Le Mans courting disgruntled F1 teams
Every F1 fan knows that while these might not be the darkest days for F1, they are certainly distracting and annoying. Max Mosley's years of unilaterally implementing rules might finally break up the F1 band, sending eight current teams into a breakaway F1 series or a different series entirely. If that happens, the people behind Le Mans have thrown open their doors to those poor, huddled masses.
Remy Brouard said that not only would Le Mans organizers welcome former F1 entrants, it would give them a voice in drafting regulations. "If they want to make proposals," he said, "we will listen." Among the possible breakaway teams, Ferrari, Renault, BMW, McLaren and Toyota all have experience in F1, and the first four have won the race. As much as we don't want our F1 to burst, a 2010 Le Mans grid with those five entrants plus Audi, Peugeot, and Aston Martin would be nothing short of outstanding.
[Source: Autosport via Motor Authority | Photo Credit: Fabrice Pluchet]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jsams4131 9:21AM (6/14/2009)
I'd love to see an LMP1 Ferrari in Le Mans..just the thought makes me shiver
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Redline 9:30AM (6/14/2009)
I second that.
sparrk 10:26AM (6/14/2009)
me too, Ferrari vs Audi vs Aston Martin vs BMW vs other big names would be more appealing to the viewers than some unknown teams racing some low budget 2.4l engines.
Richard 2:29PM (6/14/2009)
I agree as well. But, it is tough to do! The value of 24 hour of Le Mans pales in comparison to months of the glob-trotting F1 circus.
But I do think that the F1 participating manufacturers should walk away from the series, run their own and leave "Spanky" Mosely whip in hand.
Soccer Mom 9:40AM (6/14/2009)
They should just pack up and launch new series, something like F01 or F0 or F1.v2
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Sam 9:43AM (6/14/2009)
Their sponsors would love the exposer that 1 race gives them compared to 16.
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Joe K. 9:54AM (6/14/2009)
Because none of those teams would want to run at Sebring, Daytona, Road Atlanta, SPA, or Silverstone....
Proud Japanese 10:32AM (6/14/2009)
Le Mans =/= ALMS
Joe K. 5:10PM (6/14/2009)
No, but the Le Mans series includes those races and if you are going to run one of the events you may as well run in the others associated with it, which are the races I listed. ALMS has different races, like Laguna Seca, etc That I didn't list.
sparrk 5:14PM (6/14/2009)
i think they are trying to make a global Le Mans series , US+Europe+Asia , that would be great.
Affalterbach 10:01AM (6/14/2009)
With the 2010 F1 entries list released by FIA, is there really any chance of seeing these teams at LeMans?
Plus, right now is still too late to properly develop P1/P2 cars for LeMans. Ferrari might produce GT2 entries, but the rest won't be able to.
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MAXLD 10:01AM (6/14/2009)
As we seen this year, Le Mans regulations give much more room for development than F1... and in 2011 the rules of LM are going to demand new general laws about engines and fuel tanks that will surely help the petrol engines to compete more directly with the Diesel ones. Because let's face it: brands like Ferrari (and others) are not likely to enter Le Mans with Diesel engines... and with the present rules, there is no chance in winning it without one. So, in 2011 there will be new challenges to the teams, they will figure out new technologies to make the cars more efficient and reliable... that's exactly what real cars need... and that's really what motorsport is all about.
I think the organization of Le Mans is doing a very good job and it would be great to see more official brands in the competition. This year we saw the lack of exciting around the first places, and more brands like Ferrari in LMP1 would be great to shake things up. Ferrari doesn't like to loose and I really hope they return in 2011 with a very strong car. Others F1 teams/brands could follow and accept the challenge to compete in the most demanding sport of them all.
F1 is follow WRC... both are dying. Once more the FIA dinosaurs are messing with the regulations/events and I believe the teams will eventually shut the door and go elsewhere invest their money.
A world championship of Le Mans Series (it's being planned) would be a great opportunity to invest and seriously improve technologies and implement them on everyday cars. We need more developments... not closed regulations.
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Proud Japanese 10:31AM (6/14/2009)
Had Ferrari accepted the budget caps, there would have been looser regulations in F1.
Movable wings,
no rev limits
4 wheel steering
etc
Proud Japanese 10:29AM (6/14/2009)
Le Mans only happens once a year. The F1 teams will need to find somewhere else to race regularly.
I for one would be glad to see the back of manufacters from F1. Teams like Ferrari, Renault, BMW, Toyota are only there to sell cars. They don't care about the racing.
I don't think it's a coincidence that they start throwing their toys out when they find themselves at the back of the pack.
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Franz 10:38AM (6/14/2009)
The 24 hour race is a once a year event. What about the rest of the series?
dagomonster44 11:52AM (6/14/2009)
Le Mans is a series , the 24 Hours of Le Mans is just one race with i that series.
Joe K. you're wrong also, why would those teams not want to travel to Daytona or Sebring, when they travel to places like Turkey and Bahrain? regardless of where the race is, teams like Ferrari and Renault are dedicated to winning, they will travel to where the race is held in order to win.
The Hit 7:06PM (6/14/2009)
"I don't think it's a coincidence that they start throwing their toys out when they find themselves at the back of the pack."
Is it a coincidence when BrawnGP is one of the teams threatening to pull their "toys"
Joe K. 5:12PM (6/14/2009)
Dagmonster44, sarcasm may have been included in my earlier response, I'm not sure though...
Val 11:14AM (6/14/2009)
why is everybody assuming that these teams will leave many years of experience in building F1 cars and jump to building prototypes, where it will take them probably 5 years to catch up with Lola, not even Audi and Peugeot? Isn't it like, more logical, that they would offer the teams to continue doing what they are doing, just away from Max and Bernie? Mercedes and BMW had some experience in endurance racing, but it is a totally different ball game, compared to a one and a half hour open-wheel racing. And besides, the audience for F1 is so much bigger over the world than the LeMans series, bigger even than the "24 hours" itself...
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Jsams4131 1:32PM (6/14/2009)
errr does a car by the name of Ferrari F333 SP ring a bell as to if ferrari ever built a prototype race car?...
Ferrari has their finger in just about everything when your take into account their total history.