2018 24hrs Le Mans

[Sulland]

The 2018 edition is Live.

lets see if Toyota will win this year!

[Sulland]

I think it is a mistake to force teams to pit every 11th lap as max distance.
Teams have little room to make a strategy with tyres and fuel. But it becomes closer racing, as planned, but few changes in the field.

Maybe the teams need to get som joker stints, where they can do more laps. Mayne 5-6 joker stints in 24 hrs?

Or do anyone here have better ideas?

[MrJan]

Yeah limiting the laps takes away a really key part of the strategy, and without strategy there's no point in endurance racing. I didn't think it was bad last year, restrict flow and size of tank but let teams control how they work within that.

Not a sparkling race but it's got some interest, feel sorry for SMP who had one car having a 'mare and the other running quite well, then the one running well just sent itself to the wall.

[Tazio]

Let the conspiracy theories begin. Toyota #8 5 seconds a lap faster than #7!:eek:

[TMorel]

Last minute conspiracy... got to be a stop/go for the #8 for wheels spinning off the jacks. Toyota are really wanting to screw Alonso over right ;)

[Tazio]

Congrat's to Fred, and Co. :beer:

[AndyRAC]

Thoroughly enjoyed it; there may not have been an outright battle for LMP1 honours, but Le Mans is also about reliability, no matter how fast you are - as Toyota know to their cost.


I find the some of the new EoT rules slightly bizarre; you can't do too many laps, or use too much fuel or you get penalised - so a lot of strategy has been taken away from the teams.


However, great to see Toyota finally get a richly deserved win after so many heartbreaks; and good to see a driver like Alonso step out of his comfort zone - and be rewarded. Hopefully, it will encourage more drivers will try other disciplines.


Finally, it was nice to see the heritage liveried GT-Pro Manthey Porsche pair take a 1-2. A great idea, and a nod to their past; The Pink Pig (aka The Truffle Hunter) and the Rothmans car.

[turves]

I have seen on social media a number of posts saying the Toyota win was "hollow" due to a lack of LMP1 Hybrid competition. I thought this was going to be the case prior to the race starting, but looking in to it they went all out speed wise (I guess this was what they wanted to do to rebuff any such doubters). The #8 car did 21 laps more than last years winning Porsche, so they really weren't holding back.

[gm99]

The #8 car did 21 laps more than last years winning Porsche, so they really weren't holding back.

But last year's winning Porsche spent well over an hour in the pits at one point and rejoined some 18 laps down, if I remember correctly, so it's not really an accurate comparison.

[Sulland]

Most exiting fights in LMP2 and GTE Pro classes.
Alpine fighting to get close to the winning LMP2 but not quite.
And Porsche and Ford constantly swapping for the front positions for hours.

If now Toyota pulls the plug, after winning, we will get back to a simpler LMP1 car, that private teams can build, maybe we can have a real fight there as well.

All in all a good race!

[MrJan]

But last year's winning Porsche spent well over an hour in the pits at one point and rejoined some 18 laps down, if I remember correctly, so it's not really an accurate comparison.

21 laps is more than an hour, so the Toyota was still on a quicker pace, and that's against a Porsche that was really thrashing it over the last 4 hours or so to try and get to the lead. Different races and difference scenarios, but I don't think people can say the #8 was holding back, especially in Alonso's night quad-stint.

LMP2 decided after the race, G-Drive excluded for adjusting their fuel rig to gain about 6-8 seconds per pitstop (mounts up when there are 37 of them). They must be kicking themselves given they could have won on pace alone.

[epicalam]

Is there a better sound than that of Porsche engine Flat-6 takes??