View Full Version : WEC Spa 6hrs
Well it kicks off again this weekend. At 1 of the best tracks in the world. It is live this weekend on Motors TV. From 13.00
FREE PRACTICE 1: SUCCESSFUL ON TRACK DEBUT FOR THE AUDI HYBRID
03/05/2012 - 13h22
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The cool temperatures (11°C air and 15°C on the ground) and high humidity did not upset the competitors during the first free practice session which took place without major incident, as the drivers made their first laps of the week on this very demanding circuit.
The Audi R18 e-tron quattro diesel hybrid, which made its first official appearance this morning made an instant impression on the track with the fastest time achieved by the winning crew of the Le Mans 24 Hours 2011 in car #1. With a lap of 2'04'' 434, Benoit Treluyer certainly did not beat the track record, but showed that the hybrid car already has a remarkable turn of speed. The second Audi hybrid fell between the two conventionally powered Audi R18 Ultra, the new version of the R18 prototype for 2012. The two new Lola-Toyotas of Rebellion Racing and the Dome of Pescarolo Team also had a sucessful track debut.
The Ferrari #51 of AF Corse set the fastest time in LMGTE Pro with a lap in 2'20''915, in the expert hands of Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella. However, Porsche and Aston Martin were not far adrift; Marc Lieb for Felbermayr-Proton and Adrian Fernandez for Aston Martin Racing finishing only a few tenths behind.
In LMGTE Am, however, Porsche took control with a time of 2'23''135 set by Paolo Ruberti and the Felbermayr-Proton team (who are also entered in LMGTE Pro), followed by Nicolas Armindo and IMSA performance Matmut. A Ferrari, the 458 Italia #81 of AF Corse, completes the top three.
The competitors will be on track again at 16.25 for the second practice session of 90 minutes.
Henri Pescarolo not only holds the record number of entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (33), but also the fastest lap of the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps in its original configuration of 14 km. In 1973, he established (during the the race!) a lap time of 3'13'' 4, at a phenomenal average speed of 262.461 km/h, the world speed record on road courses. The former driver and now team manager of Pescarolo Team, remembers his exploits on this circuit that Formula 1 drivers boycotted in 1969.
Henri, what does the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps represent for you?
"I've always loved fast circuits like Monza or Spa,” said the former driver. “The sensation when taking a fast corner at over 300 km/h is incomparable. I love the layout of the Nürburgring, which includes all the difficulties that may be encountered on a circuit, but I liked the old layout of Spa and including the Bernenville corner, taken at the bottom of fifth. "
Under what conditions did you beat the speed record?
"It was in the Matra 670b, one of the best cars before the prototype ground effects make their appearance. It had extraordinary suspension, which was a big advantage at the time because some portions of the old track were very bumpy. I was not trying to beat the speed record, but to win the race. I struggled against talented drivers like Jacky Ickx and I was just looking to be as fast as possible. In fact, I learned long after the race that I realized that not only did I beat the circuit record, but also of speed record on a road course! "
A record that still stands, almost 40 years later ...
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Eh up Rob... :-)
The Audi hybrid looks a bit tasty, and I thought the R18 was a bit special...
How long before VAG enter F1 with a hybrid diesel...? :-)
Monaco dry to wet 450PP... :-D
'see' ya later... :thumb
Great news and these pix are totally amazing!!!!!!
How do buh. Dont know mate. Like to see that in F1, be good for the "green image" of F1. Plus it another technology in F1.
The R18 e-tron looks a beast. Shame Toyota cannt make this weekend, have to wait till Le-Mans. Should be Audi walking it Saturday.
Yep, Monaco dry to wet, 450PP, :Hmm have to look at my 450PPs. Be alot of fun buh. :thumb
Be on at 8, Gem watch Eastenders :-s
The second free practice session, which began 25 minutes late due to an incident in Radical Masters, one of the support races, was also been shortened after the Lola-Judd of Status GP left the track at the top of the steep slope of Eau Rouge.
The Audi hybrid #1 driven by Fässler, Lotterer and Treluyer, the winning trio of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2011, once again set the fastest time of the session with a lap of 2'03''075, credited to the German speaking driver, well known to fans of Japanese championship Formula Nippon and SuperGT. Allan McNish, Oliver Jarvis and Loïc Duval complete the top four, followed by former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld in the Lola-Toyota #12 of Rebellion Racing.
