Le-Mans 2016 Race thread

[Rob]

Well, here we go few more hours to go.

Warm up didnt go, that great. Couple red flags and the last one was right at the end so session wasnt restarted.

[fratelliferrari]

Really nervous for this one! Less then 2 hours to go now! Forza AF Corse :ferrarifl

[Rob]

Really nervous for this one! Less then 2 hours to go now! Forza AF Corse :ferrarifl

1 hour to go.

:clap

Did hear its meant o rain just after or at race start for 5 hours :-??

[abbottcostello]

Darn FS1, guide says 24hr Le Mans, but still has golf on - better not miss start of race!

EDIT: FYI for USA viewers - pre race is now on FS2, not positive but think it will switch to FS1 soon, maybe at start of race?

[458 Italia]

So you have Rob (started a thread) :clap

Race will start behind the safety car.

[Rob]

http://i67.tinypic.com/124wsjk.jpg

[Rob]

fair enough about SC start. Lets hope we can go green very soon.

OOOOOOO #67 grid already.

[Rob]

gearbox issue for #67

[458 Italia]

There's a strong chance of a red flag here.

[Rob]

There's a strong chance of a red flag here.

not yet. As the shower cross the track, best bet keep the cars rolling to "clear" a dry line.

[458 Italia]

Come on now it's time to go racing!

[The Architect]

This really is quite ridiculous. Okay, they don't want to lose any cars early but this isn't indy cars... are they waiting for slick conditions?

[Rob]

lets go

[Rob]

come on James

[458 Italia]

Audi are showing good pace in these very early stages.

[Nova]

Fisi was just passed, but we have a LONG way to go..

[Rob]

come on Sam

[Rob]

LMP2 car getting in the way

[458 Italia]

Damp conditions hurting Ferrari.

[Rob]

Damp conditions hurting Ferrari.

Porsche has the engine over the rear axle, helps in these conditions. Thats why they want wet/damp race.

[458 Italia]

Porsche has the engine over the rear axle, helps in these conditions. Thats why they want wet/damp race.

Indeed.

I do wish they wouldn't moan about the pace the Ferraris have :roll

[Rob]

James last lap was 9 tenths quicker than Porsche #92

[Rob]

Indeed.

I do wish they wouldn't moan about the pace the Ferraris have :roll

Ferrari and Ford racing in 2016 with 2016 reg cars. Ford played games, so should be penalised for that. Vettes, Porsche and AMR should moan about how fast we and Ford are due to fact being designed to 2016 regs.

[Nova]

Rain at Arnage?

[Kyss4k]

Is it raining again? Jesus how I love Le mans :)

[Rob]

Rain at Arnage?

little bit. That will blow over quickly.

[Nova]

Not to put a dampener on things but it's raining from Porsche Curves all the way to the pit lane. Let's hope it blows over... #LeMans24

[Kyss4k]

Not to put a dampener on things but it's raining from Porsche Curves all the way to the pit lane. Let's hope it blows over... #LeMans24

Yea, it looks like it's getting heavier.

[Rob]

just looking at the lap times and sector times, #92 starting to slow. The dry track is coming back to us.

[Kyss4k]

just looking at the lap times and sector times, #92 starting to slow. The dry track is coming back to us.

Yep, all 3 Ferraris are the fastest GTs this lap

[Rob]

Toyota loving these conditions.

[Rob]

#51 #71 #82 laps in in the 56's

[Rob]

sorry #82 mid 55

[Kyss4k]

What a lap from Hartley now

[Rob]

#67 back in.

[Rob]

now getting dry, Porsche will show the pace again. And Ford and Ferrari will pull it back on #92

[F1YMS]

The LMP1 vas to close to call


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[458 Italia]

#7 in the 3:23s

[Rob]

Pro
AF Corse CALADO James Ferrari 488 GTE M 30 4:05.664 3:54.774 3:54.774

James is on fire

[458 Italia]

Great battle between fisi and james

[Rob]

Great battle between fisi and james

good fight. But we need not to fight. Need pull eachother along to catch Ford.

[Kyss4k]

Fisico on the attack to take the lead from the Ford!

[Rob]

Gimmi in #51 now.

[458 Italia]

No #51 in the garage! :(

[Kyss4k]

Well, at least #82 is leading now :)

[Rob]

#51 alternator issue

[The Architect]

Looking good so far with 20+ hours to go... Hope Kobayashi can keep up the momentum.

