McNish tips Detroit iron

Audi star will be watching GM and Panoz for Le MansWorks Audi driver Allan McNish believes that the prototype teams from Audi, Cadillac and ORECA may have a surprise from an unexpected quarter - the GT2 Corvette entered by General Motors.

"That thing should be very quick," claimed the Scot of the V8 powered machine that has, so far, not shone in the ALMS, but challenged in the Daytona 24 hours.

"God knows it's been difficult enough for us to pass on the straights in the American Le Mans Series races. It's got a lot of power, a lot of straight line speed."

The 1998 Le Mans winner knows that the long straights of the French circuit could play into the hands of the Corvette Racing team, with their powerful Chevrolet V8 and low drag coupe body. The Corvette team could even embarrass their 'sister' GM squad, the Cadillac prototype running Cadillac Racing.

For the Prototype class, McNish tips another front-engined machine powered by a thundering V8, this time the Ford-V8 powered Panoz roadster.

"It will be interesting to see what they can pull out," he said. "I would think it will definitely be between Audi and Panoz, though."

"The other prototypes aren't really in there. The Cadillac is a bit early in the programme, and is a bit lacking in every area - they're short on a bit of power, a bit of downforce, a bit of downforce-to-drag... It's a bit difficult to tell from outside the car, obviously, but it looks to be that way.

Of the privateer prototypes McNish thinks it will be unlikely that any surprises will be sprung.

"The Rafanelli Lola could be fast - they've been fast in the ALMS - but then it's a case of staying power through the night. And they will need to get some lower downforce bodywork on the car than what they've currently got."

In GT3, McNish claims that "Porsche will dominate - largely because there'll be no-one else there!"

For top honours, however, things are less clear cut. Only the Panoz and Audi teams have the experience that La Sarthe usually demands, but Panoz have yet to muster a great deal of reliability in the French Classic in their three prior appearances, and Audi's R8 is still relatively unproven.

In fact, in another major endurance race this year, the Daytona 24 hours, a GT2 Viper won overall, after all the prototypes hit trouble. It is not by any means impossible, therefore, that a 'minnow' such as the Corvette could end up on the top step of the podium.