Olivier Pla led the way in LMP2 with the Morgan-Judd #24 of OAK Racing with a time of 2'10'058, improving by nearly six tenths of the time achieved by Soheil Ayari before the lunch break. The Lola-Judd of Status GP occupied second place, (as it did in the first free practice session), before leaving the track. Third was the Oreca-Nissan #26 of Signatech-Nissan driven by Nelson Panciatici, a rookie in endurance racing who has adapted quickly to his new discipline.
Porsche took control of LMGTE Pro, with factory driver Marc Lieb, who set a lap time of 2'19''668. The German driver who holds a PhD, was the only driver in the class down below 2'20 despite repeated efforts of Darren Turner for Aston Martin and Gianmaria Bruni for Ferrari (AF Corse).
The domination of Porsche in the GT classes was total at the end of the afternoon, Nicolas Armindo climbing to the front of LMGTE Am for IMSA Performance Matmut with a lap of 2'21'' 874 or more a second ahead of the the #70 Corvette of Larbre Competition. The #88 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton was demoted to third position, having been fastest after the first session.
The cars and drivers take the track tomorrow morning for a final practice session before tackling qualification in the afternoon.
here is link to the qualifying...
http://live.fiawec.com/
wow that was a good session for the GT pole. Ferrari front row. :clap
1 59 Pit LM GTE Pro LUXURY RACING MAKOWIECKI F. FERRARI F458 Italia M 6 2:34.996 2:19.770 180.4 1
2 51 Pit LM GTE Pro AF CORSE FISICHELLA G. FERRARI F458 Italia M 6 0.373 2:32.270 2:20.143 179.9 1
3 97 Pit LM GTE Pro ASTON MARTIN RACING MÜCKE S. ASTON MARTIN Vantage V8 M 6 0.457 2:30.945 2:20.227 179.8 1
4 77 Pit LM GTE Pro TEAM FELBERMAYR-PROTON LIEB M. PORSCHE 911 RSR (997) M 5 0.481 2:32.000 2:20.251 179.8 1
5 71 Pit LM GTE Pro AF CORSE BERTOLINI A. FERRARI F458 Italia M 7 1.115 2:36.011 2:20.885 178.9 1
6 67 Pit LM GTE Am IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT ARMINDO N. PORSCHE 911 RSR (997) M 4 1.870 2:21.969 2:21.640 178.0 1
7 81 Pit LM GTE Am AF CORSE CIOCI M. FERRARI F458 Italia M 7 2.205 2:52.899 2:21.975 177.6 1
8 58 Pit LM GTE Am LUXURY RACING JEANNETTE G. FERRARI F458 Italia M 8 2.292 2:41.655 2:22.062 177.5 1
9 50 Pit LM GTE Am LARBRE COMPETITION CANAL J. CHEVROLET Corvette C6-ZR1 M 6 2.764 2:55.735 2:22.534 176.9 1
10 70 Run LM GTE Am LARBRE COMPETITION BELLOC J. CHEVROLET Corvette C6-ZR1 M 7 2.772 2:22.552 2:22.542 176.9 0
11 61 Run LM GTE Am AF CORSE-WALTRIP AGUAS R. FERRARI F458 Italia M 8 3.346 2:23.380 2:23.116 176.2 0
12 55 Pit LM GTE Am JWA-AVILA PALTTALA M. PORSCHE 911 RSR (997) P 5 4.265 3:02.011 2:24.035 175.0 1
13 88 Pit LM GTE Am TEAM FELBERMAYR-PROTON RIED C. PORSCHE 911 RSR (997) M 7 5.588 2:43.300 2:25.358 173.4 1
14 57 Run LM GTE Am KROHN RACING KROHN T. FERRARI F458 Italia D 8 6.993 2:27.534 2:26.763 171.8 0
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it LMP1 qualifying now.
QUALIFYING: AN AUDI HYBRID ON POLE!
04/05/2012 - 16h16
The qualifying sessions escaped rain, despite big black clouds that overshadowed the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. It was during a session without any major incidents that a hybrid prototype qualified on pole for the very first time with Allan McNish at the wheel of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2.
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The Scottish driver was the only one to get below 2'02''. With a time of 2'01'' 579, he led his nearest rival, the young Marco Bonanomi, (who will race tomorrow for the first time with Audi) by more than half a second. The young Italian hoisted the #4 R18 Ultra (the new non-hybrid car the German manufacturer) to the front row, ahead of of Marcel Fässler the Audi hybrid #1 that dominated first place during all the free practice sessions.
