Aston Martin LMP1

[lofty]

David King want's to bring Aston back to LM.All the big teams are having meetings with the ACO/FIA future regs.They want LMPs to look a bit more like their road cars but not too much like DPs.Aston need to decide F1 or LMP1.What a decision after their last AMR1.One of "the big teams" is an undisclosed Asian maker (could that be Jaguar?).

[Jason]

I believe the F1 project is just a badging exercise, (I stand to be corrected by those who know better) There is, after all, some cachet about being in F1, but I do feel that sportscars are their spiritual home.

A lot of manufacturers want to bring their hypercars to run at LM, can you imagine the McLaren Senna up against an AM Valkyrie? But that is the direction I think the top class will be heading, back to a GT type class. LMP2 needs help. Merge P1 and P2, or remove the hybrid factor - not popular for Toyota, but where is their opposition this year?

[geoffd]

I think Astons are thinking of an engine for F1 rather than a car, depending on the next set of regs.

As far as I understand it there are no plans for Hypercars to run at Le Mans as such, they all cost too much. I think the plans are to have some sort of road car design cues in the next LMP1 regs.

[Jason]

Wouldn't be a bad thing, remember when Peugeot(?) ran their LM car with a detuned F1 engine

Good point on the expense, but can wish 
Road car cues makes a lot of sense, would hope its subtle cues otherwise we possibly could be returning to the hyper GT1 cars of the late 90s early 2000s

[Kristof]

Aston in F1 is pure marketing as it's a rebranded Renault engine.  Can't see AMR going into F1 as an egine supplier now they're moving on to Mercedes AMG engines for their own cars.

We'll know the next regs for wec & LM in June.  I just hope the French won't f*ck it up as they did last year.  If they slash the pirvateer times again, it's over and done woth LMP1.  Guess LMP1 with a spec hybrid system should be on the cards as this is could have the attention of several manufacturers.  Also keeps Toyota happy who insist on continuing with hybrid LMP1's.  A cost capped spec system can also be available for customer/privateer teams and might be used in IMSA for the DPi's. 

No hyper cars in LMP1 for me, should stay as a pure prototype class. Not really a fan of the "gt-shaped" lmp's as they raced in the end of the 90's/early 00's.

[geoffd]

Aston in F1 is pure marketing as it's a rebranded Renault engine.  Can't see AMR going into F1 as an egine supplier now they're moving on to Mercedes AMG engines for their own cars.

Both wrong.

The engine in the Red Bull is branded by Tag Heuer, the link up between Aston and Red Bull is about technology and marketing.
I presume you mean AML not AMR being an engine supplier, Andy Palmer of AML has already said that if the regs are right then there would be an opportunity for them to build an engine.  Although I guess that may be in conjunction with someone like Cosworth.

[lofty]

Hypercars are go. Aston and Toyota want to play,Ferrari interested.Glickenhouse to make anouncement soon.

[lofty]

Zak Brown reckoms Mclaren are in Hypercars are go.

[jimclark]

Hmmmmm....deja-vu all over again.....