The Nürburgring bans factory lap records

So apparently we will stop seeing all these factory lap records after recent crashes have caused newly imposed rules and restrictions.

 

http://www.apex-the-movie.com/blog/2015/6/...ned-lap-records

 

his week, the management group overseeing Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife moved to ban manufacturers from attempting and publishing timed laps on the famed, 13-mile course. For car enthusiasts who judge modern sports cars by how quickly they can round the circuit, it’s an unthinkable, if not wholly unexpected, turn of events.

 

For Christian Von Koenigsegg, it’s even more disappointing; the news comes just days before he was to spend a week at the circuit with the new Koenigsegg One:1 hypercar in hopes of setting a lap record. It’s part of Koenigsegg’s three-year plan to establish the One:1 as the fastest production car in the world.

 

It was early Tuesday morning when I received an urgent phone call from Christian. In two days, I was to jump on a plane with my team to capture the Koenigsegg lap-time effort for our upcoming 4K documentary, APEX, which we’re producing in conjunction with Sony. This is the final chapter in a storyline that follows the past three years of auto manufacturers battling it out for technological dominance in producing halo cars for the next decade, cars including the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and Ferrari ThethetheFerrari. All have shown what they’re worth on the track, but the Koenigsegg One:1 has yet to do so.

 

Now we have a new story to tell: The Nürburgring benchmark of sports-car superiority has come to a screeching halt, and the Koenigsegg One:1’s place on the leaderboard is in jeopardy. We’d been on stand-by to fly across the Atlantic (on moments’ notice) to capture Koenigsegg’s attempt. This time, helicopter crews were ready to go, logistics were sorted, and travel was booked. The sudden notification from Nürburgring management couldn’t have come at a more inopportune moment for everyone.

 

The decision to ban timed laps stems from an accident earlier this year at a VLN race, involving driver Jann Mardenborough, in which a spectator was killed. Track management reacted by imposing a speed limit at Flugplatz, where the crash occurred. Since then, management has imposed further restrictions in other high-speed sectors. This is a particularly disappointing development for Koenigsegg, since the One:1’s flat-out speed in those sectors would likely have given it a lap-time advantage. In Tiergarten, for instance, a long, fast section where Christian estimates the One:1 could easily hit 300 kph, speed is now restricted to just 200 kph.

 

Official word from Nurburgring management is that these restrictions will be reviewed at the end of the year, but for the time being, manufacturers like Koenigsegg are banned from attempting lap-time runs — even if they’ve rented out the entire track for themselves. The Koenigsegg team and the One:1 are now stuck in a holding pattern. They have a car that’s ready to attack the northern loop. Their simulations and data suggest they’ve got a good chance to best their competitors. Even Koenigsegg’s past track data suggests their best segment times, when stitched together, would undercut the Porsche 918’s official 6:57 time by double-digit seconds.

 

But there’s a twist to the story. After the initial restrictions were in place, Lamborghini ran its new Aventador SV and published a sub-seven-minute lap time. Nürburgring management claims Lamborghini’s attempt happened one day before they issued the latest round of restrictions. Yet at the same time, WTCC laps have been allowed to ignore all speed limits all together? What’s the deal? We’re investigating.

 

So what’s next for Koenigsegg and our film, APEX? The helicopter crews are ready, the One:1 is ready, but we don’t have anywhere to run the car.

 

Is there a new benchmark to be set? Should nearby Spa Francorchamps, another long, high-speed track with motorsports provenance, become the new venue for lap time tests? Maybe a stateside circuit like the four-mile West Grand course at VIR would fit the bill? What about setting an endurance record? Let the Reddit car forums march with their keyboards and pitchforks.

Taken off of facebook from the top comment on Car And Driver:

 

"German track freezing lap records to enable a German car to keep the all-time lap record. Something smells..."

 

Maybe it's not the case, but when you take into account that Lamborghini scored that time in one go on the Nurburgring in a 15 minute window after Porsche had been there for two days, it kind of makes sense. Maybe I'm overanalyzing.

 

 

The pussification of the world continues full steam ahead.

The pussification of the world continues full steam ahead.

 

 

That's EXACTLY right,

The pussification of the world continues full steam ahead.

Exactly. Today's record is tomorrow's mediocre; I'm sure they aren't locking in a German record as that is incredibly short sighted.

The pussification of the world continues full steam ahead.

I would not call it pussification when this happens

 

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/...ln-nissan-crash

I would not call it pussification when this happens

 

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/...ln-nissan-crash

 

Tragic, I feel terrible for the victim and the family, of course I do I am not heartless but there is a simple solution to that, don't allow spectators unless you can make the place safe for them.

