Le Mans 24 Hours 2014 Wednesday: Practice and qualifying
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While things are quiet, it seems a good chance to let you know that you can be a part of our live Le Mans coverage this year by Tweeting using #autosport.
Got a question for our team at the race? Or just want to tell us what you think about what's been going on so far? How about taking a guess at what the pole position time will be, and/or which car will take it?
Got a question for our team at the race? Or just want to tell us what you think about what's been going on so far? How about taking a guess at what the pole position time will be, and/or which car will take it?
That's quite amusing. A car's on a recovery vehicle on its way back to the paddock...but it's actually the #76 Imsa Porsche from an earlier incident.
The Minassian car is being dealt with too.
The Minassian car is being dealt with too.
Quick look at the GTE Pro situation:
1 #51 AF Corse Ferrari 3m54.754s
2 #97 Aston Martin
3 #92 Manthey Porsche
4 #73 Corvette
5 #91 Manthey Porsche
And GTE Am:
1 #82 SMP Ferrari 3m56.787s
2 #61 AF Corse Ferrari
3 #77 Dempsey Porsche
4 #88 Proton Porsche
5 #75 ProSpeed Porsche
1 #51 AF Corse Ferrari 3m54.754s
2 #97 Aston Martin
3 #92 Manthey Porsche
4 #73 Corvette
5 #91 Manthey Porsche
And GTE Am:
1 #82 SMP Ferrari 3m56.787s
2 #61 AF Corse Ferrari
3 #77 Dempsey Porsche
4 #88 Proton Porsche
5 #75 ProSpeed Porsche
It's the #37 AF-run SMP ORECA driven by Minassian, which has made contact with the rail at the entry to the Porsche Curves.
Red flag
Session stopped.
Looks like the #29 Pegasus Racing Morgan is responsible for the yellow.
Half an hour into the first qualifying session for the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours, here's how the key positions are looking:
1 #20 Porsche
2 #14 Porsche +0.771s
3 #7 Toyota +2.156s
4 #8 Toyota +2.263s
5 #2 Audi +3.321s
6 #3 Audi +3.288s
1 #20 Porsche
2 #14 Porsche +0.771s
3 #7 Toyota +2.156s
4 #8 Toyota +2.263s
5 #2 Audi +3.321s
6 #3 Audi +3.288s
Yellow flag
Yellow flags on the entry to Indianapolis. Meanwhile, in GTE Pro, Bruno Senna has taken over from Mucke in the #97 Aston.
Wurz improves to third in the #7 Toyota, 2.156s off fastest man Hartley in the #20 Porsche
Leimer improves to a 3m33.117s in the #13 Rebellion, which lies seventh.
Stopwatch
No more issues on the exit of the second Mulsanne chicane, that appears to be all clear.
Meanwhile, Bruni's leapt to top spot in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari – a 3m54.754s for the Italian.
Meanwhile, Bruni's leapt to top spot in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari – a 3m54.754s for the Italian.
The #60 AF Ferrari has stopped on the left-hand side of the track on the run from the second chicane down to Mulsanne.
Stopwatch
Hartley goes fastest in the #20 Porsche on a 3m23.157s. So it's now a Porsche one-two with Jani's sister car second, 0.771s slower
Yellow flag
Yellow flag at the exit of second Mulsanne chicane.
GP2 champion Leimer has had an off-track moment in the Rebellion.
Stopwatch
Bertolini restores the SMP Ferrari to top spot in GTE Am on a 3m56.787s.
Salo has been reported for speeding in the pitlane in the '27 SMP ORECA
So, after a busy first 17 minutes of qualifying, the order is:
1 #14 Porsche (Jani), 3m23.928s
2 #8 Toyota (Davidson) +1.482s
3 #3 Audi (Albuquerque) +2.571s
4 #2 Audi (Fassler) +2.859s
1 #14 Porsche (Jani), 3m23.928s
2 #8 Toyota (Davidson) +1.482s
3 #3 Audi (Albuquerque) +2.571s
4 #2 Audi (Fassler) +2.859s
Stopwatch
Pla goes fastest in LMP2 in the #26 OAK Racing Morgan
Patrick Long's just jumped ahead of Bertolini to put the Dempsey Porsche second in GTE Am.
Stopwatch
Cioci puts the #61 AF Ferrari top in GTE Am on a 3m56.919s, now ahead of Bertolini and Collard.
The #8 Toyota, in the hands of Davidson, goes second on a 3m25.410s.
Flying times in GTE Pro from Mucke and his former team-mate Frederic Makowiecki (#92 Manthey Porsche). They lead the way on a 3m55.067s and 3m55.616s respectively.
In GTE Am Bertolini's #72 SMP Ferrari leads Emmanuel Collard's #75 ProSpeed Porsche.
First batch of GTE times are in. Mucke is quickest in the #97 Aston Martin from Bruni in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari and Antonio Garcia's #73 Corvette.
Albuquerque goes up to second on a 3m26.856s driving the #3 Audi
Jani's on a quick one in the Porsche...
Crash
The #76 Imsa Performance Porsche has had contact and stopped at the Porsche Curves.
Stopwatch
Chatin goes fastest in LMP2 in the #36 Signatech Alpine ORECA
Stopwatch
Wurz goes fastest on a 3m27.243s, with the second Toyota of Anthony Davidson three-quarters of a second slower.
That's all cleared up and we're green again all round.
Crash
A car in the gravel at the first Mulsanne. It's the #70 Taisan Ferrari 458.
Here's who we have in the leading cars for the first runs in qualifying:
#2 Audi: Fassler
#3 Audi: Albuquerque
#7 Toyota: Wurz
#8 Toyota: Davidson
#14 Porsche: Jani
#20 Porsche: Bernhard
#2 Audi: Fassler
#3 Audi: Albuquerque
#7 Toyota: Wurz
#8 Toyota: Davidson
#14 Porsche: Jani
#20 Porsche: Bernhard
That was caused by the #62 GTE Am AF Corse Ferrari, which has spun and stopped.
Why you'd be pushing on an outlap at Le Mans is a tad confusing, unless of course Bachelier was helped off.
Why you'd be pushing on an outlap at Le Mans is a tad confusing, unless of course Bachelier was helped off.
Yellow flag
Yellow flag early in qualifying, at the Mulsanne chicane.
Green flag
The first part of qualifying is underway.
During the break, AUTOSPORT indulged in the authentic Le Mans experience – walking around in busy crowds, complaining about the heat and grumbling over the price of a burger and chips.
Also, it noticed a lot of these Nissan signs floating around. It's been a long, long time since AUTOSPORT left at 3am to start today's journey, so the second thing on this list is something of an unattainable luxury.
The air temperature is 24C and the track temperature 26C, with one minute to go before the first qualifying session kicks off.
Remember, this two-hour session is just the first of three qualifying segments.
The second takes place tomorrow, from 1900 to 2100, with the final part running from 2200 to midnight.
All of that's French local time, just in case you hadn't clocked.
The second takes place tomorrow, from 1900 to 2100, with the final part running from 2200 to midnight.
All of that's French local time, just in case you hadn't clocked.
Twitter
What's the deal with qualifying? Over to GTE Am racer Spencer Pumpelly...
"Here we go for practice 2. Each driver must do 5 laps at night so we are knocking that out first."
"Here we go for practice 2. Each driver must do 5 laps at night so we are knocking that out first."
By: Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Scott Mitchell, Gary Watkins
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