Automobilista 2 May 2024 Development Update - The Road to V1.6 Pt1

This is right. Although it hasn't been said publicly and there was this big "announcement" about how IMSA welcome LMDh and LMH cars, IMSA has insinuated behind closed doors that they do not really want LMH cars in their series. For a few different reasons. The politics of the cars and the BoP, performance, adds a whole new dichotomy to the series. Just like DPi was a single set of rules series, they don't want to split up the LMDh single set of rules. The manufactures and teams that have already been running IMSA had some scoff too.

According to the rules proposed though, LMH is eligible, But it's like trying to sit at the cool kids table in grade school. Not impossible but also not easy. Personally I think it would make for good racing, I think some aspects of IMSA include laziness and a longing for tradition.

 

I think it would be a win-win for Ferrari and IMSA. I also think every other team in IMSA is scared that they will get their asses soundly kicked and the only way they will accept the 499P is if it is given a totally ridiculous BOP which is why Ferrari isn't in a hurry to join

 

The 296 is doing fine and perfectly competitive. They should be happy with that at least. Where does Risi get the resources to run a 499 though? Privateer? I still don't think we'll see a 499 but hope I'm wrong.

 

There is a LMH joining the IMSA grid next year. The Valkyire.

 

It will be nice if it materializes. I don't think anyone is holding their breath but it looks promising.

https://www.imsa.com/news/2023/10/0...n-weathertech-championship-gtp-class-in-2025/

 

I'll say this much, Aston are very much expected to join IMSA GTP with Heart Of Racing next year. It'd be more shocking for them to suddenly pull out of IMSA if anything, atleast to those active in the sportscar racing community. Oh and on broadcast (international feed) during the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen the president of IMSA flat-out said he wants Alpine to join IMSA.

There are a few reasons why we haven't seen any LMH's in IMSA, the biggest one is that IMSA only wants major car manufacturers to join GTP. So no Glickenhouse, no Vanwall, and no Issota, which is something I think is really silly and should be changed. However, I don't think the reasons Toyota, Stellantis, Ferrari and Alpine haven't joined are IMSA's fault.

Toyota already have a strong foot-hold in the US with NASCAR along with a Hypercar that is still fast enough to snag podiums and wins, so not much is in it for them. Stellantis has made it very clear with Dodge that the only think they're interested in here in the states is drag racing, though if Total is willing to fork up the dough to have a rebaged 9x8 in IMSA that very well might change. With Ferrari I imagine they don't see IMSA as "worth it" especially with how much success the 499P has already had, they'd rather invest more into WEC rather than using that money to fund an IMSA GTP program. Regarding Alpine, maybe it's because their mainly known in Europe, though I know that's starting to change. However, as I stated before IMSA openly wants Alpine to join.

Maybe Ferrari doesn't want their butts-whooped by Porsche in two separate series

Edit: orginal picture was unintentionally misleading

 

Yes Aston is expected but again, they can also do what they want and if the money isn't there or it's not viable, they could cancel the program. Their Valkyrie has been leading up to this point all along and everyone would love to see them here but lets wait until that happens first because shady stuff has been known to thwart efforts before.
Alpine has an LMDh car, just like Geenie has an LMDh car. They are welcome and "fit the mold". Alpine is on pace to fit the regulations for class entry due to more production cars being available to us here in recent time. From IMSA criteria:
"LMH can race in GTP, but none have so far. LMH manufacturers still need to meet IMSA's criteria for participation. They must sell cars in North America, and must have global annual production of 2500 road cars."
So no, you won't see Glick or Vanwall or Isotta Fraschini. It's not that silly seeing as these just aren't manufacturers that really sell here much or at all. Alpine will be racing in IMSA coming up as soon as they meet the criteria. I guess there's positives and negatives to having a whole slew of GTP cars trying to battle on track with LMP2's and GTD cars. Could be a mess, maybe why the restrictions. However there are teams that are only doing the 3 (I think) endurance races.

 

Ferrari had a won race taken away by a liberal interpretation of the rulebook at Spa. Otherwise that was an undisputable 1-2 and the classification would be different. Appeal is still pending on that race by the way so the standings aren't yet final...

