Le Mans news

[Rob]

43 entries for LMS 8 Heures du Castellet
March 24, 2010
The entrylist for the 8 Heures Du Castellet on April 11 was released today. 43 cars are set to race in the opening race of the 2010 Le Mans Series season. Eight LMP1, nineteen LMP2, two GT1 and fourteen GT2 cars are currently on the list.

In LMP1 all the teams that took part in the Official Test will be racing at Paul Ricard again, joined by one Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 TDI for Kristensen, Capello and McNish.

With nineteen cars, twelve full spec LMP2 cars and seven Formula Le Mans, entered the LMP2 category will be the biggest class at Paul Ricard. Pegasus Racing and WR/Salini are joining the seventeen cars that already tested in Le Castellet earlier this month.

Only two GT1 cars are entered for the 8 Heures Du Castellet, the Larbre Competition and Atlas eFX Team Full Speed Saleens will be fighting for the win.

Spyker Squadron and Modena Group Racing are set to join the GT2 teams that already tested at Paul Ricard. Factory teams, top drivers and a large variety of cars will make the GT2 class perhaps the most interesting category in the 2010 Le Mans Series season.

[Rob]

Highcroft Racing signs Marco Werner for Le Mans
By Team Update ⋅ March 25, 2010
Highcroft Racing has finalized its driver line-up for its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with three-time race winner Marco Werner joining Marino Franchitti and last year’s victor David Brabham.

The reigning American Le Mans Series LMP1 champions will campaign the Honda Performance Development factory-backed ARX-01c chassis for its Le Mans debut in the LMP2 class.

With three Le Mans victories in a row in 2005, 06 and 07, three Sebring wins, a 24 Hour of Daytona title and an American Le Mans Series LMP1 driver’s title to his credit, selecting Werner to fill the available third-driver role was an easy decision for Highcroft boss, Duncan Dayton.

Following Highcroft’s second place in LMP2 in Saturday’s Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Danbury, CT-based squad stayed on at the historic Florida venue for two days of testing on Monday and Tuesday - taking advantage of the opportunity to provide Werner with some valuable seat-time alongside his new teammates.

“Compared to the Audi, this is going to be a completely different world for me so I am really looking forward to driving the car at Le Mans,” Werner said.

“I know the car in Sebring as an LMP2 was very competitive and it is much lighter than the Audi. I’m looking forward to having a much more agile car to drive.

“It will be very different at Le Mans. We know that LMP2 and LMP1 are in a different world, but at circuits like Sebring there isn’t that much difference.”

Highcroft Racing will be the sole American team contesting the LMP2 class at this year’s French endurance classic. While team-owner Dayton has contested the race as a driver in the past, this year’s Le Mans will not only be the team’s 24 Hour debut, but also its first overseas race.

“I’m very proud to be joining the team for Le Mans as I think we have a great chance to win the LMP2 class,” Werner said.

“Highcroft is a real high-level team and we have a great driver line-up with David and Marino

“You obviously need a complete package for Le Mans and you need a little bit of luck but I think we will be the team to beat.

“The diesel is a very heavy car and it is sometimes difficult to drive over the bumps . This car is very nimble and brings back some memories - the car almost has a Formula 3 feel to it. You can brake so much later into the corners than what you could in the Audi. It’s a very different driving style which takes a bit of getting used to.

“Coming to Highcroft will be a new environment for me. I’m enjoying working with the guys and having competed against them before, I know they are very tough opponents.

“At Le Mans it is imperative to have every aspect of your package at the highest level. I think we have everything in place - from the Michelin tires, the crew, the chassis, the engine, the drivers - I don’t see on the list any other team where they have everything in place.”

With Highcroft Racing’s resident Frenchman Simon Pagenaud competing for the Peugeot factory team in LMP1 at Le Mans this year, Highcroft sought additional endurance experience for its Le Mans debut.

Not only do they now have four overall race wins in the history books, the Highcroft driver line-up also has a pair of GT1 victories in Brabham’s name. In fact, the Australian ace will be aiming for his fourth consecutive class win after winning GT1 for Aston Martin in 2007 and 2008 and the LMP1 division and overall title for Peugeot last year.

“It has been fun to see that hot pink helmet of Marco’s in a green car. With our team going to Le Mans for the first time this year we have quite a bit to learn,” Highcroft Racing, President, Duncan Dayton said.

“Obviously we will rely a lot on David’s expertise and experience but when it came to completing our driver line-up it was important for us to find somebody who had great experience and knew how to win there.

“Marco knows the rhythm of the race and the weekend and clearly when he became available, there was certainly nobody else we could grab to help us quickly learn how to win there.

“Now that he is in an LMP2 car, he’s probably never gone so slow down the straight but so fast through the corners over the past ten years . It is a totally different driving style that he has to get used to in this car but he did a great job in the test.

“He is an consummate professional and has been very consistent with his times. Driving this car does give your neck a bit of a beating but by the time we get to France he will be ready to go.

“I’m very excited about our entire line-up of David, Marino and Marco and I believe we have a very strong package for our debut at Le Mans.”

[Rob]

CRS Racing: Ferrari time!
By Team Update ⋅ April 5, 2010

The Formula Renaults made a good start to CRS’ racing season last weekend. Now it is time for the Ferrari 430s to race as the first round of the 2010 Le Mans Series (LMS) is this weekend at the stunning Paul Ricard track in the south of France.

This is the first LMS race for CRS and the team knows that the competition is incredibly strong in the GT2 category. CRS is prepared though with two strong driver line-ups, a well-drilled pit crew and two fully updated Ferrari 430s, which will be out in their new 2010 livery.

The 430s will use the wider Michelin tyres this year so the bodywork has been upgraded to accommodate the new rubber. The changes also incorporate the new higher weight category and engine restrictor size and add up to an improved race car, as all the CRS drivers will be out to demonstrate.

Pierre Ehret, Phil Quaife and Pierre Kaffer will race Ferrari No.90. Kaffer has already tasted success this year with GT2 victory at the Sebring 12 Hours so he and his team-mates will be fired up for a good showing at Ricard.

“I think us three drivers gelled well together at the Ricard test,” said Kaffer. “We are now a team within a team and it is good that we work together so well. I already feel at home at CRS; it is a good environment to work in. I like driving at Ricard, especially on the long circuit. It’s not an easy track by any means but I am confident that we will have a good race. The new car is definitely better than the old one, with more grip overall. It is a lot of fun to drive!”

