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24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 Thursday: final qualifying
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The #21 Nissan is reported to be travelling slowly near the end of the Mulsanne straight.
Ordonez is nursing the #21 Nissan back to the pits. It's not exactly crawling, but it's being passed by GTE cars as he pulls into the pitlane.
Red flag
Jan Magnussen has crashed at the Porsche Curves, and it looks like a big hit for the #63 Corvette.
Crash
Replays show Magnussen hit the barriers with the front-right of his C7.R after a wobble through the middle part of the Porsche Curves.
The car straightens up almost immediately after getting slightly out of shape, which caused it to smash the barrier. An odd impact, one that's caused quite a bit of damage to the car.
Magnussen's still in the car but receiving attention from the medical team.
The car straightens up almost immediately after getting slightly out of shape, which caused it to smash the barrier. An odd impact, one that's caused quite a bit of damage to the car.
Magnussen's still in the car but receiving attention from the medical team.
Quote
That Magnussen shunt will test something Doug Fehan, Corvette program manager, told AUTOSPORT earlier today.
"We’ve experienced every condition," he said, citing the team's ability to bounce back from difficult scenarios. "Catastrophic consequences are meaningless."
"We’ve experienced every condition," he said, citing the team's ability to bounce back from difficult scenarios. "Catastrophic consequences are meaningless."
Red flag
The clock has stopped during this red flag while Magnussen (who was moving around in the car) is seen to by medical officials. So while we should have only 19 minutes to go, there's still 42m16s on the clock.
Twitter
@jbleekemolen: "Hope @janmagnussen is ok after that hit @24hoursoflemans Took his helmet off himself so that is good."
The Corvette is making its way to the pits on the back of a flatbed. Hopefully the session isn't far off resuming.
Red flag
Still under red flag here. The clock remains frozen. But if the stoppage goes on much longer, will be impossible to complete the full 42m16s of remaining running in time for the 10pm final-session start.
Twitter
It looks like that's it for now.
@Audi__Sport: "The session will not restart. Qualifying 3 will begin earlier."
We are still awaiting official confirmation.
@Audi__Sport: "The session will not restart. Qualifying 3 will begin earlier."
We are still awaiting official confirmation.
Checkered flag
Confirmation that the session has been brought to an early halt. Qualifying 3 is due to start at 21:30 local time for an extended session.
Twitter
The Corvette has been recovered back to the pits after its hefty shunt.
@LeMansLive: "The @CorvetteRacing 63 after its crash."
@LeMansLive: "The @CorvetteRacing 63 after its crash."
Twitter
An update from Kraihamer after his earlier crash in the Rebellion.
@DodoKraihamer: "I'm doing fine, some wouldn't even call it an "impact". I luckily could avoid a much bigger crash by kissing this tyre wall. Back for Q3!!"
@DodoKraihamer: "I'm doing fine, some wouldn't even call it an "impact". I luckily could avoid a much bigger crash by kissing this tyre wall. Back for Q3!!"
Twitter
Corvette driver Tommy Milner with some good news.
@TommyMilner: "Jan's OK - Back in the garage here."
@TommyMilner: "Jan's OK - Back in the garage here."
We've got our first cars heading to the end of the pitlane ahead of this extended 2h30m final qualifying session. If anyone fancies a crack at pole position in their respective classes, the next 30-45 minutes could be the prime opportunity.
However, given how short the turnaround has been from that disrupted first session, it could put some of the big hitters off of altering their programme to fit in another qualifying attempt.
Just like you, we're hoping everyone goes for it. The early minutes of qualifying last night were superb to follow as the timing screens lit up with flying lap attempts.
Just like you, we're hoping everyone goes for it. The early minutes of qualifying last night were superb to follow as the timing screens lit up with flying lap attempts.
Green flag
Final qualifying is go. Cars are streaming out of the pits and the sun is setting in the background.
We have two Porsches, three Audis, and two Toyotas on track. The #17 Porsche (currently second) has not emerged yet. It was parked early in the first session today so that work could be carried out on the hybrid system before final qualifying.
Perhaps the fact that the final session has started 30 minutes early has meant Porsche doesn't yet have the car ready to run.
Perhaps the fact that the final session has started 30 minutes early has meant Porsche doesn't yet have the car ready to run.
At the wheel in LMP1:
#18 Porsche - Dumas
#19 Porsche - Hulkenberg
#8 Audi - Jarvis
#7 Audi - Fassler
#9 Audi - Albuquerque
#2 Toyota - Wurz
#1 Toyota - Nakajima
#18 Porsche - Dumas
#19 Porsche - Hulkenberg
#8 Audi - Jarvis
#7 Audi - Fassler
#9 Audi - Albuquerque
#2 Toyota - Wurz
#1 Toyota - Nakajima
Wurz falls two tenths short of improving the #2 Toyota's best of 3m23.5s.
