2016 WEC, IWTSC, ELMS thread.

[Rob]

couple pictures of Le-Mans paddock being set-up....

[Nova]

good. Think should bring in some nibble food and beer to keep things cool to watch the race round friends house

lol, no problem. Im thinking around 9AM EST US.
Hey Rob, great pix.

[Rob]

2016 Le Mans 24 Hours - The Test Day explained The Test Day for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours will be held on Sunday 5th June. It is a general rehearsal two weeks before the pinnacle of the FIA World Endurance Championship on 18-19 June. The 60 cars entered for the Le Mans 24 Hours will take part in this exceptional practice session. How does it work?

What is the reason for the Test Day?

The aim of this day of free practice is to give the entrants the opportunity to come and test their cars on the 13.629-km Le Mans 24-Hours circuit. This allows the teams to set up home inside the circuit without having to move their equipment/motor homes/transporters etc. as the next rendezvous follow one another in quick succession with scrutineering on 12-13 June, official practice on 15-16 and the race itself on 18-19 June.

Who must take part in the Test Day?

In 2016, the Test Day is reserved exclusively, and is obligatory, for the 60 cars entered for the Le Mans 24 Hours, and for those drivers who have never raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours or have not been on the list of confirmed drivers since 2011.

In addition, in compliance with the regulations, drivers who have not raced in the event for at least five years (all races since 2011) or drivers in the bronze category who did not take part in the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours must follow training on a simulator agreed by the ACO. They must also cover 10 laps minimum at the Test Day. The ACO reserves itself the right not to accept a driver if his/her performance or skills do not meet the required standards.

Teams can also enter other drivers for the Test Day (maximum 5 drivers per car).

Which cars?

The following cars are eligible to take part:

The two prototype categories that race in the Le Mans 24 Hours (LM P1 and LM P2), and the two LM GTE categories that race in the Le Mans 24 Hours (LM GTE Pro and LM GTE Am), invited to the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours according to the terms of the Le Mans 24-Hours supplementary regulations.
Cars not invited to the Le Mans 24 Hours but which fulfil the conditions of experimentation linked to the event or to the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Innovative cars limited to two. This year Frédéric Sausset’s SRT41 by OAK Racing Morgan LM P2-Nissan will occupy the 56th garage. The technologies devoted to disabled people will be highlighted and the car will race outside the overall classification.
Which regulations?

The safety and sporting regulations of the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours and the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship are applicable (except specific cases) to all cars taking part in the 2016 Test Day.

Which circuit?

The Test Day takes place on the 13.629-kilometer circuit used for the Le Mans 24 Hours, specially installed for the occasion. Roads will be closed to traffic in the early morning of 5th June and reopened around 18h00 after the end of practice.

When?

Scrutineering and administrative checks will take place at the circuit starting on Thursday 2nd June.

Entries

The first two rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship showed that anything can happen this year at Le Mans in all the categories. So the Test Day is a crucial dress rehearsal for all the entrants to find their marks on the 13.629-km Le Mans 24-Hours circuit to fine-tune their ultimate setups.

The Le Mans paddock will be an exceptional spot in which former F1 greats like Mark Webber and Kamui Kobayashi will rub shoulders with top-level gentlemen drivers. Other highly-skilled aces behind the wheel include Nelson Pique Jr, Nicolas Prost, Bruno Senna, Sébastien, Buemi Romain Dumas, Benoît Tréluyer, Lucas di Grassi, Fabien Barthez, the 1998 world football champion who has made a great job of changing careers to motor sport, Sir Chris Hoy, 6-time Olympic gold medal winner, Fred Sausset, Ines Taitinger and Christina Nielsen, the two women drivers….and many more.

An overview of the entries

LM P1: in the blue-riband category at the Test Day spectators can watch the 9 most sophisticated, most complicated and most advanced prototypes in the world of motor sport. The rivalry between Audi, Porsche and Toyota, the three titans in world endurance racing, has moved up several notches and the races are increasingly hotly contested right down to the chequered flag. As we saw at Silverstone and Spa the technology and performance race can impact reliability. As a result, the non-hybrid prototypes entered by private teams Rebellion Racing and ByKolles have every chance of pulling off a major upset when the flag falls on 19th June.

LM P2: This category has attracted the highest number of entries with 23 cars, the majority of which have been built in France (Alpine, Ligier, Oreca). The best from the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series and the American WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be on the grid. The overall level of preparation, competence and requirements is constantly progressing, which makes picking a winner like looking for a needle in a haystack!

LM GTE Pro: In this category dominated by Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Chevrolet, the return of Ford, 50 years after its fabulous triple in 1966, will delight nostalgic fans. The Test Day will be the first real challenge for the Blue Oval, which has entered four Ford GTs under the Chip Ganassi banner, including the one driven by Sébastien Bourdais, the most American of Sarthe drivers!

LM GTE Am: there are 13 cars at the start including five Ferraris, which will be locked in a ding-dong duel with the three Porsches until the chequered flag. But they will also have to cope with the threat posed by two Aston Martins and two Corvettes.

56th garage

Frédéric Sausset, who is racing in his first Le Mans 24 Hours, is entered in LM P2 but outside the overall classification. He occupies the 56th garage reserved for innovative technologies which, this year, has been devoted to the disabled. He is a quadri-amputee and he aims to achieve his dream and set an example. Some people thought he was crazy, while other decided to help him in his exceptional adventure, which puts the Le Mans 24 Hours into a whole other dimension. Fred must cover at least 10 laps of the circuit on Sunday at the Test Day to start the Le Mans 24 Hours on 18th June.

To attend

The Test Day is open to the public. Spectators who wish to attend this practice session, but who haven’t bought entrance tickets for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours, can purchase their Test Day tickets at the price of 20 euros per ticket for the general enclosures or 100 euros for the Test Day paddock card (free for young people born after 5th June 2000), at the ticket booths around the circuit. The Le Houx car park/welcome zone will be open: price 15 euros per space.

People can access the circuit from Friday 3rd June onwards. All the spectators can walk up the pit lane, discover the pits and see the teams making their final adjustments.

[Rob]

Davide...

Davide Rigon is an official Ferrari driver in GT. Since 2014, he has raced with AF Corse in the LM GTE Pro class and successfully drove the F458 Italia then, and now the F488. The Italian driver will participate in his third 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 18th and 19th.


What are the main differences between the Ferrari F458 and the F488?
"First of all, the engine because with the F488, even though it's still a V8, it's a turbo. That changes a lot of things in terms of driving the car, there is much more torque. Ultimately, the power with the Balance of Performance (BOP, editor's note) in LM GTE makes it about the same. All the drivers have had to get used to it, Ferrari has done great work. We are now satisfied with our engine, even though we're missing a bit of speed at the end of straights. We still don't know if that's because of the BOP or the aerodynamics, since we're in early development stages. We also have aerodynamic downforce. The cockpit is more comfortable and so is the steering wheel. We've had the same start as with the F458, it's well-created, even though it's not 100% new, some aspects coming from the preceding model."

And the least than can be said is the season has started really well with two victories in two races for your driver line-up...
"We are really very happy with the start of this season. Twice Ferrari has clinched the pole and then the win. The team is doing incredible work to find the right set-up each time. We were able to get the best from our car for those two races, I hope that continues. Also, the car is getting better every time."

The big race is coming up, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. You've done it twice. What do you remember of those participations?
"It's a difficult circuit one must learn lap after lap. I understand why very good drivers make the difference on this track. Every time I do a lap, it's different. Every hour, the track changes, so one must adapt to each lap, to each turn. The slightest mistake sends you into the wall or gravel trap. That's also why I love this race but Le Mans is the hardest I've ever done."

