Le Mans 2013 Wednesday practice & qualifying
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Audi Le Mans WEC 2013
Loic Duval heads an all-Audi top three in a Le Mans 24 Hours practice session that was shortened due to a huge accident for GT driver Tracy Krohn - full report here.
With that, the AUTOSPORT crew is going to break until qualifying. We'll be busying ourselves with paddock news and reaction, and the all-important quest for food and sustenance before tonight's first qualifying session, which kicks off at 22.00 local time. Join us then.
The AUTOSPORT team is fed and watered (Jamie O'Leary's black angus steak down at Audi a matter of extreme jealousy for Sam Tremayne and Scott Mitchell) and ready to bring you everything that happens from qualifying.
Green flag
The green lights are on at the end of the pitlane and that means qualifying is go.
One car that won't be out tonight is the #41 Greaves Motosport Zytek-Nissan after Eric Lux crashed heavily at the second Mulsanne chicane.
Stopwatch
First blood goes to practice pacesetter Loic Duval, fastest in 3m23.169s.
We're already wondering if that's a new-tyre, low-fuel run in anticipation of rain later on. He's currently four seconds clear of Kazuki Nakajima's Toyota.
We're already wondering if that's a new-tyre, low-fuel run in anticipation of rain later on. He's currently four seconds clear of Kazuki Nakajima's Toyota.
Crash
There's a Porsche in the gravel at the Dunlop chicane and it's the Manthey-run works 911 RSR of Richard Lietz. Not a good way to kick off qualifying.
Stopwatch
Duval improves his table-topping time to 3m22.349s - a second quicker than last year's pole time. Marc Gene slots into second in the #3 R18 e-tron quattro, 1.9s slower.
John Martin is setting the early pace in LMP2 in the #26 G-Drive/Delta-ADR ORECA-Nissan, ahead of Olivier Pla's OAK Morgan-Nissan and Franck Mailleux's Morand Morgan-Judd.
The Krohn team is stripping down its Ferrari after team boss Tracy K shunted at the end of free practice. No news yet on whether it is repairable, but the damage looks pretty bad.
Stefan Mucke is currently fastest in GTE Pro in the works Prodrive-run Aston Martin; Lietz second despite his spin into the gravel and Gianmaria Bruni in the best of the AF Corse Ferraris, in third.
Aston Martin loses the top spot in GTE Pro to Bruni; his 3m55.909s lap barely a tenth quicker than Mucke's marker.
The British constructor does still lead GTE Am however thanks to Allan Simonsen in the #95 car. Paolo Ruberti is currently second in the class in the Proton Porsche.
Both Simonsen and Ruberti are both impressively ahead of the GTE Pro class factory Corvettes.
The British constructor does still lead GTE Am however thanks to Allan Simonsen in the #95 car. Paolo Ruberti is currently second in the class in the Proton Porsche.
Both Simonsen and Ruberti are both impressively ahead of the GTE Pro class factory Corvettes.
Crash
Speaking of Corvettes, the #70 Larbre car currently driven by Hexis Racing boss Philippe Dumas is off at the Ford chicane following a quick spin.
The damage looks minimal as he just grazed the tyre barrier. He's now into the pits.
The damage looks minimal as he just grazed the tyre barrier. He's now into the pits.
Toyota is showing better than it did earlier on (and we're not just saying that because they've been by to drop off some hospitality passes either).
Nicolas Lapierre in the #7 car is 4s off the pace, but is third, significantly ahead of Lotterer's Audi. The second car, currently driven by Anthony Davidson, is sixth.
Nicolas Lapierre in the #7 car is 4s off the pace, but is third, significantly ahead of Lotterer's Audi. The second car, currently driven by Anthony Davidson, is sixth.
Andrea Belicchi has a quick spin in the #13 Rebellion Lola-Toyota at the Dunlop chicane. He recovers without too much trouble.
That car is seventh at the moment and second among the non-hybrid LMP1 machines. Only the Strakka HPD, currently driven by Danny Watts, is behind in the class.
That car is seventh at the moment and second among the non-hybrid LMP1 machines. Only the Strakka HPD, currently driven by Danny Watts, is behind in the class.
A couple of Porsches have gone off at the second Mulsanne chicane; Jorg Bergmeister straight-lining it in the #91 works car and Pascal Gibon spinning in the older Imsa Performance GT3-RSR. Neither did any damage and both have continued.
We spoke too soon about the Audis. Now they are locking out the top three; Lotterer going third, but still 3.5s off Duval's earlier lap.
Le Mans 2013
A first 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours appearance for the #32 Lotus T128. The team only gained clearance to compete this afternoon, following a morning in court. Gary Watkins was on hand to get all the details.
