Audi Withdrawn From LMP Category
#1
11-22-2016, 03:03 AM
Audi Withdrawn From LMP Category
You may like it or not ,you have to appreciate those guys at Audi Sports Team as they have showed us that many of us would think unthinkable can really be done in motorsports .
First Diesel win in Le Mans, successive podium occupations , first hybrid win , first LED Lamps and may other things .
18 years was like 50 years in terms of winning victories . They may not be the fastest team when Toyota, Porsche and Peugeot joined in Le Mans but save Porsche they proved that being the fastest isn't enough in Endurance Races.Your LMP Cars must be consistent and reliable too . That was what Audi had plenty of while others lacked and suffered from .
I honestly would like to see them in many races just like they did in American Le Mans finally WEC . They ended up WEC in fashion,style ,pace , and may be grace .Not only did they had the fastest lap but also achieved 1 and 2 on the rostrum at the end of the race .
Congrats Porsche on their WEC Trophies but big thank you Audi Team and looking to forward to seeing you soon in other LMP Races
First Diesel win in Le Mans, successive podium occupations , first hybrid win , first LED Lamps and may other things .
18 years was like 50 years in terms of winning victories . They may not be the fastest team when Toyota, Porsche and Peugeot joined in Le Mans but save Porsche they proved that being the fastest isn't enough in Endurance Races.Your LMP Cars must be consistent and reliable too . That was what Audi had plenty of while others lacked and suffered from .
I honestly would like to see them in many races just like they did in American Le Mans finally WEC . They ended up WEC in fashion,style ,pace , and may be grace .Not only did they had the fastest lap but also achieved 1 and 2 on the rostrum at the end of the race .
Congrats Porsche on their WEC Trophies but big thank you Audi Team and looking to forward to seeing you soon in other LMP Races
#2
11-22-2016, 04:00 AM
It seems to shock a few people that Audi is pulling out of the LMP and going to Formula E but there is a lot of politics in the upper end of motorsport. Especially in Germany, and especially now that Formula E is gaining some traction.
The German government has called for a ban on petrol and diesel engines, with their target date of 2030, and other countries like The Netherlands are also pushing for the same. Actually the Germans are lobbying for an EU-wide regulation along these lines.
The writing is on the wall. So makes sense that VAG would want to be an "early adopter" especially after the diesel emissions scandal.
As for Jaguar, they have announced several full-electric vehicles are in the pipeline and they've been spotted testing out on the road. There will be an all-electric XJ which is aimed right at Tesla, and an all-electric mid-size SUV as well (the I-Pace). So if you want to establish yourself as a credible electric vehicle company, Formula E is part of that plan.
Merc has announced a range of full electric sedans and SUV's are "in development", so getting involved in Formula E would make sense, I can imagine they are a bit reluctant though, given their dominance of F1, and you can bet that Bernie will do anything he can to protect his cash-cow, so keep an eye out for bullshit politics too..
BMW's already got the i-series and I think they have established themselves with a quality product, so they don't have to prove themselves that much, but they have partnered with the Andretti Formula E team, so they are in, if not as a full factory team.
Porsche has an all-electric sedan coming too, supposedly due in 2020, again aimed directly at Tesla's Model S. But being part of the VAG group, i don't know if they would put two brands on the grid.
I can't imagine Tesla getting into Formula E, not yet anyhow, they have gone for their own "Electric GT" series but being a one-make series I don't hold out much hope for it.
I expect that as more marque's jump on the Formula E bandwagon, and of course as the technology improves, it'll naturally develop into a bigger, more exciting series, but it'll take time.
LMP has been at the pointy end for some time, not unlike Formula 1 (but without the huge marketing bandwagon) but both are fossil-fuel burning series, if the future of mainstream automobiles is Electric as everyone says, you need to call it a day at some point, especially if you have the Dieselgate scandal hanging over you...
The German government has called for a ban on petrol and diesel engines, with their target date of 2030, and other countries like The Netherlands are also pushing for the same. Actually the Germans are lobbying for an EU-wide regulation along these lines.
The writing is on the wall. So makes sense that VAG would want to be an "early adopter" especially after the diesel emissions scandal.
As for Jaguar, they have announced several full-electric vehicles are in the pipeline and they've been spotted testing out on the road. There will be an all-electric XJ which is aimed right at Tesla, and an all-electric mid-size SUV as well (the I-Pace). So if you want to establish yourself as a credible electric vehicle company, Formula E is part of that plan.
Merc has announced a range of full electric sedans and SUV's are "in development", so getting involved in Formula E would make sense, I can imagine they are a bit reluctant though, given their dominance of F1, and you can bet that Bernie will do anything he can to protect his cash-cow, so keep an eye out for bullshit politics too..
BMW's already got the i-series and I think they have established themselves with a quality product, so they don't have to prove themselves that much, but they have partnered with the Andretti Formula E team, so they are in, if not as a full factory team.
Porsche has an all-electric sedan coming too, supposedly due in 2020, again aimed directly at Tesla's Model S. But being part of the VAG group, i don't know if they would put two brands on the grid.
I can't imagine Tesla getting into Formula E, not yet anyhow, they have gone for their own "Electric GT" series but being a one-make series I don't hold out much hope for it.
I expect that as more marque's jump on the Formula E bandwagon, and of course as the technology improves, it'll naturally develop into a bigger, more exciting series, but it'll take time.
LMP has been at the pointy end for some time, not unlike Formula 1 (but without the huge marketing bandwagon) but both are fossil-fuel burning series, if the future of mainstream automobiles is Electric as everyone says, you need to call it a day at some point, especially if you have the Dieselgate scandal hanging over you...