What are your goals for this race?
"My goal is to win in the LM GTE Pro class this year. This past winter, I prepared well, I worked hard for this race. I am an official Ferrari driver, the AF Corse team is fantastic and everyone believes in me. The team will prepare as best it can for this 24 Hours of Le Mans. I hope the Ferrari F488's success will continue at Le Mans"

This year, you changed teammates. Before, you were with James Calado who is now in the No. 51. Now you're joining Sam Bird (winner of the 2015 FIA Endurance LM P2 Drivers Trophy). How are you getting along?
"Sam is very open, so it's easy to work with him. He still needs some time to get used to the GT class since he spent a lot of time in single-seaters then in LM P2. I try to help him understand the car, especially in terms of the set-up. As a driver, he is really very good and consistent. We make a good driver line-up, I am happy to work with him. We still need to get to know each other better since we've only done one race together. I loved working with James (Calado, editor's note) and I also love working with Sam."

[Rob]

2016 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day - What’s happening today, Saturday 4 June? Scrutineering continues for the Test Day ahead of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans but there is other action at the track today.


From 11:00, eight fans of the official 24 Hours of Le Mans Facebook page will be jogging around the circuit with five drivers: Mathias Beche (Thiriet by TDS Racing, LM P2), Pipo Derani (Extreme Speed Motorsports, LM P2), Harry Tincknell (Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team UK, LM GTE Pro), Marco Sorensen and Fernando Rees (Aston Martin Racing, LM GTE PRO).

This morning, there will also be a more solemn moment with a ceremony in memory of local motorsport journalist Michel Bonté who died recently. The media centre at the Circuit de la Sarthe will be renamed Centre Media Michel Bonté as a tribute to him.

The afternoon’s not-to-be-missed event is the election of Miss 24 Hours at 17:30 at the Galéries Lafayette department store in the city centre. The 24 Hours of Le Mans clothing range will be on sale at a special stand in the store. Visitors can admire the Rebellion R-One entered by Swiss team Rebellion Racing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and driven by Nicolas Prost and Nelson Piquet Jr.

[Rob]

24 Hours of Le Mans - Townsend Bell (Ferrari): I have one aim this season - to win Le Mans Townsend Bell finished 21st in the Indianapolis 500 and then headed straight for Le Mans to take part in the Test Day on Sunday 5 June. He’ll be driving the #62 Ferrari F458 Italia in LM GTE Am.


You raced the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year with Scuderia Corsa in the #62 Ferrari F458 Italia with Bill Sweedler and Jeff Segal. What can you tell us about the experience?

It was a whole new challenge. I’ve been racing sports cars for five years in the US and when I went to Le Mans last year, I was like ‘oh, I’ve raced in Europe, I’ve done F3000, a little F1 testing, I’ll do Le Mans...’ And then I went, for the Test Day. I had to fly from Detroit. I did a sports car race on Saturday, flew overnight and got to Le Mans, where it was raining. We were on intermediate tyres and I went out for my first lap and suddenly I was like ‘wow this is tough’. I had no idea. I was unprepared for how difficult it was. I’d done some work on the simulator but it’s an awesome race track, a really fantastic track. I love it.

What are you aiming for this year?

This month I’m focused on Indy 500 but every time I have a little break I think of Le Mans and I make calls about the set-up because I really want to go there for a strong run. We had a great run last year, we finished on the podium, which was amazing for three American rookies with no experience at Le Mans. And now we have the same three drivers, same team, same Ferrari and we’re thinking about how we can use our experience to win. That’s the aim.

How do European races differ from those in the USA?

It’s not that different. SportsCar racing is run pretty much according to ACO regulations. There are no safety zones here and we have more safety car periods.The pit stops are a little bit different. Other than that, it’s pretty similar. However, Indy cars and endurance cars are very different. They have practically nothing in common. The cars both have a steering wheel and four wheels, but that’s it! [laughs]

[Rob]

After a barren year, whether in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) or at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari, namely via AF Corse, certainly intends to achieve success again with the all-new 488 replacing the 458 Italia in the LM GTE Pro class.

AF CORSE (ITA)

Team Principal: Amato Ferrari
Team manager: Battistino Pregliasco
Base: Piacenza (I)
www.afcorse.it

2015 FIA WEC results
Silverstone 6 Hours: 9th Bruni/Vilander (ITA/FIN), no. 51 Ferrari 458 Italia (1st LM GTE Pro) ; 11th Rigon/Calado (ITA/GBR) No. 71 Ferrari F458 Italia (3rd LM GTE PRO)
Spa-Francorchamps 6 hours: 19th Bruni/Vilander (ITA/FIN), no. 51 Ferrari F458 Italia (3rd LM GTE PRO) ; 22nd Calado/Rigon (GB/ITA), no. 71 Ferrari 458 Italia (7th LM GTE Pro)

This team is managed by former racing driver, Amato Ferrari, no relation to Enzo, even though he enters cars bearing the Prancing Horse badge. In 1995, he began working as a team manager, and he was then asked to look after the organisation of the Maserati Trophy between 2003 and 2005. AF Corse made its first appearance in 2004 when it gave the Maserati MC12 its debut winning two out of the four races (Oschsleberen in Germany and Zhuhai in China) in which it took part. In 2005, the team returned to the Italian Championship and bagged the GT3 title with a Maserati Trofeo Light. Since then, it has competed in the FIA GT Championship with considerable success with a Ferrari F430 GTC with which AF Corse won the GT2 category in the 2006 Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours, as well as the title with Melo and Bobbi as drivers. This victory gave it an invitation for the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours in what was its maiden outing in the Sarthe. It finished twenty-second overall and fourth in LM GT2 with the drivers and sponsors of JMB Racing. In addition, the team racked up another title in FIA GT2 with nine victories in ten races! AF Corse scored its hat trick in FIA GT in 2008 thanks to five wins by Bruni-Vilander. It was less successful at Le Mans where steering problems eliminated Vilander-Biagi-Montanari.

In 2009, AF Corse again defended Ferrari’s interests in FIA GT, winning the GT2 teams’ title with the help of three victories by Bruni-Vilander, including the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours. At Le Mans, Bruni-Perez Companc-Russo came home in twenty-sixth place (6th in GT2).


In 2010, with the help of former F1 stars, Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi, AF Corse had a good debut season in the Le Mans Series as its two lead cars finished second and third in LM GT2. In addition, the Italian team made a big contribution to the GT2 Manufacturers’ title for Ferrari in the 2010 ILMC. The highest-placed of its cars (Alesi-Fisichella-Vilander) finished sixteenth overall in the Le Mans 24 Hours (4th in GT2).

In 2011, the Ferrari satellite squad entered two cars for the full ILMC, a brand-new 458 Italia in GTE Pro/AM for Fisichella and Bruni, backed up by Pierre Kaffer at Sebring, and the previous year’s F430 for Perazzini and Cioci.

The following season was a very successful one for Ferrari’s official representative in a hotly-contested category. Fisichella-Bruni emerged victorious in four of the 7 races winning the manufacturers’ title in LM GTE Am for Ferrari and the one for teams in LM GTE Pro for AF Corse. In the LMS it was the same story with the drivers’ title for the two former F1 aces who shared the same number of points. The only win that escaped AF Corse was Le Mans where its cars were beaten by the Corvettes.