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Rebellion Racing continued its momentum with the best performance of a private team in LMP1. Neel Jani set a time of 2'04'' 234, ahead of Danny Watts and the Strakka HPD, followed by Andrea Belicchi in the second Rebellion Lola-Toyota.
John Martin distinguished himself by making sure the LMP2 pole position with the blue and white liveried #25 Oreca-Nissan of ADR-Delta. Although it did not improved the time set by Soheil Ayari in the second session of the free practice, the young Australian once again demonstrated the pace of the Oreca prototype powered by a Japanese engine, while James Rossiter confirmed that the performance of the Lola-Lotus #32 of the Lotus team this morning at the third and final free practice session.
In LMGTE Pro Ferrari locked out the front row, thanks to Frederic Makowiecki for Luxury Racing and Giancarlo Fisichella for AF Corse setting the two best times. Only the French driver was able to go below the 2'19'' 770, but the top five competitors in the class are covered by just over a second, promising a very tight battle for the race tomorrow.
Ferrari did not quite make the Pro and Am double, as Nicolas Armindo hoisted the team IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche into in first place on the LMGTE Am starting grid. The #81 Ferrari of Marco Cioci and #58 of Gunnar Jeannette had to be content with second and third positions.
Cars are now placed in parc fermé until the warm-up that starts at 10:05 tomorrow morning.
http://www.fiawec.com/races/6-hours-of-spa-francorchamps/news/qualifying-an-audi-hybrid-on-pole-_113.html
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POLE POSITION DRIVER QUOTES
04/05/2012 - 18h21
Quotes below from the fastest drivers from each class in the two qualifying sessions held this afternoon for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship that will start tomorrow at 14:30 local time.
LMP1 Pole Position: Allan McNish. #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro
"First of all today has been quite a big day for Audi because it was the first qualifying for the R18 e-tron quattro and, thankfully, we were able to give it its first milestone pole position. That's something we're particularly proud of because Dindo, Tom and I did exactly the same for the R10 TDI, the first diesel engined car. So it's nice to have our names linked to that particular fact and with the R10 we were able to go on and take its first victory the following day so we're hoping we can do the same again tomorrow"
"Two laps was enough to get the best out of tyres, so beyond that I don't think we would've been able to go any quicker. There is a point for pole, which we can't forget about when you come to the end of the championship in China."
"We've seen over the course of testing that the R18 ultra and e-tron quattro have got pretty much similar performances. Obviously the main bulk of the car is exactly the same - the aerodynamics, the mechanical set up, the monocoque. There are subtlies that come with the hybrid set up in weight distribution. However if you look at the session times over the past two days it has been nip and tuck and I think the difference here is going to be whether you hook up a total lap or not."
LMP2 Pole Position John Martin #25 ADR-Delta Oreca 03-Nissan
"Very pleased. We're a brand new team so this is an amazing result to come to Spa as a new team and put it on pole. The ADR-Dleta boys have done an amazing job this week and pole at Spa doesn't really get much better than that and I'm really looking forward to the race tomorrow. For qualifying we took a bit of aero off to try and make us a bit quicker on the straights and make Eau Rouge a bit more exciting."
"My first lap wasn't quite good enough but on lap 3 I hooked the lap up to get pole. In Free Practice we concentrated on heavy fuel loads and hard tyres to see what it's going to be like for the race if it stays dry. Everyone says its going to be wet or snowing or something but tomorrow is another day."
LMGTE Pro Pole Position Frederic Makowiecki #59 Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia
"AF Corse is the reference of the GTE Pro category and it is really good for us to be competitive here and at Sebring. To do a pole position is good for us as we have worked really hard to be consistent and that is why I am confident for the race tomorrow."
"Now Luxury Racing has the potential to fight against AF Corse, Felbermayr and Aston Martin Racing and this is why this championship is the best in GT and it is really good for us. We don't have a lot of information of running in wet conditions and we know the Porsche is good in the wet, especially for traction. However I think we can also be very quick in the wet on this track."
LMGTE Am Pole Position Nicolas Armindo #67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 RSR(997)
"We are hoping for rain tomorrow because for the car it is very good with the rear engine and for myself, I am very confident in the wet. It will be a long race, 6 hours, and you can make many mistakes in that time in the wet on this track. The most important thing for us is for myself, my teammates and the team to learn the most for Le Mans. WE decided to leave our run until later, this was our tactic as we had nothing to lose. We are really pleased to be here as we are a guest team in this race and it is important for use to see where we are against the teams in the WEC. we had nothing to lose so we could afford to take maximum risk and we are on pole."
