WEC (World Endurance Championship) 2013

[Absolutelee]

Thanks a ton Zonk!!!!

[zonk]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEnUMuTCeOA[/youtube]

[Absolutelee]

OK this stuff is awesome, but I now I am forced to ask a slightly silly question. How does one watch Le Mans? I feel pretty safe to assume that people don't sit and watch for 24 hours. Do you just check timing sheets for your favorites as the day goes? Do you watch highlights later? Is there an infinitely better way that I haven't thought of?

Thanks

[machin]

if your partner's away you should have the TV on, a lap top showing the live timing and various Team video feeds and your phone showing the team twitter updates... for the whole 24 hours....

Or is that just me?

[zonk]

... While camping in Porsche Curves

[theblackangus]

I'm with the above posters. I love watching the full endurance races.
On TV for as long as possible then shifting to the computer live streams when TV coverage stops.
Some 5 hour energy, good food, and comfortable couch.
That's pure goodness.

[Absolutelee]

hmmmmm...might have to experiment on a day off

[RB7ate9]

If you do get a day off, there are several Youtube videos of the 24HLM as well as some other endurance races (ALMS, WEC).

[Absolutelee]

well today just happens to be such a day...

[Sombrero]

...

6 Hours of SPA-Francorchamps - Results and chrono

http://www.fiawec.com/races/6-hours-of- ... hrono.html

FULL RACE !

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIR5labvn4[/youtube]

[Pierce89]

I wish Toyota would run the new car so we could have a race.

[wesley123]

They did. The #7 was the 2013 spec, the #8 2012.

I only watched for the last 1.5 hrs but from what I have read the 2013 spec was decent.

Toyota's effort certainly isnt bad, and they sure have stepped the game up on the development race but overall their effort is a bit lacking. A 2 car effort is in no way going to match a 3 car effort of the Audi's, and overall they lack a bit of budget iic. I do hope that they'll bring on the fight to Audi at Le Mans, but I doubt that they will be able to do so. It is probably going to be a race between which Audi would take the top spot, and which Audi would take the other 2.

[TzeiTzei]

The 2013 car was in the fight for the lead at about midway through the race (because of strategy), but i dont know if it was fast enough to hang on there until finish. The 2012 car got lapped in the end. But it was a suprisingly good battle until the 2013 Toyota had to retire.

So far this year it has been quite obvious that Audi has the better pace, but they need to stop more often. They've certainly done something different with their engine. But it's going to be an intresting battle in Le Mans, where Toyota's fuel economy might be an even bigger factor.

The privateer LMP1s are a bit boring right now. Only the two Rebellions and Strakka. Nick Wirth's HPD doesnt seem to be fast enough anymore, and Strakka are also handicapped by having Nick Leventis in the car.

LMP2 is bit of a meh for me.

There was quite a good battle in GTE, but unfortunately the safety car affected that. The Astons and one Porsche didnt pit and lost about a minute letting the Ferraris to take the lead. After that it was a bit boring. Last year the Ferraris were pretty good with their fuel consumption but has the BoP affected that? They dont seem to have the advantage anymore. Aston Martin ofcourse gets a lot of help from ACO. Porsche's new car doesnt seem too bad. They have the pace but are struggling with the tyres and from the decision not to have a new direct injection engine. But i'm expecting the GTEs to offer exciting racing at Le Mans, as usual.

I must say i like the new WEC. More cars would be good but the free stream is excellent and commentary is good.

[Bomber_Pilot]

So far this year it has been quite obvious that Audi has the better pace, but they need to stop more often. They've certainly done something different with their engine.

They blow the diffuser.

[JMN]

So far this year it has been quite obvious that Audi has the better pace, but they need to stop more often. They've certainly done something different with their engine.

They blow the diffuser.

Don't think it's as simple as that although the long tail spec car certainly is doing something.

So, with it established that there is enough mass flow energy from the diesel exhaust to use it for an aerodynamic purpose but that you can't directly plumb the diffuser, so what can you do with it? A little more reading of the regulations took me back to the allowed openings and what Toyota was saying, wheel wells. The thought then fixed on, “...minimum gaps necessary for wheel and suspension part movements.” If you can't add any new holes, why couldn't you use any legal existing ones? For instance, could the exhaust be fired out the openings in the floor for wheel clearance? How could that work? What about via the Coanda effect? Was it possible to wick the exhaust stream up into the diffuser from the wheel well openings and influence the diffuser that way?
(...)
That might be overstepping the possibilities too much and for now I don't think that's what Audi is doing. I get the idea that they're doing something more pedestrian such as using the exhaust to fill in behind the rear wheel wake.
Source: http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsmarch13.html

The long tail car was particularly fast in sector 1 of Spa yesterday. If nothing else it makes sense if the exhaust i being used to reduce drag.