In 2012 the Italian squad entered for the World Endurance Championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours. It also beefed up its team with a second F458 Italia for the very quick duo Beretta, a Corvette stalwart in the previous seasons, and Bertolini backed up by Cioci in the long-distance races. The early part of the year didn’t go according to plan as Fisichella-Bruni-Vilaner retired at Sebring while Bereta-Bertolini-Cico just missed out on victory behind Corvette and BMW after an intense battle in the closing stages. At Spa the cars saw the flag in second and fourth places behind the works Porsche. At Le Mans AF Corse had another no-holds-barred battle in the LM GTE Pro category and Ferrari broke the Corvette’s domination in the race, the GT yardstick of the nougthies, with the Italian squad’s lead team Fisichella-Bruni-Vilander winning by a short head. Then AF Corse gave Ferrari victory in all the remaining rounds of the WEC, with the exception of Mount Fuji, and clinched the World Manufacturers’ LM GTE and LM GTE Pro teams’ titles.

The team had the same ambitions for 2013 and took on Japanese hotshoe Kamui Kobyashi after his F1 outings for Toyota and Sauber. At Silverstone the Ferraris were beaten by the works Aston Martins and they arrived at Le Mans after turning the tables on the British make at Spa. The Italian team met with little luck in the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours and they had a race against the clock to repair no. 51 badly damaged in an accident during the test day. In the race itself they were outclassed by the Porsches and Aston Martins and did not repeat their 2012 success. They finished behind the aforementioned and the Corvettes, although they scored precious points in the world championship chase. Bruni and Fisichella won in Brazil and in the final round in Bahrain, which was enough to give them a narrow victory in the drivers’ and manufacturers’ GT championships. Toni VIlander and Kamui Kobyashi scored points in all the rounds making a large contribution to Ferrari’s success except at Interlagos where the car was destroyed by fire.

In 2014 AF Corse took on two new drivers: Italian Davide Rigon officially backed by Ferrari (first champion in the history of the Superleague Formula), and British ace James Calado from GP2, and F1 reserve driver at Force India. They replaced Kobyashi who had returned to F1 and Giancarlo Fisichella who had decided not to defend his world title, but who backed up Toni Vilander and Gianmaria Bruni in no.51 at Le Mans. Frenchman Olivier Beretta joined the drivers in no. 71. The team kicked off 2014 in exactly the same way as in 2013 as the Ferrari F458 Italias won at Spa beating Porsche and Aston Martin and just missed out on a double

In the Le Mans 24 Hours AF Corse faced an additional rival, the Corvette Racing team, which entered the brand-new Corvette C7s for the first time in the Sarthe. Once again the GTE Pro category was the theatre of a thrilling battle and again Ferrari’s spearhead in endurance no. 51 and the evenly-matched driver line-up of Bruni (4th Le Mans victory), Fisichella and Vilander (3rd Le Mans win for both men) came out on top. Last year AF Corse scored another two victories in the WEC and clinched another title, its third in three years!

The Italian squad is back in 2015 determined to add further wins to its laurels with an unchanged driver line-up: Bruni and Vilander in no. 51 and Calado and Rigon in no. 71. At Silverstone the Italians kicked off the season in the best possible fashion with a victory and third place in GTE Pro, but met with less success at Spa. No. 51, victorious in England, was given a stop and go penalty while no. 71 was hit with a drive through. For the Le Mans 24 Hours AF Corse will start as favourites with Fisichella backing up the driver line-up in no. 51 and Beretta doing the same in no. 71. But the other teams have also sharpened their weapons so it looks like another thrilling scrap in perspective in LM GTE Pro.

[Rob]

[Rob]

few pictures from yesterday...









pictures via Jonathon-David

[Rob]

Peugeot & LMP1: “There Is No Programme”
on 04/06/2016 14:34 in 2016, FIA WEC, FIA WEC News, Latest News, Le Mans, Le Mans News

A brief conversation with Peugeot Sport boss Bruno Famin in the Le Mans paddock this afternoon answered one of the most immediate questions on everybody’s lips here – Are Peugeot set to return to Le Mans with an LMP1 programme and if so on what timescale?

“There is no programme,” said Famin.

“Our Chief Executive made it clear that he would like to see Peugeot return at some point in the future and made it clear too that there were important conditions that needed to be met before that could be considered.

“The first was that the financial performance of the company had to improve dramatically. That has actually been achieved far quicker than almost anyone thought possible.

“The second was that the current level of expense involved in being competitive in LMP1 would have to be reduced very considerably and there is little sign of that happening in the near future.”

That point refers to budget levels from the major factory squads that are now well into nine figures for Audi and Porsche with little sign of the current technology-fuelled arms race reaching a plateau.

If, as is believed to be the case, BMW are working on fuel cell tech, then that too will be a driver for substantial spend from another potential future entry.

So, it seems, we’ll have to wait rather longer than some believe for a return to endurance racing from Peugeot.

Over to you ACO and FIA if there’s a will to see that picture change!

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/0...programme.html

[Rob]

pictures Frederic Vallee....

[Rob]

Le Mans Test Day: Audi Pips Porsche In Afternoon Running.

The #8 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 of Lucas Di Grassi ran quickest of 60 runners taking part in the 2016 Le Mans Test Day in the second and final session. Di Grassi’s quickest time came seemingly out of nowhere, a 3:21.375 with two hours left to set the pace for the day, which was run in bone dry conditions throughout.

The session though was cut short by a red flag. In what was the biggest accident of the day, Oz Negri’s #49 MSR Ligier Honda made heavy contact with the barriers, drivers left on the approach to the second Mulsanne chicane. The barrier damage was cited as the reason for the early end to the session, with just under half an hour of running remaining.

Thankfully the team reported Negri to be fine after the shunt, though at this point there is no available information about the car.

Porsche’s pair of 919s finished up second and third with Mark Webber improving the #1 Porsche’s time enough to leapfrog the #2. The Aussie’s 3:22.270 was set early on and for a time looked good enough to top the screens until the end before Di Grassi went almost a second quicker.

Coming in fourth was the second of the Audi’s which only managed six laps in the afternoon’s running, after extensive repairs to the suspension and dampers limited its track time. André Lotterer did get in the car at the end of the session and improve its time from the morning to a 3:22.588, but it wasn’t enough to move the #1 up the order.

Fifth and sixth were once again the two Toyota TS050’s, with the #5 leading the #6. The #6 did however manage the most amount of milage of the P1 runners, racking up 97 laps.

The two Rebellions once again finished above the ByKolles, finishing with times six seconds quicker than the CLM.


LMP2 saw the Eurasia Motorsport team climb to the top after a blistering 3:36.690 by Tristan Gommendy after the Oreca had a trip to the gravel midway through the session. The Signatech Alpine finished up the day second after improving by a couple of tenths to a 3:37.397 with the #26 G-Drive Oreca rounding out the top three.

The second session wasn’t quite so dominated by Orecas, with the #38 G-Drive Gibson moving up into fourth spot following a cracking lap by Le Mans debutant Jake Dennis. The young Brit managed a 3:37.581.

Of the other notable occurrences in the class, the #23 Panis Barthez had a lurid spin at th Ford Chicane but recovered, the #40 Krohn Racing Ligier went off with team owner Tracy Krohn aboard, bringing out a safety car procedure and at the very end of the session Oz Negri went off hard into the barriers at the second Mulsanne chicane, bringing out the red flags. As well as a few other spins the Garage 56 SRT41 Morgan managed 54 laps in the session meanwhile, in which it suffered engine niggles.


Corvette Racing heads into the race week having set the fastest time in GTE Pro, after Ricky Taylor pushed the #63 to P1 with a 3:55.122 to push the pair of Porsches (the #91 & #92) to second and third. Fourth was the second of the Corvettes with the first AF Corse Ferrari – the #51 – fifth.


The quartet of Fords managed a lot of laps over the course of the Test Day, but on pace there were no fireworks from any of the cars, the highest one was the #69 which ended up eighth. It was a similar story for Aston Martin’s Pro entries which could only manage my 10th and 11th in their first day at La Sarthe on Dunlops.