[Rob]

#51 back out, still loooong way to get back. Trouble free run now.

[Rob]

Looking good so far with 20+ hours to go... Hope Kobayashi can keep up the momentum.

going good.

[Kristof_F40]

What happened to 71?

[Rob]

What happened to 71?

got caught out in big traffic fight early on, and just havent been able to claw it back.

[wisepie]

Following the race as best I can but unable to watch it, just wanted to add my support to you guys who can watch it live and all the GTE Pro/Am Ferraris out there, long way to go so it's all to play for. Forza AF Corse and Risi!

[458 Italia]

#82 looking very solid I hope it stays that way.

[458 Italia]

Traffic causing us lots of problems.

Damn down to 3rd.

[458 Italia]

#82 is still back in 3rd in class.

[Nova]

What the heck is going on in gtpro? Are we catching that gt40?

[Rob]

#82 holding it.

Ale in #51 and just set cars quickest lap.

[Rob]

Ale just gone quick again, a 52.5

[Rob]

thats same pace as front leading Ford,

[Kristof_F40]

Who's going to stay awake the whole night?

[Rob]

Who's going to stay awake the whole night?

i try, but will most likely have couple hours sleep here and there.

[Kristof_F40]

i try, but will most likely have couple hours sleep here and there.

Yeah, it's though.. Always wanted to do that.. Watch the race from start to finish, but it's Always during examinations so.. Sleep needed..

[Nova]

14:57 This is how it looks: #82 Risi Ferrari; #68 Ford +3.8s; #69 Ford +4.7s; #66 Ford +10.8s.

Looks like we need some help here..where all da Ferrari's at?

[Rob]

Yeah, it's though.. Always wanted to do that.. Watch the race from start to finish, but it's Always during examinations so.. Sleep needed..

I never do it. Sleep needed. Especially with 2 young kids.

If go have power naps, best thing is 45 minutes or 2 hours.

[Kristof_F40]

How come Ford has such good pace here?

[Nova]

^not sure but Im looking for our guys in both GT classes.

[Rob]

How come Ford has such good pace here?

they been playing games with the ACO. Sandbagging all year.

[Kristof_F40]

they been playing games with the ACO. Sandbagging all year.

I really don't like that.. It's same with Mercs in F1.. Hide your pace so you know when you need it you got it.. Try to get an advantage out if it, like Mercs: if they would have show their real pace through whole 2014 and 2015 there would have definitely be some rule changes to slow them down.. But now they let it seem like it's a great championship etc.. That's no real sport..
Ford was so off the pace in previous round and now they are class leading..

[The Architect]

Still looking good... Even the #5 could get back into a podium position later tonight. Feels tense, like 2014.


I really don't like that.. It's same with Mercs in F1.. Hide your pace so you know when you need it you got it.. Try to get an advantage out if it, like Mercs: if they would have show their real pace through whole 2014 and 2015 there would have definitely be some rule changes to slow them down.. But now they let it seem like it's a great championship etc.. That's no real sport..
Ford was so off the pace in previous round and now they are class leading..

Mercedes needed to go as fast as they needed to. The engine rules were absurd but it's embarrassing that Ferrari are yet to really challenge them. However, in the Ford case, Ferrari hammered them in the first two rounds yet the ACO are effectively handing them the race here. The fact BoP exists and can be manipulated this way is scandalous. I predicted this would happen at the beginning of the year, yet the ACO fell for it hook, line and sinker.

[Kyss4k]

Those 2 Fords will be a tough nuts to crack

[458 Italia]

Those 2 Fords will be a tough nuts to crack

There's nothing really separating the lap times the 2 Fords and what #82 is doing I hope we can turn the tables on them.

Meanwhile it's not exactly a classic at the front of the field, bit of a disappointment if you ask me.

[abbottcostello]

Ford & the american racing community have been playing up the fact that Ford is returning on the 50th anniversary of their first entry & win at Le Mans, anything less than a win here would be a disaster for their marketing people, at least I'm sure that is how they feel about it! So no surprise to me they sandbagged up to now to properly set the stage for a "triumphant return to Le Mans (sorry, think I used same phrase in a previous post ).
Always "hated" Ford since I was a child, was a chevy/GM guy until I discovered those wonderful European imports in my teens!:lol


Still looking good... Even the #5 could get back into a podium position later tonight. Feels tense, like 2014.