Andrew Kirkaldy and Tim Mullen make up a formidable pairing in CRS Ferrari No.91. Both drivers have raced the 430 for many years and have worked together for just as long.

“I think the car is looking promising now,” said Kirkaldy. “The Ricard test went well for us and we were quick there. We worked through a big test programme and came away pretty happy with the results. It’s good to be racing with Tim. We have always been quick but we were always in separate cars so it’s nice to join forces at last. Hopefully we’ll get some decent weather too as everywhere we’ve been lately has been freezing cold and wet!”

CRS’ Managing Director Mark Busfield commented: “The winter break is now over and the team has been very busy over the last few months getting everything ready for this first race. We have updated the race cars and have spent a lot of time getting the drivers and team ready with numerous tests over the last few months. It will be good to get the season started.”

The eight-hour Le Mans Series race gets underway this Sunday at 1100 CET (1000 BST). In the UK there is live coverage of much of the race on Eurosport. Please check listings for details.

[Rob]

Progressive design for the Audi R15 TDI
By Team Update ⋅ April 5, 2010

Audi wants to surprise the spectators at this year’s 24-hour race at Le Mans (France) with a progressive design: the Audi Design Team created a fresh outfit for the innovative diesel race sports car that bears all the hallmarks of “pleasure in efficiency.”

Whereas silver was the dominant color of the Audi R15 TDI last year, the 2010 model boasts a radical new design that features more red. In addition, large areas of the Le Mans race sports car that is internally designated as “R15 plus” will be kept in a purist black carbon-fiber look.

“We’re happy that we were allowed to give the car such a progressive look,” say Markus Auerbach and Tobias Drews from the Audi Design Team. “We wanted to add a dash of surprise when the Audi leaves the pits at Le Mans. We practically opened up the bodywork and are exposing the light-weight construction and its uncompromising technical development – and with a little rock ’n’ roll for good measure.”

The Audi R15 TDI sporting its new design will make its debut at the Le Castellet 8 Hours on April 11. Audi Sport Team Joest will contest the 2010 season opener of the Le Mans Series in preparation for the Le Mans (France) 24 Hours on June 12/13. Another test race is planned at the 1000-kilometer race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium).

“The race at Le Castellet comes at a very early point in time for us and is nothing but a test in racing conditions,” stresses Ralf Jüttner, Technical Director of Audi Sport Team Joest. “Even though it’s a difficult logistical undertaking, we wanted to gather experiences with the R15 plus at a race as early as possible. Le Castellet offers the opportunity to do this.”

The 2010 version of the Audi R15 TDI completed a roll-out at the Audi test track in Neustadt at the beginning of March. The prototype was subsequently flown to the USA for initial tests which primarily featured aerodynamics trials. A five-day endurance test followed at Sebring (Florida) at which about 5 500 kilometers were reeled off without any technical problems worth mentioning.

In Europe, the final set-up work with a view toward Le Mans is on the agenda. Further track tests will now be followed by the first run in a race at which the result will be of secondary importance for Audi though. “Le Castellet will strictly be about gathering additional experience with the R15 plus,” emphasizes Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Racing conditions simply can’t be simulated in normal track tests; that’s why we’re contesting a race at such an early stage.”

It is planned to field the R15 plus with chassis number 202. Audi Sport Team Joest has nominated Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) as drivers. “However, we will only decide whether all three drivers will actually race at short notice,” says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

Since Audi has performed several endurance tests for the Le Mans 24 Hours at Le Castellet in recent years, the team and drivers are intimately familiar with the circuit in southern France.

Audi, by the way, has very good memories of its most recent racing commitment at Le Castellet: in 1995, Frank Biela won the Touring Car World Cup there in the Audi A4 quattro against strong rivals.

[Rob]

Sarrazin joins ORECA for Paul Ricard

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 6th 2010, 11:23 GMT www.autosport.com

Frenchman Stephane Sarrazin will join team ORECA for the first round of the Le Mans Series at Paul Ricard this weekend.

Sarrazin has been a works Peugeot driver since 2007, but will join ORECA at the Le Castellet eight hours to help the squad, which will run a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP in a race for the first time.

The French driver, who already drove for ORECA in 2001 and 2002, joins Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre for the Paul Ricard event.

"I'm delighted to be back with the team that I know so well," said Sarrazin. "I'm used to working with David Floury, who was my engineer in 2003 and I already got to know Olivier Panis in F1.

"I know that Nicolas Lapierre is very quick and a nice guy into the bargain, so I think we're going to make a great trio.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for me to prepare for my season. Of course, our aim is to win, and that would be a great result in the face of the challenge from the new Audi, but my first priority is to put myself at the disposal of the team and its drivers.

"I'm going to try and bring my knowledge of the car and to share a few insights with them that could help the team at Le Castellet, and for the rest of the season."

[Rob]

Zytek: Champions return for first round of the LMS
By Team Update ⋅ April 6, 2010

Zytek Motorsport, the supplier for the 2009 Le Mans Series LMP2 team and drivers champions, starts the defence of its titles, as well as challenges for new ones, this weekend at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit. Three of the rapid Ginetta-Zytek 09SBs are entered including one to be driven by former Formula One World Champion, Nigel Mansell, while a fourth car will also make use of Zytek’s Le Mans LMP2 class winning ZG348 engine.

Improvements have been made to all the Ginetta-Zytek chassis that will enhance their competitiveness and bring them into line with the latest ACO regulations. Zytek is notably one of only three main constructors not to have applied for a waver for the ACO for the 2010 rear bodywork regulations. The emphasis on the aerodynamic changes for the 09SB has been a low drag package. A new tail section sees the fender behind the rear wheel closed in line with the new regulations. Also new is the upper side pod, which has an increased side bleed featuring up and over exit filled with scoops. In addition, a new rear wing with up and over mounting system has been installed. The result of these changes will be a reduction in the drag coupled with minimum loss of downforce and a sizeable increase in straight-line speed.

The opening round of the 2010 LMS, will be the first in the series to be held over an eight-hour period. It takes place at the Le Castellet track that was once the regular location of the French Grand Prix. The length of the race means that all four Zytek-engined teams will feature three-driver line-ups. This will be particularly significant in the LMP1 class in that it will enable Nigel Mansell to team up with his sons Leo and Greg in the Ginetta-Zytek 09SB of the newly formed Beechdean Mansell operation.

