The winners of this race, only remember, they were the fastest. This is the greatest motor race on earth. One goal is to compete, and to win. We're ready to go, everyone. The field is forming up. 160 drivers from 30 countries, and 50+ cars. The cars have just finished their installation lap. Some very important people are on the grid right now. Ford, is debuting, next year, as we mentioned on the blog. It's going to be awesome. But, we have a simmering race ready to go. Porsche, Audi, Toyota, and Nissan.
The biggest headline is we have four factory teams going head to head for the first time since 1999. Porsche, Audi, Toyota, and Nissan. Porsche is harvesting energy at the eight mega joule limit. Audi has a dynasty. They have a great car this year, with great aero efficiency, downforce, and a top notch energy system. Japan has two factory teams. Nissan is back with a front engined, front wheel drive car. Toyota is back, too. They won the FIA WEC title. But, they WANT to win Le Mans.
Porsche locks out the first three places on the grid with an average speed of 150+ miles an hour by Neel Jani. P2 has 19 cars. Three U.S. teams. Extreme Speed Motorsports with two cars, and Krohn Racing. 46 rookie drivers will race. The minutes tick away. Scott Sharp is making his first Le Mans start in 19 years. He is a former Indycar champion. The weather is gorgeous, and we have a massive crwod on hand. We are short of the whole field, because one of the factory Corvette's got eliminated. More news on that, coming up.
Jan Magnussen had a mechanical issue in the Porsche Curves during qualifying. The big wreck, has eliminated them. Those boys won't win the triple crown of endurance after winning Daytona and Sebring earlier this year. Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Ryan Briscoe, won't race. They will support their sister car (#64). Oliver Gavin starts the #64 car. We also know that Porsche Team Manthey in LM GTE Pro, has struggled. But, both factory Porsche GT cars will race well. The AF Corse Ferrari, and the factory Aston Martin's will also be contenders.
In LM GTE Am, the #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage was also quick. We also look at the SRT Viper, the Dempsey Racing Porsche, #77, and the #62 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia. Patrick Dempsey, has ended his acting career, and is now racing full-time. He is racing with Patrick Long and Marco Seefried. You can feel the energy. It takes commitment, and luck. It's also, exhaustion, as the once bright cars, are full of oil, dirt, and damage, towards the end. But now, we are ready, for a start.
The field has rolled off. Neel Jani, has set the sixth quickest all-time lap in qualifying. It's the quickest lap, since the chicanes were put on the Mulsanne straight, 25 years ago. It's hard to pick a favorite. Now, drivers have been exceeding track limits after the entrance to Tetre Rouge, was repaved. Porsche uses a flywheel, Audi, a flywheel, Toyota, a super capacitor, and Nissan, a flywheel. So many stories to tell, as we start this race.
Le Mans is the ultimate track. From Tetre Rouge, down the 200+ miles an hour Mulsanne straight into Muslanne, through Indianapolis, Arnage, the fast Porsche Curves, and the Ford Chicane. Here comes the field. Five cars, have rookie drivers. Here we go! The President of France, Francois Hollande, is here. The first French President to visit since Georges Pompidou, in 1971. Here we go! We're underway for the 83rd Le Mans! The Porsche's are going for it already.
The Toyota's are side by side as we plunge down through the Dunlop curve. Nico Hulkenberg protects his line. Watch out for the white line. Timo Bernhard goes to the front. Porsche, Porsche, Porsche, Audi, Audi, Audi, Toyota, Toyota. They fly down the Mulsanne straight, and into the chicane. Toyota has not shown pace. They need speed. Loic Duval and Andre Lotterer are side by side and they launch when the hybrid kicks in.
They fly down to Indianapolis, through the forest. Toyota have two bullets, compared to three each for Audi, Porsche, and Nissan. We come to the trickiest section, the Porsche Curves. The speeds are amazing. Hulkenberg is defending, as Loic Duval takes third place away. Timo Bernhard, Neel Jani, Loic Duval, and Nico Hulkenberg. We watch the sole #64 Corvette C-7-R- race. The tires will come to temperature, and gain grip, right now.
