Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 Thursday: final qualifying
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Bergmeister bumps Calado and the #71 Ferrari down a place on a 3m56.618s.
We've just passed 10pm local time. Were it not for the disruptions to the first session this evening, this final qualifying would only just be starting now.
Another improvement for Calado, 3m56.386s, takes the #71 back above the #91 Porsche.
Black and white flag for Bruni for track limits. Ditto Pilet in the #92 Porsche. Both at Tertre Rouge. Unsurprising.
Seems notifying you readers that track limits offences are taking place at Tertre Rouge is about as necessary as pointing out the Le Mans 24 Hours lasts an entire day.
Seems notifying you readers that track limits offences are taking place at Tertre Rouge is about as necessary as pointing out the Le Mans 24 Hours lasts an entire day.
We've got a record-holder on the track. Alex Wurz, currently in the #2 Toyota, is the youngest winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
He was 22 years and 91 days when he won the 1996 race in the Joest Porsche WSC-95 alongside Manuel Reuter and Davy Jones.
This will be his ninth Le Mans. He also won in 2009 for Peugeot.
He was 22 years and 91 days when he won the 1996 race in the Joest Porsche WSC-95 alongside Manuel Reuter and Davy Jones.
This will be his ninth Le Mans. He also won in 2009 for Peugeot.
Now that the Pegasus Racing entry has its lights on, officials can see that it's abusing the track limits. It's duly been reported to the stewards. Ho-Pin Tung is behind the wheel at the moment.
Bernhard's 3m21.0s is the fastest time of this session, but it's some way off the pacesetting times from yesterday.
That mark doesn't last long though - Albuquerque improves the #9 Audi's time with a 3m20.997s, staying sixth.
That mark doesn't last long though - Albuquerque improves the #9 Audi's time with a 3m20.997s, staying sixth.
Another good lap from Calado and the #71 Ferrari goes fifth now in GTE, fourth in Pro.
The Briton's best is now a 3m55.582s.
The Briton's best is now a 3m55.582s.
Webb has found some more time in the Team SARD Morand entry, improving to a 3m41.250s and ninth place.
Interesting comparison on track in LMP1 at the moment. Duval is chasing the #17 Porsche, and it's clear the Audi is no match for the Porsche on the straights, but it hangs on nicely through the twisty stuff.
The Audis have regularly been quicker than their rivals through the short first sector (that doesn't really include a straight), although provisional polesitter Jani's Porsche currently holds the fastest times in all three sectors.
The Audis have regularly been quicker than their rivals through the short first sector (that doesn't really include a straight), although provisional polesitter Jani's Porsche currently holds the fastest times in all three sectors.
Nissan has lived up to its claim that it will outqualify the fastest LMP2 car: Mardenborough's 3m37.291s moves him nearly eight-tenths clear of the #47 KCMG entry.
Andrea Bertolini has moved the #72 SMP Ferrari up to 10th in GTE and third in GTE Am, ahead of the #64 Corvette and #92 Porsche (both Pro entries).
However, Nissan hasn't quite (yet) lived up to its belief that it would be "way ahead" of the 3m37s bracket that is fast LMP2 territory.
The first seven laps set by Pegasus Racing in this session will be deleted, after stewards acted on its track limit abuse.
Also in LMP2, the #37 SMP Racing BRE-Nissan is in pitlane with a lot of smoke coming from the right-rear corner. Inside the wheel, to be precise. The rear bodywork has come off the car, and is now back on.
Also in LMP2, the #37 SMP Racing BRE-Nissan is in pitlane with a lot of smoke coming from the right-rear corner. Inside the wheel, to be precise. The rear bodywork has come off the car, and is now back on.
A new best time for the #92 Porsche but it remains 12th in GTE and slowest of the Pro cars...
In most forms of motorsport - especially if, say, touring car racing is your bread and butter - saying 'four seconds covers...' doesn't really mean much. But Le Mans isn't most forms of motorsport.
As it stands, four seconds covers the top 12 in LMP2, in other words about two thirds of the runners in the class.
The KCMG ORECA is still on top, and has just left the pits for the first time this session with Lapierre behind the wheel. It stopped on track earlier today with a suspension problem.
As it stands, four seconds covers the top 12 in LMP2, in other words about two thirds of the runners in the class.
The KCMG ORECA is still on top, and has just left the pits for the first time this session with Lapierre behind the wheel. It stopped on track earlier today with a suspension problem.
Another track limits warning this time for Calado. And unsurprisingly it was at Tertre Rouge.
None of the LMP1s are circulating particularly quickly. Here's how the grid looks with 90 minutes remaining:
1 #18 Porsche
2 #17 Porsche
3 #19 Porsche
4 #8 Audi
5 #7 Audi
6 #9 Audi
7 #2 Toyota
8 #1 Toyota
9 #12 Rebellion
10 #13 Rebellion
11 #4 CLM
12 #12 Nissan
1 #18 Porsche
2 #17 Porsche
3 #19 Porsche
4 #8 Audi
5 #7 Audi
6 #9 Audi
7 #2 Toyota
8 #1 Toyota
9 #12 Rebellion
10 #13 Rebellion
11 #4 CLM
12 #12 Nissan
We've got all three Porsches on track at the moment, with Webber in the #17, Lieb in the #18 and Hulkenberg in the #19.