The LMS LMP2 drivers and team champions, Olivier Pla, Miguel Amaral and Quifel-ASM, return for a second year in the LMP2 category with their Ginetta-Zytek 09SB. For the longer races of the season they will, this year, be joined by the experienced Warren Hughes, who has previously benefited from Zytek power with the Embassy team. The second LMP2 Ginetta-Zytek 09SB will be the familiar one driven for the last couple of seasons by Karim Ojjeh and this year entered under the Team Bruichladdich banner. Joining Karim for 2010 will be Tim Greaves and Thor-Christian Ebbesvik.

The fourth car on the grid with a Zytek engine will be the WR-Zytek entered by WR/Salini and driven again by Tristan Gommendy and the Salini brothers, Phillippe and Stéphane.

[Rob]

Spyker Squadron ready for 8H of Le Castellet
April 7, 2010

Spyker Squadron will be back in the Le Mans Series for the sixth year in succession. The Dutch team will carry a brand new livery for the 2010 season, replacing the yellow and blue from recent years. Spyker will again compete in all five rounds of the Le Mans Series championship and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

In the Le Mans Series and at Le Mans Spyker Squadron will run in the black and red colors of new team partner Convers Group. Dutch watchmaker TW Steel and Arai Helmets have also joined Spyker Squadron as team suppliers for the 2010 season.

At the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit the number 85 Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R will run in its new configuration for the first time. Conform with technical regulations the engine capacity has been increased to 4.0 litres and the weight of the car is now 1245 kg. The car will also race on 2” wider rear wheels and in combination with the weight a larger air restrictor has been placed.

In France Tom Coronel will join Peter Dumbreck and Jeroen Bleekemolen. The cancellation of the FIA WTCC race in Mexico makes it possible for Spyker Squadron to run all three drivers in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The length of the race makes it an ideal rehearsal for the classic event in June.

Peter van Erp, Managing Director Spyker Squadron: “We will use the Friday sessions to get to grips with the new configuration of the car. We worked on the updates during the winter and that is why we did not take part in the official test session in March. I am happy to have all three drivers at Paul Ricard. This race gives us the opportunity to run them together before going to Le Mans and fine-tune the cooperation between them.”

Jeroen Bleekemolen: “I am looking forward to the weekend. It is not easy to say where we stand at the moment because we didn’t test, but the car really did well at the end of last season. The competition is extremely strong in GT2, so it won’t be easy. I think we have a strong team though; drivers and the people working in the team. We will need a consistent performance and hopefully this will get us a good result in this long race.”

Tom Coronel: “The competition has grown stronger, but we’ve never been afraid of competition. We have three strong drivers this year. Of course there are other teams with strong line-ups as well, but I think Spyker has one of the best line-ups in Europe at the moment. We will be the underdog again this year. Between the Feraris, Porsches and all the factory drivers our small Spyker brand is something exclusive and special. Let’s make it a special season again!”

The first practice session of the Le Mans Series 8 Heures Du Castellet weekend is scheduled for Friday afternoon. The eight hour long race will start at 11:00 on Sunday morning. Eurosport will have live coverage of parts of the race in Europe.

[Rob]

17th BMW Art Car lines up at the 24H Le Mans
By Team Update ⋅ April 6, 2010

Team BMW Motorsport will compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a work of art on four wheels: the no. 79 BMW M3 GT2 has been designed as a “rolling sculpture” by Jeff Koons. The American artist – one of the best-known and renowned artists of his time – presented his first preliminary design concept at a press conference in New York on Tuesday, which was attended by prominent guests including BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, and BMW works driver Andy Priaulx (GB).

The 17th BMW Art Car sees BMW continue a long tradition, which dates back to 1975 and celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. Auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain (FR) came up with the idea of allowing famous artists to design BMW racing cars. Alexander Calder (US) got the ball rolling with the BMW 3.0 CSL. By 1979 Frank Stella (US), Roy Lichtenstein (US) and Andy Warhol (US) had all followed in his footsteps. All these cars lined up at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The greatest sporting success came with the BMW M1 designed by Warhol, which crossed the finish line in sixth. Koons is the latest artist to join the illustrious group of BMW Art Car creators.

Frank-Peter Arndt, who as a member of the Board of Management at BMW is also responsible for the BMW Group’s cultural commitments, said: “It is a fascinating and inspiring exercise to witness an artist present his or her vision through one of our cars. To see Jeff Koons take his unique sensibility and bring it to a BMW racing car as he works with our team to translate his art into a race-ready car is to truly watch a challenging connection be made between technical and artistic intelligence.”

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen added: “The race in Le Mans is one of the most important events in international motorsport. This makes it the perfect stage to revive the tradition of the BMW Art Car. Jeff Koons’ work of art will leave a lasting impression with all those who see it, even long after the BMW M3 GT2’s race appearance. BMW Art Cars have often also been able to impress with their sporting achievements. I am optimistic that this will be the case again this year.”

“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Jeff Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power.”

The BMW M3 GT2 Art Car will make its world debut at Paris’s “Centre Pompidou” on 1st June 2010 – just two weeks before the race on 12th and 13th June. Koons himself will unveil and sign his car, just as Roy Lichtenstein did with the BMW 320i Group 5 Racing Version in 1977. The number to be carried by the BMW M3 GT2 at this year’s race in Le Mans, “79”, pays tribute to the 1979 Andy Warhol car.

Priaulx, one of the three drivers of the BMW M3 GT2 Art Car, said “For us drivers it’s a huge honour to drive the latest Art Car at Le Mans. I find our BMW racing cars aesthetically pleasing anyway. But the result of Jeff Koons’ work on the BMW M3 GT2 Art Car is just incredible. We will do our best to make it a successful return of the Art Cars to Le Mans from a sporting angle as well.”

Team BMW Motorsport will enter two BMW M3 GT2 cars at the 24-hour race at the “Circuit de la Sarthe”. Priaulx will be joined at the wheel of the Art Car by Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE), while Jörg Müller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR) and Uwe Alzen (DE) will alternate behind the wheel of the second BMW M3 GT2.