Mercedes needed to go as fast as they needed to. The engine rules were absurd but it's embarrassing that Ferrari are yet to really challenge them. However, in the Ford case, Ferrari hammered them in the first two rounds yet the ACO are effectively handing them the race here. The fact BoP exists and can be manipulated this way is scandalous. I predicted this would happen at the beginning of the year, yet the ACO fell for it hook, line and sinker.

[Rob]

wow #7 back in garage

[458 Italia]

wow #7 back in garage

This just doesn't happen to Audi!

[Rob]

from earlier
http://i67.tinypic.com/eqzacj.jpg

[Rob]

think the track is going to start to really rubber in now. The track is couple hours behind where it usually is by now.

[458 Italia]

Now #8 is in the garage!

[Rob]

Now #8 is in the garage!

Looks like Audi trying different set-ups. They not happy at all with the cars. New rear and front body work, front and rear suspension settings.

[Rob]

not looking good for #1 car now.

[458 Italia]

#1 losing a lot of time in the pits.

[Rob]

floor coming off #1 :-E

[Rob]

hearing that #1 could be battery issue/change

[458 Italia]

floor coming off #1 :-E

:-E indeed! Totally unexpected turn of events.

[Rob]

#7 coming back in, trollies out for it, so be going into garage.

[458 Italia]

#7 coming back in, trollies out for it, so be going into garage.

This is so unprecedented, They're usually bullet proof.

[458 Italia]

Gah! Ferrari AM car in the gravel.

[458 Italia]

#7 did a 6 minute lap?

[458 Italia]

#71 Sam in the garage not looking good.

[Rob]

#71 Sam in the garage not looking good.

better to get into garage while SC is out. Will not loose to much ground

[458 Italia]

better to get into garage while SC is out. Will not loose to much ground

You make a good point :thumb

[458 Italia]

#51 back in.

[Rob]

#51 in aswell, brake change

[Rob]

im not sure if we will see #1 again.

[458 Italia]

It's looking unlikely...

[458 Italia]

#1 dropping down the order.

#82 and Toni looking in good shape again.

[Rob]

#1 having engine warm up, be out soon.

[Rob]

#8 coming in, after only 8 laps.

[458 Italia]

But straight out. weird.

[Rob]

#8 left rear change. Slower puncture.

[458 Italia]

#1 behind the GTE Pros now.

[458 Italia]

Well #1 is out but it's very slow and very sick.

[458 Italia]

I don't know what I feel about the slow zones...

[Rob]

I don't know what I feel about the slow zones...

They good, it safes pulling out SC's all the time.

[458 Italia]

They good, it safes pulling out SC's all the time.

Absolutely, better than SC, VSC, but maybe the slow zones are active for a little too long maybe.

[Rob]

Right, going sign off for bit. Got couple Birra Moretti to drink ;-) thn maybe knap time.

[458 Italia]

Goodnight Rob! Lets hope the small hours are kind to Ferrari!

I'm just finishing off a bottle of Pinot Noir myself ;-)

[Kyss4k]

Poor Mark. The title just doesn't want to have anything to do with him... Damn

[458 Italia]

#71 in trouble stuck in the gravel :(

[Kyss4k]

#71 in more trouble :(

[458 Italia]

I don't think #1 has been declared as a retirement yet.

[Kyss4k]

I don't think #1 has been declared as a retirement yet.

I think they haven't. Well as of now it doesn't matter. There no chance in hell that all others will lose 35 laps to them :/

[458 Italia]

#1 back out, way way way back.

[458 Italia]

Looking good for #82 :thumb

[Nova]

Shoot, our stream went zippo..nada on the stream.
Im going to have to goto autosport.

[458 Italia]

Sadly #51 retired.

#71 Some 20 odd 20 laps behind the next place.

[Nova]

Vette set fastest lap..mabey theyre the ones sandbagging..

[Nova]

Thx..
Vettes laid back for 12 hours, now theyre going to go banzai. Oh, theyd like to beat Ferrari,
but they HAVE to beat Ford.

[Rob]

Davide and #71 out aswell, shame for both #51 #71 heartache indeed. I havent heard why, as soon as i get text back will post.

http://i66.tinypic.com/2wpqkjk.jpg

[Rob]

#82 holding on strong.

[Rob]

in AM we got #83 in 3rd but a lap down, enough time to pull it back. #61 #55 4th and 5th

[Kristof_F40]

He broke a wheel..
Very sad moment...