Pole position is an advantage, but 6 hours is a long race and anything can happen at Spa, particularly if the weather intervenes. The action starts at 14:30 tomorrow (Saturday) for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
http://www.fiawec.com/races/6-hours-of-spa-francorchamps/news/pole-position-driver-quotes_115.html
All four Audis 'free to race' for Spa World Endurance Championship victory
By Simon Strang Friday, May 4th 2012, 18:43 GMT
Audi's four cars will fight between each other for outright victory in the 6 Hours of Spa rather than be forced to run under team orders, according Allan McNish and Marcel Fassler.
McNish who took the first pole position for the German carmaker's R18 e-tron quattro hybrid prototype in qualifying for the Belgian round of the World Endurance Championship, said after qualifying that the only rules were not to crash with another Audi.
"There is a requirement for us, but we are allowed to race each other so long as we don't drive into one another," said the Scot - who also said his pole lap was a good message to send to the crew of the sister #1 e-tron car.
"I think Sebring was an important sort of statement that our car crew is still strong and fighting, and that was a victory," said McNish, who earned an extra point for his crew with the pole position. "And this lap suggests we're still fast as well!
"I was very happy with the lap. I had to overtake someone just coming into the braking area at La Source just a touch, but the rest of the lap was peachy. Really a good strong hard lap, right on the limit, right on the edge of everything.
"I had a few oversteer moments coming off kerbs and that sort of thing! Tom [Kristensen] said it looked like I was pushing."
Last year's Le Mans 24 Hours winner Fassler admitted to AUTOSPORT that while he had been disappointed to qualify only fourth behind McNish, and Audi's two conventional R18 turbo-diesel machines, he expected to race for victory on Saturday.
"A point is always a point, and at the end of the season a point can decide between winning or losing and that's for sure so you have to try and take all the points you can," he said, "but for sure when you win the race you make more points!
"Dr Ullrich doesn't like it if we crash into one another! But in all the other things we are free, so we can race hard and fair against each other, there is nothing decided in advance.
"So the race is open and we will race, because everyone is trying to win the world championship, even if we fight in between us at the moment. We all want to be the world champion at the end of the year."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99364
:-E:clap this could be explosive. Cannt wait for the start, see Mcnish getting aggressive. But i imagine if Toyota were here and was competitive they would apply team orders. Going to be some good racing, especially in the GTE Pro.
Even before the start of the Spa 6 Hours Audi has every reason to be pleased, as the team successfully managed a two-fold premiere. Both the new hybrid model Audi R18 e-tron quattro and its sister model, the Audi R18 ultra, that is conventionally powered by a V6 TDI engine celebrated an impeccable debut. The two vehicle models fought an open battle for the grid positions in dry conditions. Allan McNish in the hybrid car designated as number “2” set the pace straight from the beginning. He initially drove a lap around the 7.004-kilometer race track in the Ardennes in 2m 01.967s. The Scotsman then improved his own time by more than three tenths of a second to 2m 01.579s. As on the debut of a TDI diesel engine in a sports car six years ago at Sebring McNish and his team-mates Dindo Capello and Tom Kristensen again set the first benchmark on the next milestone – hybrid technology.
Marco Bonanomi, who like Marc Gené and Oliver Jarvis is making his racing debut in Audi’s sports car squad in Belgium, managed the leap onto the front row as well in the Audi R18 ultra. The Italian handled the challenging track in 2m 02.093s. Marcel Fässler in the second Audi R18 e-tron quattro achieved the third-best time. Loïc Duval, who is driving an Audi R18 ultra, finished in fourth place. For the first time in the 13-year history of Audi’s LMP program, Audi Sport Team Joest is fielding four sports cars. The team based in Germany’s Odenwald region is preparing for the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 16/17 this way. The famous endurance classic will be contested with the same vehicle line-up.
New footage is now available to TV channels for preliminary coverage of the 24-hour race. The rights-free material can be viewed at and downloaded from the Audi Motorsport database at www.audi-motorsport.info.
Quotes after qualifying
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “The result is the best way of saying ‘thank you’ to a squad that has been working particularly hard. Although we know that qualifying is certainly not the most important thing in endurance racing I’m hoping that we’ll put our good qualifying performances on track on Saturday again and clinch a good result.”