We watch Emmanuel Collard in the AF Corse Ferrari. This is his 20th Le Mans. In LMP2, we see KCMG and others. Nineteen cars, dominated by Nissan engines, and Dunlop tires. The downforce and speed on these cars, is amazing. W watch Gianmaria Bruni and Richie Stanaway battle in GTE Pro. Timo Bernhard has gapped the field so far. Neel Jani feels the pressure from Marco Bonanomi. Where do we have the advantage? That's what these blokes are asking.
Porsche is harvesting energy from the turbo exhaust gases as well. There are limits on tires, too, in LMP1. You get twelve sets of tires, and each other class has sixteen. You have to triple stint tires. Porsche is not as efficient on their tires as Audi is. These cars are so fast in the corners. The 2009 Peugeot 908 HDI FAP, and everyone thought that was a fighter plane. These current cars, are much faster than the Peugeot which won the 2009 Le Mans race.
The GTE Pro battle is hot, between Gianmaria Bruni and Richie Stanaway, and we see the no name corner, providing lots of action. Richie Stanaway is heading a team of rookies. We watch Sam Bird and Richard Bradley, fight for position. The coupe has an aerodynamic advantage over the roadster. These blokes are fighting hard. This is a sprint race. Daytona and Sebring are, too. But, this one is a pure speed contest, with less traffic to worry about. Laurens Vanthoor is driving for Oak Racing.
Vanthoor is an Audi GT driver, who has won the GT 24 Hours of the Nurburgring, and might be in Prototypes, soon. Townsend Bell is the only driver in this field, who raced the Indianapolis 500. They've taken the grass verges out of Indianapolis corner. The leaders are starting to lap the slower cars. The Prototypes don't want to give up power. So the GT cars have to watch out. This is sharks and minnows, on wheels. But, all these cars, are fast.
The #29 LMP2 machine is in the garage for Pegasus Racing. This is the Morgan Nissan shared by Leo Roussel, Ho-Pin Tung, and David Cheng. The GT drivers are like, "hey dude, just because you have a big, honkin' prototype racer, you can't pass me... buster!" Timo Bernhard is feeling oversteer. The crew says, "take the brake bias out of the car." The brake pressure is different if you use the motor generator unit, vs. if you don't. The crews are looking at all the data, and listening to what their drivers say.
Audi has won two races. But, Le Mans is different. Yours truly still has to cover the previous race, from Spa, in Belgium. Haven't gotten to it, yet. But, no worries. We'll do a swap, covering this race, and then, Spa. There is no common wisdom at Le Mans. Kazuki Nakajima is running well. He was injured at Spa in practice, in a deluge. There are new and better rain lights on all the cars. Timo bwernhard is running well with Neel Jani. Audi pits the #9 car. It's an early stop. This is the car of Filipe Albuquerque, Marco Bonanomi, and Rene Rast.
Nico Hulkenberg will also pit. Box, is the universal language for pit. Box, box, box. Formula One driver, Nico Hulkenberg, is really glad to be here, living a dream. These cars have the technology that is banned in F1. Andre Lotterer could be someone who could reach for Tom Kristensen's record of nine wins at Le Mans. Lotterer runs with the ball. Hulkenberg pits the Porsche as we watch a battle between LMP2 cars. #19 is in the box, and the car is already getting dirty. The car is still stationary.
The #17 Porsche is also pitting. The Pegasus car (#29), has had a scoring beacon issue. The Rebellion came in and pitted. Toyota has yet to pit. Whoops. The Rebellion R One is off the road. This car, is built by Oreca. They changed from normally aspirated Toyota V8's, to AER (Advanced Engine Research) V8's. Le Mans is a double points race. The LMP2 cars are hitting the lane early, 35-40 minutes into the race. Moments ago, Timo Beernhard pitted the race leading Porsche. Sebastien Buemi in the #1 Toyota TS040 hybrid also pitted.
