Le-Mans 24hr 2011 news

[Rob]

Corvette to consider entering WEC

By Kevin Turner Thursday, June 9th 2011, 13:43 GMT


Corvette Racing has welcomed the World Endurance Championship proposal and will consider contesting the series

The renamed GTE (formerly GT2) category, in which the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R is a frontrunner, forms part of the new championship, due to kick off next season.

Chevrolet already competes in the ALMS and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, run to the same regulations as the Le Mans 24 Hours, and has not ruled out appearing in the new series.

Programme manager Doug Fehan said: "Everybody sees it as an interesting project. The relationship between the [WEC organisers] ACO and FIA has varied, sometimes up, sometimes down, but we're certainly going to look at it.

"It's a proposed concept, and I think it is a powerfully good idea. We'll wait for the details and see how it works to develop a strategy. We're excited."

Fehan added that a WEC assault would be "integrated" into the current programme if it was given the green light.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92090

[Tommy_F]

With the introduction of more and more severe Resource Restriction Agreements (and REAL ways of policing them, not just agreement between teams, but clear rules and limitations - it's blurry ATM, see accusations of RB breaking the RRA), there will only be a limited amount spent on F1, so who knows, maybe sometime in the future there will be funds and interest for an LMP entry

The last time we ran(a Ferrari in LMP) at LeMans was '99, with the 333 SP.

[Tifoso]

With the introduction of more and more severe Resource Restriction Agreements (and REAL ways of policing them, not just agreement between teams, but clear rules and limitations - it's blurry ATM, see accusations of RB breaking the RRA), there will only be a limited amount spent on F1, so who knows, maybe sometime in the future there will be funds and interest for an LMP entry

The last time we ran(a Ferrari in LMP) at LeMans was '99, with the 333 SP.

Thanks so much, amico mio! I would love to watch an old race with the 333SP online.


OT Glenn, where are you? /OT

[Rob]

Lets hope 1 day we will return there. At least with Le-Mans can run v-10 or v-8s, teams are going bit smaller aswell in engines.

Be great for marketing aswell if did return fully backed factory team. Sure can make the car better looking than the 333SP

[Tifoso]

Lets hope 1 day we will return there. At least with Le-Mans can run v-10 or v-8s, teams are going bit smaller aswell in engines.

Be great for marketing aswell if did return fully backed factory team. Sure can make the car better looking than the 333SP

The 333SP is gorgeous.

[Rob]

Audi Sport Team Joest on pole at Le Mans
By Marcel ten Caat ⋅ June 9, 2011 ⋅

Benoît Tréluyer secured pole position for Audi Sport Team Joest in the final qualifying session ahead of the 79th 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tréluyer posted the fastest lap time, a 3:25.738, with just over forty minutes left in the night session. A stunning third sector meant the number 2 Audi R18 TDI took the pole away from team mate Romain Dumas, who will also start from the front row.

At 10 pm the final qualifying session kicked off and as the light at the end of the pit lane went green most cars went out for an attempt to improve their lap times. One of the drivers that managed to do just that was Tom Kristensen, who put his Audi in fourth place.
For the Peugeot team things went less smooth when the #7 Peugeot jumped the curbs and spun at the Ford Chicane, kicking off a lot of dust and scaring some photographers at the scene.

The Audi’s meanwhile continued to lap quicker and almost fifteen minutes into the session it was Romain Dumas who moved up into the top position after setting a 3:25.799. Behind him Kristensen and Bourdais improved their times but not their positions. Further down the field Marco Cioci in the #61 AF Corse Ferrari 430 moved to the top of the GTE Am field, ahead of some of the GTE Pro cars. That same GTE Pro category saw Augusto Farfus moving to the front, the BMW driver setting a 3:57.592. I

The session was red flagged when the Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia #58 and the Aston Martin Racing AMR-One #009 went off at the Mulsanne Corner. Several teams reported oil and water on the run down to the corner.

Over 20 minutes later the session was restarted and for quite a while there as nobody improving its time. But then all of a sudden with 43 minutes left on the clock Benoît Tréluyer set a faster lap time and took the provisional pole time.

Several of the Peugeot and Audi drivers then tried to beat the provisional pole time and it was Kristensen who, after already going fourth fastest on a previous lap went faster in the first two sectors, before being pushed wide at the Porsche Curves trying to avoid a GT car. What would likely be the fastest time of the day – was turned into ‘just another lap’.

