Other members of the press had a meeting with the ACO at Fuji at which it was revealed there was significant interest and progress. So much so the ACO were meeting additional manufacturers at their request. The outline regulations have already been passed by the FIA. I guess you need to read elsewhere to get the full story.

LMP2 is cost and technology capped. Aimed at privateers. Bringing in manufacturers would destroy the field which is expected to top 20 in ELMS next season.

IMSA can do as they wish. But for your information DPI is 90% FIA LMP2, they of course allow FIA spec LMP2’s, GTLM is FIA GTE, and GTD is FIA GT3. Even support series are using FIA cars like LMP3.

The only entirely homemade class in recent years are the original DP’s.

Toyota, Aston, Oreca, Dallara are some of the ones we know are highly likely to be there from the start. The ACO have made over half a dozen presentations to OEM boardrooms and been invited by three addional OEM’s who where not on the original list. The regs are framed to make it easier for teams to enter after year one and be on the pace.

OEM’s, constructors and suppliers agreed on the outline regulations a few weeks back. These have been passed by the FIA and the final release will be in December. This was all revealed by the ACO/FIA at Fuji to certain members of the press.

The target race laptime is 3.24-25. That’s 5-6 seconds quicker than a P2 race lap.

Ugh isnt know imsa p dpi and p2 and wec already is p2

Also you forgot caddy

Zak Brown, a marketing man, has a great penchant for talking a lot and getting McLaren in the news. That’s his job.

Problem is, when that talk isn’t backed up by action (why are the orange cars still predominantly orange?), or results, people will start to question, then ignore you and your cries of “wolf!”

F1 is McLaren’s core business, and has seem hard times before (recall the Peugeot and customer Ford days), but at least there was some confidence that that team could pull itself out of the hole. This team, which has been given a pass largely due to Honda’s failings, perceived or real, hasn’t produced a competitive car for years, and, like its rival Williams, has fallen out of the upper echelon.

Did anyone really take its sports car program seriously, jumping with both feet straight to P1, when it hasn’t even deigned to field a WEC or IMSA effort?

OEM participation in meetings and strategy roundtables is fine, but merely that, talk. They don’t represent commitments. That’s the bottom line.

Until McLaren, or any other “explorative” OEM, shows up on the grid, it’s essentially meaningless.

IndyCar fans have already tired of the McLaren/Brown/Alonso soap opera. The WEC should hope that this pronouncement will spare it and its fans the same, but it’s in a much more desperate situation, so don’t be surprised if the string is still dangled in front of the media to try to maintain relevance.

(BTW John D., no musings on the latest draft incarnation of the P1 regs?)

LMP1 cars are allowed to develop. The issue wiyh p2 cars is that yhey stayed the same when the dpi’s got better. P1 cars can have engine tweaks, new fuel maps, different suspensions, new aero,etc, throughout the season just like dpi’s.

DPi has OEM support from 3 whole manufacturers. The Nissan effort is very half-hearted and Mazda as well as Acura are going to lose interest within 2 years.

nascar and gm will have it all locked up by then and no one else is gonna want to come in to the caddilac-shit-show.

And yeah, I am showing my anti-gm bias which any TAXPAYING American should be showing. If not, you nothing more than a welfare supporting rat.