We still have Fisico though..

[Rob]

http://i65.tinypic.com/avoewl.jpg

Toni

[Rob]

Toyota going strong still, so good to see. Porsche, still hanging in there.

[Kristof_F40]

Very strange LeMans... 2 Ferrari's out.. Audi nowhere near the front..

[arno]

Come on Toni! You can close the gap!

Rob, do you know the rising temperature in the next hours can help us?
Ford seems to have the upper hand, but our #82 Risi dark horse car (or maybe Red Horse), the only Ferrari left battling with the Fords since last evening, have been fantastic!
Come on guys! Show the wonderful back of our 488GTE to those Fords!

[arno]

:((

#82 in the gravel (pushing very hard probably), when only 2.8 seconds down on the leader

back in the garage now. Still in second place, but the fight for the win it's over, unless the leader will have some issues

[Kyss4k]

Looks like my horses will have to be happy for 2nd places. Fords are just too fast with their sandbagging and Toyota is way too fuel efficient.

[The Architect]

Still looking good. The night time racing was a bit tense with the lead alternating between the Toyotas and the Porsche but looks promising now. A shame about Kobayashi's off track excursion.

I had a few glances towards GTE Pro and was very disappointed. AF Corse have had a disaster and Risi too with Vilander's spin. They should have brought in Fisi earlier to relieve the pressure. Now it looks like Ford will be grandstanding about this for the next 50 years.

[Kristof_F40]

Looks like my horses will have to be happy for 2nd places. Fords are just too fast with their sandbagging and Toyota is way too fuel efficient.

Didn't they get a bigger fuel tank?

[Rob]

Didn't they get a bigger fuel tank?

who?

[Rob]

always smiling Gimmi, its tough sometimes, but we keep pushing and keep fighting.

http://i63.tinypic.com/fvfyti.jpg

[Kyss4k]

We will probably lose 2nd in GTE... Rear lights not working, orange flag

[Kristof_F40]

who?

Toyota?

[Kyss4k]

OMG Toyota!! :-E

[Kyss4k]

OH MY GOD! This is insane! Toyota out with 4 minutes left

[Nova]

Well when you ad 45 kg to our cars, its gotta show up
somewhere.

[Nova]

The winners take a lap of honour at Le Mans but who would have ever said Porsche would be involved in it just 15 minutes ago?

UK Time
Scuderia Corsa pick up the victory in the LM GTE AM class, Jeffrey Segal leading the Ferrari outfit across the line

The #82 Ferrari has now been given a stop/go penalty for incorrect leader lights. Currently running in second place in GTE-Pro. This one could run on for a while...

[The Architect]

Words fail me. Feel utterly devastated. It will take a long time to get over that.

[Nova]

Yes, thats really a tough one for Toyota, but my race is w/the Ferrari's.
To have Risi called to the pits near the end of a 24 hour battle for a light?

[Rob]

Terrible shame for #5, know how that feels to have win snatched away like that. Real shame, but our sport is like that.

Risi drove good race, always there,and P2 in the end. Light issue, thats the rules, #51 had same trouble in Austin, last year. Just shame for #51 #51 that had end that way.

Scuderia Corsa GTE AM winners :clap
http://i66.tinypic.com/1zoi5y0.jpg

[Rob]

Words fail me. Feel utterly devastated. It will take a long time to get over that.

:thumb that was such bad "luck" if you want to call it. Hard way to loose a 24hr

[Nova]

What a race weekend...Mixed emotions...I would have loved to see us win GA Pro, but am delighted
to see us win GTAM..I checked all nite, it appears we swapped lead w/the Ford. Of all cars to get edged by.
Then theres the GP, which we did ok, but good race from Ferrari on all fronts.
3 races, 1 win and 2 seconds. Darn Ford.
Good ole 458.

[wisepie]

What a race weekend...Mixed emotions...I would have loved to see us win GA Pro, but am delighted
to see us win GTAM..I checked all nite, it appears we swapped lead w/the Ford. Of all cars to get edged by.
Then theres the GP, which we did ok, but good race from Ferrari on all fronts.
3 races, 1 win and 2 seconds. Darn Ford.
Good ole 458.

Couldn't agree more, it's been a roller-coaster weekend, gutted for the AF Corse cars and Toyota and only one Ford got lucky being ahead of us and on the same lap after 24hrs. No mean feat!:thumb

[Kristof_F40]

So this isn't over yet is it?