[Testarossa6000]

Another series kicks off this weekend and if you want to watch, you can catch it on Eurosport on Sunday 11/4 from 10.15 - 12.00 and then again at 13.00 - 13.25.

For more info on Le Castellet 8 hrs go here including the entry list. The year only GT2 interests me where the F430s will be fighting off the 997s, a solitary BMW, the crazy Spyker and Rob Bell and Darren Turner at the wheel of the Vantage.

Our boys are:

90 CRS Racing United Kingdom Ferrari F430 GT Pierre Ehret Phil Quaife Pierre Kaffer
91 CRS Racing United Kingdom Ferrari F430 GT Andrew Kirkaldy Tim Mullen
94 AF Corse Italy Ferrari F430 GT Luis Perez Companc Matias Russo
95 AF Corse Italy Ferrari F430 GT Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander Jean Alesi
96 AF Corse Italy Ferrari F430 GT Gianmaria Bruni Jaime Melo

Some absolutely brilliant drivers - every single one of them has an excellent history of racing - and our own tester Fisico out playing with Alesi WOW! Defo worth planning a trip to Silverstone in September to watch.

FORZA FERRARI!

[Rob]

Go be watching it for sure.Been waiting for this to kick off, number 96 all the way!!

[Rob]

AIM Team ORECA: Getting ready for Le Mans!
By Team Update ⋅ April 7, 2010

The ORECA 01 is attacking the 2010 Le Mans Series with a new driver line-up, Soheil Ayari, Didier André and Loïc Duval, and a new tyre supplier, Dunlop. The Le Castellet 8 Hours will provide the team with an ideal opportunity to carry out a complete test in race conditions in view of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

David Floury, the technical director lays out the aim for the first event of the season: “We want to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours in the most thorough fashion possible. This means a putting on a good performance in qualifying, and above all, having a good race. Being there at the finish is our no.1 priority.”

The ORECA 01, winner of the 2009 Silverstone 1000kms and first petrol-engined prototype in the Petit Le Mans in the USA, set the fastest time in the official test session a month ago on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit. But for the car’s return to the track in the Var, the essentials are not quite the same for Floury: “The team’s two cars filled the first two places and obviously we’d like to finish the Le Castellet 8 Hours in these positions,” he smiles. “This being said, what we learned in the test may not be of much use. The conditions will be different and our rivals will have had time to fine-tune their cars. Where we’re concerned, there are a few unknown factors. We’re going into this preparatory race with a fair amount of caution to familiarize ourselves with all the innovations. We’ve had sessions with Dunlop and we were very satisfied. But it’s our first race with this tyre manufacturer, and it’ll help us evaluate the potential and the life of the tyres.”

The ORECA 01 will also have a few new mechanical innovations. “Small tweaks, nothing you can see,” says David. “We’ll keep the most spectacular ones for private testing!” At the Le Castellet 8 Hours, the AIM Team ORECA Matmut ORECA 01 will be entrusted to Soheil Ayari, who scored a good fifth place for the team in last year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. He will be backed up by another couple of Frenchmen, Didier André, and Loïc Duval, recent winner of the Super GT race at Okayama. He will be back in the ORECA 01 he drove in last year’s Asian Le Mans Series, and he will then move over to the Peugeot 908 HDI FAP driver line-up for the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 kms.

“We’ve got an unusual driver line-up but they all have endurance experience. Soheil and Loïc know the ORECA 01 well, while Didier has already driven for us at Le Mans. They’re a well-balanced trio, which should help us to be among the front-runners,” sums up Floury. The first practice session for the Le Castellet 8 Hours will take place on Friday 7th April followed by qualifying the next day.

[Rob]

Withdrawal of Dome Racing Team in favor of Pegasus Racing
By Series Update ⋅ April 8, 2010 The ASA ACO Le Mans 24 Hours has been officially notified of the withdrawal of the Dome Racing Team, who were aiming to bring the LM P1 Dome S102 prototype back to Le Mans after its 2008 performance had thrilled the crowd.

In compliance with the supplementary regulations of the Le Mans 24 Hours in the case of the withdrawal of a prototype, the Selection Committee has replaced the Dome S102 with the entrant at the top of the list of reserves in the same category (LM P).

Thus, French team Pegasus Racing, has been invited to join the list of entrants selected for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours subject to confirmation of its entry with the ACO. Pegasus Racing has a new LM P2 car, the Norma, with a Judd engine and the first member of the driver line-up to be announced was Frenchman, Julien Schell.

[Rob]

Team Bruichladdich hits the race track for new challenges
By Team Update ⋅ April 8, 2010 ⋅

Team Bruichladdich is coming to the 2010 Le Mans Series opener with a new car and driving squad. The Le Mans Series season kicks off in France with an 8-hour event, and 2010 also is the year of all changes for team owner Tim Greaves. After making their reputation with the Radical chassis in the LM P2 category, Team Bruichladdich is competing with a Zytek 09S.

The car was entered by G.A.C. Racing Team in the 2009 Le Mans Series, with Karim Ojjeh at the wheel. A renowned LM P2 driver with four wins in his endurance racing record, he will be driving the car owned by his mother Renate once again this year, forming Team Bruichladdich’s new line-up with Tim Greaves and Thor-Christian Ebbesvik. This young talented driver from Norway with several Formula 3 wins also competed twice in Formula Le Mans last year.

Team Bruichladdich’s 2010 shakedown took place last March at Le Mans Series Test Days at the Le Castellet circuit. Thor-Christian Ebbesvik immediately proved comfortable with the Zytek, and feels a great potential for his team mates and the car’s competitiveness in the LM P2 class this year. The green flag is ready to be waved for Team Bruichladdich at the 8 Hours of Le Castellet!

[Rob]

ORECA Peugeot fastest in first practice www.autosport.com

By Steven English Friday, April 9th 2010, 14:00 GMT


The ORECA Peugeot 908 set the fastest time of the opening free practice session for this weekend's Le Mans Series opener at Paul Ricard.

The customer diesel car of Olivier Panis, Nicolas Lapierre and on-loan factory Peugeot pilot Stephane Sarrazin set a benchmark time quarter of a second quicker than the best set by the works Audi R15 of Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.

ORECA's own car was third quickest in the hands of Soheil Ayari, Didier Andre and Loic Duval, just half a second slower than the Peugeot. The leading Rebellion Racing Lola was just another tenth further back, with Nicolas Prost and Neel Jani sharing driving duties.