Toyota got caught out by rain last year, and Porsche could have won, had they not had fuel pressure problems. Porsche predicts if the weather stays good, they will shatter the distance record that will not be beaten for many years. Hmmm. Wouldn't that be something? The lap times are in the 3:21 range. Neel Jani is closing on Timo Bernhard. Oh boy. One of the Nissan's is having issues with the doors. This is the car with the classic Nissan Livery on the GT-R LM. Ben Bowlby designed it. They are probably not even running the hybrid system.
It is the lowest category of the hybrid system. Lucas Ordonez shares with Mark Shulzhitsky and Tsugo Matsuda. It's amazing how video game players, can adapt to driving real race cars. Lucas Ordonez, was someone who had a job he did not like, and then, he got into gaming, and now, he's racing. The Nissan has had horrendous issues with it's hybrid system. The car looks great. But, team boss Darren Cox and his boys, are struggling. This round at Le Mans is a test, for the three cars.
The sole factory Corvette C-7-R- pits. Nissan has taken lots of shtick for their struggles. But, they are going for it, with the academy, young drivers, and, this amazing GT-R race car with a front engine and a front wheel drive car. The car has huge aerodynamic efficiency. 16x9 rear wheels, and 18x14 front wheels. The car is really, really neat. We look forward to watching the development of the car as the #8 Audi R-18 eTron Quattro, flashes it's headlights.
The race is going down at a tremendous clip so far. Tristan Gommendy leads LMP2 in the Thiriet by TDS Racing car. Aston Martin, and Ferrari lead the GT classes. The top six cars are separated by three seconds between Audi and Porsche. Toyota, is three seconds off the pace. Loic Duval is pressuring hard. Neel Jani has closed up behind Timo Bernhard. Audi set the fastest trap speed in qualifying. Arnage is a low grip, slow corner. It's a slippery, slow corner, and you have to slow down, where you speed up, everywhere else.
There's a car on fire. The #92 factory GT Manthey Porsche of Patrick Pilet, is on fire. He's hit the #13 Rebellion R-One AER machines. It's game over for Pilet, and team mates Fred Makowiecki, and Wolf Henzler. There's been another part to this incident. The Porsche has lost an oil line, and the #13 Rebellion R-One has had a real bad wreck. Porsche went 1-2 with the factory squad in 2013. Safety cars are on track. Three separate safety cars, are used, because of the length of the track.
If you get split, you will have a two minute disadvantage. The field is frozen right now. Alexandre Imperatori of Switzerland, was in the Rebellion car, and was supposed to share with German Daniel Abt and Austrian Dominik Kraihamer. Well, actually, the car, is back on the road. The 50 mile per hour slow zones, are working really well, and the marshals from here at Le Mans, also work at Monaco. The top six in the field are running 3:20 laps right now.
Toyota is running three seconds off the pace at this point. Jonny Kane in the #42 Strakka Racing Dome Strakka Nissan, has also had issues. Kane, sharing with long-time team mates Nick Leventis, and Danny Watts. Winning Le Mans overall, makes you immortal. This is a trite statement. But, at Le Mans, the drivers place their hand prints in a mold. Benoit Treluyer, Andre Lotterer, and Mercel Fassler, have won three times.
Alex Wurz almost had an incident in thee Toyota. Wurz won on debut at Le Mans in 1996. Race Director Edoardo Freitas says, "be advised of slippery conditions in zone eleven." There are 35 slow zones, a quarter mile apart, to localize incidents. You are alerted by radio, and the flag marshals will have yellow flags, for slowing down. You have to run at 80 kilometers an hour (50 miles an hour). Every new driver at Le Mans has to learn the procedure in order to race. Before new drivers can race at this great speed palace, and gain the key to this kingdom, they must be taught, how to race here.
