xcel
06-11-2009, 11:02 PM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/European_Union_Flag.jpg 77th running of the 24 hours of Le Mans is going to be one of the best ever. (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=214228)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1_Audi_R15_second_in_qualifying_at_LeMans.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) - June 11, 2009
Audi R15 TDI #1 driven by Allan McNish claims a spot on the front row for the 77th running of the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Ingolstadt/Le Mans – Although Audi Sport Team Joest concentrated exclusively on preparing for the race throughout qualifying for the 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the three Audi R15 TDI starts from the front row for the French endurance classic on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
After it rained during free practice on Wednesday, the Audi team used Thursday evening’s qualifying solely for car set-up and tire testing. During the four hour session last year’s winners Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) completed a quadruple stint on a single set of Michelin tires in the Audi R15 TDI with the start number “1” and thus collected important findings about tire wear.
Only in the dying seconds towards the end of the first part of qualifying did Allan McNish make an attempt on fresh tires. In doing so he recorded a 3m 23.650s lap which proved to be almost unbreakable for the competition for the majority of the second qualifying session. Only after several attempts on fresh tires did Stéphane Sarrazin, in the fastest Peugeot, manage to eclipse the time set by McNish by 0.762 seconds just twelve minutes before the end of qualifying.
A pre-race drama unfolds at this years 24 hours of Le Man’s
At 10:35 AM on Wednesday June 10, just 3 days before the race, the French Peugeot Total team filed a protest with the Race Director and the President of the Sporting Stewards of the Le Mans 24 Hours claiming the German Audi team was not in compliance with a technical rule (Article 29.2 of the specific regulations of the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours). The details supposedly show the Audi R15 TDI was designed in a non-compliant fashion with regards to the ACO's 2009 technical regulations.
It appears that two features of the Audi R15 – in the configuration shown at technical scrutineering for the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours on June 8 – does not comply with Article 3.6.2 of the current technical regulations:
The flap which links the two front wings.
The appendages fixed to the inner surface of the front wings.
These appendages and this flap effectively form part of the bodywork and their sole purpose is to generate downforce. These bodywork parts are considered to be aerodynamic elements. Since they do not appear on the list of aerodynamic elements authorized by Article 3.6.2, they are consequently not permitted.
Certain aspects of the R15’s non-compliance was pointed out to the ACO last March at the 12-Hours of Sebring (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20636 ).
"Our protest dossier was already ready at the time, but the Automobile Club de l’Ouest made assurances that it would take the necessary steps ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours," explains Olivier Quesnel. "I insist on the fact that our approach is constructive and not aggressive. It seeks to clarify what is an unclear situation with a view to obtaining clear, precise regulations in order to prepare for the future. All competitors need stable, firm regulations that apply to everyone, with a strong regulatory body capable of taking decisions. We intend to take this matter to its conclusion, not with the intention of weakening endurance racing but of making it stronger. Should our protest not be upheld by the sporting stewards, we will lodge an appeal with motor sport's supreme governing body, the FIA”. "Now that this procedure is underway," concludes Olivier Quesnel, "all our energy is now focused on this weekends 24 hours of Le Mans."
Back to qualifying action
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Peugeot_LMP_1_908.jpgPeugeot’s 2009 908 HDi FAP turbo-diesel proves to be the fastest in qualifying.
The fastest ten cars on Thursday evening were all within about five seconds –this much time separated the fastest Peugeot from the quickest Audi in qualifying last year. This time the difference around the 13.629-kilometer track is less than one second.
Audi’s (3) R15’s used three different strategies for tire, aerodynamics and suspension tuning optimizations during their qualifying drives.
“For us, today was all about finding the optimum race set-up and to collect as much data as possible with our new car around the Le Mans race track,” explained Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “The grid positions for a 24-hour race do not directly affect the final result. That Allan (McNish) managed to secure a position on the front row while working through the program demonstrates just how much potential the R15 TDI has.”
Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner also only undertook a single qualifying attempt. Around midnight Marco Werner posted a time of 3m 25.780s which secured sixth place on the grid for the Audi R15 TDI with the start number “2”.
The three Germans were assigned the task of comparing different aerodynamic configurations in the first part of qualifying. For this purpose their Audi R15 TDI was equipped with special data-logging suspension, which was changed as scheduled between the two qualifying sessions. Since the break was reduced from 60 to 35 minutes because the schedule was changed at short notice, Luhr Rockenfeller and Werner could only continue qualifying later. Changing a turbocharger cost further time.
The third Audi team with German Timo Bernhard and the two Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Alexandre Prémat made no qualifying attempt whatsoever. They concentrated on tire tests and will start the race on Saturday from seventh on the grid. Alexandre Prémat set the fastest time of 3m 27.106 s immediately at the beginning of qualifying.
This weekend Audi has the chance of taking a ninth overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to draw level with Ferrari in the race’s all time winners list.