The rest of the LMP1 class, including the customer-run Signature Aston Martin and Beechdean Mansell Ginetta were more than a second off the leading pace.

Strakka Racing has stepped down to the LMP2 class this year and topped the first session with its HPD (formerly Acura), driven by Danny Watts, Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis. They were nearly a second faster than the second in class Quifel Ginetta or Miguel Amaral, Olivier Pla and Warren Hughes.

The Larbre Competition Saleen is the only GT1 car racing at Paul Ricard this weekend, and was only half a tenth quicker than the fastest GT2 car, which was the CRS Ferrari 430 of Andrew Kirkaldy and Tim Mullen.

A full second slower than them in second place was the AF Corse Ferrari of Gianmaria Bruni and Jaime Melo. Richard Westbrook and Marco Holzer were a further half a second back, and third in class, in the first of the Porsches.

Former grand prix drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi finished their first LMS session seventh in class, in the AF Corse Ferrari they share with Toni Vilander.

The Schnitzer-run BMW was slowest of the GT2 cars in its first European session, with Jorg Muller and Dirk Werner driving, while the Oak Racing Pescarolo of Mathieu Lahaye and Jacques Nicolet failed to set a time.

Pos Drivers Class/Team/Car Time Gap Laps
1. Panis/Lapierre/Sarrazin P1 ORECA Peugeot 1m44.154s 28
2. Capello/Kristensen/McNish P1 Audi 1m44.397s +0.243 19
3. Ayari/Andre/Duval P1 ORECA 1m44.660s +0.506 21
4. Prost/Jani P1 Rebellion Lola 1m44.800s +0.646 25
5. Belicchi/Boullion/Smith P1 Rebellion Lola 1m45.568s +1.414 22
6. Fernandez/Primat/Mucke P1 Aston Martin 1m46.009s +1.855 22
7. Ragues/Mailleux/Ickx P1 Signature Aston 1m47.107s +2.953 27
8. Leventis/Watts/Kane P2 Strakka HPD 1m48.160s +4.006 24
9. Mansell/Mansell/Mansell P1 Beechdean Ginetta 1m48.272s +4.118 11
10. Amaral/Pla/Hughes P2 Quifel Ginetta 1m49.065s +4.911 20
11. Erdos/Newton/Wallace P2 RML Lola 1m49.551s +5.397 21
12. Geri/Piccini/Piccini P2 Racing Box Lola 1m50.221s +6.067 21
13. Hein/Moreau P2 Oak Pescarolo 1m50.924s +6.770 21
14. Ojjeh/Greaves/Ebbesvik P2 Bruich. Ginetta 1m50.943s +6.789 23
15. Salini/Salini/Gommendy P2 WR-Zytek 1m53.047s +8.893 24
16. Cioci/Perazzini/Ardizzone P2 Racing Box Lola 1m53.514s +9.360 23
17. Toulemonde/Zollinger/Zampatti LC Formula Le Mans 1m56.150s +11.996 25
18. Zacchia/Moro/Kaufmann LC Formula Le Mans 1m56.514s +12.360 27
19. Beche/Pillon/Capillaire LC Formula Le Mans 1m56.579s +12.425 25
20. Frey/Meichtry/Dueck P2 Race Perf. Radical 1m56.617s +12.463 21
21. Kraihamer/de Crem/Delhez LC Formula Le Mans 1m56.854s +12.700 23
22. Pourtales/Noda/Kennard P2 KSM Lola 1m56.938s +12.784 10
23. Stirling/Hines/Piscopo LC Formula Le Mans 1m58.539s +14.385 27
24. Schell/Metz/da Rocha P2 Pegasus Courage 1m58.671s +14.517 14
25. Gardel/Goueslard/Canal GT1 Larbre Saleen 1m58.955s +14.801 17
26. Kirkaldy/Mullen GT2 CRS Ferrari 1m58.979s +14.825 20
27. Barlesi/Cicognani/Chalandon LC Formula Le Mans 1m59.639s +15.485 25
28. Bruni/Melo GT2 AF Cornse Ferrari 1m59.971s +15.817 20
29. Kutemann/Basso/Hartshorne LC Formula Le Mans 2m00.095s +15.941 22
30. Holzer/Westbrook GT2 Prospeed Porsche 2m00.401s +16.247 16
31. Bell/Turner GT2 JMW Aston Martin 2m00.437s +16.283 23
32. Lieb/Lietz GT2 Felbermayr Porsche 2m00.468s +16.314 20
33. Farnbacher/Simonsen GT2 Farnbacher Ferrari 2m00.713s +16.559 26
34. Fisichella/Vilander/Alesi GT2 AF Corse Ferrari 2m00.757s +16.603 23
35. Ehret/Quaife/Kaffer GT2 CRS Ferrari 2m00.958s +16.804 21
36. Companc/Russo GT2 AF Corse Ferrari 2m01.159s +17.005 26
37. Narac/Pilet GT2 IMSA Porsche 2m01.422s +17.268 24
38. Dumbreck/Coronel/Bleekemolen GT2 Spyker 2m01.846s +17.692 23
39. Ragginger/Ried/Long GT2 Felbermayr Porsche 2m02.616s +18.462 21
40. Muller/Werner GT2 BMW 2m02.923s +18.769 29
41. Lahaye/Nicolet P2 Oak Pescarolo no time

[Rob]

go be good. Great to see Fisi and Alesi drive in same car. And of cos Bruni and Melo.

[Testarossa6000]

.. and don't forget the CRS boys - they are leading the F430 pack. Can't wait till sunday morning to see these all these on track. We have got ourselves some great drivers, Jaime & Jimmy our familiar friends from ALMS and Fisi & Alesi a great pair - just love it. Soooo excited.

10.15 tomorrow on Eurosport 1. Yea, I know will have to sky+ the bikes. How great is this - so much motorsport to watch - the season is on us.

Forza Ferrari!

[Rob]

.. and don't forget the CRS boys - they are leading the F430 pack. Can't wait till sunday morning to see these all these on track. We have got ourselves some great drivers, Jaime & Jimmy our familiar friends from ALMS and Fisi & Alesi a great pair - just love it. Soooo excited.

10.15 tomorrow on Eurosport 1. Yea, I know will have to sky+ the bikes. How great is this - so much motorsport to watch - the season is on us.