Simon Pagenaud was the next to go fast but after two fast sector times the Frenchman failed to improve in the third sector and did not take pole position. When Tom Kristensen went off at Tertre Rouge and hit the barriers on the outside of the track the session was over and Audi Sport Team Joest could celebrate their pole position.

Top three per class:

LM P1
1. #2 Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R18 TDI – 3:25.738
2. #1 Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R18 TDI – 3:25.799
3. #9 Team Peugeot Total – Peugeot 908 – 3:26.010

LM P2
1. #26 Signatech Nissan – Oreca 03 Nissan 3:41.458
2. #42 Strakka Racing – HPD ARX-01d – 3:42.615
3. #48 Team Oreca Matmut – Oreca 03 Nissan – 3:43.098

LM GTE Pro
1. #55 BMW Motorsport – BMW M3 GT – 3:57.592
2. #51 AF Corse – Ferrari 458 Italia – 3:58.040
3. #56 BMW Motorsport – BMW M3 GT – 3:58.426

LM GTE Am
1. #61 AF Corse – Ferrari 430 – 4:01.282
2. #63 Proton Competition – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 4:03.532
3. #81 Flying Lizard Motorsport – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR – 4:03.648

[Rob]

that was a good session. Shame about the red flag at end, it was bit anti climax. But great Fisi on front row of HTE class, looking good for AF Corse.

[Tommy_F]

Le Mans: on board with Sernagiotto in the 458 Challenge

[epiclyaddicted]

Yep, the BMW M3s have looked pretty quick, but hope the AF Course 458 Italias can take the fight to them over the duration of the race.

The battle up front for the lead prototypes will be unbelievable though, top 6 cars within half a second of each other on such a long track!!

[Rob]

Yep, the BMW M3s have looked pretty quick, but hope the AF Course 458 Italias can take the fight to them over the duration of the race.

The battle up front for the lead prototypes will be unbelievable though, top 6 cars within half a second of each other on such a long track!!

That is really unbelievable aint it. Who you think going to be on top sunday afternoon? Audi or Pugs?? so close to call i think. Pugs are wanting to make up for last year, and the Audis are always quick in pits and (always, most of times) reliable.

[Rob]

Ferrari front runners in Le Mans qualifying

Le Mans, 9 June – In front of grandstands packed since the early hours of this morning with fans keen to watch the 79th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, qualifying for the famous marathon event ended at midnight, having decided the grid for the 15h00 Saturday start. The Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 No. 51 entered by AF Corse and driven by Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander set the second fastest time of 3.58.040, just 0.448 seconds slower than the quickest BMW Motorsport M3 GT which therefore takes pole for the LM GTE PRO class thanks to the efforts of Augusto Farfus, Jorg Muller and Dirk Werner. After the session, Giancarlo Fisichella was pleased with the car’s excellent performance and great stability. “We are happy with second place, even if we only missed out on pole by a whisker. Our race pace is excellent and during my turn at the wheel I managed to do a great time, even with the car on full tanks. The 458 is really nice to drive and we are all confident for the race, even if we are up against very well prepared rivals like the BMW.”

Among the other Ferraris, the Team Farnbacher car driven by Dominik Farnbacher-Allan Simonsen, Leh Keen, was fifth fastest in 3.59.519, while the Luxury Team 458 Italia GT2 in the hands of Stephane Ortelli-Frederic Makowiecki-Jaime Melo was eighth in 4.12.361. Rob Bell-Tim Sugden-Xavier Maasen (JMW Motorsport) are eleventh in 4.00.890 and thirteenth is the Luxury Racing entry driven by Anthony Beltoise-Philippe Thiriet-Francois Jakuboski in 4.01.176) ahead of the AF Corse car of Robert Kauffman-Michael Waltrip-Rui Aguas, fifteenth in 4.02.216.

In the LMGTE Class pole goes to the Ferrari F430 GTC entered by AF Corse and driven by Piergiuseppe Perazzini (4.01.282) crewed with Marco Cioci-Sean Paul Breslin, beating the Porsche of Felbeermayr Jr-Felbeermayr Snr-Christian Reid by over two seconds. Fifth is the JMB Racing Ferrari of Manuel Rodrigues-Jean Marc Menahem-Nicolas Marroc. Seventh place for the Krohn Racing crew of Tracy Krohn-Niclas Johnsson-Michele Rugolo, ahead of the CRS Racing F430 GTC of Pierre Ehrt-Roger Wills-Shaun Lynn, ninth in class.

