Le Mans 2019

Associate
Joined
25 Apr 2004
Posts
2,496
Location
Chelmsford
Was always going to be that.

Hence calling team orders and telling number 7 to hold station when they were by far the better car the whole race and were far more deserving of the win.

Yep 6 hours in, they had one of the drivers apologising on the Radio for overtaking the no. 8.

Radio Lemans was quite brutal at the end. But winning is winning, even if there is a stench surrounding how they got there.

I think the replays at the end will be telling. Bearing in mind the car did a lap at 0 psi tyre (said somewhere in commentary). 100+mph out of the pits may have had more dramatic result. Everyone else with a puncture seemed to have disintegrating tyres. The result won't change but there will be a big hmmmmm on this one.

Besides that the GTE was great. Shame about Aston getting crippled by the BOP penalty. Granted the tyre situation with them didn't help either.

The hypercar is interesting, does this mean that P1 is getting scrapped?
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Mar 2003
Posts
4,651
Location
Nottingham
We-e-ell...

A year at Minardi, five at Renault, a year at McLaren, back to Renault for two more, five at Ferrari then back to McLaren for another four (four in F1, he's still involved with the team now for Indy and brand stuff).

So he spent more time at Renault than Ferrari. And has somehow spent more time at or involved with McLaren as well even though they keep giving him far worse cars than Ferrari did at times :p

My apologies, I meant to make it a little more clear that I was being somewhat tongue in cheek about that.. Fernando International Assistance then? I mean, where was the "#7 is faster than you" call?
 

JRS

JRS

Soldato
Joined
6 Jun 2004
Posts
19,498
Location
Burton-on-Trent
My apologies, I meant to make it a little more clear that I was being somewhat tongue in cheek about that.. Fernando International Assistance then? I mean, where was the "#7 is faster than you" call?

Oh, I know. But I also know that there are still people here who post about everything being Yet Another Pro-Ferrari Conspiracy™ unironically, and it amuses me to hang a lampshade on it sometimes :)
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
39,945
#68 Ford GT disqualified. 4th place GTE Pro car (also their top placed car)

Fuel tank should hold a maximum of 97litres.
Held 97.83 litres.

[edit]

And it gets worse for Ford.

#85 Ford GT gets a 55.2s penalty. (GTE AM class winner)

Fuel rig delivered a full tank of fuel in less than the minimum 45 seconds

Drops it to 2nd behind the Project 1 Porsche.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
19,354
Location
South Manchester
And it gets worse for Ford.

#85 Ford GT gets a 55.2s penalty. (GTE AM class winner)

Fuel rig delivered a full tank of fuel in less than the minimum 45 seconds

Drops it to 2nd behind the Project 1 Porsche.

Gets even worse. Full DSQ for the fuel tank being 96.1L instead of the prescribed 96L.

ACO shooting themselves in the foot again.
 
Last edited:
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
39,945
Fair enough.

How is it the ACO's fault?
The rules were set, the teams didn't follow them. Looking at the decision, the team checked the capacity using the weight and and density of fuel, and didn't actually measure the volume. :oops:

Re-reading it, it was rechecked and found to be in excess of 96.1l without taking into account the amount remaining in the fuel tank. The team witnessed the second measurement, and didn't have any objections. It was against both the sporting and technical regulations.

*slow clap*

Well done Ford.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
39,945
With all FIA mandated sports, it is the teams responsibility to ensure the cars are legal at all points. Stewards can't check and don't check everything on every car. Look at F1, they do spot checks on randomly selected cars at various points over the weekend, with a slight more in depth one taking place on the thursday, and another more thorough check post race on the sunday. But even then, they can't check everything.

Remember that the Saubers were caught a few years back with rear wings elements that were curved too tightly. That was during post race scrutineering.

There's also the fact that these may have been new parts that were fitted after qualifying in preperation for the race? How are you going to completely inspect all 62 cars in undre 24 hours once the cars are rebuilt to race spec?

Now that 2 fords have been caught with oversize tanks, might mean they check the others closer now.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
19,354
Location
South Manchester
I understand the teams responsibilities. Can't give them some wiggle room otherwise where does it end?

Ignoring the usual accusations of the French playing politics, whatever the intricacies, it doesn't look good. World's greatest endurance race, 24 hour wall to wall coverage, big podium ceremony. 2nd year running it's a farce after they disqualified a class winner.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2004
Posts
18,141
Location
Hampshire
I understand the teams responsibilities. Can't give them some wiggle room otherwise where does it end?

Where does it end? What if you allow 96.1L and it's 96.2 is this now unfair? It's not hard for these guys, they can build everything else to the right spec that are a lot more complex than a fuel cell. Most teams spend all year to prepare for this one race, the rules are rules that everyone else has managed to follow.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
19,354
Location
South Manchester
Where does it end? What if you allow 96.1L and it's 96.2 is this now unfair? It's not hard for these guys, they can build everything else to the right spec that are a lot more complex than a fuel cell. Most teams spend all year to prepare for this one race, the rules are rules that everyone else has managed to follow.

Exactly. Ben Keating has said they should have left more margin for error.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/keating-responds-to-le-mans-disqualification/
 
Back
Top Bottom