Forza Ferrari!

Im there got it on record planner already as go BBQ but family said i can have it on, is go be Eurosport HD? yep just checked whooooop!!!

Jaime & Jimmie= WOW that is going to be full on. Fisi im really excited to see race 430 especially with Alesi on board. Just hope we do factory back attack on LMP class at Le Mans in couple years . Jenza i have the lucky t shirt on already, and be wearing it all tomorrow aswell mate

[Rob]

8 Heures Du Castellet – Free Practice 2

www.planetlemans.com

[Rob]

ORECA Peugeot beats Audi to pole www.autosport.com

By Gary Watkins Saturday, April 10th 2010, 13:08 GMT


The ORECA Peugeot team beat the factory Audi to pole position for tomorrow's Paul Ricard 8 Hours.

Nicolas Lapierre set a best time of 1m41.195s in the factory-assisted Peugeot 908 HDi, which was just under half a second quicker than Dindo Capello aboard the new Audi R15 plus.

Third fastest was Stefan Mucke in the Aston Martin Racing coupe, on a 1m42.354s.

Lapierre said: "It was a bit tricky because I had a bit of traffic on my first lap, but the second lap was good enough. It's a good start, but the main job is tomorrow."

Briton Danny Watts easily claimed LMP2 pole on the European debut of the Acura/HPD. The Strakka driver's lap of 1m44.989s was more than two seconds faster than the Olivier Pla in the ASM Zytek.

"We know how good this car is from what it has achieved in America, but to be honest it's still a little bit too good for us at the moment," said Watts. "We still need to get a bit more comfortable in the car."

AF Corse Ferrari driver Gianmaria Bruni came out on top in the ultra-competitive GT2 class. The Italian ended up nearly four tenths of a second ahead of Richard Lietz in the Felbermayr Porsche.

Gabriele Gardel set the time in the only GT1 car on the grid, the Larbre Competition Saleen S7R. Eduardo Piscopo ended up fastest of the seven Formula Le Mans one-make ORECA prototypes.


Pos Driver Class/Team/Car Time
1. Panis/Lapierre/Sarrazin P1 ORECA Peugeot 1m41.195s
2. Capello/McNish P1 Audi 1m41.632s
3. Fernandez/Primat/Mucke P1 Aston Martin 1m42.354s
4. Ayari/Andre/Duval P1 ORECA 1m42.685s
5. Belicchi/Boullion/Smith P1 Rebellion Lola 1m43.435s
6. Prost/Jani P1 Rebellion Lola 1m44.032s
7. Mansell/Mansell/Mansell P1 Beechdean Ginetta 1m44.475s
8. Ragues/Mailleux/Ickx P1 Signature Aston 1m44.914s
9. Leventis/Watts/Kane P2 Strakka HPD 1m44.989s
10. Amaral/Pla/Hughes P2 ASM Ginetta 1m47.112s
11. Lahaye/Nicolet P2 Oak Pescarolo 1m47.474s
12. Erdos/Newton/Wallace P2 RML Lola 1m47.491s
13. Ojjeh/Greaves/Ebbesvik P2 Bruich. Ginetta 1m48.439s
14. Geri/Piccini/Piccini P2 Racing Box Lola 1m48.635s
15. Salini/Salini/Gommendy P2 WR-Zytek 1m49.567s
16. Cioci/Perazzini/Pirri P2 Racing Box Lola 1m49.931s
17. Pourtales/Noda/Kennard P2 KSM Lola 1m50.913s
18. Frey/Meichtry/Dueck P2 Race Perf. Radical 1m52.612s
19. Stirling/Hines/Piscopo LC Formula Le Mans 1m52.936s
20. Beche/Pillon/Capillaire LC Formula Le Mans 1m53.090s
21. Schell/Metz/da Rocha P2 Pegasus Courage 1m53.418s
22. Toulemonde/Zollinger/Zampatti LC Formula Le Mans 1m53.447s
23. Kraihamer/de Crem/Delhez LC Formula Le Mans 1m53.850s
24. Barlesi/Cicognani/Chalandon LC Formula Le Mans 1m54.187s
25. Zacchia/Moro/Kaufmann LC Formula Le Mans 1m54.305s
26. Gardel/Goueslard/Canal GT1 Larbre Saleen 1m57.085s
27. Bruni/Melo GT2 AF Cornse Ferrari 1m57.850s
28. Lieb/Lietz GT2 Felbermayr Porsche 1m58.216s
29. Kirkaldy/Mullen GT2 CRS Ferrari 1m58.475s
30. Fisichella/Vilander/Alesi GT2 AF Corse Ferrari 1m58.545s
31. Bell/Turner GT2 JMW Aston Martin 1m58.549s
32. Companc/Russo GT2 AF Corse Ferrari 1m58.707s
33. Ehret/Quaife/Kaffer GT2 CRS Ferrari 1m59.021s
34. Narac/Pilet GT2 IMSA Porsche 1m59.035s
35. Dumbreck/Coronel/Bleekemolen GT2 Spyker 1m59.177s
36. Ragginger/Ried/Long GT2 Felbermayr Porsche 1m59.447s
37. Farnbacher/Simonsen GT2 Farnbacher Ferrari 1m59.480s
38. Holzer/Westbrook GT2 Prospeed Porsche 1m59.539s
39. Muller/Werner GT2 BMW 1m59.593s
40. Kutemann/Basso/Hartshorne LC Formula Le Mans 2m00.775s
41. Hein/Moreau P2 Oak Pescarolo no time

[Rob]

Bruni/melo on GT2 pole!! get in, and 3rd to Kirkaldy/mullen. Fisi/Alesi 4th in GT2 grid. That is great start. Well looks as if all Ferrari's are going to be strong, lets hope no accidents and reliable race to beat the Porsches. Forza Ferrari

[Rob]

10/04/2010 www.afcorse.it
Paul Ricard qualifying
First race and first pole position
A very good job for AF Corse. Gianmaria Bruni gained his first season pole position and scored the first point for the team. Also Toni Vilander drove very well with the fourth time. Luis Perez Companc and Matias Russo are very closed.

[Rob]

New Audi scores debut Paul Ricard win www.autosport.com

By Gary Watkins Sunday, April 11th 2010, 17:13 GMT


The new Audi R15 plus claimed a dominant victory on its debut in the Paul Ricard 8 Hours.

