New Aston Martin GTE Car Confirmed for 2018

Aston Martin Racing are preparing to take the wraps off their new GTE contender, based on the replacement for the current Vantage road car, later in the summer. Whilst the official channels remain tight-lipped on plans, an understandably ebullient David Richards confirmed the new car on air at the end of the Le Mans 24 Hours to Radio Le Mans in the immediate wake of the current car’s win.

The first 2018 development GTE car is understood to be under construction at the team’s Gaydon base.

New BMW M8 Testing at Lausitzring

BMW’s new for 2018 M8 GTE car meanwhile has had its first shakedown with the MTEK team that will run the factory’s FIA WEC effort next season. The team thus far are understood to have been drilling with a BMW M6 GT3 mule but will progressively transfer their training to the new car as testing progresses.

The first car ran this week at the Lausitzring, a large, low slung long wheelbase GT coupe, looking physically bigger than any of the current FIA WEC crop.

Who’s Next?

And there are strong suggestions that plans for a third new GTE car may emerge later this year too with a brand not currently represented in the FIA WEC understood to be preparing an announcement, though a full FIA WEC effort would likely be for 2019 at the earliest.

Porsche Machinations

Porsche is set to make important decisions about its future motorsport programmes at a board meeting on 28 July which is set to feature full review of programmes and future options.

Part of that, will be evaluating its LMP1 Hybrid programme, in particular, whether or not it should continue after the end of the current season.

Porsche’s recent appearance for the first time at a Formula One technical group, plus increasingly frequent media reports in Germany suggesting that the company is actively considering an early entry into Formula E, have poured doubt over the company’s commitment to its current plan to continue in the LMP1 Hybrid class of the FIA World Endurance Championship until the end of the 2018 season.

Porsche confirmed that level of commitment back in 2015. But since then its three wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours (2015-2017) and a double win in the FIA World Endurance Championship to this point, plus the withdrawal of Audi Sport from the WEC in the wake of the VAG ‘Dieselgate’ scandal, have led to questions about the relative value of the programme in the short-term against other available motorsport options.

The announcement of the 2020 regulations are also a factor in the decision. Whether Porsche feels it would benefit on an R&D level from the incoming plug-in hybrid technology being introduced and the development of the current breed of hybrid technology being curbed, and if the budget can be curtailed in the process, remain to be seen.

Porsche though, stresses that the upcoming 2020 regulations, and the potential for other manufacturers to join in (mainly Peugeot), could be enough to justify continue the programme in future years.

During Le Mans week, Porsche LMP1 head Andreas Siedl said: “I think with what the ACO have announced today (the 2020 regulations for LMP1) is going in the right direction for the future.

“There’s some good elements like the fast-charging electric motors, active aerodynamics.

“We keep the high-voltage technology, the two systems which still helps all of us to develop hybrid technology – which is relevant for our Mission E concept car that gets launched in 2019. We have great examples from direct tech transfer from the 919 Hybrid into that project.

“The leadership is clear from the ACO and FIA. They have the vision in which way it will go, and I think it’s good.”

If this is the case though, then the options are as follows, continue to the end of the current commitment, until the next regulation cycle in 2020, or change direction at the end of this current season.

Whilst even the closest sources to the story confirm that no decision has been made at all on the future at this point, the very fact that the discussion is being had at a senior level is pointing to a negative outcome for many seasoned industry observers.

Toyota

For Porsche’s competition, the presumption in some areas that any decision from Porsche to terminate its programme would necessarily see Toyota following suit though, seems far less firmly based.

Toyota’s LMP1 Hybrid programme is far more closely linked with the development of future road car R&D than Porsche’s technology & marketing based model. The team have already made heavy investments in the race technology required to compete both this season and into 2018 and, not least, the sporting imperative for the programme is clear – to win at Le Mans.

And Peugeot!

Meanwhile Peugeot’s ‘will they – won’t they?’ story continues to bubble along.

After Le Mans Peugeot Sport’s Bruno Famin was quoted widely in French media in response to the announcement of the suite of new LMP1 regulations from 2020:

“There has not been any changes: we are still interested.

“Endurance racing is the best for a constructor that wishes to test its innovative technologies.

“We must take a deep look into the regulations that were released before we can take a decision.

“As a last resort, President Carlos Tavares will make that call this autumn.”

Further reports in the French media have also reported that Peugeot has made a small number of senior engineering appointments in their motorsport department.

2018 WEC Calendar Set for CoTA Release

The 2018 FIA WEC calendar looks set to be revealed at CoTA in September with the announcement also set to confirm whether the advanced discussions over a major shift in qualifying format for the GTE cars will occur as early as next season, a qualifying sprint race format now looking like a probable move to increase exposure for the GTE factory teams.