2023 Sportscar Discussion - WEC/ELMS/AsLMS

Juihi · PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2023 8:52 pm

Schumifan wrote:

Juihi wrote:

So Le Mans tickets went on sale at 10am CET, I joined the queue bang on 10, and it took 2 hours to get through, and by that stage everything except General Admission had sold out which I'm a bit pissed off about because I was keen on grandstand seats

If it's any consolation, both times I've been we didn't have grandstand seats and we didn't feel like we were missing out. There are GA viewing areas right next to all the grandstands and quite a lot of places which are GA only with no grandstands, and you'll want to be moving around to check them all out anyway. If you want to be on the start/finish straight for the start/finish then take a deckchair and find a spot on the concrete steps in front of the main grandstands (does get very full though so you need to get there early).

I went in 2010 with just GA which was all good, I just worry that given how popular the event is nowaday, it'll be difficult to get spots. But man, I'm just gutted I didn't even get a chance of getting the grandstands even though I tried to buy as fast as I was allowed

Schumifan · PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 11:31 am

Juihi wrote:

Schumifan wrote:

Juihi wrote:

So Le Mans tickets went on sale at 10am CET, I joined the queue bang on 10, and it took 2 hours to get through, and by that stage everything except General Admission had sold out which I'm a bit pissed off about because I was keen on grandstand seats

If it's any consolation, both times I've been we didn't have grandstand seats and we didn't feel like we were missing out. There are GA viewing areas right next to all the grandstands and quite a lot of places which are GA only with no grandstands, and you'll want to be moving around to check them all out anyway. If you want to be on the start/finish straight for the start/finish then take a deckchair and find a spot on the concrete steps in front of the main grandstands (does get very full though so you need to get there early).

I went in 2010 with just GA which was all good, I just worry that given how popular the event is nowaday, it'll be difficult to get spots. But man, I'm just gutted I didn't even get a chance of getting the grandstands even though I tried to buy as fast as I was allowed

Ah fair, it was busy but manageable last time I went in 2017, I know it's got busier since then but fingers crossed not too much worse. Hope it works out alright for you!

Juihi · PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2023 9:22 pm

So looks like it's more or less completely sold out :8:

amq55 · PostPosted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 12:53 pm

José Maria Lopez moves to the Lexus and is replaced by De Vries.

Schumifan · PostPosted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 2:39 pm

Juihi wrote:

So looks like it's more or less completely sold out :8:

They talked about this on this week's Midweek Motorsport. Sounds like most of the grandstand tickets went during the ACO members pre-sale, so you may not have really had a chance

Juihi · PostPosted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 8:52 pm

Schumifan wrote:

Juihi wrote:

So looks like it's more or less completely sold out :8:

They talked about this on this week's Midweek Motorsport. Sounds like most of the grandstand tickets went during the ACO members pre-sale, so you may not have really had a chance

That makes sense. Just mental how popular the event is now!

RtN · PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2023 5:08 pm

Alpine's drivers for next year include Mick Schumacher, Crown Prince Ferdinand, Lapierre, Vaxiviere, Milesi and Chatin.

https://racer.com/2023/11/22/alpine-com ... ec-lineup/

amq55 · PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2023 7:47 pm

And Kubica moves to the Ferrari hypercar.

nicko23 · PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2023 9:36 pm

First test for Kubica today :

Juihi · PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2023 10:00 pm

Ok, it's not the F1 car, but it's cool to see him finally get a factory Ferrari drive

deggis · PostPosted: Thu Nov 23, 2023 12:31 am

Juihi wrote:

Ok, it's not the F1 car, but it's cool to see him finally get a factory Ferrari drive

His seat is likely in the soon to be confrimed 3rd car run by AF Corse in partnership with somebody.

amq55 · PostPosted: Fri Nov 24, 2023 1:48 pm

Marciello moves to BMW, probably to drive the LMDh.

fede999 · PostPosted: Fri Nov 24, 2023 9:27 pm

deggis wrote:

Juihi wrote:

Ok, it's not the F1 car, but it's cool to see him finally get a factory Ferrari drive

His seat is likely in the soon to be confrimed 3rd car run by AF Corse in partnership with somebody.

