Kevin Estre. Laurens Vanthoor, and Michael Christensen have run flawlessly. The special exhausts on the 911 RSR have made the engine note very sweet. The pace of the race has been very fast. Keep pace. Don't just trundle around. If you back off, the car just won't run the way they should as Harry Tincknell chases Dirk Mueller. Trouble for the #11 SMP Racing car. "Game over, guys. Game over." Jenson Button will not finish his maiden Le Mans. The engine has cried "enough!" SMP and Toyota went over stint lengths. SMP only went over for slow zones and safety cars. Kamui Kobayashi did not save fuel except during green flag runs. Oil is being pumped into the #8 Toyota or so it appears.
The oil goes in under pressure, not measuring by pouring it in and checking the dipstick. Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson will both race for the rest of the "super season". SMP #35 in LMP2, the Dallara Gibson, won't start! Harrison Newey at the wheel of it, and we see trouble for all the SMP cars in this race, after #17 also retired during the nighttime hours. You've got to get to the flag at Le Mans after getting this far. But now, mistakes are made, and things go pear shaped. Don't panic. Be sensible, and get things right. I wondered about this year's Le Mans. But, it's going to be a good one, that you fans will want to read about. Couldn't write a full report last year. Finally had a chance again this year.
A ten second stop and go for the #7 Toyota for exceeding the amount of allowed fuel! This puts the dagger through their hearts on the #7 crew! What do you do? Ten second penalty, served, now. Maybe it isn't so dramatic. It's risk vs. reward. Race Engineers believe this is a joke. Give a certain amount of energy and then, a certain amount of fuel. It's a complex formula that may not be necessary. Put technology on the car to regulate fuel flow? Give them cruise control, right? What does a ten second penalty mean, over 24 hours? Different technologies are allowed, but everything has to be fair. At the same time, keep it simple. There are pointless penalties. Where is the dividend for efficiency and road relevance?
In the old days, three makes, three different engines, and three different energy solutions. Porsche, Audi, and Toyota. That has disappeared by now. There's a mistaken belief it was all cost related. Toyota is the only big name left. Money was spent all over, and there needs to be a reward. Where's your exposure? We have to save what we have left of sports car racing. The GT cars also have manufacturers, and so do LMP2 cars. We haven't gotten rid of everything, but we ned to look at what can be done. Innovation is always there. Different engines were always allowed, but, it has to be controlled. We can do much better than what we are doing now. This, I paraphrase from engineer Lena Gade, as I agree with what she says.
Michael Christensen will bring home "The Pink Pig". Richard Lietz will go to the end in the Rothman's tribute car. Dirk Mueller will finish the race for the #68 Ford GT, and Harry Tincknell still needs to make a final pit stop. Hugo de Sadeleer and company are fifth in the Ligier. Loic Duval is catching Tristan Gommendy. Nico Lapierre is shortly away from Jean Eric Vergne. One more pit stop in LMP2. Just 36 minutes to go. Erwin Creed spinsthe #50 Larbre Competition Ligier Gibson. Christrian Ried will finish the race for Dempsey Proton. Now, fuel allowance is also a problem for Neel Jani in the #1 Rebellion doing an extra lap on fuel sans a safety car.
Another penalty for the #7 Toyota, exceeding the maximum number of laps per stint. The #8 Toyota has not done this. 10 second stop and go penalty on car #7. I'm baffled. At the front end of the field? Unreal. Box this lap. Unreal. As a fan, this might drive me away from sports car racing at least on the WEC level. Now, there is an idea that was created. But, we need to fix this problem. We are not racing. The Spa 24 Hours for Blancpain GT has had the same problem. Team engineers feel the same way.
We have misunderstood this fuel calculation and energy use nonsense. Let the boys race. Matt Griffin has done fastest lap in GTE Am at 3:53.734. LMP2 has seen G-Drive do the best with what they have been given. Kazuki Nakajima will finish Le Mans, and right the wrong, for his loss in this race in 2016. GTE Pro sees Porsche 1-2, while the Ford's are fading. Christian Ried should head the Dempsey Protoin Porsche to the finish in GTE Am. Ferrari will finish second and third for Spirit of Race and WeatherTech Racing.
Track temperature is at 26.1 Celsius as we finish this motor race. 24 minutes now remain. More investigated pit stops as Harrison Newey is being watched by the stewards. Ginetta #5 is still having problems. Battery and alternator issues for the car. "The Pink Pig" just had it's last splash and dash in GTE Pro. There is debris on the road. Kamui Kobayashi is making a final pit stop. Stop/go penalty for Harrison Newey, con\me to the pit, shut off the motor, and then try to bump start it.
The Toyota's have run flawlessly, simulating all the scenarios and damage issues. But neither #7 or #8 have missed a beat. They are ten laps up on their closest competition. The#8 car has done quadruple stints. Pole, race win,and fastest lap for the car. 3:17;658. Reliability is as imporrant as outright speed. One more lap to run. Loic Duval is 3.4 seconds behind Tristan Gommendy. Watch out for Frits van Eerd and Ho Pin Tung. Antonio Garcia makes a stop for a splash and dash.
Duval and Gommendy, battling on the last lap of this motor race. The last 8.5 miles. Duval and company will have a final lap. 3.8 second. Gommendy is going for it as Loic Duval is coming! #39 from #28. Tristan Gommendy has something left in the locker. Two French teams are slugging it out for LMP2 Le Mans honors. Toyota Gazoo Racing has worked for this for a long, long time. They have come second without winning the most times. But now, Toyota has their moment. Today, they are no longer the bridesmaids!
Toyota, in less than a mile, are going to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans! 2018, the Grand Prix d'Endurance, belongs to Toyota! They are the second Japanese company to win Le Mans!
Alonso has 2/3rds of racing's triple crown complete. He's won Monaco, and won Le Mans. Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Fernando Alonso win overall. Romain Rusinov, Jean Eric Vergne and Andrea Pizzitola win LMP2. Porsche takes LM GTE Pro with Michael Christensen, Kevin Estre, and Laurens Vanthoor. LM GTE Am goes to Dempsey Proton Racing. Matt Campbell, Julien Andlauer, and Christian Ried! Again, here are your winners.
Overall/LMP1: #8 Buemi/Nakajima/Alonso Toyota TS050 Hybrid
LMP2: #26 Rusinov/Vergne/Pizzitola Oreca 07 Gibson
LM GTE Pro: #92 Christensen/Estre/Vanthoor Porsche 911 RSR
LM GTE Am: #77 Campbell/Andlauer/Ried Porsche 911 RSR
So, another set of winners, conquers Le Mans. All of them had the most trouble free run, but also, to be as dominant as these winners were, is very rare. This race ran 370 laps or so, and came out in amazing fashion. Again, Toyota becomes the second Japanese brand to win Le Mans. This has been anoither incredible race. Sweet redemption for Kaz Nakajima, and Toyota! We'll see you next year, to finish the "super season" and for another great edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Au revoir, for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment