[WEC Sportscar & GT Championship 2018-2019]

[MonteCristo]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Great for LMP1!

[erwin greven]

Alonso Tipped for Bahrain Test With Toyota

Fernando Alonso is likely to make his LMP1 debut in next weekend’s Bahrain Rookie Test, with the two-time Formula One World Champion tipped to test with Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Multiple sources have indicated to Sportscar365 that Alonso is close to confirming a deal with the Japanese manufacturer for the Nov. 19 test, in what could be a precursor to his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in 2018.

Alonso, who was recently confirmed to take part in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona with United Autosports, has made no secret of his desire to contest the French endurance classic in his bid to win the unofficial ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsport.

Regarding the possibility of Alonso joining the team for the test, a Toyota spokesperson said: “we have no comment on this speculation.”

Toyota technical director Pascal Vasselon told Sportscar365 last weekend in Shanghai they are not currently in a position to finalize drivers for next year, as its return to the FIA World Endurance Championship for the 2018/19 ‘Super Season’ has not yet been confirmed.

It’s widely believed the manufacturer will again mount a two-car full-season effort, as indicated in recent comments by Toyota Gazoo Racing team president Shigeki Tomoyama, who said they will “probably continue” to race in LMP1.

Alonso would join Thomas Laurent for the single-day test, occurring the day after the WEC season finale, with the 19-year-old Frenchman having been selected by the WEC to drive a Toyota TS050 Hybrid.

The Bahrain Rookie Test has a history of attracting ex-F1 stars.

Robert Kubica took part in the the test last year, in a ByKolles Racing CLM P1/01 AER, while Juan Pablo Montoya took the wheel of a Porsche 919 Hybrid in 2015.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/alon ... th-toyota/

[kals]

Sweet! Hopefully a prelude to a Le Mans attempt.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bentley launch new for 2018 GT3

Sadly the new car will launch at Monza so the Bathurst 12 hour will see the current model used

[DoubleFart]

Fernando Alonso is set to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours for Toyota next season, BBC Sport has learned.

And the McLaren Formula 1 driver's talks with Toyota have extended to the possibility of Alonso doing most of the World Endurance Championship in 2018.

No contract has been formally signed yet but sources say that the Le Mans deal, at least, will happen.

Alonso will drive the Toyota WEC car in a test in Bahrain on 19 November, the day after this season's final F1 race.

"Le Mans is agreed," said a source close to Toyota. "The rest of the season is still being negotiated but it looks like he will do most of the races."

[Everso Biggyballies]

Le Mans this year fits in between the Spanish GP the weekend before, and Monaco the weekend after, so no F1 clash.

[Antonov]

Le Mans this year fits in between the Spanish GP the weekend before, and Monaco the weekend after, so no F1 clash.

are you sure? The Spanish and Monaco GP are usually May dates, while Le Mans is +- 21 June (so as to make the night as short as possible).

[erwin greven]

It will be held between the Canadian and the French GP. June 16-17 2018.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Whoops I got confused with the months.I looked up Le Mans and transferred it to May in my mind. Senior moment!

[erwin greven]

I think you got confused with the Indy 500.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Ill leave as just confused in general!

[erwin greven]

2020 Prototype regs could take 1990s inspiration



The 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship and, possibly, IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, could take a page from the 1990s when the next set of top-tier prototype regulations are finalized.

Extremely early discussions on the replacement for the current LMP1 class in 2020 have included questions as to whether the 'silhouettes' fielded by Porsche with its 911 GT1 from 1996 [pictured above in 1997], and Mercedes, with its 1997 CLK GTRs and the acrobatic 1999 CLRs [below], would bridge an interesting visual gap between GT cars and prototypes.

A move towards something that mirrors IMSA's P2-based Daytona Prototype internationals could also come to pass, and there's always a chance the 2020 prototypes will look identical to the current P1 and P2 cars in action this weekend at the WEC finale in Bahrain.

The gamut of possibilities, from retro to status quo, will continue to be developed by ACO technical director Vincent Beaumesnil and his Le Mans-based team, along with the ACO's partners at the WEC in Paris and IMSA in Daytona Beach.

"It is only the beginning of these discussions, and too early to make any statements," the Frenchman told RACER. "We are looking at where we are and where we might go. The opportunity to evaluate bodywork that looks more like road cars—you have to explore this.

"This idea seems to be something people like. We will take this under consideration, but we are not at the state to explain what will happen. You have so many ways to make this look, and we have to take time to explore it properly. Any possibility of which style will be [chosen] is too premature to say."