A C7.R also managed to top GTE Am, after last-minute call up Nick Catsburg set a 3:57.999 to show off the pace of the #50 Larbre Competition ‘Vette.


In second Matt Griffin’s 3:58.869 time from the Morning stood as the #55 AF Corse’s best, with the Scuderia Corsa 458 third.

Further down the order in the class the #89 Proton Porsche had to return to the pits on a flatbed at the end of the session after Leh Keen suffered electrical issues and the #99 Aston Martin had an off during one of Liam Griffin’s runs which brought its day to an early end.

Lots of interesting news and storylines from the Test Day, but there’s still so many unanswered questions ahead of the 84th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours in two weeks.

[Rob]

[Rob]

FOX Sports 24H Le Mans Broadcast Schedule, Lineup Revealed

FOX Sports opens its live coverage of the 84th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sat., June 18 (8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET) on FS1 and FOX Sports GO, with Bob Varsha and Brian Till leading an eight-member FOX Sports broadcast team.

Varsha’s broadcast team for the iconic endurance race includes Calvin Fish and Tommy Kendall, while Till leads the team of Jamie Howe and Scott Pruett.

Justin Bell and Andrew Marriott report from the pits and legendary driver Sam Posey is writing and voicing the open, as well as providing pieces throughout the weekend.

“From my first Le Mans in the mid-1980s, the 24 Hours has been my favorite event in motor sports,” Varsha said. “Nine decades of spectacular history, drivers and teams from nearly 30 countries, extraordinary mechanical diversity on the grid, a quarter million spectators and the sheer audacity of racing state-of-the-art machinery on an eight-plus mile lap made up mainly of public roads is simply a fan’s dream.

“And with this year’s field expanded to 60 cars, there is so much more of everything. Don’t forget that Le Mans is a double-points event for full-season competitors in the World Endurance Championship, and from what we’ve seen in the first two WEC races at Silverstone and Spa, the race for overall honors is beyond predicting. In fact, an overall victory by a car other than the 1000-horsepower LMP-1 hybrids is not out of the question.

“Le Mans is often called ‘a British race on French soil’ due to the event’s huge popularity in the UK. But there is also a broad streak of American achievement at ‘Le Sarthe,’ from Luigi Chinetti to Carroll Shelby to Phil Hill to Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt, to the merry band at Corvette Racing and their incredible success.

“American fans will have cars to cheer for from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, including Michael Shank Racing, Extreme Speed Motorsports, and Krohn Racing in LMP2.

“IMSA-based teams make up half the field in the ferocious GTE-Pro class, with Corvette Racing, Risi Competizione andFerrari, doing battle with factory teams from Porsche, Aston Martin, and no fewer than four new Ford GT’s from Chip Ganassi Racing in their quest to repeat Ford’s first victory in 1966.

“And GTE Am features nine Americans, including last year’s podium finishers Patrick Long, Townsend Bell, Bill Sweedler and Jeff Segal, plus former winner Johnny O’Connell.”

Author A.J. Baime, who wrote the best-selling Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans, will participate in the broadcast to offer perspective on Ford’s 50-year anniversary of their stunning 1966 win at Le Mans.

FOX Sports GO and FOX Sports.com provide live streaming video from multiple in-car cameras.

June 18 – 24 Hours of Le Mans (all times ET and subject to change):
FS1 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM
FS2 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
FS2 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM
FS2 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM
FS2 10:30 PM to 2:30 AM (June 19)
FS1 2:30 AM to 9:30 AM (June 19)

*The entire race is streamed live on FOX Sports GO

[Rob]

#51 in action at test day.'

[Rob]

[Rob]

Future LMP1 Privateer Regulations To Be Unveiled Next Week

We reported earlier this year on a process being undertaken by the ACO to determine a potential set of future regulations to support existing LMP1 Privateer entrants and to encourage new entrants to come forward.

It’s seemed likely for some time that the announcement of those new regulations are set to be unveiled next week at the ACO’s annual Thursday press conference during race week for the Le Mans 24 Hours and that plan was confirmed to DSC during the Test Day weekend by a senior ACO source.

Piecing together information from several sources though it looks certain that the package of measures designed to secure the future of the sub-class is somewhat less than radical with a modest reduction in minimum weight, a bigger rear wing and some minor cost saving measures on a short list of changes to the current class specification.

Will that be sufficient to encourage an increased take up for the sub-class – and if not will the rulemakers have anything else up their sleeves? Time will tell.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/0...next-week.html

[Rob]

My first 24 Hours of Le Mans, by Gianmaria Bruni (Ferrari) Gianmaria Bruni is often rightly considered to be one of the best GT drivers in the world. The 35-year-old Ferrari works driver has already won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT title on three occasions (2008, 2012 and 2014). In a few days’ time (18–19 June), the Italian will line up with James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the new Ferrari F488, hoping to add a new trophy to his bulging cabinet. The former Formula One driver (18 Grands Prix for Minardi Cosworth) looks back at his first encounter with the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit.

My first 24 Hours of Le Mans, by Gianmaria Bruni (Ferrari)

Tell us about your first 24 Hours of Le Mans as a driver
I came to the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 2008. I have great memories as I won the GT2 class as a rookie [with Mika Salo and Jaime Melo in the Ferrari F430]. It was Ferrari’s target. I spent a fantastic week in Le Mans but there was a long wait between scrutineering and the race before I could step into action [smiles].

What is your best memory of the race?
Undoubtedly 2014! That year, we won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in LM GTE Pro [with Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander] and also the World Endurance Championship drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles. We had a fantastic end to the season.

And the worst?
I’d say 2015 has to be the worst. An hour and a half before the end, we were leading by 52 seconds from our nearest challenger when we had to retire with gearbox failure. It was really disappointing but that’s motor racing for you!

Which teammate has made the biggest impression on you?
I have driven quite a bit with Toni Vilander so I’d say him first of all. I get on really well with him. In terms of pure speed though, I’d say Jaime Melo. He was so fast! This year, James Calado is really impressive. He is very quick and is always looking to improve, to get closer to me in terms of lap times and to push the car to its limits. I think he’ll have a great career in GT in the future.

Tell us about the colours and design of your helmet
The colours are those of the Italian flag of course. I changed the design in 2004 when I was in Formula One. The person in charge of my helmet said: “You’re someone who never gives up. In the race, you’re the last to brake and the first to overtake. You’re like a lion!” So I replied: “Right, let’s put that on the helmet!” Then from 2006, I added more red. After my single-seater career came to an end, I switched to endurance to race for Ferrari. Red is the colour of passsion. Red is Ferrari.

How are the 24 Hours of Le Mans viewed in Italy?
To be honest, I now live in Monaco and Le Mans is a bit like my home race even if Monaco is not in France [laughs]. Throughout the world, Le Mans is Le Mans. Even if you go to some of the world’s most remote towns, I think that the people will be aware of this race. But if you don’t come to Le Mans and spend the week here, you cannot understand what the 24 Hours of Le Mans are all about. You cannot know how sweet it is to win here [smiles] and how tough it is to lose. The World Endurance Championship is really growing and making a name for itself. More and more people are familiar with the championship and therefore Le Mans. It’s great for everyone, not least the whole of motorsport. For motor racing, this is the place to be!

[Rob]

[Rob]

Kobayashi: “I think F1 underestimates the WEC”

Former Sauber, Caterham and Toyota Grand Prix racer Kamui Kobayashi believes that people in Formula 1 “underestimate” the strength of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Kobayashi, who now races in top-class LMP1 machinery with Toyota, says that the manufacturer effort required to win overall in WEC is higher than some teams spend in F1.