Possibily a Richard Mille sponsored entry. I hope Alessio Rovera will get a seat in that car. He really deserves it.

RtN · PostPosted: Fri Nov 24, 2023 9:36 pm

Kelvin van der Linde will drive one of the GT3 Lexus'.

--------------------

The full line-up of the third Hypercar Ferrari is now believed to see Bobby Blackman and Yifei Ye join Bobby K.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/11/ ... ffort.html

amq55 · PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2023 11:42 am

Provisional entry list released.

4 Porsches, 3 Ferraris, 2 Toyotas, 2 BMWs, 2 Alpines, 2 Peugeot and 1 Lamborghini, Cadillac and Isotta.

https://sportscar365.com/wp-content/upl ... _27.11.pdf

fede999 · PostPosted: Mon Nov 27, 2023 3:00 pm

RtN wrote:

The full line-up of the third Hypercar Ferrari is now believed to see Bobby Blackman and Yifei Ye join Bobby K.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/11/ ... ffort.html

With Rovera set to drive in GT, Shwartzman would look like an obvious choice after his positive rookie test.

But if this rumour proves to be true, it means that Lilou Wadoux won't race in WEC this season.

A bit underwhelming for somebody who had been announced as an official works driver just one season prior.

EDIT: unless she's moving to F1 Academy in Ferrari colors, but that's pure speculation on my part...

Juihi · PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 3:06 am

https://www.fia.com/news/wec-14-manufac ... d1Wiiq8NAk

Interesting seeing McLaren and Ford included in the list of GT3 manufacturers for WEC next year as I'm pretty certain in order to get a GT3 entry you have to commit to Hypercar... (hence why Mercedes were denied). I know a McLaren Hypercar is pretty certain to be on the way, but Ford would come as a pleasant surprise!

Ospif1 · PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 9:57 am

Guess the ACO had enough of By Kolles.

amq55 · PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 10:33 am

Ospif1 wrote:

Guess the ACO had enough of By Kolles.

Yeah, even though they had struck a deal to use Glick's old engines, the ACO had none of it. They may be back in 2025.

deggis · PostPosted: Tue Nov 28, 2023 5:59 pm

Juihi wrote:

https://www.fia.com/news/wec-14-manufacturers-and-record-number-hypercars-headline-2024-entry-list?fbclid=IwAR1UdREX8xPxP24ux6Ik-ClJ0hHbT7OB0gZbgYXOzX6OfTtpWd1Wiiq8NAk

Interesting seeing McLaren and Ford included in the list of GT3 manufacturers for WEC next year as I'm pretty certain in order to get a GT3 entry you have to commit to Hypercar... (hence why Mercedes were denied). I know a McLaren Hypercar is pretty certain to be on the way, but Ford would come as a pleasant surprise!

Hypercar entry is not a written rule and even as an unwritten rule clearly not very strict because of McLaren and Ford. The list of criteria is pretty ambiguous:

Quote:

The Selection Committee will have freedom and full power on the
choice of the registration files to participate to the Championship.
At its sole discretion, it will be able to use, amongst others, the
following criterion, listed in a non-exhaustive way, without priority order:

o Track record;
o Interest for the Championship;
o Regular participation at the World Endurance Championship
or at the 24 Hours of Le Mans;
o Financial and legal situation with the ACO, LMEM or the FIA
or their surroundings and their partners.

However there is another limitation (also not written) and that is that GT3 entries in ELMS and 24LM are limited to GT3 OEMs in WEC. Which will potentially create a bizarre situation with auto-entries, if e.g. Mercedes was to gain an auto-entry via Asian Le Mans Series.

TBK-Light.com

2023 Sportscar Discussion - WEC/ELMS/AsLMS

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