The crushing costs to field the ACO's LMP1-Hybrid prototypes have led to the hasty rethink on where international prototype racing should be taken when the existing cars are retired after the combined 2018/2019 'super season.'

A DPi-style compromise, where the hundreds of millions currently required for manufacturers to play with hybrid P1s becomes tens of millions – or less – is where the ACO/FIA/IMSA trio is most likely headed.

"We have two challenges we face," Beaumesnil continued. "The first is to make the next two seasons strong. We do not have all the entries for [the combined 2018-2019 'super season'] but we know there are projects on the way and we are very optimistic. And then we have to build the future. We are too far from any decision [on 2020 regulations] but want to have an image of what to evaluate. The real work to decide on what we will do in the future will start in the coming weeks. Everything we have discussed so far has been informal. This is where we are."

If the ACO ratifies a GT- or DPi-style look as the new global prototype standard with the WEC and IMSA, and provided the cost to build and field those cars is within reason, there could be some brands in the WEC's manufacturer-rich GTE category, and IMSA's complementary GT Le Mans class, that reevaluate their GT programs.

Working from the same premise that it's too early to make any declarative statements, Beaumesnil did concede that when it comes to restoring the health of its leading prototype class, depleting the GTE/GTLM ranks to do so is not what he wants to see.

"If there is any [2020 prototype] growth, it should not be from the GTE category," he said. "We do not want to reduce GTE, of course."

Stay tuned for more details on the next-generation prototypes after all parties, including numerous auto manufacturers, weigh in and reach a common direction for future prototypes.

"The bodywork of an LMP1 car can be so many different options in this next stage," Beaumesnil said. "It could be like a GT, could be like a LMP1, and this has been evaluated at all times, even 10 years ago. At this stage, we are open."

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/1 ... nspiration

[Cheeveer]

Djeez, give privateer LMP1 a chance already! Deciding on a drastically different LMP1 right now is way too early.

[erwin greven]

Indeed. Changing the rules constantly won't attract privateers.

[erwin greven]

Alonso gets first taste of LMP1 in Bahrain



Fernando Alonso completed his first laps in Toyota's LMP1 car during the World Endurance Championship's rookie test at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain on Sunday morning.

Alonso's outing in the TS050 HYBRID was mooted for several weeks, as he explores the possibility of a 2018 Le Mans seat, and Toyota confirmed his presence late on Saturday evening, following the Bahrain WEC finale.

After the #8 car was given a shakedown by Bahrain winner Sébastien Buemi, Alonso, wearing predominantly plain overalls, got his first taste of the car.

Alonso ultimately completed 37 laps during the morning session, as he got to grips with his surroundings.

Alonso worked his way down to a time of 1:43.709, 1.5 seconds down on Buemi's benchmark, and half a second shy of fellow LMP1 debutant Thomas Laurent, driving the #7 car.

Timo Bernhard clocked the fastest time for Porsche, a 1:40.244, before handing the #1 car over to Formula V8 3.5 champion Pietro Fittipaldi, his prize for winning the single-seater championship.

Fittipaldi racked up 22 laps, his best a 1:43.301, leaving him four-tenths in front of Alonso.

https://www.gpupdate.net/en/le-mans-ser ... n-bahrain/

[erwin greven]

Toyota Confirms LMP1 Return for 2018/19

Toyota Gazoo Racing confirms return to FIA World Endurance Championship ‘Super Season’…

Toyota Gazoo Racing has confirmed its return to the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, with the Japanese manufacturer committing for the entire 2018/19 ‘Super Season.’

The announcement came from team president Hisatake Murata in Sunday’s end-of-season awards ceremony in Bahrain.

It ends months of speculation and hints that it would likely continue with its Toyota TS050 Hybrids into next season, despite facing no direct LMP1 hybrid competition following Porsche’s exit.

Toyota Gazoo Racing President Shigeki Tomoyama revealed last month that they were “looking to stay” in the championship, despite the depleted manufacturer involvement.

Toyota joins confirmed privateer entries from SMP Racing, DragonSpeed and Manor in the top prototype class next year, with additional LMP1 non-hybrids expected in the new-look category.

Drivers have yet to be confirmed, although technical director Pascal Vasselon told Sportscar365 this weekend that it would likely come in January, during the the manufacturer’s annual motorsport event in Tokyo.

It’s understood the team is unlikely to again field three cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyo ... or-201819/