331 replies to this topic

[JHS18]

Only 0.291 split the top two cars in combined times. That's Lotterer on pole in the #1 with the #3 second thanks to the time Duval set earlier today.

[JHS18]

And the green flag is back out. Session restarted.

[JHS18]

The #51 car is still being rebuilt in the garage, and the drivers have not completed their mandatory night laps yet. However, with a driver line up of three platinum rated drivers, it is highly likely that it will still be allowed to race. The same could not be said for the #29 though, with two silver drivers and one gold having only completed one lap tonight so far.

Edited by JHS18, 14 June 2012 - 09:13 PM.

[JHS18]

Amazing job by the AF Corse crew on the #51 car. Toni Vilander is driving the car out of the pit lane now.

Edited by JHS18, 14 June 2012 - 09:17 PM.

[JHS18]

#70 Am class Corvette currently touring back to the pits with a flat right rear tyre.

[JHS18]

#30 car in the gravel, but no damage. #51 car back in the pits and then out again. Some more work went on that car, but it seems like it'll be going out to set a time to get it off the back row of the grid now.

[JHS18]

#1, #3, #2 and #8 remain the top four cars.

Edited by JHS18, 14 June 2012 - 09:31 PM.

[JHS18]

Krumm has done his five night laps in the Deltawing. Only Motoyama to go.

[JHS18]

Davidson is third quickest in this session but remains fourth overall on the grid.

[JHS18]

#51 car has made up some ground as you'd expect, but is third bottom in GTE Pro on a 4:09.771.

[JHS18]

Some nice onboard night laps:

[JHS18]

Davidson improves to third on the grid with a 3:24.855.

[JHS18]

The #7 improves to fifth as well with a 3:25.488.

But all eyes remain on Davidson who is improving again.

[JHS18]

Can Toyota do it? Davidson is now being shown as being in second place. I'm not sure if that is correct though...I'm confused because the timing screens are slow.

[JHS18]

Yes, I can confirm there is a Toyota on the front row.

[JHS18]

The checkered flag is now out.

[JHS18]

Audi is on pole with the #1. That much is certain. I'll try and get confirmation on the rest of the grid soon.

[JHS18]

It is an Audi lock out of the front row with #1 and #3 with Davidson's #8 third and #2 fourth, #7 fifth and #4 sixth. #21, #12, #13 and despite a crash, #17 round out the top ten.

Full confirmation of a run down of the complete grid soon.

Edited by JHS18, 14 June 2012 - 10:07 PM.

[JHS18]

The pole time for the 2012 Le Mans 24 hours was Andre Lotterer's 3:23.787.

[JHS18]

Deltawing gets into the top 30 with 29th position.

A rest day tomorrow, before the serious stuff begins on Sautrday for the 80th running of the Grand Prix d'Endurance.

[JHS18]

As promised, the full grid of this year's Le Mans 24 hours.

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/100369

[Massa]

Patrick Pilet in GTE-Am.  That's just wrong.

[JHS18]

Haha yeah, as I wrote a few days ago, there's some strange choices of "Am" drivers. What is Pedro Lamy doing in an Am car? What is Simonsen doing in an Am car? I think the rules need looking at, it doesn't make sense.

[JHS18]

As you'd expect from "rest" day, few more rumours about the future.

Firstly, this from another forum.

Quote

Diesel engines in LMP2 will be allowed a year earlier than planned, in 2013. At 'least one manufacturer' is about to make an announcement about supplying such engines next year.

Sounds like Skyactiv-D.

Whilst this may attract more manufacturers, I do have a problem with diesel. Firstly, the ACO STILL haven't hit the right balance in equality between petrol and diesel cars, something they've been trying to do since...ohh...2007? On the basis LMP2 probably has its most competitive field EVER this year, I don't want that to change next season because someone has a diesel.

Also - whilst diesels LMPs are incredibly technical and interesting from that side of things, you have to say that the engine note is really boring. Fans like engine noise. It is part of racing. Having 4 silent Audis this year is already overkill...no more!