Audi drivers Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello led all but two and half laps of the opening round of the Le Mans Series on the way to a five-lap victory over the Aston Martin Racing Lola driven by Stefan Mucke, Adrian Fernandez and Harold Primat.

The ORECA Peugeot 908, the only car capable of challenging the Audi on pace, finished fourth after losing nine laps early in the race with a problem with the rear airjack system.

"It is nice to chock up another victory for the Audi marque and a first victory for a new car is always something special," said McNish.

Ralf Juttner, technical director of Audi Sport Team Joest, added that vital lessons had been learned for the Le Mans 24 Hours in June, which was the primary reason for Audi contesting this race with a solo R15 plus.

"This was the idea of coming here, to see how the changes between the R15 and the R15 plus have worked," he said. "We are taking a long list of things to work on away with us, but the fundamentals seem good."

The Strakka Racing HPD/Acura staged a remarkable comeback to claim LMP2 honours after the car driven by Danny Watts, Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis lost four laps to bodywork repairs. Watts, who had qualified the car on pole position by 2.2 seconds, led the fightback and retook the lead in the penultimate hour.

The Briton fell behind the best of the OAK Racing Pescarolos when he stopped with just over an hour to go, but moved back to the front when Richard Hein brought the Judd-powered OAK Pescarolo he shared with Guillaume Moreau into the pits with half an hour to go.

"Spending 12 minutes in the pits early on wasn't the plan, but the team showed fantastic spirit to fight back," said Watts.

The GT2 class was won by the Felbermayr Proton Porsche driven by Richard Lietz and Marc Lieb. The two Porsche factory drivers battled with the Imsa Performance Porsche shared by Patrick Pilet and Raymond Narac early in the race and then fought off a challenge from the AF Corse Ferrari driven by Toni Vilander, Giancarolo Fisichella and Jean Alesi later on. The latter ultimately dropped back to third behind the second Felbermayr entry.



Pos Driver Class/Team/Car Laps
1. Capello/McNish P1 Audi 266
2. Fernandez/Primat/Mucke P1 Aston Martin 261
3. Belicchi/Boullion/Smith P1 Rebellion Lola 261
4. Panis/Lapierre/Sarrazin P1 ORECA Peugeot 258
5. Ayari/Andre/Duval P1 ORECA 258
6. Ragues/Mailleux/Ickx P1 Signature Aston 256
7. Leventis/Watts/Kane P2 Strakka HPD 250
8. Hein/Moreau P2 Oak Pescarolo 250
9. Erdos/Newton/Wallace P2 RML Lola 249
10. Lahaye/Nicolet P2 Oak Pescarolo 249
11. Prost/Jani P1 Rebellion Lola 248
12. Ojjeh/Greaves/Ebbesvik P2 Bruich. Ginetta 248
13. Geri/Piccini/Piccini P2 Racing Box Lola 246
14. Mansell/Mansell/Mansell P1 Beechdean Ginetta 243
15. Toulemonde/Zollinger/Zampatti LC Formula Le Mans 237
16. Beche/Pillon/Capillaire LC Formula Le Mans 237
17. Barlesi/Cicognani/Chalandon LC Formula Le Mans 235
18. Lieb/Lietz GT2 Felbermayr Porsche 233
19. Zacchia/Moro/Kaufmann LC Formula Le Mans 231
20. Ragginger/Ried/Long GT2 Felbermayr Porsche 231
21. Fisichella/Vilander/Alesi GT2 AF Corse Ferrari 231
22. Ehret/Quaife/Kaffer GT2 CRS Ferrari 231
23. Companc/Russo GT2 AF Corse Ferrari 231
24. Gardel/Goueslard/Canal GT1 Larbre Saleen 229
25. Muller/Werner GT2 BMW 225
26. Schell/Metz/da Rocha P2 Pegasus Courage 219
27. Narac/Pilet GT2 IMSA Porsche 219
28. Dumbreck/Coronel/Bleekemolen GT2 Spyker 215
29. Pourtales/Noda/Kennard P2 KSM Lola 188

Not classified

39. Farnbacher/Simonsen GT2 Farnbacher Ferrari 204
21. Stirling/Hines/Piscopo LC Formula Le Mans 203
41. Kutemann/Basso/Hartshorne LC Formula Le Mans 203
12. Amaral/Pla/Hughes P2 Quifel Ginetta 200
22. Kraihamer/de Crem/Delhez LC Formula Le Mans 195
17. Salini/Salini/Gommendy P2 WR-Zytek 168
33. Bruni/Melo GT2 AF Cornse Ferrari 152
30. Kirkaldy/Mullen GT2 CRS Ferrari 123
16. Cioci/Perazzini/Pirri P2 Racing Box Lola 116
19. Frey/Meichtry/Dueck P2 Race Perf. Radical 66
34. Bell/Turner GT2 JMW Aston Martin 65
35. Holzer/Westbrook GT2 Prospeed Porsche 54

[Rob]

In GT2, the local hero and former F1 driver Jean Alesi, in association with Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander, is on the podium as his first race in Le Mans Series. Im not sure what happened to Bruni/melo kirkaldy/mullen. I missed most of it, but got it recorded. I will watch tonight and tomorrow. Im gutted they didnt finish, sure if they would of kept runningthey would of won GT2. Alan Mcnish is the best prototype drivers around right now.

[Rob]

Le Mans Series – Ferrari on the podium www.ferrari.com

Maranello, 11 April – The Ferrari of Jean Alesi, Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander made it to the third step of the podium in the GT2 class at the end of the curtain raiser for this season’s Le Mans Series, held at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit at Le Castellet. With six laps remaining in the eight hour marathon, the AF Corse F430 suffered a puncture after coming together with a prototype car and had to make its way down pit lane for a wheel change, thus dropping from second to third spot. The race ended with a Porsche 997 one-two for Marc Lieb-Richard Lietz and Martin Ragginger-Christian Ried-Patrick Long, but after the flag, Fisichella felt it had gone well. “It’s a shame about Jean’s accident just ten minutes from the end as we were running second and had a good pace,” said the Ferrari man, who now heads off to Shanghai to fulfil the role of reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro in the Chinese Grand Prix. “We were the highest qualified Ferrari in our category and as a debut race, I am more than pleased, especially as I think I have learned a lot and can therefore improve.” In fourth place was the CRS Racing Ferrari, crewed by Pierre Ehret-Phil Quaife-Pierre Kaffer, with AF Corse’s second F430 finishing fifth in the hands of Luis Perez Comanc-Matias Russo.