[Rob]

GTE-Pro Race-Winning Ford GT Penalized Post-Race

Both the 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE-Pro race-winning No. 68 Ford GT and the second-in-class No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia GTE have been penalized post-race, following a series of stewards decisions issued Sunday evening.

The Dirk Mueller, Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais-driven entry has been given a 50-second post-race penalty due to speeding in a Slow Zone, following a protest lodged by Risi Competizione.

Additionally, the Ford was found to have had faulty wheel speed sensors, with a further 20-second penalty added.

With the original margin-of-victory being 1:00.200, the penalties would have given the Risi Ferrari the class victory, but the Houston-based team was also hit with a post-race time penalty of its own.

The Stewards upheld its ruling to force Risi to repair its car’s broken leader lights, following a protest lodged by Ford Chip Ganassi Racing in the final hour of the race.

The team has been given a 20-second post-race penalty and 5,000 Euro fine as a result of not adhering to the black-and-orange flag.

A Risi team representative told Sportscar365 they will not appeal the ruling.

The post-race penalties do not change the final race positions, with the No. 68 Ford still claiming the class win, ahead of the No. 82 Ferrari and No. 69 Ford third in class.

It’s understood a protest, lodged by Ferrari, alleging the Ford GT was outside of the GTE-Pro performance window in the race, is still ongoing, with no ruling yet made by the stewards.




Multiple Protests In Wake of GTE-Pro Finish at Le Mans

The drama from Sunday’s 24 Hours of Le Mans hasn’t ended with the waving of the checkered flag, as there have been multiple protests issued, all involving the GTE-Pro finish.

Sportscar365 has learned that Ford issued a protest against the No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE in the final hour of the race due to the Ferrari not having functional leader lights.

Risi was given a stop-and-go penalty for the infraction but the American team did not serve the penalty.

Toni Vilander, Giancarlo Fisichella and Matteo Malucelli crossed the line second in class, celebrated on the podium, but all GTE-Pro trophies were taken from drivers and team principals following the ceremonies.

Additionally, Ferrari has issued a joint protest against Ford post-race, alleging that the American manufacturer’s Ford GTs violated the ACO’s performance window between the LMP2 and GTE-Pro classes.

The so-called “7 Percent Rule” enforces a 7 percent performance gap between classes, which the manufacturers have alleged Ford broke during the race.

When asked about the protests, Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director Mike Hull told Sportscar365 that he was aware of the protest against Ford but was not aware of the protest Ford lodged against the Risi team during the race.

Manufacturer representatives, as well as team principals are currently meeting with ACO and FIA officials to review the protests.

[Kristof_F40]

No way they are going to take that victory away from Ford..

[Nova]

No way they are going to take that victory away from Ford..

If you look at the 1st 2 races where Ferrari were killen it, then look at the "adjustments" that were made ala BoP for lemans, then no, they wont take that away from ford.
I aint sayen nutten, but it shore do look like they wanted a ford win...but hey, I aint sayen nutten.

[Nova]

NEWS FLASH..I just read on facetube that Ferrari will be testing an LMP1 car in 2017...
Not sure how true it is, but it was there.

[Rob]

http://i68.tinypic.com/2euue0n.gif

HEARTBREAK FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING AT LE MANS
Sunday 19 June 2016

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing finished second in the 84th edition of Le Mans 24 Hours but had the victory taken from its grasp in a cruel late twist.

Both TS050 HYBRIDs took turns to lead the race as part of an exciting battle with the #2 Porsche and was poised to win with the #5 crew of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima before incredible late drama.

Starting what would have been the penultimate lap, with Kazuki at the wheel, the #5 suffered a sudden loss of power. Despite strenuous efforts to restore drive, the car struggled round the lap and stopped on the start-finish line. It was eventually restarted and completed the final lap too slowly to be classified.

The #6 of Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi, a long-time leader of the race which suffered its own troubles late in the race, finished second, behind the winning #1 Porsche.

That marked TOYOTA’s sixth podium finish, its fifth second place, in its 18th Le Mans since a debut entry in 1985.

The race was one of the closest fights in Le Mans history, with three cars locked in an intense battle for the entire 24 hours.

As a new car for 2016, the TS050 HYBRID, with its powerful 2.4litre turbo engine, 8MJ hybrid system and redesigned chassis, did not start the race as favourite but demonstrated its potential by setting the pace throughout.

