WEC 2016

[Scav3nger]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/06/24...hours.html

In the closing stages of the race a senior member of the Ford team entered the Risi Competizione garage with a piece of paper, revealed as an official protest over a non-operational leader light on the side of the #82 Ferrari (below), then running second, behind the leading #68 Ford, and ahead of the #69 and #66 Fords.

Ford’s justification for the protest revolved around the penalty doled out to their #66 car overnight for a non-operational illuminated number panel, both items falling into the same area of regulations, and Ford feeling that the race officials were not dealing with the two issues in an even-handed fashion.

That certainly would have explained a protest, but it does not explain why the Ford representative presented the Risi team with what amounts to an ultimatum.

That was expressed in clear terms and went along the lines of. If you promise not to race us for the win then this protest goes away,  If you fight us then we’ll file it immediately.

Anyone who has even the slightest understanding of, or familiarity with, Guiseppe Risi would be able to guess the reaction. The protest was duly filed!

If this is true, which I have no reason to believe it's not at this point, this is huge. Chip Ganassi Racing effectively saying "Don't race us or we'll have you penalised" flies in the face of the history of Le Mans. Perhaps even the history of racing. It borders on being a bannable offence to me. Even ignoring the Balance of Performance dramas in the lead up to the race the fact that Ford felt threatened by a single Ferrari in the latter stage of a race they had comfortably had pace in the entire race is just staggering.

I've never been the biggest fan of Ford or Chip Ganassi Racing, and this does nothing to help that.

The tit-for-tat post race-protests were also fairly childish and it was nice to see race control issue penalties to both teams that did not affect the outcome of the race.