The #7 Audi R18 eTron Quattro is running well. But, Andre Lotterer converses with race engineer Lena Gade, and Lena Gade tells him, to avoid part of the track where there's oil dry. They run screens on the radiators. Racing can only resume after you've crossed a line when the safety cars pulls off the road. Now, they can race. This is the lead group. Timo Bernhard, Loic Duval, and Neel Jani. The #17 and #18 Porsche's, and the #8 Audi. Ooh! Three wide on the Mulsanne straight!
Oops. That's Indianapolis corner. Lotterer actually moves by Neel Jani. The Porsche's fly off the slow corners. Loic Duval got swamped, going from third to sixth. Watch the energy storage. Charge the system. The Toyota's super capacitor dumps energy on acceleration. Porsche usea battery, Audi uses a flywheel, and Toyota uses a supercapacitor. The Nissan also uses a flywheel. The supercapacitor is like a light switch, the battery is heavy and hot, and the flywheel has the most advantageous system, in terms of it's use.
The Nissan is designed to send the energy to the rear wheels making it an all-wheel drive car. Indianapolis is named that, because there are bricks under that corner, that have settled, and it's a banked corner. Porsche is a lot more prepared, but might still have a reliability concern. Timo Bernhard is feeling the heat. Andre Lotterer has now taken the lead, an hour and a half into this race. The #9 Audi R18 eTron Quattro is in the lane, with Marco Bonanomi at the controls. Nico Hulkenberg also pits the #19 Porsche.
Oh! This is a huge race between Timo Bernhard and Andre Lotterer. Lotterer has nerves of a burglar. He's won two of the last three years, and has had three straight fast laps of the race, every year. Make that, fastest lap of the race, three years in a row. This is awesome racing! Each configuration of car has a fuel flow restriction, with an FIA issued fuel flow valve. Neel Jani had to hesitate. You can't get rapped up in the moment. Don't get in trouble. The two Porsche's gapped the Audi's by three seconds in qualifying.
In the warmup this morning, Audi had the upper hand. Now, Audi is coming back to the fore. Does tire degradatiuon have something to do with it? The #8 Audi is in the lane. The #13 Rebellion is back on track now. The GTE cars are faster than any street car. But, the rocket ship prototypes, even smoke the GT cars, going around them like they are tied to a stump. The race leader is in, #7. Rene Rast said he had to develop new habits driving the Audi prototype. Nico Hulkenberg is also adjusting to racing a sports car, compared to a Formula One car.
The systems have been simplified. It's like texting an driving at 200 miles an hour. Just be careful. The hybrid systems are also affecting the car in the corners. The sole remaining Corvette C-7-R- is fourth in LM GTE Pro. Oliver Gavin is running well, chased by Richie Stanaway in the Aston Martin. Pedro Lamy in the GTE Am car, had a lap that was just as quick, in qualifying as the one for the Pro drivers.
Pit stops unfold. Tom Kristensen has been at Le Mans, but, without a helmet. He is happy to not be driving, however, the passion for Le Mans, is still there. Tom Kristensen is grand marshal for this race. He is also a driver fitness coach for the current Audi drivers, and, an ambassador for the brand, like Allan McNish is. Kristensen says tire management is an important factor, like we've discussed. Maintain tire pressures, and make sure they are boosted. The race comes into play with the second set of tires, and the stint for the second driver in the order.
One of the Rolling Stone ESM HPD Prototypes is off the road. Ed Brown is at Mulsanne and has spun the car. Brown has a harmless spin, but has to try to get pointed in the right direction. Corvette and Aston Martin are battling. Oliver Gavin and Richie Stanaway, have a Ferrari, hot on their heels. FYI. Richie Stanaway is sharing his GTE Pro Aston Martin with Brazilian Fernando Rees, and Brit, Alex MacDowall. Stanaway is a New Zealander.
Moments ago, Tracy Krohn spun after being caught in the kitty litter, and making a recovery. Stanaway and Gavin hip checked each other and got passed by the Ferrari of James Calado. James Calado says, "OK, boys. While you are scrapping, I'll pass you. So long, chaps." More issues for the Ligier. ESM and Krohn simultaneously spin and get beached. Neel Jani continues running third. Will there be a slow zone. Was it Ed Brown, or Scott Sharp, in the ESM car? We're going to need a slow zone, if the stricken car stays in the gravel trap.
