Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 Thursday: final qualifying
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Yellow flag
A slow zone has been established at the first Mulsanne chicane to deal with the Rebellion.
Fisichella's got the #51 Ferrari up to 12th in GTE, ninth in Pro.
Yellow flag
The Rebellion is hauled away from the scene of the accident by a recovery tractor.
According to race control, the polesitting LMP2 KCMG ORECA has stopped on track on the stretch between Mulsanne corner and Indianapolis.
Howson is at the wheel of the ORECA that has stopped. No sign of it on the screens though.
Red flag
RED FLAG. Something off at Porsche Curves it seems.
It's Duncan Cameron. He's beached the #55 GTE Am Ferrari in the gravel.
So, with an hour-and-a-quarter of this two-hour second qualifying session remaining, we've so far seen improvements from four LMP1 cars.
Tandy set a 3m18.861s in the #19 Porsche, which remains in third place, while Lotterer put the #7 Audi up one place into fifth with a 3m20.561s.
Further back, the #21 Nissan has jumped up to 22nd place, thanks to Matsuda's 3m41.493s.
In the privateer ranks, the ByKolles CLM improved to a 3m40.209s in the hands of Kaffer and is in 18th place overall.
The #13 Rebellion, by contrast, hasn't had such a good session and was last seen being craned around in the vicinity of the first Mulsanne chicane.
Tandy set a 3m18.861s in the #19 Porsche, which remains in third place, while Lotterer put the #7 Audi up one place into fifth with a 3m20.561s.
Further back, the #21 Nissan has jumped up to 22nd place, thanks to Matsuda's 3m41.493s.
In the privateer ranks, the ByKolles CLM improved to a 3m40.209s in the hands of Kaffer and is in 18th place overall.
The #13 Rebellion, by contrast, hasn't had such a good session and was last seen being craned around in the vicinity of the first Mulsanne chicane.
Buemi has spun (at Arnage) under red flag conditions on his way back to the pits. He briefly stopped, but after some fiddling with the controls inside the #1 Toyota he's back up and running.
The Toyota isn't the first LMP1 car we've seen hit trouble under speed-limited red flag conditions this week. Perhaps the monster hybrid machines are particularly tricky to hang onto at low speed.
Buemi's return to the garage is even further delayed as he is called to stop at the weighbridge.
Red flag
The red flag is still flying here at Le Mans.
Red flag
Marshals are making use of this stoppage to carry out some work on the tyre barrier hit by the #13 Rebellion at the first Mulsanne chicane earlier.
Race control tells teams "session will restart on a short call".
Most seem ready for it, there are a lot of cars sat out in the pitlane.
According to the timing screens, the #47 KCMG ORECA is still stopped out on track.
Green flag
Restart. The #30 ESM Ligier leads the field back out with just over one hour remaining.
Investigation into the #34 OAK Racing Ligier for overtaking under the red flag. Cumming was at the wheel before the red flag.
Yellow flag
Yellow flag again - exit of Porsche Curves but not yet clear why.
Green flag
And the track is now, apparently, clear. We might never know what that yellow flag was about.
Quote
As the outlaps continue, here's an update on the Porsche GTE entries.
In the words of team boss Olaf Manthey, it was a "disappointing" session yesterday, leaving the cars eighth and 11th in GTE. The slower of the car 911 RSRs, the #92, is currently behind three GTE Am entries as well. They'd be a place further back had the AF Corse Ferrari not got greedy on track limits.
"We can’t be happy," said Manthey. "There were some disturbances [red flags and slow zones] and we had some problems getting the tyres in the right working window.
"Normally you see in all the races that when we have more grip and more rubber on the track we become more competitive. It is the same situation here. In the beginning with a green track others will be better than us."
While Porsche hopes it can improves its grid position this evening, Manthey has ruled out attacking Aston, which has had superior one-lap pace so far this week.
"We know we can’t fight for the first rows," was Manthey's verdict.
In the words of team boss Olaf Manthey, it was a "disappointing" session yesterday, leaving the cars eighth and 11th in GTE. The slower of the car 911 RSRs, the #92, is currently behind three GTE Am entries as well. They'd be a place further back had the AF Corse Ferrari not got greedy on track limits.
"We can’t be happy," said Manthey. "There were some disturbances [red flags and slow zones] and we had some problems getting the tyres in the right working window.
"Normally you see in all the races that when we have more grip and more rubber on the track we become more competitive. It is the same situation here. In the beginning with a green track others will be better than us."
While Porsche hopes it can improves its grid position this evening, Manthey has ruled out attacking Aston, which has had superior one-lap pace so far this week.
"We know we can’t fight for the first rows," was Manthey's verdict.
92 Porsche Le Mans
The #1 Toyota has had all of today's laps so far deleted for abusing track limits at Tertre Rouge. That doesn't affect its position on the provisional grid, as it has not improved so far on its best time from Wednesday.
Another track-limits warning, this time for Dalziel in the #30 ESM Ligier. Again, it's at Tertre Rouge.
AUTOSPORT is currently evaluating whether to change its reporting strategy and list the cars NOT warned about this on any given lap...
AUTOSPORT is currently evaluating whether to change its reporting strategy and list the cars NOT warned about this on any given lap...
