ORECA Peugeot upstages factory cars

The Belgian round of the Le Mans Series is the first time that all three of the major front-runners, Peugeot Sport, Audi Team Joest and ORECA go head-to-head in 2010, and right from the off there have been surprises.

The French former Formula 1 driver put the multi-coloured Peugeot 908 HDi FAP more than 2.5s clear of the nearest factory version - driven by Anthony Davidson - with a lap of 2m14.068s in typically changeable Ardennes conditions.

Having begun wet, the session became all about who could best release grip and potential from a drying track and the last 10 minutes were all Panis, who initially shot to the top of the times with a 2m16.198s.

It looked as if the factory Pugs would push him aside, as first Davidson thumped in a 2m16.673s then Simon Pagenaud in the #3 908 HDi went third with a 2m17.350s.

That of course was before Panis produced his 2m14s on the final lap of the hour, putting the matter beyond any doubt.

A combination of opportunistic driving and a slick surface allowed Jean-Christophe Boullion to get among the diesels in the Rebellion Lola in fourth, while Olivier Pla was a quite stunning fifth in the LMP2 Quifel Ginetta.

Nicolas Prost was sixth in the second Rebellion machine.

Indeed you had to look down as far as seventh for the next diesel, the third Peugeot being driven by Stephane Sarrazin who headed the trio of Audi R15 TDI Plus's - which seemingly are still early in their set-up cycle. Tom Kristensen, Roman Dumas and Marcel Fassler completed the top 10 in the German cars.

Allan Simonsen was fastest in GT2 in the Farnbacher Ferrari 430 GT, faster by 1.8s than the fastest GT1 entry - Julien Jousse in the Luc Alphand Avantures Corvette.


Pos Driver                            Class/Car                    Time
 1. Panis/Lapierre/Duval              P1  Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP       2m14.068s
 2. Gene/Wurz/Davidson                P1  Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP       2m16.673s
 3. Lamy/Bourdais/Pagenaud            P1  Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP       2m17.350s
 4. Belicchi/Boullion                 P1  Lola B10/60 - Rebellion   2m17.741s
 5. Amaral/Pla                        P2  Ginetta-Zytek 09S         2m18.166s
 6. Prost/Jani                        P1  Lola B10/60 - Rebellion   2m18.180s
 7. Montagny/Sarrazin/Minassian       P1  Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP       2m18.391s
 8. Capello/Kristensen/Mcnish         P1  Audi R15 TDI              2m18.715s
 9. Bernhard/Dumas/Rockenfeller       P1  Audi R15 TDI              2m20.195s
10. Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer         P1  Audi R15 TDI              2m20.235s
11. Ragues/Mailleux/Ickx              P1  Lola - Aston Martin       2m21.504s
12. Ojjeh/Greaves/Ebbesvik            P2  Ginetta-Zytek 09S         2m22.621s
13. Leventis/Watts/Kane               P2  ARX-01c 2:27.882 20       2m27.882s
14. Erdos/Newton/Wallace              P2  Lola HPD Coupe            2m29.044s
15. Moreau/Hein                       P2  Pescarolo - Judd          2m29.340s
16. Francioni/Pirri                   P2  Lola Coupe B09 - Judd     2m29.438s
17. Lahaye/Nicolet                    P2  Pescarolo - Judd          2m30.278s
18. Kraihamer/De Crem/Delhez          FLM Oreca                     2m31.437s
19. Frey/Meichtry/Bruneau             P2  Radical SR9 - Judd        2m32.293s
20. Geri/Piccini/Piccini              P2  Lola Coupe B09 - Judd     2m33.167s
21. Farnbacher/Simonsen               GT2 Ferrari F430 GT           2m33.648s
22. Jousse/Gregoire/Hart              GT1 Corvette C6.R             2m34.771s
23. Holzer/Westbrook                  GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR       2m34.960s
24. Noda/De Pourtales/Kennard         P2  Lola B08/47 - Judd        2m35.200s
25. Enge/Nygaard/Mucke                GT1 Aston Martin DBR9         2m35.443s
26. Pillon/Verdonck/Capillaire        FLM Oreca                     2m35.704s
27. Bruni/Melo                        GT2 Ferrari F430 GT           2m35.790s
28. Bell/Turner                       GT2 Aston Martin Vantage      2m35.841s
29. Muller/Werner/Alzen               GT2 BMW M3                    2m36.334s
30. Mutsch/Hirschi/Beche              GT1 Ford GT                   2m36.544s
31. Leinders/Palttala/De Doncker      GT1 Ford GT                   2m36.742s
32. Gardel/Goueslard/Rees             GT1 Saleen S7-R               2m37.050s
33. Allemann/Frey/Zimmer              GT1 Ford GT                   2m37.716s
34. Lieb/Lietz                        GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR       2m37.843s
35. Alesi/Fisichella/Vilander         GT2 Ferrari F430 GT           2m38.321s
36. Ehret/Quaife/Kaffer               GT2 Ferrari F430 GT           2m38.367s
37. Schell/Da Rocha                   P2  Courage-Oreca LC75        2m38.407s
38. Ragginger/Ried/Long               GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR       2m38.522s
39. Kirkaldy/Mullen                   GT2 Ferrari F430 GT           2m38.709s
40. Companc/Russo                     GT2 Ferrari F430 GT           2m38.851s
41. Dumbreck/Coronel                  GT2 Spyker C8 Laviolette      2m39.342s
42. Zacchia/Kaufmann/Moro             FLM Oreca                     2m39.643s
43. Pilet/Narac                       GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR       2m39.818s
44. Barlesi/Cicognani/Chalandon       FLM Oreca                     2m40.907s
45. Priaulx/Mullen/Farfus             GT2 BMW M3                    2m43.541s
46. Splunteren/Hommerson/Machiels     GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR       2m44.319s
47. Schroyen/Van Dam/Lacko            GT1 Saleen S7R                2m44.395s
48. Kutemann/Basso/Hartshorne         FLM Oreca                     2m48.984s
49. Daniels/Slingerland/Lanik         GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR       2m55.918s
50. Toulemonde/Zollinger/Zampatti     FLM Oreca                     no time