A reminder that the current pole-position time, set by Jani yesterday in the #18 Porsche, is the fastest ever on this track since the chicanes were put on the Mulsanne. In term of time, it's the sixth-fastest ever, on all configurations.
Twitter
@MurphyPrototype: We’ve had an issue with our number board not lighting up. #MurphysMen have been hard at work rewiring and the car will be back on track soon
Another improvement from the #67 Porsche but it's still not enough to lift it from the bottom of the timesheets.
Marco Bonanomi is on track in the #9 Audi. When he's not on circuit-racing duty for the German marque, he likes to relax by doing a spot of rallying in an ex-Marcus Gronholm Ford Focus WRC.
Bonanomi rallying
We're graced with a former Le Mans 24 Hours winner in the pressroom. Eric Helary, part of the winning Peugeot line-up in 1993, is wandering around.
He's a Eurosport pitlane reporter this weekend, but he is still racing. Check out this video of him winning an historic race at Pau — in a Mini! Not quite a Peugeot 905.
Are those BMW overalls Eric is wearing? If so, I reckon they're from the late-1990s and surely out of date!
He's a Eurosport pitlane reporter this weekend, but he is still racing. Check out this video of him winning an historic race at Pau — in a Mini! Not quite a Peugeot 905.
Are those BMW overalls Eric is wearing? If so, I reckon they're from the late-1990s and surely out of date!
With Porsche set for a 1-2-3 on the grid, it's worth a reminder of how illustrious it's history here is. It has 16 wins, three more than next-best Audi, with ACO records reckoning that a total of 770 Porsches have raced here.
Paletou has just had a spin in the Greaves Motorsport Gibson. That car's still second in LMP2, from the time set last night by Lancaster.
Last year's Nissan GT Academy winner, Paletou got a late Le Mans call-up and was behind the wheel when the car crashed last night. No major repercussions this time, though.
Last year's Nissan GT Academy winner, Paletou got a late Le Mans call-up and was behind the wheel when the car crashed last night. No major repercussions this time, though.
There are drivers from 29 different countries among the 168 competitors.
Twitter
Some optimism from Kapadia, whose #67 Porsche is languishing at the foot of the timesheets.
@alexkapadia: "We are so close to not being last (I know how that sounds) great driving by @xaviermaassen."
@alexkapadia: "We are so close to not being last (I know how that sounds) great driving by @xaviermaassen."
And now some fun facts from Strakka Racing, currently 13th in LMP2 with its new Dome-Nissan S103.
The team came here having done 2395 miles with the car and before last night’s qualifying a new engine was installed. It had only done dyne running, but by Sunday afternoon, the team hopes it will have completed a little over 4000 miles.
If you’re wondering about the headcount of a single-car LMP2 outfit, Strakka is here with 13 people, including drivers Johnny Kane, Danny Watts and Nick Leventis.
The team came here having done 2395 miles with the car and before last night’s qualifying a new engine was installed. It had only done dyne running, but by Sunday afternoon, the team hopes it will have completed a little over 4000 miles.
If you’re wondering about the headcount of a single-car LMP2 outfit, Strakka is here with 13 people, including drivers Johnny Kane, Danny Watts and Nick Leventis.
The #77 Porsche is the latest to be given the black/white warning flag for track limits. Yep, you guessed it, the offence was committed at Terte Rouge.
Breaking news
Organisers report that Jan Magnussen has left the medical centre. Magnussen crashed his Corvette Racing GTE heavily at Porsche Corners during the first part of the session: "Jan Magnussen has been able to regain the paddock and is debriefing on this track exit with his team."
The #21 Nissan has improved to a 3m38.691s in the hands of Ordonez. It's 14th, one place ahead of the sister #22 car and two places behind the leader #23 machine.
Chatin has found the best part of a second in the Signatech Alpine, improving to a 3m39.699s. It duly moves up to fourth in LMP2, from seventh.
Yellow flag
Yellow flag - the #71 AF Corse Ferrari driven by Beretta is in the wall at the exit of Indianapolis.
The #68 AAI Porsche has also looped it into the gravel on the run out of Dunlop. Han Chen Chen is at the wheel.
Yellow flag
There's a slow zone at Indianapolis to allow the Ferrari to be recovered.
Yellow flag
The #71 Ferrari is on tow, so the slow zone shouldn't have to in place for too much longer.
Twitter
@NISMO: "Setup changes on No.21 & small clutch issue on No.22. Both will be back out soon."
With 56 minutes of qualifying remaining, there doesn't appear to be any chance of the Porsche top-three lockout being threatened. We haven't seen the top-two Porsches going particularly rapidly today, although Tandy did make a small improvement in the #19 car that's in third place in the earlier Thursday session.
Bird has taken G-Drive Racing (OAK)'s #26 up to second place in LMP2, with a 3m38.939s. It's still almost a second shy of KCMG, but the conditions are good and there's still plenty of time for more gains to be found.
By: Scott Mitchell, AUTOSPORT staff, Edd Straw, Glenn Freeman, Mitchell Adam, Gary Watkins
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