TVR's return back to the track to sponsor Swiss racing team Rebellion Racing with their new LMP1 machine
Thirteen years ago the last TVR motorsport project was the GT2 class Tuscan Speed Six 400R which ran Le Mans race in 2005 and finished in 25th position. Now TVR is partnering with Swiss racing team Rebellion Racing to compete in the FIA Endurance Championship.
Rebellion Racing is a Privateer Swiss racing team that competes in endurance racing. Rebellion Racing is mostly known for their partnership with French manufacturer Ocera.
Under the name of Rebellion Racing TVR, the company will serve as ‘primary automotive ally’ of Swiss team Rebellion’s pair of ORECA R-13 LMP prototypes.
Even though TVR is primarily going to sponsor deal, TVR says learning from the partnership will “flow directly” into the development of planned future road and racing cars.
“When we resurrected the TVR brand, we knew that we wanted to achieve a return to the race track,” said TVR chairman Edgar. “Our partnership with Rebellion Racing allows us to achieve that goal while bringing about valuable operational and technical knowledge, which directly transfers to our road car operation and future racing activities.”
The 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship is a ‘super series’ that spans 2018 and 2019 and starts at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 5 May. A pre-season launch event will be held in Paul Ricard in France this weekend.
Rebellion Racing TVR's team's cars will be raced by Andre Lotterer, Neel Jani and Bruno Senna, with Thomas Laurent, Matthias Beche and Gustavo Menezes in the other machine.
My take on TVR's Rebellion Racing LMP1 racing return
It's expensive to run a team indeed. On the other hand, sponsoring a team is less expensive and you can plaster your logo on the vehicle. Maybe even the sponsors such as TVR will get the data and put into practice in their future race cars and road cars.
In my opinion, the FIA World Endurance Championship is much better for innovation for production cars than Formula 1. Why? The FIA World Endurance Championship is a gruelling 6-24 hours of long endurance testing how reliable and durable the participant's race cars are.
Participants will analyse how reliable and durable race cars are then, they improve parts such as aerodynamics maybe, even adding new innovations. Then one day this technology will be added to future road cars.
Even though Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport bringing in many innovations onto the roads such as carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fibre materials and active aero.
The average time span of a Formula 1 race is 1.5 to 3 hours. There are on average 19-22 races per year. I see Formula 1 as an advertising platform for elite teams such as Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren etc. The technology from those teams are patented for their cars exclusively and the average customers can't be able to afford this technology or wait a couple of decades to try it.
Many people have said TVR's plan to return back to the track is a waste of priorities or money. I can agree with them whilst disagreeing them. TVR is supposed to be getting the new Griffith built instead, of paying Rebellion racing a fair amount of money placing a sticker on it.
On the other hand, racing is cool especially Formula 1 and the 24 hours of Le Mans. It's amazing promotion to pay a company to place your sticker on a race car or rename the race team to your company. Plus, putting your practice on the track onto paper (roads) will make your car quicker, safer and more durable/reliable.
TVR should have partnered with a race team or start their own team a few years later than the launch of the Griffith. I'm hoping that the partnership of the race car doesn't clash between Griffith's launch. If the race car is successful it would boost TVR's image in the public eye and if it doesn't great money spent.
What are your thoughts on TVR partnering up with Rebellious Racing on an LMP1 car? Is a smart move or is Les Edgar funding a flop? Type in the comments below and On That Bombshell goodnight!!