WEC (World Endurance Championship) 2013

[WhiteBlue]

First I thought it was pointless to keep the #1 in the race after a 47 min stop. But Audi managed a rather nice point haul from that entry as well for the WEC 2013. I doubt anybody will catch them in the manufacturer stakes.

[Holm86]

Nice win for Tom. 9 wins is extraordinary. Don't think that record will be beaten any time soon.

Also a great gesture to dedicate his victory to Allan.

[Absolutelee]

Random question: I was doing some reading today post-race and I learned about the garage 56 rule. Anyone know where I can find a list and/or descriptions of past garage 56 entries. When I google looking for it all I get is talk about the Delta Wing from last year, the withdrawn Hydrogen car from this year, and Nissan's electric entry for next year. Thanks in advance.

[wesley123]

You only find those because there only are those. The Delta wing was the first

[Absolutelee]

Oh ok haha. I thought it was a more traditional/historical rule. Thanks.

[TzeiTzei]

I have mixed feelings. So sad about Simonsen, so glad that le mans was once again the best race of the year for me.

It wasnt much of a contest in P1. Audi all the way and Toyota were there just to take advantage of Audi's problems. I really hope that the new regulations bring the privateers a little closer. Now the gaps are so big that they are just also rans. It was suprising that P2 didnt offer more excitement.

GTE is a bit of joke right now. What happened to the domination of Ferrari from last year? BoP happened. Porsche have prehistoric engine, Aston Martin have a prehistoric car and still they were miles ahead of the Ferraris. That's ACO favouritism for you.

[Steven]

Safety car #10!

Am i the only one thinking the safety car rules (three safety cars, cars not allowed to leave pit until the next safety car group has passed pit exit) and the need to repair the barriers after every impact is killing the racing this year and highly influencing car position on track?
It seems as if the barriers used are different to what has been in use before. Total safety car time is now 4,5 hours, which was mainly caused by the need to repair the barriers.

The first safety cars following Simonsen's crash was extremely detrimental for some of the LM GTE cars. The Ferrari from Fisichella for instance was stuck in the second SC group and was a full 2 minutes behind when the SC left the track. That really was terrible incompetence from the organisers. If you then have different moments of pitstops and get a second SC, you may find yourself a lap down only due to the SC sequences.

As for the barriers. I guess it is time for a bit more tyre walls. I still cannot believe there were no tyres at Tertre Rouge, it may have saved a lot of misery. Tyre walls also help protect the barriers, reducing the possibility of them breaking and requiring lengthy repairs.

In general I didn't think it was very exciting, although I did watch about 12 hours (in between a slept a little bit and ran a 10km race). It was confirmed again that the trio in Audi #1 are the strongest drivers, and that McNish / Kristensen are perhaps on their way back. Neither of them managed to impress me. I'm happy with Toyota's performance, although I think their driver line-up wasn't even close to the driving quality at Audi.

[hollus]

FWIW, Tom Kristensen raced knowing that a friend had just been killed and passed in front of that spot about 100 times. Talking to danish TV immediately before the podium ceremony he burst into crying. Under the circumstances, I think he did rather well.

[WhiteBlue]

As for the barriers. I guess it is time for a bit more tyre walls. I still cannot believe there were no tyres at Tertre Rouge, it may have saved a lot of misery. Tyre walls also help protect the barriers, reducing the possibility of them breaking and requiring lengthy repairs.

Tyre walls are not as good as TechPro barriers, but they are definitely better than naked guard rails. I hope the ACO reviews the use of crash zones and energy absorbing barriers in the light of this tragic accident. I know that they do not have as much money as F1 has but something must be done.

[Saribro]

That section is also limited in options, I would presume, by being public road that's still accessible by said public between sessions. It's an extra complication.
A rethink is in order, but I have no doubt it is already underway.

[Tim.Wright]

The solution seems reasonably straight forward to me. There is loads of room to have a tyre wall of 5-6 layers thick if its not desired to cut the trees down or modify the road or guard rail. Fair enough for a road circuit.

I would only put them in the area where Simonsen hit though because its likely to be a more head on impact. Using tyres further downstream towards the straight would likely see an impact at a shallower angle. In this situation the tyres are bad because they don't allow a glancing blow, instead they stop the car dead and spit it back out onto the track.

[WhiteBlue]

Using tyres further downstream towards the straight would likely see an impact at a shallower angle. In this situation the tyres are bad because they don't allow a glancing blow, instead they stop the car dead and spit it back out onto the track.

That is why TecPro barriers are superior to tyre barriers. They do not easily get penetrated and allow for wider angles of deflection.

[timbo]

FWIW, Tom Kristensen raced knowing that friend had just been killed and passed in front of that spot about 100 times. Talking to danish TV immediately before the podium ceremony he burst into crying. Under the circumstances, I think he did rather well.

Jacky Ickx was also visibly distressed at the ceremony. I guess that reminded him of all the tragedies of his days.

[stefan_]

Usually I'm not getting emotional too easy, but seeing Tom and Jacky (Jacky being one of my all time heroes & favourite drivers) before the podium and on the podium was very moving.

[timbo]

Usually I'm not getting emotional too easy, but seeing Tom and Jacky (Jacky being one of my all time heroes & favourite drivers) before the podium and on the podium was very moving.

Yes, to me also.
You could sense the spirit of a racing camaraderie!