“I think people in F1 underestimate this category, but the amount of effort they put into developing the car is really high, and budget-wise it’s higher than F1 [teams spend] in some cases," Kobayashi told Motorsport.com.

On the subject of whether drivers focus too much on F1, rather than being open to series such as the WEC, Kobayashi believes the huge media focus around Grand Prix racing is the main reason.

“I think we are more open minded, actually,” he said. “I think everybody can ask Fernando [Alonso] what is he looking for after Formula 1? I think he mentioned a couple of times [a] completely different category to think about.

“I think the media is actually focusing on Formula 1. That is the problem. Drivers actually have an open mind.

“Because Nico [Hulkenberg, who won Le Mans with Porsche last year], why did he join LMP1 during his Formula 1 time? Why? Because of his passion to do racing, the passion to do a big race.

“I think [our] mind is opposite. I think the media is only thinking Formula 1 is one of the best. There’s a lot of money of course, there are lots of nice ladies, maybe so, yeah.”

Kobayashi also wants to invite Alonso to try the Super Formula single-seater series in Japan, where he races.

“It’s great, the competition is really high,” he said. “I want to ask Fernando to come and race. He would be surprised how really strong it is.”

[Rob]

McNish impressed by Audi long-run pace on Le Mans test day

Three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Allan McNish says that Audi can be encouraged by the long-run pace it demonstrated on Sunday’s official test day.

Audi took the best time on Sunday, with Lucas di Grassi lapping the Circuit de la Sarthe in 3m21.375s in the #8 R18 e-tron quattro.

However, while McNish says Audi has cause for optimism, he thinks that a true feeling for where the three LMP1 protagonists stand will only come in qualifying and during the race.

"After the first runs, the drivers were reasonably happy with the balance and the simulations and expectations were in line," the Scotsman told Motorsport.com.

"This is always important because you can get to Le Mans and sometimes it is just not what you expected and it is a different ballpark completely.

"There are early positive signs," continued McNish, who won Le Mans for both Porsche and Audi. "The long run with the #8 car was a good one.

"It wasn't quite what it will be like in the race, in terms of being interspersed with red flags and so forth, but overall it was positive and I think the drivers are happy so far with their progress."

McNish was surprised Audi and Porsche were so close during the test day, which saw the two German giants separated by fractions of a second on their best sector times.

In sector one just 0.016s split the #2 Porsche and #7 Audi; sector two saw 0.020s between the #2 Porsche and #8 Audi, and in the final sector just 0.012s was all that parted the #1 Porsche and #8 Audi.

"I was surprised it was so close and positively surprised we were ahead over a full lap with the pace we had, but I don't think that is a completely true representation of the competition," said McNish.

"Principally, Porsche were fast throughout the day but I'm not sure their long run pace was a true representation.

"Toyota were a bit like they were in Spa, where they looked to be a step behind, but as we saw at Spa they can move forward very quickly."

Porsche beating Audi is painful

Last season, Porsche notched up its 17th win at La Sarthe after a faultless display by the #19 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Earl Bamber, Nico Hulkenberg and Nick Tandy.

But McNish said he expects Audi to channel the disappointment of last year's defeat to Porsche as extra motivation for regaining the Le Mans crown.

"You can actually look at it in two ways," described McNish. "The team knows what it is like to win Le Mans, but they also know what it is like to lose Le Mans.

"A defeat is never a bad thing once in a while, it just depends how you take it.

"You just have to look at the car Audi has produced this year to see how much it is up for the challenge of winning it again."

The Scot continued: "You have to remember that Porsche is within the group (VW Group), but that doesn't mean to say they are not competition.

"I remember racing Porsche in the ALMS, when they balanced the performance of P1 and P2 and we were up against the Penske Porsches.

"To have a hard fight with them was great and if you beat them it was more fun, but if you lost it was kind of more painful in a way."

[Rob]

[Rob]

[Rob]

it is going to be one of the most epic battles/race for years in GTE Pro. Test day, cannt take much from, all the teams had few sandbags in the cars.

[Rob]

i spoke to Alessandro earlier and he kindly agreed to answering 3 quick questions about upcoming Le-mans

1-how does it feel to get the call to partner Gimmi and James for Le-Mans? have they been passing on good advice?
For sure I feel good. It means I did a good job in the past. They are two of the quickest drivers in the paddock and I think we do a strong lineup. For me this is the first time in le mans so both of my teammate told me some trick about this wonderful track.

2- GTE Pro, is super competitive at the moment, where do you think the main threat will be?
Difficult to say... all the manufacture are really strong but if I can say someone after le mans test I say Corvette. They are always quick and very reliable.

3- What sort things will you do to rest and relax when you out of car, and how hard is it to relax/sleep during 24hr race?
Le mans race is very long, we start on monday before with scrutineering. The goal is save all the energy also in the days before the race trying to relax as much as you can. During the race we can sleep a bit, specially during the night when we do triple stints. It's not easy sleep with all the adrenaline but you must sleep to recover the energy switching off the brain.

Like to, again thanks to Alessandro for taking time to answer questions.

[Nova]

