetings as to what the next LMP1 will be. Putting Ferrari out there as "back to LMP1" is a misnomer as Ferrari has never entered LMP1 opting instead to compete in the GT classes. Ferrari's last dalliance with top level sports car racing was with the 333-SPs of the mid to late 90s mainly in the IMSA WSC series. Now, Ferrari have made overtures towards looking at LMP1. At Le Mans a couple of years ago, Ferrari had made it known that there was going to be a big announcement made on the Friday before the 24 Hours to the gathered media. The intended effect was that Ferrari was going to announce a LMP1 program, making F1 nervous, and this forum lit up like a Walmart parking lot. But, as it turned out, the scheduled press conference was cancelled at the last minute and things returned to status quo. What ever rules package the ACO and FIA come up with, at least they're now consulting the manufacturers, their inclusion in the discussion is a good thing. Should the ACO and FIA come out in favor of a more silhouette formula a-la the FIA GT of the mid to late 90s, that may encourage some huge participation as it seems now nearly every manufacturer is producing a hybrid Hypercar and it would be great to see them racing against each other in genuine World Championship points paying races rather than on the covers of car magazines. BHW
Splitting hairs but (you know, my genetics...) Ferrari can't be "back to LMP1" as it never has run an LMP1 . Back to top level sportscar racing, yes. 'Would be nice, but 'not counting me chickens on this one.
I've been saying it since the early naughties, the ACO should adapt a "Supercar" formula such as the FIA GT had in the mid-90s. The manufacturers came to the FIA GT by the droves (McLaren BMW, Porsche GT1, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, some of the coolest racing machinery ever made) and yet the ACO flatly rejects the "Supercars" or "Hypercars" which is what people really want to see. Had the ACO switched to a "Supercar" formula, it would have saved GT1. Instead, the ACO put up such a fight against the entry of the Risi Competizione Maserati MC-12 that the ACO nearly pulled the plug on their licensing agreement with the ALMS. Poor Atherton had to fly back and forth to Paris to negotiate a deal wherein they'd allow the MC-12 in but only after being heavily restricted with extra ballast and not eligible for points rendering the car all but impotent. The FIA GT came to the U.S. in 1997 running at Sebring and Laguna Seca. Many still point to the FIA GT event at Sebring as the best event to ever take place there (despite the monsoon rain that hit the race) and it's hard to disagree. Now, imagine every "Hypercar" manufacturer had the opportunity to showcase their car against their direct competition on the world's biggest stage. Do we think Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, Pagani, Aston Martin, McLaren, Toyota/Lexus, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, et.al. could ignore this? Lets see them race in a genuine World Championship points paying championship with Le Mans as the center piece instead of on the covers of Motor Trend, Road & Track, etc. and lets get on with life already. BHW
You can say F1 is a joke, it has its issues as any series, but in terms of fans and attention F1 slaughters WEC. There's one real LMP1 car in WEC, GT is good, the rest is mediocre. The new prototype rules may change that but as of right now I would not say WEC is better than F1.
If Marchione puts his threats to execution and leaves F1 at the end of 2020, there is a slim chance that Ferrari could switch its efforts to Le Mans and the WEC. Their kind of budget ($1/2M+ per year spent in F1) could surely insure some success in endurance. But the formula would have to suit Ferrari, and at the moment the LMP1 regulations don't look attractive.
Yikes!!! Scary! We agree. (Don't fergit the FIA GT came back in'98...but, albeit 'soaked, it was good to see 'em at Sebring; not so good in Homestead)
Yea I agree with this. And I would cut the green **** out - it's marketing, it will never be a big thing here.
Never going to happen, but I'll leave this here as a cruel nod to what might have been, with credit to Damon Moran: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hmph. 'Looks like a GTE Pro NFGT with a few extra louvers and fin...... Image Unavailable, Please Login
I didn't flip it, just copied and pasted the addie (6th row, 2nd from right. https://www.google.com/search?q=new+ford+gt+at+lemans&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjGnKHcjI3bAhVLwVkKHW47DqsQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1440&bih=790 'liked the shot and size.). Good question tho'....it just made me think of the Ford for some reason...'don't know why. :shrug:
Honestly I would welcome a new GT1 type format to replace LMP1. The issue is though we need manufacturers, many, to make it worthwhile and will they sell customer cars?
There is a chance Ferrari will start in the GTP category from 2020? The successor of 488 will be a hybrid, this could be a good GTP car base i think.
Hybrids in sports prototype racing is a lousy idea. Whether called GTP or LMP 1, upper echelon sports prototype cars always price themselves out of the competition. Initially, they draw in manufacturers who then want to beat each other's butts, and this creates a golden era that is fondly remembered. But one-by-one, as most manufacturers spend cubic boat loads of money yet fail to win, they bail out. Then you are left w/ one manufacturer which is subsequently legislated out of existence to make the racing more affordable. It happened with Porsche in Can Am, it happened with Dan Gurney's Eagle-Toyota GTP cars, and it just happened again w/ Le Mans P 1s. Most prototype racing fans could care less about hybrid technology in racing, and if it arrives the costs will sky rocket. What then will happen with the long-time stalwarts like Wayne Taylor Racing, Visit Florida Racing (aka Spirit of Daytona), The Whelen team, etc? POOF! Outta here!
With all due respect, what have the above to do with FIA/WEC/Le Mans? You don't really think NASCAR...errrr....'scuse me....IMSA's gonna' join high tech racing, do you? How long did it take to get rid of carbs? The dumbarse ugly DPs? I'm not in favor of hybrids but I sure as heck ain't got a worry about it over here.
The best days of hybrids in sports car racing are well ahead of us. Like it or not, manufactures are moving in this direction in ever increasing rates, taking what they're learning from racing and passing it to their road-going divisions. Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid is a perfect case in point. BHW