[epiclyaddicted]

That is really unbelievable aint it. Who you think going to be on top sunday afternoon? Audi or Pugs?? so close to call i think. Pugs are wanting to make up for last year, and the Audis are always quick in pits and (always, most of times) reliable.

I think the Audis can do it again. I mean last year the Pugs were quite a bit quicker on outright pace, but they lost out big time to the Audis on reliability. This time, with Audi right up there on raw pace, I think they can do it again. I hope so anyway!

[scuderiafan]

Aston for the Win!

seriously, im disappointed. i was rooting for them to build on last year.

i think Audi will win.

[Tifoso]

Ferrari front runners in Le Mans qualifying

Le Mans, 9 June – In front of grandstands packed since the early hours of this morning with fans keen to watch the 79th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, qualifying for the famous marathon event ended at midnight, having decided the grid for the 15h00 Saturday start. The Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 No. 51 entered by AF Corse and driven by Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander set the second fastest time of 3.58.040, just 0.448 seconds slower than the quickest BMW Motorsport M3 GT which therefore takes pole for the LM GTE PRO class thanks to the efforts of Augusto Farfus, Jorg Muller and Dirk Werner. After the session, Giancarlo Fisichella was pleased with the car’s excellent performance and great stability. “We are happy with second place, even if we only missed out on pole by a whisker. Our race pace is excellent and during my turn at the wheel I managed to do a great time, even with the car on full tanks. The 458 is really nice to drive and we are all confident for the race, even if we are up against very well prepared rivals like the BMW.”

Among the other Ferraris, the Team Farnbacher car driven by Dominik Farnbacher-Allan Simonsen, Leh Keen, was fifth fastest in 3.59.519, while the Luxury Team 458 Italia GT2 in the hands of Stephane Ortelli-Frederic Makowiecki-Jaime Melo was eighth in 4.12.361. Rob Bell-Tim Sugden-Xavier Maasen (JMW Motorsport) are eleventh in 4.00.890 and thirteenth is the Luxury Racing entry driven by Anthony Beltoise-Philippe Thiriet-Francois Jakuboski in 4.01.176) ahead of the AF Corse car of Robert Kauffman-Michael Waltrip-Rui Aguas, fifteenth in 4.02.216.

In the LMGTE Class pole goes to the Ferrari F430 GTC entered by AF Corse and driven by Piergiuseppe Perazzini (4.01.282) crewed with Marco Cioci-Sean Paul Breslin, beating the Porsche of Felbeermayr Jr-Felbeermayr Snr-Christian Reid by over two seconds. Fifth is the JMB Racing Ferrari of Manuel Rodrigues-Jean Marc Menahem-Nicolas Marroc. Seventh place for the Krohn Racing crew of Tracy Krohn-Niclas Johnsson-Michele Rugolo, ahead of the CRS Racing F430 GTC of Pierre Ehrt-Roger Wills-Shaun Lynn, ninth in class.

Excellent news mate!

[epiclyaddicted]

Aston for the Win!

seriously, im disappointed. i was rooting for them to build on last year.

i think Audi will win.

Personally, I would love to see a Petrol V12 powered prototype win Le Mans, not a huge fan of the diesels, but unfortunately, that's the way it is these days!

[scuderiafan]

have the Astons retired already?

[RED]

have the Astons retired already?

Both of them are in trouble!

[RED]

Ferrari leading so far. :)

[RED]

Wow, a huge accident.

[Tommy_F]

McNish just wiped out its car and a 458 :( What the heck happened there?

Edit: the 458 rejoined the track.

[REDARMYSOJA]

Wow, what a shunt by McNish!

[RED]

Can you imagine if the Audi had no roof? Scary....

[REDARMYSOJA]

Lucky no fans or track workers were hurt. At least I don't think there were.

[Suzie]

http://youtu.be/DCsV2kmyzSA

Terrifying. From the sounds of it, miraculously no-one was hurt.

[Greig]

Sheesh, hope everyone is ok

[REDARMYSOJA]

From the looks of it a pretty dumb move by McNish. It never had a chance of working.

Hate to see an AUDI out.

[RED]

According to the photographer who was at the scene (and got hit by the debris), everyone's ok.

[Greig]

According to the photographer who was at the scene (and got hit by the debris), everyone's ok.

Good news

[REDARMYSOJA]

Yeah, thank god. It looked like no one was hurt from what I could see, but I wasn't sure about what happened with that tire and wheel bouncing around.

[scuderiafan]

good that everyone is fine.

but what a fail by Aston? lasted 10 mins, i think.