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Tyler and Matt are back to bring you Episode 74 of the podcast which has a very strong motorsport theme… News from WEC as Audi, Toyota and Porsche get ready to do battle in the world of endurance racing. An interesting start to the 2014 Formula One championship is discussed. Peugeot have announced that they will re-enter the legendary Dakar rally. All of that as well as the latest from the world of WRC.
Enjoy!
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It is very much part of the unpredictable ebb and flow of motorsports that most racing series go through periods of dominance at some time or another, where one team or one particular driver seems to be constantly a step or two ahead of the completion. On two wheels, Giacomo Agostini staked his claim to being the greatest motorcycle rider of all time by winning seven back to back world championships from 1966 to 1972. Sébastien Loeb and Citroën’s nine year stranglehold over the WRC is a feat that will probably never be surpassed, whilst in Formula 1 Michael Schumacher led Ferrari through an era of such dominance in the early 2000’s that fans actually started to accuse the sport of becoming ‘too boring’.
And so the same has come to pass in the oldest race of them all, the 24 hours of Le Mans. Audi, thanks largely to a perfect recipe of revolutionary diesel engineering combined with the unparalleled talents of Danish racing mastermind Tom Kristensen, have reigned supreme over the endurance classic for the best part of a decade. However, rule changes for 2014 will test their resolve to the maximum as other manufacturers grow ever hungrier to topple them from their perch.
This season, Toyota will be one of the teams in pole position to do just that. The car on which they will be pinning their hopes will be named the TS040 Hybrid and has been unveiled to the public in the South of France ahead of the official championship testing season. In order to take the fight to Audi’s recently released R18 WEC, Toyota’s new machine can call on a total of 986bhp via the combined 513bhp 3.7 litre V8 petrol engine and a 473bhp all-wheel drive hybrid motor. This represents a significant evolution from last year’s 3.4 litre TS030 Hybrid which managed second place. New regulations limit teams to using 25 per cent less fuel than in 2013 and therefore place greater emphasis on hybrid power and energy recovery systems. Indeed, Porsche’s claim that they will be able to harvest up to 8 megajoules per lap through a two-pronged kinetic and thermal energy recovery system has already laid down a significant marker to the rest of the field.
The Japanese outfit retains the same squad of drivers for 2014, with Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Kazuki Nakajima sharing the No7 car and Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi piloting the No8 machine.
The TS040 Hybrid has already completed 12 days of testing across Europe and will now enter the final few weeks of preparation in the run-up to the start of the 2014 World Endurance Championship season on 20 April at Silverstone. The main event itself at Le Mans gets underway on 14 June.
Audi have dominated the world of endurance racing for over a decade. The Germans have won the famous Le Mans 24 hour 12 times and it would have been 9 times in a row if it were not for pesky Peugeot in 2009. Audi want to retain their Le Mans crown but with strong competition from Toyota and now Porsche, their 2014 Audi R18 WEC has to be one of the most capable cars racing has ever seen.
Audi revealed to the world their new car in race trim complete with updated livery. However, they have decided to backtrack on a technology that regenerates energy lost through heat. The system, MGU-H, is just like that found on the 2014 specification Formula One cars, but the team will not use it as planned due to reliability issues. Instead they will stick with their tried and tested kinetic energy recovery system that can harvest 2 megajoules over a lap. Their competitors, and in particular Porsche, are expected to be recapturing 6 to 8MJ per lap. This potentially puts Audi at a disadvantage but they say that the increased reliability and fuel efficiency of their new turbocharged 4.0 litre V6 diesel engine will prevail.
The 2014 Audi R18 WEC reignited tradition as it was driven through the streets of Le Mans before being shown to the media.
Endurance racing is the ultimate test for any piece of engineering. Every component from things as big as a pistons to as small as a wheel nut has to function without failing under extreme load for prolonged periods. The Le Mans 24 Hour is arguable the worlds most famous race and this year Porsche return to an event they once dominated. Today it is Audi who rule the World Endurance Championship, but the Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 hopes to upset that.
The Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 racer complies with the latest regulations that will see this class of car utilise their hybrid systems to a much higher level. The engine in the 919 is a direct injection 2.0 litre turbocharge V4 petrol engine. Revving to 9,000rpm one of the two cars will be piloted by ex-Red Bull Formula One pilot Mark Webber. The new Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 is rear driven by the combustion engine, but has temporary all wheel drive when the electric motor is activated to drive the front wheels.
Racing drivers are very much in it to win it. Not a single one of them turns up to a race aiming for second place and so to be at the top of your game is as rewarding as an ice cold drink on a hot day. Allan McNish is one of Audi’s star drivers for their LMP1 campaign in the World Endurance Championship, but he has recently announced his retirement despite masses of success.