No but seriously, I think the ACO should listen to F1 fans on this. Remember the whole fuss over what the new engines in F1 would sound like? It is the same here. I don't want noise at motorsport to become something of the past.

Secondly, some Lotus news.

According to this article (which is in German but it is fairly easy to understand) - seems like there could be a full Lotus LMP1 car (and not just a rebranding exercise of existing teams) in the future. Seems like it'll start in LMP2 next year, before being "upgraded" to LMP1 for the year after. Where they have the money to do that...well, your guess is as good as mine.

http://www.motorspor...t_12061507.html

Translated article:
http://translate.goo...t_12061507.html

Edited by JHS18, 15 June 2012 - 11:43 AM.

[JHS18]

Additionally, a few more rumours:

People are still expecting a Honda announcement that will see their works entrance in LMP1. We'll see.

Sebastien Loeb - the most successful rally driver ever -  is still being rumoured to be retiring from WRC at the end of this year. Why that's relevant? Well, if he does, it is highly likely that he'll make the switch to sportscar racing. He already owns a team that runs in ELMS, but has not been able to race the car himself due to WRC commitments/restraints from Citroen.

The guy is super talented and a class act. It'd certainly be interesting to see what he could to at Le Mans.

[Massa]

Eh, I don't think you can formulate an opinion for the whole without asking.

I personally don't care at all if there is or isn't engine noise.  I'm more likely to attend a Grand Prix with the quieter (though still loud turbocharged six cylinder engines; the engines they are running in IndyCar are turbo sixes, maybe they're a little bigger but revving lower, if I recall the F1 proposal) engines because quite frankly F1 in the city streets contained within buildings is way too loud for my tastes, even with ear protection.  So opinions vary.

In the case of F1, I figure there are F1 fans who are more exicted about seeing all new engines than they are disappointed by a very, very, very marginal decibel reduction (some people noticed it at the Indy 500 this year, but a lot of them also don't wear ear protection and are losing their hearing and probably thought it was a lot quieter than it really is ).  There are probably F1 fans who hate the idea of quieter engines but will still watch and attend anyway, just like F1 fans are with any other issue.  And then there are probably F1 fans who hate the idea and will never watch again and while I'm not going to guess how many are in each of the three categories, I feel like the last one isn't too big.

If ACO are going to listen to fans, they should, of course, listen to their own, who may want entirely different things than F1 fans do, whatever it is that F1 fans want (we don't really know for sure).  And in doing that, they may find that people don't like the diesel noise, or the diesel performance gap, but I personally think the diesels sound really cool.  I'm just as impressed with how quiet the Audi is as I am with how loud the Corvette (or the Viper which just tested) is.

But that's just me.  I also come from the ALMS where the rules were different and diesel and gasoline cars were very much equal (Porsche and Acura LMP2s beat Audi LMP1s all the time overall; hell the Intersport V10 AER won once, too).

Anyway, if it's a Mazda Skyactiv diesel...now it all makes sense, doesn't it?  Patrick Dempsey wanted to take his team to Le Mans (and maybe the full WEC) next year.  But he would only do it with Mazda.  Now there's a Mazda LMP2 engine, and one that will probably be competitive.  If they announce a Mazda LMP2 engine, diesel or otherwise, now you know one team that's going to be fielding it.

And one guy who is going to be supporting it.  I love Mazda's racing teams.  Probably because they get me an employee discount (invoice pricing) on new Mazdas that I have never purchased.  But I did share it with a friend purchasing a new Mazda and saved him a thousand or two so there.

[JHS18]

I've been busy all morning, but here it is, race time.

The flag flies in less than ten minutes.

I have a video stream if anyone is interested. PM me if needed.

[JHS18]

A report of this morning's warm up by the way as well:

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/100408

[JHS18]

Cars on their green flag lap.

[JHS18]

Audi take control at the start after a few drops of rain early on. Toyotas fourth and fifth.

Early casulties? #16 Pescarolo and #21 HPD, both in the pits. Big battles between the #17, #22 and #15 and a massive battle on going in GTE Pro and Am.