1. Jarvis/Duval/di Grassi GER Audi Sport Joest R18 e-tron 3m 21.375s LMP1
2. Webber/Hartley/Bernhard GER Porsche 919 Hybrid 3m 22.270s LMP1
3. Dumas/Jani/Lieb GER Porsche 919 Hybrid 3m 22.334s LMP1
4. Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer GER Audi Sport Joest R18 e-tron 3m 22.588s LMP1
5. Davidson/Buemi/Nakajima JPN Toyota Gazoo TS040 Hybrid 3m 23.197s LMP1
6. Kobayashi/Sarrazin/Conway JPN Toyota Gazoo TS040 Hybrid 3m 23.721s LMP1
7. Tuscher/Kraihamer/Imperatori SUI Rebellion R-ONE AER 3m 27.062s LMP1
8. Prost/Piquet Jr/Heidfeld SUI Rebellion R-ONE AER 3m 27.117s LMP1
9. Trummer/Webb/Kaffer AUS ByKolles CLM P1/01 AER 3m 33.025s LMP1
10. Pu/Gommendy/De Bruun FRA Eurasia Motorsport Oreca 05 – Nissan 3m 36.690s LMP2
11. Menezes/Lapierre/Richelmi FRA Signatech Alpine Nissan 3m 37.397s LMP2
12. Rusinov/Stevens/Rast/Brundle RUS G-Drive Ligier Nissan 3m 37.503s LMP2
13. van der Garde/Dolan/Dennis RUS G-Drive Gibson Nissan 3m 37.581s LMP2
14. Rao/Bradley/Merhi GBR Manor Oreca 05 – Nissan 3m 38.383s LMP2
15. Matsuda/Howson/Bradley HKG KCMG Oreca 05 – Nissan 3m 38.486s LMP2
16. Thiriet/Beche/Hirakawa FRA Thiriet By Tds Racing Oreca 05 – Nissan 3m 38.581s LMP2
17. Pew/Negri Jr/Vanthoor USA Michael Shank Racing Ligier JS P2 – Honda 3m 38.589s LMP2
18. Cheng/Tung/Panciatici CHN Baxi DC Racing Alpine A460 – Nissan 3m 39.298s LMP2
19. Minassian/Mediani/Wirth SMP Racing BR01 – Nissan 3m 39.804s LMP2
20. Barthez/Chatin/Buret/Gachet FRA Panis Barthez Competition Ligier JS P2 - Nissan 3m 39.914s LMP2
21. Petrov/Shaytar/Ladygin RUS SMP Racing BR01 – Nissan 3m 39.966s LMP2
22. Derani/Dalziel/Cumming USA ESM Ligier JS P2 Nissan 3m 40.239s LMP2
23. Leventis/Kane/Watts GBR Strakka Gibson 015S Nissan 3m 41.371s LMP2
24. Rojas/Canal/Lancaster GBR Greaves Motorsport Ligier JS P2 – Nissan 3m 41.625s LMP2
25. Krohn/Jonsson USA Krohn Raacing Ligier JS P2 – Nissan 3m 41.902s LMP2
26. Keating/Bleekemolen/Goossens IRE Murphy Prototypes Oreca 03R – Nissan 3m 420.537s LMP2
27. Gonzalez/Albuquerque/Senna MEX RGR Sport by Morand Ligier JS P2 – Nissan 3m 42.568s LMP2
28. Munemann/Hoy/Pizzitola POR Algarve Pro Racing Ligier JS P2 – Nissan 3m 42.592s LMP2
29. Taittinger/Striebig/Roussel FRA Pegasus Racing Morgan – Nissan 3m 42.634s LMP2
30. Sharp/vOverbeek/Brown USA ESM Ligier JS P2 Nissan 3m 44.193s LMP2
31. Leutwiler/Nakano/Winslow/Koutsoumidis FRA Race Perfrmance Oreca 03R– Judd 3m 45.455s LMP2
32. Capillaire/Coleman/Maris/Lombard FRA SO24! By Lombard Racing Ligier JS P2 – Judd 3m 45.587s LMP2
33. Sausset/Tinseau/Bouvet FRA SRT41 by Oak Racing Morgan LMP2 – Nissan 3m 48.253s CDNT
34. Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor USA Corvette Racing – GM Corvette C7.R 3m 55.122s GTE Pro
35. Pilet/Estre/Tandy GER Porsche Motorsport 911 RSR (2016) 3m 55.402s GTE Pro
36. Makowiecki/Bamber/Bergmeister GER Porsche Motorsport 911 RSR (2016) 3m 55.691s GTE Pro
37. Gavin/Milner/Taylor USA Chevrolet Corvette C7.R 3m 55.837s GTE Pro
38. Bruni/Calado/ Pier Guidi ITA AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE 3m 55.900s GTE Pro
39. Briscoe/Westbrook USA Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA Ford GT 3m 56.039s GTE Pro
40. Rigon/Bird/Bertolini ITA AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE 3m 56.115s GTE Pro
41. Johnson/Mucke/Pla USA Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK Ford GT 3m 56.167s GTE Pro
42. Fisichella/Vilander/Malucelli ITA Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE 3m 56.170s GTE Pro
43. Thiim/Sorensen/Turner GBR Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 3m 56.191s GTE Pro
44. Rees/Stanaway/Adam GBR Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 3m 56.523s GTE Pro
45. Franchitti/Priaulx/Tincknell USA Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK Ford GT 3m 56.596s GTE Pro
46. Hand/Muller USA Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA Ford GT 3m 56.630s GTE Pro
47. Lietz/Christensen/Eng/Bachler GER Dempsey-Proton Porsche 911 RSR 3m 56.990s GTE Pro
48. Yamagishi/Ragues/Belloc/Catsburg FRA Larbre Competition Chevrolet C7-Z06 3m 57.999s GTE Am
49. Cameron/Griffin/Scott ITA AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia 3m 58.869s GTE Am
50. Sweedler/Bell/Segal ITA Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia 3m 58.981s GTE Am
51. Mok/Sawa/Bell FRA Clearwater Racing 458 Italia 3m 59.300s GTE Am
52. Perrodo/Collard/Aguas ITA AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia 3m 59.313s GTE Am
53. Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda GBR Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 3m 59.337s GTE Am
54. Ried/Henzler/Camathias HKG KCMG Porsche 911 RSR 3m 59.374s GTE Am
55. Wainwright/Carroll/Barker GBR Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR 3m 59.433s GTE Am
56. Laursen/Mac/Nielsen ITA Formula Racing Ferrari 458 Italia 4m 00.415s GTE Am
57. Macneil/Keen/Miller/Jeannette USA Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR 4m 01.258s GTE Am
58. Long/Heinemeier-Hansson/Al Qubaisi ABU Abu Dhabi-Proton Porsche 911 RSR 4m 01.773s GTE Am
59. O'Connell/Bryant/Patterson FRA Team AAI Chevrolet Corvette C7-Z06 4m 02.109s GTE Am
60. Howard/Griffin/Hirsch GBR Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage 4m 03.896s GTE Am
Read more at http://www.crash.net/le-mans/results...ernoon-results.

[Rob]

LE MANS CALLING FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Friday 10 June 2016

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is prepared and positive ahead of the 84th running of the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours, the highlight of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season.

TOYOTA enters Le Mans for the 18th time, having made its debut in 1985, and travels to France looking for its fifth podium finish at the Circuit de la Sarthe, having recorded a best result of second four times.

In the driving seat of the #5 TS050 HYBRID will be 2014 World Champions Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi joined by Kazuki Nakajima, who set the pole position time at Le Mans two years ago. The #6 car features three-time Le Mans pole winner Stéphane Sarrazin alongside Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi.

The battle with former winners Audi and Porsche sees the new-for-2016 TS050 HYBRID compete at Le Mans for the first time. The 1,000hp prototype has been optimised specifically for this race and features significant upgrades compared to the TS040 HYBRIDs which finished sixth and eighth last year.

Intense development of the new 2.4litre, V6 turbo engine at Higashi-Fuji technical centre in Japan has delivered an efficient and powerful powertrain when combined with the battery-based 8MJ hybrid system.

In parallel, a new chassis has been developed for 2016 at TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH in Cologne, with almost all parts redesigned and optimised for weight and performance. A low downforce aerodynamic package will make its race debut at Le Mans following a successful test at the Circuit de la Sarthe last weekend.

TOYOTA travels to Le Mans determined to build on the race-winning pace shown in the last WEC race at Spa-Francorchamps, where the TS050 HYBRIDs looked on course for victory until engine problems struck. Thorough investigation of the data has established that the issue was specific to the Spa circuit, caused by the car ‘bottoming’ through the undulating Eau Rouge corner.

Despite the disappointing end result in Belgium, the overall speed of the TS050 HYBRIDs has raised the team’s hopes for Le Mans, where it expects to challenge at the front, inspired by the goal of winning the race for the first time.

The official test on 5 June raised hopes of a closely-fought race. The fastest TS050 HYBRID recorded a lap 2.124secs faster than the best TOYOTA time from the 2015 test, despite a 10% reduction of fuel consumption required by regulations. Both cars demonstrated reliability, completing a total of 177 laps, 2412km.

Endurance is equally important as performance at Le Mans, which features almost 35 hours of driving until the chequered flag waves, starting on Wednesday 15 June with a four-hour practice session at 16.00 before 120 minutes of qualifying begin at 22.00.

Qualifying continues on Thursday with another pair of two-hour sessions (19.00 & 22.00). The starting grid is decided by the fastest single lap from any of the qualifying sessions.

The traditional drivers’ parade in the city centre on Friday afternoon gives fans a unique chance to get up close to the drivers before race weekend, which begins with a 45-minute warm-up at 09.00. The race starts at 15.00 on Saturday.

Toshio Sato, Team President: “Le Mans is the highlight of our year and it has been the focus of most of our hard work in pre-season. We were able to confirm the strong potential of the car in Spa and based on this, and the fact we have developed our TS050 HYBRID particularly with Le Mans in mind, I am excited to see how it performs. But this race is about much more than the car itself; it is a very demanding race for the whole team, including the drivers. In such difficult conditions it is important to give our best possible performance and avoid mistakes; then we will see what result we can achieve. Of course, our ultimate target, like all the LMP1 manufacturers, is to win and we are ready to fight. We will approach this goal at the end of this long race by working with maximum determination and concentration for the entire 24 hours.”