McNish is a true racer through and through starting out in karts and even having a spell in Formula One. A Le Mans veteran, Allan has won the prestigious race twice and finished on the podium many times. His most recent victory this year has elevated him to the pinnacle of his career. So why is he leaving? “I’ve always said I wanted to stop at the right time, when it was right for me and also when I was still fast and capable to do the job. This year was a mega successful one, it ticked all of the boxes” says McNish. It takes a lot of guts to leave the sport you love at the “right” time and I think everyone can respect his decision. McNish is looking for new challenges and it may well be the case that we see him in something else four wheeled and fast soon!
Endurance racing is a real challenge of both man and his machine. For the metal it is a prolonged stress test where it must work at peek efficiency from formation lap to chequered flag. The flesh and blood that pilots these fine creations must endure the g-forces generated whilst maintaining complete focus lap after lap. Motorsport is dangerous, it says it on every ticket sold, but it was only earlier this year that a driver lost his life at Le Mans. This sport pushed all of its ingredient to the limits and champions Audi have just shown off their new toy for 2014.
Starting its testing program at Sebring in America, the 2014 Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro aims to be every bit as successful as its hybrid forefather. With the 2014 regulations allowing for substantially more energy regeneration, from 500KJ to 8MJ, this R18 has a keen eye on efficiency. Limited details are known at this point but the Germans promise to reveal all at the end of this month.
Mark Webber is no doubt one of the top drivers in Formula One. His consistent results and experience make him a valuable asset to any team. In 2010 he came very close to becoming world champion only to be pipped to the post by his younger team mate, and at that time rising star, Sebastian Vettel. There have been plenty of “disagreements” between these two with cars colliding and team orders being ignored. This could well be a big part of why Mark Webber is leaving Formula One.
Mark has signed for the new Porsche World Endurance Championship competing team and shall pilot this car in 2014. Porsche could clearly see Webber’s value in his experience not only in F1, but also his previous involvement’s in sports car racing. Obviously this leaves a vacant seat in the dominant Red Bull Racing team, but as to who will take that place, all we have to go on is speculation. Mark Webber said “I am very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula One. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world.”
Porsche are to take on sister team Audi at events such as the Le Mans 24 Hour next year.
The World Endurance Championship, or WEC, is an event a growing number of manufacturers are looking to join. The technology involved in winning races has direct relevance to road cars in their light weight materials and fuel saving measures. The crown jewel of these races is the legendary LeMan 24 hour, an event of prestige and great history. Porsche set their sights on the top step.
2014 shall see Porsche’s return to LeMan as they shall field a top tier LMP1 prototype race car. The car itself turned its first wheel weeks earlier than expected. Head of the LMP1 effort, Fritz Enzinger, said “Our newly formed team has worked with utmost concentration on getting this highly complex vehicle on the track as soon as possible. This allows us a few additional weeks for more testing and further development. From 2014, the regulations are primarily based on efficiency. This makes the competition amongst engineers more interesting and presents us with completely new challenges.” Though clearly enthusiastic, the question is will the Porsche team be allowed to challenge the dominant fellow VW group member Audi? The answer is yes according to the VW Group motorsport boss.
With Toyota being a real challenger to Audi last year and an innovative effort from Porsche in 2014, endurance racing is hotting up!
Last week we heard the news of Peugeot pulling out of endurance racing with immediate effect. It was a great loss as this variety of sport lost a key player that over the years has provided titanic battles against arch rival Audi. Will Audi now rule the roost? Toyota’s big come back makes the answer not as certain as the Germans would like.
Making its debut, this is the Toyota TS030 Hybrid. Set to compete in the LMP1 category in a multitude of races, the Japs are back! Legendary machines have spawned from this manufacturer and the TS030 is set to follow them out on track. Powered by a 3.4 litre V8 and an electric motor, this racer hopes to be seeing much less of the pit lane for re-fueling.
The cars inaugural race will be at the Spa 6 hour event and later in June the team will run two cars at Le Mans.
Endurance racing is some of the toughest in the world. These epic events have created many motorsport legends including Toyota’s GT-One. The 3.6 litre V8 racked up two class wins and became a performance icon. The Japanese firm intend to recreate their success with an all-new LMP1 car.
Aiming to be seen in the pits as little as possible, thanks to a hybrid drivetrain, the racer will enter numerous events in 2012. The car is to be run by Team Oreca, one of the only private teams to see success against in-house outfits. Oreca will of course be taking their new toy to the legendary Le Mans 24 hour race. How it competitive it shall be remains to be seen.
