LeMans 2007 - A/C, Power Windows, CD Players Required!

Well, not exactly. But air conditioning will be a requirement of ALL enclosed cars racing in the 24 Heures Du Mans starting in 2007.

 

WRC cars have used it on many events for several years now.

Driver comfort cannot be over estimated. It's VERY influential on accidents.

 

Wasn't that the reason why Hunaudieres straight now features chicanes?

Drivers were at the risk of dozing off on the long straight... especially in the early morning.

 

No...

Cars used to reach 400 kmph or so near the end when there was no chicane and it got really dangerous with some cars taking off like airplanes. The chicane was put in to prevent those kinds of accidents.

 

Nope... sorry... the cars taking off like airplanes were the MB's... which did that AFTER the chicanes were implemented and these did that at speed of around 340 KM/H.

The real reason for the chicanes was actually the combination of cars going over 400 KM/H and the diminished "attention" of the drivers which made the ACO decide to implement the chicanes to limit the risks of cars crashing through the barriers at Mulsanne corner at 400 with the driver vast asleep...

 

The reason I'd read for the new A/C requirement was actually due to Audi's er...weight with the ACO.

The new R10 was going to come in a bit over weight. So, the word is Audi lobbied the ACO to require A/C systems to be mandatory on any closed toped LMP1 and LMP2 cars (not sure if the GT cars are included) as a safety measure. Now as that would give any open top car, that obviously doesn't need A/C, a weight advantage the ACO upped the minimum weight for open top cars. It seems the added weight just so happened to be about the weight of the new R10.

 

What a STRANGE coincidence that is....

 

Isn't the Air Conditioning lobby from Audi not just a precousion to avoid any complaints about the smell off their diesel fumes..............................

 

Hmmm... yes isn't it.

 

What a crock. A/C in race cars? What's next, cupholders? McDonalds drivethru in the pitlane?

You ever get the impression these ruling bodies have nothing to do all day...

 

But...
But...

The ACO is VERY busy these days... really... all those lenient rules for diesels take a LOT of time...

REALLY!

 

Well, seeing as temps can get well over 100+deg F in some of these cars regardless of outside temps I don't think it's a bad decision. Besides, I'd rather see A/C systems in place than power steering. But those have been in place for well over ten years now and no one seems to mind.

Who knows maybe a very clever engineer will come up with a much, much better system than is currently on the market. Then we’d actually have a case where racing actually does improve the breed…

 

Haha

 

So a future Ferrari owner will be able to say: this A/C will go from 100-50 deg F in 4 seconds flat!

 

Still temperature in the cockpit is a crucial issue. I believe to have heard (can't be too safe with your Le Mans statements these days........................) temperature was one of the main reasons Spyker transfered their Le Mans racer to a open GT. Although the engine was placed in the back, the aluminium transported a lot of heat to the cockpit. Another reason I believe was to get some more freedom in the regulations...............or perhaps a gut feeling of a future weight advantage!

 

I vote for drivers racing in Maybachs and selling seats.

 

A friend of mine who just purchased a NASCAR tells me how brutally hot it gets inside these cars. He got himself a cooling suit (kinda like what astronauts on EVAs wear with cooling pipes filled with cold water throughout) to have a bit more creature comfort.

Also ever watched the grid for a GT race in the summer? The drivers keep the doors open for some extra air. I can imagine 24 hours at Le Mans most be painful and if a "cool head" prevents some accidents because of less driver fatigue, so all for the better.