Better fuel efficiency from the TS050 HYBRID allowed it to complete 14 laps per stint, while its rivals pitted one lap earlier. That reduced the number of stops required and contributed to a fascinating battle for the win.

Prior to the late drama, the TS050 HYBRID had suffered few issues. The #5 needed an additional pit stop early in the race due to severe tyre vibrations, while the #6 lost 30secs to repair minor bodywork damage following contact with a lapped car.

After 20 hours of flat-out racing, the top three were covered by less than 30 seconds, but soon the #6 dropped out of the battle for second, spending nine minutes in the garage to repair bodywork. Nevertheless, it resumed in a comfortable third place.

There was no respite for the team in a nervous finale as the #5 held off its rival until, with the race seemingly heading TOYOTA’s way, 260,000 stunned fans witnessed one of the most dramatic finales in the history of Le Mans.

The team will analyse the cause of the problem as part of its preparations for the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours, which begin immediately.

Toshio Sato, Team President: “I am incredibly proud of our team effort, not just today but since Le Mans last year. Thank you to the team in Higashi-Fuji and Cologne, as well as our partners Oreca. The way we have responded to the pain of our 2015 disappointment, by developing an all-new chassis and powertrain in a short timeframe, has been impressive and the performance of the TS050 HYBRID was strong. We worked as one team and took part in an amazing Le Mans 24 Hours. Congratulations to Porsche on its victory. I have no words to describe our emotions today. It is simply heartbreaking but we will return stronger and more determined to win.”

TS050 HYBRID #5 (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima)
Race: Not classified, 384 laps, 28 pit stops. Fastest lap: 3min 22.495secs
Grid: 4th

Anthony Davidson: “That was an unbelievable end to such a difficult race. You couldn’t have written the way it ended; no-one would ever have believed a movie if it ended like this. So to actually live through the experience is pretty hard to take, but it will make us stronger and we’ll be back.”

Sébastien Buemi: “It’s hard to find the words for what has happened today. We were in control of the race and were so close to the win that we all want. This is the biggest race of the year so it’s even tougher to accept. It is so disappointing for the whole team; we did the right preparation and we had the car to win. So we already look to next year when the target will be clear.”

Kazuki Nakajima: “First of all thank you to all the team members; we did everything right. The car was great to drive. It was tough to have Porsche #2 only 30 seconds behind me towards the end but we had the pace and we managed it very well. It was only two laps missing and it’s a pity we didn’t get the trophy; the team deserved to win. When I was doing my last lap to the chequered flag, all the marshals and fans were really kind to me and that was very emotional. I want to say thank you for that. Let’s come back stronger and grab that trophy.”

TS050 HYBRID #6 (Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi)
Race: 2nd (+3 laps), 381 laps, 28 pit stops. Fastest lap: 3min 21.445secs
Grid: 3rd

Stéphane Sarrazin: “It was amazing; to lose the lead right at the end is just incredible. Even in your worst nightmares you don’t think about that. The team did a great job. Car #6 was fast and fighting for the lead for 20 hours. We showed we have a strong car with good pace and a strong team. But it was incredible to finish like that.”

Mike Conway: “I have mixed feelings. Second is okay but we are all gutted for car #5. They drove a great race and were controlling it. You could see how upset everyone was; I really feel for them. We were fighting up there all race at the front so it was a good race in terms of the performance of the car. It’s okay to get one car on the podium but we wanted more.”

Kamui Kobayashi: “Unfortunately our second position was not what we wanted. We are here to win so I am not really happy. We showed the car has strong performance and our car set the fastest lap of the race. I feel really sorry for car #5, all the crew, drivers and engineers. They did a great race. They fought back through difficult moments and deserved to win.”

Race Result
1st #2 Porsche (Dumas/Jani/ Lieb) 384 laps
2nd #6 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +3 laps
3rd #8 Audi (di Grassi/Duval/Jarvis) +12 laps
4th #7 Audi (Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer) +17 laps
5th #36 Alpine (Menezes/Lapierre/Richelmi) +27 laps
6th #26 G-Drive (Rusinov/Stevens/Rast) +27 laps

[Rob]

NEWS FLASH..I just read on facetube that Ferrari will be testing an LMP1 car in 2017...
Not sure how true it is, but it was there.

it comes around couple years this rumour. As long as Ferrari in F1, LMP1 will not happen. LMP1, to be up racing and beating Porsche, Audi and Toyota the budgets are level if more than F1.

