Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 Thursday: final qualifying
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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
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.
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
Porsche's two fastest drivers from those stunning qualifying runs yesterday - Jani (#18) and Bernhard (#17) are circulating at the moment.
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...
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.
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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
Green flag
And the track is now, apparently, clear. We might never know what that yellow flag was about.
Yellow flag
Yellow flag again - exit of Porsche Curves but not yet clear why.
Investigation into the #34 OAK Racing Ligier for overtaking under the red flag. Cumming was at the wheel before the red flag.
Green flag
Restart. The #30 ESM Ligier leads the field back out with just over one hour remaining.
According to the timing screens, the #47 KCMG ORECA is still stopped out on track.
Most seem ready for it, there are a lot of cars sat out in the pitlane.
Race control tells teams "session will restart on a short call".
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.
Red flag
The red flag is still flying here at Le Mans.
Buemi's return to the garage is even further delayed as he is called to stop at the weighbridge.
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 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.
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.
It's Duncan Cameron. He's beached the #55 GTE Am Ferrari in the gravel.
Red flag
RED FLAG. Something off at Porsche Curves it seems.
Howson is at the wheel of the ORECA that has stopped. No sign of it on the screens though.
According to race control, the polesitting LMP2 KCMG ORECA has stopped on track on the stretch between Mulsanne corner and Indianapolis.
Yellow flag
The Rebellion is hauled away from the scene of the accident by a recovery tractor.
Fisichella's got the #51 Ferrari up to 12th in GTE, ninth in Pro.
Yellow flag
A slow zone has been established at the first Mulsanne chicane to deal with the Rebellion.
Yellow flag
It's the #13 Rebellion driven by Kraihamer that is off. Not yet clear why.
Yellow flag
Yellow flag in the first chicane on Mulsanne. No sign of why as yet...
Buemi has been reported to the stewards for abusing track limits. Seems that whoever is on duty at the exit of Tertre Rouge is watching very closely, given the number of warnings.
GTE track limits alert. Lauda gets a black and white flag for his latest Tertre Rouge faux pas.
The #4 CLM improves again to a 3m40.209s in the hands of Kaffer.. That's 12th in the LMP2 class and 18th overall.
Brown in the #31 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier has spun at the penultimate chicane, and continues, without too many dramas.
By: Scott Mitchell, AUTOSPORT staff, Edd Straw, Glenn Freeman, Mitchell Adam, Gary Watkins
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