Dieter Gass (Head of Racing Commitments): “Things couldn’t have gone any better. This is the first fielding of our hybrid car and it ran without any technical problems. The performance in qualifying was right too. It’s no doubt ideal that the Audi R18 e-tron quattro is on position one on its premiere. As far as the weather conditions in the race go, we know that anything is possible at Spa. You can choose between highly different weather forecasts on various websites ... We’ll just have to take it the way it comes.”
Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “The result is a nice mix between the Audi R18 e-tron quattro and the Audi R18 ultra cars. All the drivers drove tremendous laps. Allan nailed it down very well but Marco was very quick as well. All four cars are battling on an equal footing. We handled the practice and qualifying sessions with relative ease but are still at the beginning of the learning curve as far as the set-up is concerned. But I do believe that we’re really well set. Still, I’m warning against too much optimism. Last year, we were in front with three cars as well and then had problems in the race. And the rain that’s been forecast won’t make matters any easier for us either. It was a very good beginning. ‘Many thanks’ to the team. It had a lot of work in the past few weeks.”
Dindo Capello (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “A brilliant lap by Allan! It’s great to be at the very front again. Many years ago, our driver team managed this on the debut of TDI technology too. Now we’ve achieved the top spot on the grid with the new hybrid technology. This is fantastic and shows that our driver squad can still deliver top performances. Part one of our task has been accomplished, part two will follow on Saturday. We’re the leaders of the standings and want to leave Spa in the same position.”
Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “We’re experiencing an interesting week with our new toy. The engineers and the mechanics did a solid job of optimizing this car. Thanks to Allan’s excellent lap we’re starting from P1. That’s a significant result at round two of the world championship. And it’s our preparation for Le Mans. Everyone is perfectly concentrated and the demands are high. A few new members are working in the team. So, Spa is a good opportunity for the team to continue to gel and to show our new technology in public for the first time. Our top priority is to finish with all four cars on Saturday.”
Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “Qualifying felt absolutely thrilling. Our R18 e-tron quattro is making its debut, which is a very special moment for us drivers. Something like this happens only in the case of technological leaps like the introduction of the TDI engine six years ago or the e-tron quattro now, which is the next milestone. It’s great that Dindo, Tom and I are all the way at the front of the grid. The engineers gave us a strong, nicely balanced car in which I drove two good laps.”
Marco Bonanomi (Audi R18 ultra #4): “It was a very good qualifying session. I’m very happy for the team. I’m already excited about tomorrow’s run. This is my first race in a prototype, so it’s great to be able to start from the front row. Unfortunately, I hit traffic on my second fast lap. My first intermediate time was 0.3 seconds faster than my previous best time, so I immediately returned to the pits.”
Oliver Jarvis (Audi R18 ultra #4): “That was a superb qualifying event. Marco did a fantastic job. On his second lap he hit traffic otherwise he could have even been quicker. We’re very pleased with the weekend so far. But what really counts is the race tomorrow.”
Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “First of all, I’d like to say ‘well done’ to Allan and his crew on clinching pole. He drove a brilliant lap. I’m personally a bit disappointed, as I was quicker in free practice this morning than in qualifying. I was a bit too slow on my warm-up lap because I tried to stay clear of traffic. My fast lap was okay but not totally without mistakes either. Position three on the grid is a good starting base for the race.”
André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “This was a tremendous qualifying session for Audi with the top four positions. It’s fantastic that the best time was immediately achieved with the new hybrid technology. Unfortunately, we fell a little short with our car, but third place is a good starting base for the race. Since Marcel had been the quickest in free practice we’ve got to analyze why qualifying no longer went so well. Perhaps we changed the car in a way that it no longer fit Marcel as well anymore.”
Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “We were in front in all sessions up to qualifying. But there we didn’t get it right on the dot. That’s not tragic, though, because the race is long and the car is running well. We went out later than the others. That may have influenced the result. We were only short of a few tenths. Now we’re going to set up the car for the race.”
Romain Dumas (Audi R18 ultra #3): “This was not an easy qualifying session. Every driver had only two fast laps. In addition, we changed the set-up once more before qualifying. Unfortunately, we got stuck in traffic. Fortunately, we gathered a lot of important data that will allow us to further improve the car for the race. For tomorrow, rain has been predicted. That’s why qualifying today was not crucial.”
