After the Gene's accident during the Le Mans Test days voices that current LMP1 are too quick, dangerous, etc. were heard once again.
But is there really a problem with the speed? We really do not think so. Most of the recent accidents were simply a technical failure or a race damage (Jamie Campbell-Walter/Creation, Stephane Ortelli/ORECA), drivers's fault (Audi in Monza, Peugeot in Spa) or yet unknown (Peugeot at the Test Day).
But at the Test Day we had two accidents when the driver had to be taken to the hospital for checks. One of them being from relatively slow GT2 Ferrari. This is really dangerous sport and serious accidents may happen in whatever car, whatever speed.
For us the usual reference is the Group C era. The last driver that was killed in the category was Jo Gardner in 1986. And it happened in only 260 kph speed accident. At the same time several other accidents in speeds about 300-350 kph were recorded (let's recall Sauber Merceder in Le Mans 1985 or a Lancia in an Interserie race a year later). Most of them with no major injuries. But at the same time two other top drivers lost their lives: Stefan Bellof in Spa 1985 and Manfred Winkelhock in Mosport same year. We believe it was simply bad luck.
Nobody back then suggested to slow down the cars. And the result? No further fatalities, no further serious accidents. At the end of their era, the Group C cars were much quicker than they were in 1985/86 and they appeared to be safe enough. As a result, they ran almost at the pace of contemporary F1 cars.
And now? We had several accidents with no really serious injuries. And that the accidents happened is really a matter of bad luck. The Courage was damaged after slight collision with a GT2 car, the Creation had some technical issue. And Peugeot in Le Mans? We will hopefully see but it happened in a turn, not on a straight with a maximum speed. Similar accident could happen to whatever slower car.
So is there any need to slow the cars down? Although it is most likely going to happen, we believe not. Like in the Group C days, the car should be retained as they are. In fact they are not really too quick considering their best times and comparing it with the Formula 1. Peugeots looked impressive all season but in Barcelona they were more than 11 seconds slower than Ferrari, Renault or McLaren in the Grand Prix meeting. And there is the same or even larger margin on other tracks.
So why should we wish to have the margin between sports cars and formula one 15-20 seconds as it was a few years ago just because we had bad luck for accidents. Probably if the cars are slower, the probability of accidents is a bit smaller. But the last fatal accident in Le Mans was in a really slow WR Peugeot. Does it mean that we should have prototypes running at the pace of GT1s like in 1994 or even slower? Really not. We should think much more complex about the subject and not only enlarge the difference between LMP1 and F1 by further five seconds. That does not help the sport that used to field the quickest cars in the world a few decades ago...
Nevertheless one issue really might be here and should be studied. With the new rules started in 2004 the ride height between the axles was increased, the rear overhangs were shortened radically and generally the cars looked much different than their predecessors (actually not to our liking). And many of the modern accidents have one thing in common. Once the car moves sideways, it starts flying very easily. We do not think it was so common in the past before the current aero rules set was introduced. The modern cars might be great under the usual racing conditions but well might not be the best when the driver is not able to control his car. But if it is really the truth, it is a task for experts. But shallow adjustments like "restrictor reduction" and "weight increase" just to keep Le Mans pace at 3:30 without any further research, would solve nothing, just make the cars less exciting, and everything would still depend on what kind of luck brings the coming period.
By the way, do you think that F1 would run Le Mans under 3 minutes? We would not be surprised at all. And we are convinced that the cars should stay as they are, or just improve a little in a way of aerodynamics. They are really very safe but that can never quite eliminate the fact that motorsport is and always will be dangerous.