No improvements for any of the Audis on that lap - Albuquerque came closest but he was still a second adrift of the #9's best.
Dumas and Hulkenberg are some way off their cars' best times on these first attempts, too.
Dumas and Hulkenberg are some way off their cars' best times on these first attempts, too.
The first signs of life from GTE as Gianmari Bruni elevates the #51 Ferrari to sixth overall and fifth in Pro on a 3m56.257s.
Albuquerque misses out on bettering the #9 Audi's time by two tenths this time around.
Anyone who would have been eyeing a qualifying attempt in this final session would have expected to be going for that all-out run around 22:05-22:10 with the session's planned start time of 22:00.
Given that we started early, that golden period is still nearly half an hour away, so let's see what happens when darkness properly falls.
Given that we started early, that golden period is still nearly half an hour away, so let's see what happens when darkness properly falls.
Tincknell moves the #22 Nissan up to 14th, just behind the #23 car. Both are 21 seconds adrift of the Porsche up front.
The Ibanez LMP2 entry has limped back into pitlane, has been put on the go-jacks and wheeled straight into the garage.
Eighth place for the lead Manthey Porsche. In the hands of Jorg Bergmeister the #91 car does a 3m56.741s.
Toyota's first runs in this session didn't last long - both cars are back in the garages now. We still have two Porsches and three Audis on track, but they're all well outside of the best times we saw last night.
Bruni improves again, and this time it's even more significant: the #51 Ferrari, last year's winner, goes second - less than a tenth behind the polesitting #99 Aston.
Duval - fastest qualifier in the #8 Audi yesterday - takes over from Jarvis. And the #2 Toyota reappears with Wurz still at the wheel.
Twitter
@Audi__Sport: "Our No. 8 gets a new nose and a new driver: now @loicduval behind the wheel."
A couple of misdemeanours from the LMP2 crop - Sharp in the #30 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier has been reported to the stewards for abusing the track limits.
Meanwhile, Pegasus Racing has been reminded that it should really be using the headlights on its Morgan. You could still play a ball sport in this level of darkness, but lights are best for motorsport.
Meanwhile, Pegasus Racing has been reminded that it should really be using the headlights on its Morgan. You could still play a ball sport in this level of darkness, but lights are best for motorsport.
The #17 Porsche reappears for the first time since it stopped early in the previous session for work on its hybrid system. Bernhard - fastest in the car yesterday - takes it out.
That was either the world's shortest trip to the stewards or called off - the last four laps set by Extreme Speed Motorsport's #30 have been deleted for the aforementioned track limit abuse. The car is 15th in the 19-strong LMP2 crop.
There's an interesting visitor down at Toyota HQ in the paddock. It's none other than Ukyo Katayama, who came within a puncture of delivering the Japanese manufacturer victory here back in 1999 at the wheel of the GT-One.
Twitter
@Audi__Sport: "And a new tail for our No. 9 No worries, the guys are only trying out several things"
Kraihammer improves ever-so-slightly in the #13 Rebellion, but the car stays 10th.
Scott Sharp, 1996 IndyCar co-champion, is currently at the wheel of the #30 Ligier. The 47-year-old is making only his second appearance in the Le Mans 24 Hours, a remarkable 18 years after his first in 1996.
Back then, he failed to finish in the Riley & Scott MkIII he shared with Wayne Taylor and Jim Pace.
Back then, he failed to finish in the Riley & Scott MkIII he shared with Wayne Taylor and Jim Pace.
The other AF Corse Ferrari to have lost its times yesterday, the #71 458 Italia, continues to make up ground.
Calado's transgression caused that punishment to be dished out but he's trying to make amends. He's not as quick as Bruni, but does go sixth in class and seventh in GTE on a 3m56.713s.
Calado's transgression caused that punishment to be dished out but he's trying to make amends. He's not as quick as Bruni, but does go sixth in class and seventh in GTE on a 3m56.713s.
The Strakka Dome is currently 13th in LMP2, with Nick Leventis at the wheel. The 2010 Le Mans LMP2-winning squad switched tyre supplier from Michelin to Dunlop shortly before the pre-Le Mans test.
"We’ve been looking at every opportunity we have to close the gap to the front-running P2 cars," explained Strakka technical director Jay Davenport. "We were the sole runners on Michelin in the WEC, and by switching to Dunlop, it takes away a key variable."
"We’ve been looking at every opportunity we have to close the gap to the front-running P2 cars," explained Strakka technical director Jay Davenport. "We were the sole runners on Michelin in the WEC, and by switching to Dunlop, it takes away a key variable."
By: Scott Mitchell, AUTOSPORT staff, Edd Straw, Glenn Freeman, Mitchell Adam, Gary Watkins
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