Frederic Makowiecki sets a new benchmark in GTE Pro, a 3m55.658s. That's enough to the put the #99 Aston Martin four tenths clear of the chasing pack, led by the #51 AF Corse Ferrari and the sister #97 Vantage.
Anthony Davidson hands over the #8 Toyota, currently running sixth, behind the lead #12 Rebellion Lola. Sebastien Buemi steps into the breach.
We have a Toyota in the grass. It's Buemi, who has only just taken over the #8 TS030. He's stopped halfway between Arnage and Indianapolis.
Seems like a mechanical issue, possibly gearbox, with the Toyota. The car died approaching Arnage. Not good news for the team.
Just before that incident, we also had the rather odd spectacle of Paolo Ruberti spinning the #88 Proton Porsche - currently second fastest in GTE Am - coming across the start/finish line.
Right-rear puncture for the #70 GTE Am Larbre Corvette. We're only 20 or so minutes on from Pascal Gibon's spin and now Cooper MacNeil has suffered a bit of misfortune.
Meanwhile across at Audi, the #1 R18, currently third, is wheeled into the garage, with work going on at the rear of the car. Possibly a new rear wing arrangement being fitted.
Another spinner coming out of the Ford chicane. This time it is Marco Cioci in the #61 AF Corse Ferrari, who is able to continue with the minimum of fuss.
AUTOSPORT ventured up to the roof of the main stand for the start of the session. Looks pretty cool, doesn't it?
For those of you wanting a weather update, track temperature is 21.7 C - two degrees lower than it was when the best times were set in practice. Humidity is signifcantly higher though: 85 per cent compared to 74.
In GTE Pro, incidentally, we have just over one second covering the top seven cars. The #99 Aston Martin, now being driven by Bruno Senna, is still on the top of the pile.
Across in LMP2, our top three have just headed out in quick succession. The #26 G-Drive ORECA-Nissan still leads the way, more than one second clear of the field.
It is mighty close behind though, with less than 0.2 seconds to choose between the #43 Morand Morgan-Judd, the #24 OAK Morgan-Nissan and the #25 Delta-ADR ORECA-Nissan.
It is mighty close behind though, with less than 0.2 seconds to choose between the #43 Morand Morgan-Judd, the #24 OAK Morgan-Nissan and the #25 Delta-ADR ORECA-Nissan.
We won't see the #66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 458 in this qualifying - the rear sub-frame is being rebuilt after an off in practice.
Stephane Raffin has just spun the DKR Lola-Judd at Mulsanne. He's continued and the #39 remains in 39th place, at the tail end of the LMP2 class.
With one hour down (and one to go), we still have an Audi one-two-three lockout. Toyota holds fourth and sixth, split by the #12 Rebellion Racing Lola.
The fastest Toyota, the #7 TS030, is some four seconds off the lead #2 R18.
The fastest Toyota, the #7 TS030, is some four seconds off the lead #2 R18.
Red flag
Red flag, as we have an accident down at the second Mulsanne chicane.
Pierre Thiriet is the cause of that stoppage. The #46 TDS Racing Oreca-Nissan is parked having gone off at the chicane.
Good news from Greaves - the tub of its Caterham-sponsored Zytek has not been damaged beyond immediate repair. Even better news for the team's crew is that they aren't facing an all-nighter.
We could be in for another lengthy stoppage here, if early reports about heavy barrier damage prove true.
The FIA has confirmed Thiriet is OK, thankfully.
The FIA has confirmed Thiriet is OK, thankfully.
That's our third red flag of the day incidentally.
As we wait to find out how long this red flag lasts, we'll continue summing up the mid-distance order.
In LMP2, the #26 G-Drive ORECA-Nissan is still the clear pacesetter, over one second faster than a chasing pack led by the #43 Morand Morgan-Judd and #24 OAK Mirgan-Nissans.
In LMP2, the #26 G-Drive ORECA-Nissan is still the clear pacesetter, over one second faster than a chasing pack led by the #43 Morand Morgan-Judd and #24 OAK Mirgan-Nissans.
Aston Martin Le Mans 2013
Over in the GTE Pro, Aston Martin is still leading the way through the #99 Vantage. The sister #97 and #98 cars are third and fourth, with only the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 spoiling the party.
Viper meanwhile is propping up the order on its Le Mans return. The fastest car, the #53 SRT, is 10th in class, some eight seconds off the pace - "where we expected to be," according to Ryan Dalziel.
Aston Martin also leads in GTE Am, with the #95 Vantage some six tenths of a second ahead of the lead #88 Proton Porsche 911.
By: Jamie O'Leary, Sam Tremayne, Gary Watkins, Scott Mitchell
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