The main focus is unleashing the 488.

[Rob]

http://i64.tinypic.com/2m7t7dh.png

THE 458 ITALIA OF SCUDERIA CORSA TRIUMPHS IN THE SARTHE CLASSIC

24 Hours of Le Mans - The 458 Italia of Scuderia Corsa triumphs in the Sarthe classic

Le Mans, 19 June 2016 – The 84th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans finished with a win, two podiums finishes and a big disappointment for Ferrari in the two GT classes. The victory, for the second consecutive year, came in the GTE-Am class and was delivered by the 458 Italia of US team Scuderia Corsa driven by Jeff Segal, Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell. Second place in the same class went to the 458 Italia of AF Corse with François Perrodo, Rui Aguas and Emmanuel Collard who galloped ahead in the championship standings. The other podium came in the GTE-Pro class where the 488 GTE of Risi Competizione, in the capable hands of Giancarlo Fisichella, Toni Vilander and Matteo Malucelli, battled for victory to the last with the Ford GT of Team USA driven by Hand-Muller-Bourdais.

GTE-Pro. A true storm raged on the French track a few minutes before the start. The rain flooded the course and forced the race director to order a start behind the Safety Car. The Safety Car stayed on the track for almost the entire first hour before the race could finally start, with the two Fords of Team USA in the lead and the Ferrari 488 number 51 of AF Corse driven by James Calado immediately behind. Car 71, with Sam Bird, and car 82 of the Risi Competizione team, with Giancarlo Fisichella, went up to fifth and sixth place thanks to the fact that the Ford of Team UK #67 started from the box. All Ferraris did a triple stint, which ended one lap ahead of schedule for car number 51 due to a slow puncture. The car was called to the box at the last moment and James, coming in, drove roughly over a curb and heavily damaged the car. Car number 71 was not able to sustain a fast pace either; on the other hand, the 488 of Risi Competizione was extremely consistent and was even able to pull into the lead, vying for the top positions throughout the race. In the meantime, car 51 started again, 12 laps behind, after repairs. Disappointment came deep into the night for the 488 number 71: with Davide Rigon at the wheel, a problem in a rim forced the car into the sand at curve 4 and put it out of contention. The negative day for the AF Corse team finally ended very near sundown, as several engine sensors made it advisable to pull the car into the box. At sundown, the duel of car 82 with the Ford continued and went on almost to the end when, because of a spin of Toni Vilander, the Ford 68 built a comfortable lead and finished ahead of car 82.



GTE-Am. The big reward for Ferrari came in GTE-Am class, in which the American drivers of Scuderia Corsa, Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, and Jeff Segal, at the wheel of the 458 Italia number 62 (on which they earned third place in 2015), hit the target and gave Ferrari the win for the second consecutive year in this class (in 2015 the win came courtesy of SMP Racing team). This is the 35th win for the Maranello firm (9 overall and 26 class wins). After qualifications that were difficult to say the least, Sweedler, Bell, and Segal were able to make up ground quickly, vying with Aston Martin and Porsche for the first 12 hours of the race and then taking the lead during the night. Two other Ferrari 458 Italia also ran a brilliant race: François Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard, and Rui Aguas, on car number 83 of AF Corse, finished second and took a commanding lead in the championship because of this success, and car number 61 of the Singapore Clearwater Racing team, with Weng Sun Mok, Keita Sawa, and Rob Bell, finished fourth. The sixth place (after a very difficult start) of car number 60 of the Danish team Formula Racing, with Johnny Laursen, Mikkel Mac Jansen, and Christina Nielsen must also be mentioned.

[Rob]

http://i67.tinypic.com/35mgneo.jpg

[Rob]

http://i64.tinypic.com/2zdypzm.jpg
http://i66.tinypic.com/2jag7it.jpg
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[Rob]

http://i66.tinypic.com/mk7i9f.jpg

[Rob]

http://i63.tinypic.com/hvcn55.jpg
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[Nova]

it comes around couple years this rumour. As long as Ferrari in F1, LMP1 will not happen. LMP1, to be up racing and beating Porsche, Audi and Toyota the budgets are level if more than F1.

The main focus is unleashing the 488.


Yea, the pic looked like a disguised LaFerrari, n I really think theyre on it w/
the 488/458 customer teams. Great pix by the way Rob.

[Rob]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q5n4yECqm4

Again Porsche being classy, you dont see many car company videos praising a rival. True respect.