Anthony Davidson (TS050 HYBRID #5): “I can’t wait to get the whole process of the Le Mans 24 Hours underway once again this year. It’s the one race we drivers all want to win and it’s what we work towards during the hard winter months of testing. It is such a special event and I have been lucky enough to stand on the podium twice and that’s an experience you never forget. It’s fair to say it has been a challenging start to the year for car #5, particularly the last race at Spa when we were on our way to the win until a technical problem, but that only makes me even more determined for Le Mans. There’s no better place to turn around our season.”

Sébastien Buemi (TS050 HYBRID #5): “I am really motivated for Le Mans as usual. It is a fantastic track and it’s always amazing to be there for race week. Unfortunately it only happens once a year so you really need to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy this special event. We had a positive test day with our new TS050 HYBRID, which is a big step forward compared to last year’s car, so I think we can be in the fight this year. The car feels good and we have seen at Spa that we are able to compete at the front. There’s still a lot of work to do in practice and qualifying to get the most out of our car, but the first signs are positive.”

Kazuki Nakajima (TS050 HYBRID #5): “Le Mans is an impressive event. I remember the first time I raced there in 2012, the scale of the race and the atmosphere, especially before the start, was unbelievably exciting. It was something I had never experienced in motorsport. I remember watching the race on TV, especially in 1998 and 1999 when the TOYOTA TS020 raced, so to experience it myself is always special. I very much enjoy the circuit, which is really challenging for a driver. The cars reach high top speeds on the long Hunaudières straight and there are many fast corners so it’s really fun to drive. I’m ready and looking forward to the week.”

Stéphane Sarrazin (TS050 HYBRID #6): “This race is just amazing; a special event on a special track. It is the longest circuit of the season with the most history and as a French driver it’s a great experience. We work all year to be in good shape for Le Mans. When we are doing 30-hour endurance tests, it is to be ready for this race. This year we are more a challenger than favourite but maybe that’s a good position to be in. We took a big step with the TS050 HYBRID; the car is really competitive and we showed at Spa that we can lead a race and challenge for victory. I think it will be an exciting race this year and I am confident we can fight.”

Mike Conway (TS050 HYBRID #6): “We approach Le Mans with a lot of anticipation this year. It is a magical event with all its history and it’s the one race you focus on at the start of every year; it comes around very quickly. There are more unknowns this year and we are eager to know exactly where we stand. Even after all the thousands of kilometres we’ve done already, until we do long stints in practice and then flat-out qualifying runs, we don’t know exactly how we compare. The performance steps from all the LMP1 manufacturers have been really impressive in the last year or so. We know we are close; we will find out where we stand very soon.”

Kamui Kobayashi (TS050 HYBRID #6): “We all enjoy this event and look forward to it from the start of the year. I was surprised when I first drove this track because the lay-out is fantastic and compared to other street circuits the surface is relatively smooth, with good grip. The Le Mans 24 Hours is a truly world-famous race so to be competing there makes me proud. There are a lot of races in the world, and I’ve raced on many tracks, but Le Mans really stands out. It would be amazing to win the race as a Japanese driver in a Japanese team, especially in my first Le Mans with TOYOTA. Probably we are not the favourites this year but we are close and I think we can challenge.”

TOYOTA at Le Mans:
(Chassis name in brackets)
1985 #36 (85C-L): Qualifying 29th; Race 12th. #38 (85C-L): Qualifying 22nd; Race DNF (mechanical).
1986 #36 (86C-L): Qualifying 40th; Race DNF (mechanical). #38 (86C-L): Qualifying 30th; Race 20th.
1987 #36 (87C-L): Qualifying 14th; Race DNF (mechanical). #37 (87C-L): Qualifying 16th; Race DNF (mechanical).
1988 #36 (88C): Qualifying 8th; Race 12th. #37 (88C): Qualifying 10th; Race 24th.
1989 #36 (89C-V): Qualifying 24th; Race DNF (mechanical). #37 (89C-V): Qualifying 17th; Race DNF (accident). #38 (88C): Qualifying 25th; Race DNF (accident).
1990 #36 (90C-V): Qualifying 10th; Race 6th. #37 (90C-V): Qualifying 14th; Race DNF (accident). #38 (90C-V): Qualifying 16th; Race DNF (mechanical).
1992 #7 (TS010): Qualifying 3rd; Race DNF (mechanical). #8 (TS010): Qualifying 4th; Race 8th. #33 (TS010): Qualifying 5th; Race 2nd. #34 (92C-V): Qualifying 11th; Race 9th. #35 (92C-V): Qualifying 15th; Race 5th.
1993 #22 (93C-V): Qualifying 10th; Race 5th. #25 (93C-V): Qualifying 12th; Race 6th. #36 (TS010): Qualifying 2nd; Race 4th. #37 (TS010): Qualifying 5th; Race DNF (mechanical). #38 (TS010): Qualifying 4th; Race 8th.
1994 #1 (94 C-V): Qualifying 4th; Race 2nd. #4 (94 C-V): Qualifying 8th; Race 4th.
1995 #27 (Supra LM): Qualifying 30th; Race 14th.
1996 #57 (Supra LM): Qualifying 36th; Race DNF (accident).
1998 #27 (TS020): Qualifying 8th; Race 9th. #28 (TS020): Qualifying 2nd; Race DNF (accident). #29 (TS020): Qualifying 7th; Race DNF (mechanical)
1999 #1 (TS020): Qualifying 1st; Race DNF (accident). #2 (TS020): Qualifying 2nd; Race DNF (accident). #3 (TS020): Qualifying 8th; Race 2nd.
2012 #7 (TS030 HYBRID): Qualifying 5th; Race DNF (mechanical). #8 (TS030 HYBRID): Qualifying: 3rd; Race DNF (accident).
2013 #7 (TS030 HYBRID): Qualifying 5th; Race 4th. #8: Qualifying (TS030 HYBRID): 4th; Race 2nd.
2014 #7 (TS040 HYBRID): Qualifying 1st; Race DNF (mechanical). #8 (TS040 HYBRID): Qualifying: 3rd; Race 3rd.
2015 #1 (TS040 HYBRID): Qualifying 8th; Race 8th. #2 (TS040 HYBRID): Qualifying: 7th; Race 6th.

[Rob]

FIA WEC Clamps Down On Blocking Tactics

With thanks to the FIA WEC for the clarification received this morning from the FIA Endurance Committee. The Committee has today released a Clarification applicable to article 4.8.4 and 10.8.8 of the FIA World Endurance Championship Sporting Regulations. This comes following multiple instances at the Le Mans Test Day involving all three factory LMP1 teams obstructing the view of media and/ or race officials of elements of their cars in the pit garages.

Porsche and Toyota were fined for their transgressions whilst Audi employed a ‘wall’ of team personnel to prevent viewing of their problematic repair of a front damper on the #7 car.

DSC was sharply critical of the tactics and suggested a change to the Sporting Regulations might be in order. It seems the Endurance Committee feel they are already clear enough.

The Clarification of the Committee reads as follows:

“Any bodywork element stored in front of the car will be considered as an obstruction to the visibility inside the garage unless it is stored flat on the ground and does not hide totally or partially the race car inside the garage.

“Anybody staying in front of the car when it is inside the garage is considered as an obstruction to the visibility inside the garage unless he has to work on the car. A line of people in front of the car is strictly prohibited.”

The relevant regulations read:

Regulations:

4.8.4 Pit Walk Rules

During the pit walk (time indicated in the event timetable) all cars must remain inside their allocated garage, parked with the front facing the pit lane, and the front shutter of the garage must be open. Visibility towards the inside of the garage must remain free of any obstruction whatsoever (bodywork parts, covers, piles of tyres, etc.);
Any competitor requiring controls in the scrutineering bay must ensure that these controls are conducted in such a way that his car is parked in its allocated garage for the entire duration of the pit walk.