 

And Ferrari won at LeMans in large part due to luck with the #50 not getting an unsafe release penalty and being able to run 2-3 full-speed laps with the door open, which is what got them the winning strategy to begin with. You win some and you loose some, that's motorsports and I wouldn't have it any other way. Ferrari 100% deserved the win even though I feel how they got it was unfair, but at the end of the day they crossed the finish line first. I'd much rather have a team win on the track rather than behind the scenes politicking, taking away a win from a driver will almost always feel gross to me, and should only be used in extreme cases of cheating where one or more of the drivers are actively involved in said cheating.

 

I mean Ferrari has won LeMans both years since they came back, fair play to them and they were pretty quick at Imola and Spa, but were not the fastest at Qatar nor LeMans. Let's wait and see how the rest of the season unfolds to see whether the IMSA guys should be "scared" of them.

 

Yep, winning on the track and no politics. And that's the reason for my love/hate relationship with the BOP. Really love how it can make for excellent racing and close competition, really hate how it can hamper the fastest and better engineered car and make them do behind the scenes shenanigans.

Toyota is my favorite team, but even I believe they must have made some clever car setup sandbagging to go from Qatar to probably the fastest car in LeMans, it just doesn't make sense. The overall power to weight ratio didn't change that much to have caused such a difference.

 

All I'll say, it's not an accident Ferrari wont twice in a row, and on their debut, no less. BOP or no, the cream rises to the top.

 

Attempt to post a GIF failed.

 

i'm itching for pt. 2 man

 

Agree about the best rising to the top, you can see that even in spec series, the teams with the best drivers and engineers are consistently on top. But on a BOPed series there is always that lingering feeling of this/that could have been different if x team hadn't x BOP, or was that team sandbagging to get a favorable BOP (FordGT2016 and I believe Toyota this year), so that's why I am not the biggest fan, but also acknowledge it has its benefits.

 

F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5...

 

lool yeah i'm in the same boat. The excitement I got to see that something was new... oh it's someone else hoping there is something new

 

I can reveal that Renato will say V1.6 arrives in July….. 2025 and no updates until then

 

Well if we want to start with pointing out issues from others:

• Qatar BOP was egregiously botched bi FIA/ACO giving Porsche 2s advantage over the next fastest car (Peugeot) in race pace. It's enough to check the fastest laps in race trim with all Porsches seconds faster than anyone else.
• Spa was a theft: it has never happened in endurance (where time keeps going under red) that a dead race gets reset. While we may appreciate the ingenuity for those who paid the ticket, it is unheard of in the history of endurance, it is clearly pushing the rules in an area of total uncertainty because there is no clear statement in the rules for when the race director is allowed to exercise this "unlimited" power. I expect that this same approach will be used from now on on any race no matter how long was remaining on the clock otherwise it remains a "Masi" style abuse of the rulebook. We all know it will not be the case. It was a one off and will largely remain that. Nobody knows why.
• The door of #50 was closed after the normal procedure of assessment: anybody remember what happened with Porsche #12 at Spa and how long they were given before being called to the pits? Exactly the same time if not more, allowing them to finally win. But since it was more than 2 weeks ago everyone already forgot about it.
• I would really avoid discussions on BOP, but suffice to say that just before the 24H Ferrari was handed over a negative 3% power differential with Toyota above 250 kph that was instrumental in making Toyota the fastest car on track (check this site for full analysis Le Mans data analysis, part 2: Picking apart driver averages ), hitting Ferrari on the strongest point for which they probably pay a competitive price in other tracks where more downforce is a favorable approach
• There was no dangerous release of #50 because it remained in the acceleration lane and did not cut across the incoming traffic in the fast lane, they subsequently slowed down and let it pass. Unless you come across and force them to slow down to avoid you there is no violation. This is really wishful thinking from those who really wanted #50 not to win

All accounted for, with a legitimate race win (1-2) taken away at Spa, a race binned at Imola and a race with completely botched BOP there are less than 10 points distance. Obviously we need to see what happens in the next races (I doubt Ferrari will not be handed over more penalizing BOPs going forward, considering even the one at Le Mans wasn't sufficient) but surely it currently speaks volumes about how naturally fast the car is compared to the competitors.

 

Same here, F5 every hour since yesterday. Hope its coming soon and 1.6 will be release at the same time