Porsche's two fastest drivers from those stunning qualifying runs yesterday - Jani (#18) and Bernhard (#17) are circulating at the moment.
With more than half the session gone here's what the GTE pointy end looks like. It's the same order as yesterday:
1. #99 Aston 3m54.928s – Stanaway
2. #98 Aston 3m55.102s – Lamy*
3. #97 Aston 3m55.466s – Mucke
4. #95 Aston 3m55.783s – Sorensen
5. #63 Corvette 3m55.963s - Garcia
*GTE Am provisional pole
Lead Ferrari: 6th
Lead Porsche: 8th
1. #99 Aston 3m54.928s – Stanaway
2. #98 Aston 3m55.102s – Lamy*
3. #97 Aston 3m55.466s – Mucke
4. #95 Aston 3m55.783s – Sorensen
5. #63 Corvette 3m55.963s - Garcia
*GTE Am provisional pole
Lead Ferrari: 6th
Lead Porsche: 8th
Jani and Bernhard are setting their fastest times of this session as some cloud cover comes over and the sun starts to drop. They're not threatening their Wednesday night times yet.
Di Grassi has also set the #8 Audi's fastest time of this session, but it's nearly two seconds adrift of that car's benchmark.
Di Grassi has also set the #8 Audi's fastest time of this session, but it's nearly two seconds adrift of that car's benchmark.
Not much has changed in LMP2. Here's how the front of that grid looks:
1 #48 ORECA, 3m38.032s - Lapierre
2 #41 Gibson, 3m38.958s - Lancaster
3 #38 Gibson, 3m39.004s - Turvey
4 #26 Ligier, 3m39.867s - Bird
5 #46 ORECA, 3m39.923s - Gommendy
1 #48 ORECA, 3m38.032s - Lapierre
2 #41 Gibson, 3m38.958s - Lancaster
3 #38 Gibson, 3m39.004s - Turvey
4 #26 Ligier, 3m39.867s - Bird
5 #46 ORECA, 3m39.923s - Gommendy
Davidson sets the fastest time of this session for the #1 Toyota, but in keeping with the trend this year at Le Mans, it's some way off what we're seeing from the Porsches (roughly five seconds).
Breaking news
This session has been extended to compensate for the earlier red flag. So instead of having 50 minutes to go, we've got 1h03m still on the clock.
A number of drivers being flagged up for Tertre Rouge track limits violations, including Rob Bell in the #97 Aston and Lauda (again) in the #98.
Elsewhere in the world of track limits, the #9 Audi, with Rast at the wheel, has received the black and white warning flag for the offence.
The #50 Larbre Corvette is show the black and white flag for...
...track limits. At Tertre Rouge. It's like a broken record.
...track limits. At Tertre Rouge. It's like a broken record.
At the current rate, some of the exhibits in the Le Mans museum (well worth a visit, incidentally) are at risk of getting flagged for exceeding track limits. The driver of the 1925 Chenard & Walcker will have to be very respectful.
Vilander gets the #51 Ferrari onto timing screen two for the first time this evening, continuing its recovery from the track limits-inducing loss of its times yesterday.
A 3m57.503s puts it 11th overall and bumps the worst of the two Porsches to 12th in GTE. That's eighth and ninth in the Pro classes, incidentally.
A 3m57.503s puts it 11th overall and bumps the worst of the two Porsches to 12th in GTE. That's eighth and ninth in the Pro classes, incidentally.
Some improvements in the lower reaches of LMP1: Kaffer has moved the CLM up to 11th overall, putting it ahead of the LMP2 leaders and the fastest Nissan.
There's better news for one of the other Nissan crews - Ordonez has moved the #21 up to 18th overall. With the #23 13th and #22 in 22nd, we have all three Nissans on the first page of the timing screen for the first time.
There's better news for one of the other Nissan crews - Ordonez has moved the #21 up to 18th overall. With the #23 13th and #22 in 22nd, we have all three Nissans on the first page of the timing screen for the first time.
Paul Dalla Lana has had an off at the first Mulsanne chicane but continued. Yes, the action's currently that hot in GTE.
Twitter
Looks like session over for the #17 Porsche.
@PorscheRaces: 20.18: Mechanics work on the hybrid system of car 17 to get it ready for Q3. @24hoursoflemans #lemans @FIAWEC
@PorscheRaces: 20.18: Mechanics work on the hybrid system of car 17 to get it ready for Q3. @24hoursoflemans #lemans @FIAWEC
Audi is feeling the track limits heat from the officials at the moment. #9 has been reported to the stewards for abuse of the limits at Tertre Rouge, while Fassler's #7 car has picked up a black and white warning flag for the same offence.
Few cars lapping particularly quickly right now. But as the conditions improve, a good chance we'll see some people attempt qualifying runs in the final half-hour of the session (and then get repeated warnings for exceeding track limits).
Oliver Beretta becomes the latest driver to irk the stewards, copping a black and white flag for the #71 Ferrari for track limits at Tertre Rouge.
By: Scott Mitchell, AUTOSPORT staff, Edd Straw, Glenn Freeman, Mitchell Adam, Gary Watkins
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