Unless required by race officials, cars will not be allowed on the pit lane during the pit walk. Every effort will be made by the officials to avoid cars being pushed in the pit lane during the pit walk.

For reasons of safety and swiftness of the pit walk evacuation, a competitor may be asked by the promoter to temporarily close the front shutter of the garage in order to speed up the pit lane evacuation at the end of the pit walk. Once the area in front of his garage is clear, the shutter must be opened again.

Once the evacuation is completed in front of the relevant garage, a car may be moved onto the pit lane. In any case, competitors must follow the instructions of the promoter.

During the pit walk period, teams are not allowed to handle fuel under any circumstances.
10.8.8. Access to the garage:

During practice and the race:

The pit shutter (on the track side) must remain completely open;
Visibility towards the inside of the garage must remain free of any obstruction of any kind whatsoever (bodywork parts, covers, piles of tyres, trolleys, etc.);
Officials must have free access to the inside of the garage.
Penalty: at the Stewards’ discretion.

A rapid response to a growing issue and common sense reigns!

[Rob]

Frédéric Sausset and the Garage 56 Entry for 2016

I proved that I can be part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans


A year ago, the ACO formally announced that quadruple amputee Frédéric Sausset and SRT41 would be offered a Garage 56 entry for 2016. A few days after this month’s Test Day, Sausset talked to Matt Fernandez about his preparations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Fred, tell us how your Le Mans test day went?

“It went very well overall. I was obviously quite tense, as it’s an important milestone in our project and I knew people were waiting to see how I would behave on the track. Sunday night, I got a phone call from Vincent Beausmenil from the ACO basically telling me, “We just had a meeting. You’re good to go for the race.” I guess I proved that I can be part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

So there were still ongoing talks at the ACO about your participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last weekend ?

“That’s indeed how I understood it.

Test day was the first time you were sharing a track with LMP1 cars. How did that go ?

“It went well. I was paying attention to them, making sure not to create any problem. The speed differential with our car is such that they can take care of their business while I mind my own. Benoit Treluyer sent me a message after the session saying, “Your behaviour on track was impeccable. You’re a real champ.” That was really nice of him. It was definitely a more difficult task for me when overtaking or being overtaken by other LMP2 cars.

Your behaviour … was impeccable. You’re a real champ.
Benoit Treluyer
At the 4 Hours of Silverstone, you reported having significant issues when taking left-hand corners. How did that go in Le Mans ?

“Silverstone was definitely a very difficult track for me. I was losing an awful lot of time in such corners. Here at Le Mans, things are very different. I felt good on the track from the get-go. I was targeting at least ten laps … but did eighteen in the end. I wanted to achieve a fastest lap at or around 3’58’’, and I clocked in at 4’02’’, but I was doing a sub-4 minute lap before being delayed by a slow-zone. Our car was perfectly balanced and I felt very comfortable at the wheel.

“Overall, I only made one mistake: spinning at the Dunlop Curve. To be honest, I was glad it happened, as it gave me the opportunity to show the ACO that I could take care of the car on my own, even in a difficult situation.

That must have built your confidence level for the race. How are you feeling about it?

“We’re considering various scenarios. For now, we know that Christophe [Tinseau] will most probably take the start. Then I intend to drive a total of six and a half hours during the race. I feel I’m capable of doing double stints, but my physiotherapist is more conservative. He recommends no more than one stint. I’m confident. We shall see…

[Rob]

Pescarolo: “Private Teams In LMP1 Are Still Completely Out Of The Running”

It’s only right that Henri Pescarolo continues to be a figurehead for sportscar racing, years after his team stopped racing. The legendary Frenchman’s service to the privateer foundation in sportscars today shouldn’t be underestimated.

And at a time when Rebellion Racing is looking good for a strong finish at Le Mans too up against the big factories, and with the P1 privateer regs still hanging in the balance, getting the chance to speak with him was perfect timing.

DSC’s Deputy Editor caught up with Pescarolo back at Spa, earlier this year:

It’s good to see you still involved in the endurance scene Henri, what are you up to these days?

“Now I work for the TV, I don’t come to these races as a spectator, as you know when my team disappeared I was very upset, so this is a way of me staying involved with endurance racing. I’m not a good spectator, if I’m not working I’m interested in watching.”

The WEC is clearly growing since your team was involved back in 2012, what do you make of it now?

“I think there are two different points of view. Of course it’s very interesting to see manufactures with cars that have 1000 horses and using only 31 litres per 100km which is really impressive.

The budget is absolutely tremendous. It’s something like six times more than when I was racing with my Judd engines.
Henri Pescarolo

“The communication for them is also very good, they can communicate about hybrid cars which are racing and selling.

“But at the same time the budget is absolutely tremendous. It’s something like six times more than when I was racing with my Judd engines. So now to be competitive in endurance it’s necessary to have a Formula One budget.

“It’s good to have three manufacturers here, and they are pleased, I hope that will continue, but the problem is that the private teams in LMP1 are completely out of the running.”

Yeah, and P1 privateer is once again a big talking point. What do you make of the current situation?

“I still think it’s necessary to do something to keep private P1 teams coming. You saw what happened with Peugeot, a big manufacturer, could decide from one day to another to stop. It’s something that could not happen for private teams except if you kill it. They killed me because we weren’t competitive with the regulations, the diesel vs our engine.

“For the ACO and the WEC that is very important, having a private competitive team, because if tomorrow that VAG decide to stop Audi and Porsche’s programmes because of economical problems, nobody could step up and the private teams are too far away.

“We need private teams, not just in LMP2, which is a great category as a second division. Good LMP2 teams need to step up to LMP1, it’s necessary to give them some possibilities to be more competitive.”

What do you think the ACO will do now that Rebellion is back scoring podiums?

“The gap is so big right now that it’s so difficult. The actual regulations for private teams leave them with 500 horsepower, so the only way is to change the regulations to allow them to have cars with the same power as the manufacturers, but a very light car.

“The record I have at Spa on the long track, that was with a car that weighed 670 kilos. It was a 3 litre engine. There was no carbon fibre. If you say to a small manufacture that you can build a very light car to be competitive, then it’s good for communication and it allows the big manufacturer to compete with hybrid cars.

We need private teams, not just in LMP2,
Henri Pescarolo.
“I don’t know what the FIA will do, but for me it’s necessary to push very good LMP2 manufactures to go to LMP1 privateer, we need them.”

It’s a big Le Mans for Manu Collard this year. DSC spoke to him at length recently about his time in racing, you must feel proud knowing that you’ve been a big part of his long career in sportscars?

“It’s a pity, because he should have been a very good Formula 1 driver. When I was in charge of the young drivers at Elf, we found a budget for him to be at Tyrrel, and he did some tests and he was fantastic as usual. And Tyrrel told us that it was possible, how was there a good driver like in France and not in Formula One? So we had a budget but unfortunately someone else came along with a bigger budget and he didn’t get the drive.

“He was one of the best and he should have been one of the best French F1 drivers. He’s one of the fastest I’ve ever had in my team, I had him as a teammate too. He’s had a very good career in endurance.

“I think he was unlike other drivers. All of the Elf drivers drove for me, what I tried to explain to them was that you must be as quick as a Formula 1 driver, but you must have more, you must be intelligent and able to adapt to the outside conditions, the car changing all that.

He was one of the best and he should have been one of the best French F1 drivers.
Henri Pescarolo
“You must always be on the limit but thinking that you are own the car to try and let it win the race for you.

“That’s something Manu understood very well, but he was also very clever.”