The starting grid at the 2009 24 hours of Le Mans
Sarrazin/Montagny/Bourdais (Peugeot) 3m 22.888s
Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R15 TDI) + 0.762s
Minassian/Lamy/Klien (Peugeot) + 1.972s
Boullion/Pagenaud/Treluyer (Peugeot) + 2.174s
Gene/Wurz/Brabham (Peugeot) + 2.364s
Luhr/Rockenfeller/Werner (Audi R15 TDI) + 2.892s
Bernhard/Dumas/Premat (Audi R15 TDI) + 4.218s
All said, expect yet another French-German battle for supremacy on the track they call “Le Mans”.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/1_Audi_R15_second_in_qualifying_at_LeMans.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) - June 11, 2009
Audi R15 TDI #1 driven by Allan McNish claims a spot on the front row for the 77th running of the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Ingolstadt/Le Mans – Although Audi Sport Team Joest concentrated exclusively on preparing for the race throughout qualifying for the 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the three Audi R15 TDI starts from the front row for the French endurance classic on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
After it rained during free practice on Wednesday, the Audi team used Thursday evening’s qualifying solely for car set-up and tire testing. During the four hour session last year’s winners Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) completed a quadruple stint on a single set of Michelin tires in the Audi R15 TDI with the start number “1” and thus collected important findings about tire wear.
Only in the dying seconds towards the end of the first part of qualifying did Allan McNish make an attempt on fresh tires. In doing so he recorded a 3m 23.650s lap which proved to be almost unbreakable for the competition for the majority of the second qualifying session. Only after several attempts on fresh tires did Stéphane Sarrazin, in the fastest Peugeot, manage to eclipse the time set by McNish by 0.762 seconds just twelve minutes before the end of qualifying.
A pre-race drama unfolds at this years 24 hours of Le Man’s
At 10:35 AM on Wednesday June 10, just 3 days before the race, the French Peugeot Total team filed a protest with the Race Director and the President of the Sporting Stewards of the Le Mans 24 Hours claiming the German Audi team was not in compliance with a technical rule (Article 29.2 of the specific regulations of the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours). The details supposedly show the Audi R15 TDI was designed in a non-compliant fashion with regards to the ACO's 2009 technical regulations.
It appears that two features of the Audi R15 – in the configuration shown at technical scrutineering for the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours on June 8 – does not comply with Article 3.6.2 of the current technical regulations:
The flap which links the two front wings.
The appendages fixed to the inner surface of the front wings.
These appendages and this flap effectively form part of the bodywork and their sole purpose is to generate downforce. These bodywork parts are considered to be aerodynamic elements. Since they do not appear on the list of aerodynamic elements authorized by Article 3.6.2, they are consequently not permitted.
Certain aspects of the R15’s non-compliance was pointed out to the ACO last March at the 12-Hours of Sebring (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20636 ).
"Our protest dossier was already ready at the time, but the Automobile Club de l’Ouest made assurances that it would take the necessary steps ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours," explains Olivier Quesnel. "I insist on the fact that our approach is constructive and not aggressive. It seeks to clarify what is an unclear situation with a view to obtaining clear, precise regulations in order to prepare for the future. All competitors need stable, firm regulations that apply to everyone, with a strong regulatory body capable of taking decisions. We intend to take this matter to its conclusion, not with the intention of weakening endurance racing but of making it stronger. Should our protest not be upheld by the sporting stewards, we will lodge an appeal with motor sport's supreme governing body, the FIA”. "Now that this procedure is underway," concludes Olivier Quesnel, "all our energy is now focused on this weekends 24 hours of Le Mans."
Back to qualifying action
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Peugeot_LMP_1_908.jpgPeugeot’s 2009 908 HDi FAP turbo-diesel proves to be the fastest in qualifying.
The fastest ten cars on Thursday evening were all within about five seconds –this much time separated the fastest Peugeot from the quickest Audi in qualifying last year. This time the difference around the 13.629-kilometer track is less than one second.
Audi’s (3) R15’s used three different strategies for tire, aerodynamics and suspension tuning optimizations during their qualifying drives.
“For us, today was all about finding the optimum race set-up and to collect as much data as possible with our new car around the Le Mans race track,” explained Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “The grid positions for a 24-hour race do not directly affect the final result. That Allan (McNish) managed to secure a position on the front row while working through the program demonstrates just how much potential the R15 TDI has.”
Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner also only undertook a single qualifying attempt. Around midnight Marco Werner posted a time of 3m 25.780s which secured sixth place on the grid for the Audi R15 TDI with the start number “2”.
The three Germans were assigned the task of comparing different aerodynamic configurations in the first part of qualifying. For this purpose their Audi R15 TDI was equipped with special data-logging suspension, which was changed as scheduled between the two qualifying sessions. Since the break was reduced from 60 to 35 minutes because the schedule was changed at short notice, Luhr Rockenfeller and Werner could only continue qualifying later. Changing a turbocharger cost further time.
The third Audi team with German Timo Bernhard and the two Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Alexandre Prémat made no qualifying attempt whatsoever. They concentrated on tire tests and will start the race on Saturday from seventh on the grid. Alexandre Prémat set the fastest time of 3m 27.106 s immediately at the beginning of qualifying.
This weekend Audi has the chance of taking a ninth overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to draw level with Ferrari in the race’s all time winners list.
The starting grid at the 2009 24 hours of Le Mans
Sarrazin/Montagny/Bourdais (Peugeot) 3m 22.888s
Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R15 TDI) + 0.762s
Minassian/Lamy/Klien (Peugeot) + 1.972s
Boullion/Pagenaud/Treluyer (Peugeot) + 2.174s
Gene/Wurz/Brabham (Peugeot) + 2.364s
Luhr/Rockenfeller/Werner (Audi R15 TDI) + 2.892s
Bernhard/Dumas/Premat (Audi R15 TDI) + 4.218s
All said, expect yet another French-German battle for supremacy on the track they call “Le Mans”.