Loïc Duval (Audi R18 ultra #3): “Qualifying was quite alright; unfortunately, though, I was slowed by traffic on both laps. So, I could have driven even faster, but sometimes you’re lucky and sometimes you’re not. But we did achieve our aim of Audi starting from the top four positions on the grid.”
Marc Gené (Audi R18 ultra #3): “Loïc unfortunately had traffic on his fast laps, so he wasn’t able to fully exploit the car’s potential. Aside from this, the weekend’s going really well. I’m getting more and more used to the car on this fantastic track. The race is very long and a lot can happen. I’m hoping for us to clinch a podium result.”
Practice sessions and qualifying are over, and tomorrow is the big day for all competitors in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The warm-up for 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will begin at 10:05 for a period of 20 minutes. Drivers will then have just enough time to change and eat before the autograph session from 12:15, one of the highlights of the weekend for all spectators on the circuit.
Competitors will then line-up on the starting grid from 13:10 which should be cleared at 14:20. The starting flag for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship will drop at 14:30 for 6 hours of racing!
http://www.fiawec.com/races/6-hours-of-spa-francorchamps/news/the-programme-for-saturday-at-spa_118.html
NEWS / FIA WEC, “Spa 6H” qualifying session: second fastest time for the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 driven by Fisichella-Bruni (GTE Pro)
SPA, May 4th – Giancarlo Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni, on AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 (#51) set the second time in GTE Pro in the qualifying session of the “Spa 6 Hours”, second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The Roman teammates have shown to be very fast during all the free practices (Friday) and today have gained the second place on the race grid.
Andrea Bertolini and Olivier Beretta, on AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 #71, have the fifth place of the GTE Pro category at the race start of tomorrow.
As well in GTE Am, there are positive results. Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Marco Cioci and Matt Griffin on 458 Italia GT2 #81 are in the front row of the category thanks the second best lap in the qualifying session. Robert Kauffman, Rui Aguas and Brian Vickers, on AF-Waltrip Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 #61 (AF Waltrip is a joint effort by the AF Corse team and NASCAR’s Michael Waltrip Racing) are in sixth position on the starting grid.
http://www.afcorse.it/english/N113_NEWS-FIA_WEC_Spa_6H_qualifying_session_second_fastest_t ime_for_the_AF_Corse_Ferrari_458_Italia_GT2_driven _by_Fisichella-Bruni_GTE_Pro_and_for_the_Ferrari_458_Italia_GT2_o f_Perazzini-Cioci-Griffin_GTE_Am.html
its the warm up now, its raining.
heres the link...
http://live.fiawec.com/
just under 3 hours to go, and what a race. Porsche leading GTE Pro, then its Ferrari, Ferrari and Ferrari. Out front in the LMP1, its Audi 1,2,3,4. The Aston withdrew with drive problems i think it was with in the first hour.
Audi ~
#3 wins overall. AF Corse #51 of Bruni and Fisi ended second, just .6 behind the #77 Porsche. It was really close, Bruni was hunting down the Porsche, just needed another couple corners. At the last chicane there was waved yellows so he had to lift off coming out of Blanchimont. Brilliant race. Audi e-trons seem bit more thirsty than the ultras. The e-trons also looked to suffer from understeer more due too the hybrid system being at the front aswell. Hope they can look at it and get sorted for Le-Mans. Will post up news and quotes bit later.
First race and first victory for the new Audi R18 Ultra, a worthy successor to its distant ancestor the R8. Romain Dumas, who won the 24 Hours of Spa in 2003, Loic Duval, who won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2011 and Marc Gené, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010, led much of the race to clinch a victory for the first time together as a driver crew.
The last hour was relatively calm, drivers were careful to stay on the track and pass the chequered flag, but that did not prevent Marcel Fässler from setting the fastest lap with the Audi #1 twenty minutes before the end of the race, a few minutes after an unexpected pitstop due to a puncture. The Audi #2 has meanwhile sentenced to a stop and go for non-compliance with the refueling procedure. Behind the Audi #3, #1, #4 and #2, the two Lola-Toyotas of Rebellion Racing finished one behind the other in fifth and sixth places ..
No change at the top of the LMP2, LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am: the final ranking reflects the standings after five hours of racing. The Zytek-Nissan #38 de Jota in LMP2, the Porsche #77 of Felbermayr-Proton in LMGTE Pro and the Porsche #67 of IMSA Performance Matmut.
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Audi's Marc Gene says decisive early switch to slicks part of pre-race plan
By Simon Strang Sunday, May 6th 2012, 10:33 GMT
Spa six hours winner Marc Gene said his decision to switch to slick tyres a stint earlier than his rivals in the early stages of the race - a strategy which was key to his crew's victory in the race – was something he had been contemplating overnight before the event.
The Peugeot refugee, who signed for Audi a month ago, won on his debut with the team, alongside team-mates Loic Duval and Romain Dumas, said that he knew the call would be marginal and could be pivotal to the outcome of the race.
"I started working on that yesterday and this morning," Gene told AUTOSPORT after the race. "Before the race I met for a quite a long time with the Michelin guys and I was asking questions about the intermediate and the slicks. And then I spoke with my engineer just before the race and I said: 'Look I think we are going to have to make a very close call, you know.'
"So we were kind of ready.
"And then with 15 laps to go I started to tell him that we had to go for slicks, and then five laps to go I said it's for sure slicks. And I had doubts about which one because we had two types of slicks. I was even in favour of the very, very dry slick, which would have been maybe too much, but when he saw me so confident he had no doubts about making the decision.
"After three laps when I started overtaking cars, then I realised we had made the right choice."
Gene admitted that victory on his first outing for Audi had come as a surprise to him.
"It's very unexpected!" he said. "It wasn't expected a month ago because I didn't expect to be here. I closed the deal with Audi a month ago more-or-less, and to win on my debut, especially when we didn't have the speed because yesterday, it's so unexpected. Life is full of surprises.
"Who would have told me I would be wearing these overalls and standing on top of the podium? It's incredible."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99407
First race and first victory for the new Audi R18 Ultra, but third step of the podium as well, and second place for the brand new R18 e-tron quattro, the hybrid car.
Dieter Gass (Head of Racing Commitments): "We’re very happy with this result. On the whole, it couldn’t have gone any better, even though the situation became a bit unpredictable toward the end. We suffered punctures on two cars because obviously after the numerous accidents some sharp debris was on the track. Technically, the cars ran without any problems throughout the six hours. That was an important step in our preparation for Le Mans. I want to thank the squad after a very tough preparation period. This is the nicest reward one could wish for."
Romain Dumas (Audi R18 ultra #3): "We had a perfect race. My team-mates and our squad showed a brilliant performance. Our strategy was right on the mark and our fuel consumption was low. That paid off. That way, we increased our advantage. The tires were very good, that’s why I opted not to change tires in the end. That was another reason for our success."
Loïc Duval (Audi R18 ultra #3): "Today, we experienced a surprise. This was only my second race with Audi but already my first victory. As always, there wasn’t a single problem when I’m sitting in an Audi. The conditions were very difficult in the beginning but the car was fantastic. We had no problems whatsoever. It’s a nice result for Audi to finish on positions one, two, three and four. I’m very happy to be on the very top of the podium."
Marc Gené (Audi R18 ultra #3): "That was incredible. More was not possible today. Life is full of surprises. On my debut with Audi I clinched my third personal victory at Spa. It was an honest win in difficult conditions. As a driver team, we were well matched; the engineers, the team and the car were perfect. I never believed in taking victory. My goal had been a podium finish."
Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "Sincere congratulations to Audi and car number "3" on taking victory. They did a perfect job and made their decisions at exactly the right moment. We had the pace for winning. A key point in time was a safety car period that separated us from the cars in front and caused us to lose ground from a 15 to a 50 second gap. It was difficult to make up such a gap. After my pit stop a wheel locked once when I hit the brakes. Afterward there were heavy vibrations and I was no longer in contention for victory. I secured second place in order to score important points for the World Championship. To avoid a puncture I had new wheels fitted just to be on the safe side."
Oliver Jarvis (Audi R18 ultra #4): "A great day. The most important thing was to not make any mistakes and to complete as many kilometers as possible. We may be inexperienced but the pace was there. Now the wish remains to finish on the podium at Le Mans as well - maybe we’ll even move up a bit more."
Cécile Bonardel (from Audi Sport's press release)
Well its 40 days now till Le-Mans 24hrs. That a long wait :-s
Thank you for posting such wonderful pix..hard to see the Porsche edge the Ferrari..
The cars look amazing, one of my favorite forms of motorsport.
And some people think the Ferrari/Porsche wars ended with the 512 and the 917!
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