Should we ban every event and/or venue where spectators and/or performers got injured or killed? We would be left with watching scrabble or chess perhaps.

 

The issue I have with this approach is that everything that's fun and exhilarating gets its life sucked out of it in order to "bubble wrap" and protect everyone, the truth is you can't protect everyone and to take such drastic measures is counterproductive.

 

I see this nonsense almost everyday in particular in my industry.

The pussification of the world continues full steam ahead.

 

:iamwithstupid:

The pussification of the world continues full steam ahead.

F*king WORD! How lame can we become!

The pussification of the world continues full steam ahead.

there is a simple solution to that, don't allow spectators unless you can make the place safe for them.

Exactly. Or allow people to take known risks and force them to accept liability for their actions. Wild concept, I know.

I would not call it pussification when this happens

 

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/...ln-nissan-crash

 

Its very unfortunate, but shit happens from time to time.

 

 

Exactly. Or allow people to take known risks and force them to accept liability for their actions. Wild concept, I know.

 

+1. you have car traveling at 180mph and you are on the other side of a fence.. what do you think could happen if he crashes ?

 

 

Exactly. Or allow people to take known risks and force them to accept liability for their actions. Wild concept, I know.

 

That concept is lost, my 2 year old is held accountable for his actions more than the "do gooders" in our society hold some adults for theirs. I am blown away by what people can get away with nowadays!

We all know what happens when there are no consequences to your actions, no blame nor responsibility.

 

When a loss takes place, accident or otherwise, when at fault, most look for someone else to blame or sue, not many would say, it was me who stuffed up, I AM responsible for this situation, I will make it right or please forgive me! That almost never happens!

 

The sense of self entitlement and everyone owes me something is slightly eroding away our society eating it from inside, let people make their own mistakes, stop being overprotective, generally struggles turn into strengths and/or life long lessons. Nothing wakes you up quicker than being forced to stand on your own two feet by your freaking self!

 

The bread you sweat for tastes many times better than the free one you think it's your right to get for free every night at dinner time!

I don't get it...Setting a speed limit on a Race track? what?? No wonder this track is dying soon...makes no sense.

 

instead of making the spectator areas a safer place to be..they make the cars go slower on a race track..this isn't a race track anymore in my point of view.

Save Texas World Speedway! Lol

I don't get it...Setting a speed limit on a Race track? what?? No wonder this track is dying soon...makes no sense.

 

instead of making the spectator areas a safer place to be..they make the cars go slower on a race track..this isn't a race track anymore in my point of view.

 

 

Well it isn't and never has been a racetrack. A good thing to remember that this is classified as a toll-road, not a race track.

 

edit: Talking about Nordschleiffe and not the GP track.

That concept is lost, my 2 year old is held accountable for his actions more than the "do gooders" in our society hold some adults for theirs. I am blown away by what people can get away with nowadays!

We all know what happens when there are no consequences to your actions, no blame nor responsibility.

 

When a loss takes place, accident or otherwise, when at fault, most look for someone else to blame or sue, not many would say, it was me who stuffed up, I AM responsible for this situation, I will make it right or please forgive me! That almost never happens!

 

The sense of self entitlement and everyone owes me something is slightly eroding away our society eating it from inside, let people make their own mistakes, stop being overprotective, generally struggles turn into strengths and/or life long lessons. Nothing wakes you up quicker than being forced to stand on your own two feet by your freaking self!

 

The bread you sweat for tastes many times better than the free one you think it's your right to get for free every night at dinner time!

 

Overall it's being called communism.

Basically same idea, if somebody is ahead of you, you never try to catch up to him, you always try to slow him down.

Simple.

The only car that can pass the 918 is the LaF... The Koenigsegg would be going after the Zonda R record...

 

So I don't see how its protecting the German car really, no one expects a factory lap of the LaF..

 

Also, McLaren's excuse for not releasing the P1 time is the potential one upsmanship... No one can one up them and put their lives in danger, so where is the fcuking time?

The only car that can pass the 918 is the LaF... The Koenigsegg would be going after the Zonda R record...

 

So I don't see how its protecting the German car really, no one expects a factory lap of the LaF..

 

Also, McLaren's excuse for not releasing the P1 time is the potential one upsmanship... No one can one up them and put their lives in danger, so where is the fcuking time?

Koenigsegg would be going for road car record so 918...Zonda R isn't road legal...terrible timing though as Koenigsegg was going to be at the 'Ring in a week.