The next round of this series takes place on 9 May, at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

[Rob]

Paul Ricard 2010: the race www.afcorse.it

A difficult race for AF Corse today. Gianmaria Bruni and Jaime Melo, starting from the pole position, have been really unlucky. During the second hour of the race they have been stopped by a puncture: this event has compromised the starting phase of the race forcing the car into an additional pit stop just a few minutes from the driver change. The race of the two drivers has then become a battle trying to make up the gap with the rival teams. A catching up well constructed both by Bruni and Melo that after four hours were in the podium zone again. Then another stroke of bad luck came: a little breakdown has forced them to retire, but they showed a really good pace in this first race of the season. A really great result has been reached, instead, by Vilander, Alesi and Fisichella who have always driven at the highest level while paying attention to the race strategy too. In the last four hours of the race all the three drivers have registered excellent times. Till 15 minutes from the final flag Alesi was in second position. Then a puncture came for his car too forcing him into a pit stop. This unexpected stop has caused one loss of position and the car ended the race in third position. As much good the race of the Argentinian drivers who left the grid from the sixth place and immediately gained positions fighting for the podium. Fast and confident, they have well managed the second half of the race ending the race in fifth position.

[Rob]

8 Heures Du Castellet – Race Report
www.planetlemans.com

[Rob]

Martin Brundle qualifies for Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo

www.planetlemans.com

[Rob]

Fisichella to make Le Mans debut

By Gary Watkins Friday, May 7th 2010, 16:43 GMT
www.autosport.com

Three-time grand prix winner and Ferrari Formula 1 reserve driver Giancarlo Fisichella will make his Le Mans 24 Hours debut next month.

Fisichella will race an AF Corse Ferrari with Jean Alesi and Toni Vilander, his team-mates in the Le Mans Series this season.

Their AF Ferrari 430 GT has moved up from the reserve entry list following the withdrawal of PK Racing Chevrolet Corvette due to be run by Phoenix Racing.

Fisichella said: "This will be my first 24 Hours and I'm looking forward to what will be a new challenge."

Alesi will be returning to Le Mans after an absence of 21 years. The Frenchman drove a Schuppan-entered Porsche 962C in the 1989 event.

The two Pescarolo Sport LMP1 entries, one posted under the banner of parent company Sora, have been withdrawn, as expected. This means the German KSM team gains an entry for its Judd-engined Lola LMP2 .

With no other prototypes on the reserve list, a second Matech Ford GT has also gets an entry in the GT1 class.

[Rob]

SPA Le Mans Series 2010 www.afcorse.it

The second event of Le Mans series championship will take place on the Spa Circuit (Belgium), with a 1000 km long race. The team AF Corse is already operational at full speed.
The three Ferrari F430 GTC are going to be conveyed on the Belgian circuit. A charming circuit which alternates fast bends to slower parts, which need a perfect car set up and great racing skill. Michelin tyres are undoubtedly an extra benefit for such a demanding track, which likes the drivers very much. Drivers are confident: Giancarlo Fisichella, Jean Alesi, and Toni Vilander, after the podium gained during the last race, are aware they can do even better, while Gianmaria Bruni and Jaime Melo want to take a revenge against the misfortune they had in Paul Ricard. The same determination distinguish Luis Perez Companc and Matias Russo, who since the first race had a great performance, gaining also some precious points. The race will be partially broadcasted live on Eurosport International.

TIMETABLE
Friday 7 May
12.05 - 13.05 Free practice
16.25 - 17.25 Free practice
Saturday 8 May
09.45 - 10.45 Free practice
13.50 - 14.10 Qualifying
14.20 - 14.40 Qualifying
Sunday 9 May
09.00 - 09.20 Warm Up
11.30 - 17.30 Race (143 laps)

[Rob]

Peugeot drivers reckon Audi is closer

By Simon Strang and Matt Beer Friday, May 7th 2010, 17:54 GMT


Peugeot drivers Alex Wurz and Stephane Sarrazin are convinced that Audi's new R15 Plus will bring the German manufacturer right back into contention in the two LMP1 giants' ongoing battle.

Last year Peugeot beat Audi at both Le Mans and Petit Le Mans, ending a long run of victories for the latter in sportscar racing's major events and championships.

Audi responded with a new version of its R15 chassis. Having won on its racing debut in the Le Mans Series opener at Paul Ricard last month, the R15 Plus takes on the works Peugeot 908s for the first time in round two at Spa this weekend, as both teams use the race as final Le Mans 24 Hours preparations.

Wurz said Audi's pace at Ricard made it clear that the R15 Plus was going to be a serious rival to the Peugeot 908 - but insisted he welcomed the increased competition.

"They're really close," the Austrian said of Audi. "I don't know what they did in the first session [at Spa], but from the Ricard test, we know they're very fast.

"Competition is good, you have to bring the best of yourself to succeed."

With rain having affected practice at Spa today, Sarrazin said the weekend would reveal where Audi and Peugeot stood relative to each other.

"It's too early to say," he told AUTOSPORT. "I think we'll see tomorrow. I don't want it to be too close... But they've built a new car so they cannot stay behind.

"I didn't follow them, but some drivers in the team did and said it was quick in a straight line. Maybe they have lower downforce, I don't know."

The Frenchman said Peugeot was ready to meet Audi's challenge, having made plenty of improvements to the 908.

"We've changed quite a lot of things, aerodynamic, mechanical and on the engine," Sarrazin said. "It's a better car than we had last year for handling. The front of the car is better."

He added that he was delighted to be getting an early showdown with Audi at Spa, where both teams are entering their full three-car works line-up, with ORECA running a fourth Peugeot 908.

"I'm very happy, and we feel the pressure for Le Mans coming. I like that," Sarrazin said. "It's amazing: four Peugeots, three Audis, all with top drivers, it's like a dream. For the team winning Le Mans it will be even better.

"The target is to try to improve ourselves a bit during the race, particularly in the pitstops, the engineering during the race, and to get used to the stress of the race - because we don't do a lot of races."