Andre Lotterer continues to lead this race. The shadows are growing long now. People are all over the circuit in tented villages. This race, is on yours truly's bucket list, and it should be on yours, too. The #35 Oak Racing Ligier JS P2 Nissan spins. The Audi's and Porsche's run in the 3:19 range. The Oak Racing car, is shared by three Frenchmen including Jacques Nicolet, Erik Maris, and Jean-Marc Merlin. The #64 Corvette is in pit lane. Oliver Gavin, out. Tommy Milner, in.
One of the new Oreca 05 Nissan's shortcuts the chicanes, going behind the curbs. Yikes! Tristan Gommendy is the driver. A similar car, in the hands of Richard Bradley, leads. Former Toyota driver Nicolas Lapierre is in that car. Problems for Aston Martin. The #30 HPD is beached at Tetre Rouge. The sister car also spins in the run up to the Dunlop bridge, while a Nissan takes evasive action, too. We have a problem for a GTE Am Ferrari with a blown left rear tire. The Toyota and the Nissan battle each other.
The third round of pit stops gets underway. Eight hours of darkness is yet to come. This could be the buggiest Le Mans ever. There's tons of bug splatter. Eight tear offs are allowed. You have to wait every few hours to get the windscreen cleaned. New driver, fresh tire, clean windshields. Lots of polycarbonte windscreens are being used now. The #8 Audi pits. Lucas di Grassi will take over the car. Two air hammers are allowed in pit lane, and just two mechanics are allowed in the pits. Tire strategies have to be split up.
Andre Lotterer will pit only for fuel. Lucas di Grassi did not replace Loic Duval in the sister Audi. Audi #7 is in the lane. Fuel only. The #47 KCMG car is pitting, too. You can only do the tire changes with the air guns on the right side of the car. You have to stretch the air hose over the car. Nicolas Lapierre changes to another of the drivers. But the #47 has been dominating LMP2 so far. Anthony Davidson steps into the #1 Toyota on the pit lane.
Toyota is running six mega joules as opposed to eight for the Porsche. Toyota believes they can go as long on a tire stint as Audi can. Porsche has also changed drivers. The #2 Toyota has also had a driver change. Stephane Sarrazin has taken over from Mike Conway. Race leader is in. Car #17. Brendon Hartley will take over. Marc Lieb has now taken over car #18. ESM has had a lot of problems, changing types of cars, three times. The #7 Audi R18 eTron Quattro, continues to run. T
The pit delta is a big deal between changing vs. not changing tires. The smallest difference in time, really adds up, doing this over, and over, and over, for 24 hours. Box this lap, full service... Lena Gade says to Lotterer over the radio. He's got an early stop, right now. Race leader is in. One of the Nissan's in the retro livery, is also in the lane. Benoit Treluyer will get into the car. The temperature is hot, but, it's starting to cool, on both ambient, and track temperatures.
Brendon Hartley goes back to the lead, as the young Kiwi was taken over from Timo Bernhard. We are almost done with the first part of the TV coverage, folks. If you have the Fox Sports GO digital platform... check it out. Moments ago, Andre Lotterer, pitted the #7 Audi. Yours truly, will get some sleep, and then, we'll resume talking about this race, later on, including highlights. It was a puncture earlier, for Audi. There's no weak link on the #7 car. They have won three of the last four Le Mans races.
There's still a long, long way to go yet, folks. LMP1 cars get twelve sets of tires, and four extra tires, for changing, one tire, if there's an emergency. One of the GT Ferrari's slides off road at Tetre Rouge. Patrick Dempsey is running well in GTE Am. We will continue this race. For overnight coverage, and onboard footage with the sole Corvette in the race, go to www.foxsports.com/corvette. We'll see you later on, for more highlights, as the great race, continues.
No comments:
Post a Comment