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24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 Wednesday: Practice and qualifying
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Lieb makes it a Porsche 1-2-3, splitting Webber and Tandy to slot the #18 machine into second place.
Only the #7 Audi is within a second of the leading Porsche pace at the moment, as we pass the halfway stage of this four-hour practice session.
Only the #7 Audi is within a second of the leading Porsche pace at the moment, as we pass the halfway stage of this four-hour practice session.
Bradley has improved in the KCMG entry, to a 3m39.897s. The LMP2 pacesetter has jumped ahead of the three LMP1 Nissans with that effort.
While this is the first time running at Le Mans since the official test day two weeks ago for many teams, some cars did hit the track in the middle of last week.
All four of the works LMP1 teams were among those to participate in a special test day on the Bugatti circuit. More here.
All four of the works LMP1 teams were among those to participate in a special test day on the Bugatti circuit. More here.
Plenty of LMP1 cars are setting faster sector times at the moment. Duval moves the #8 Audi into fifth, having set a new overall best in the first sector. And Webber is on a quick lap at the moment...
The Thiriet by TDS Racing entry has just jumped up to second in LMP2, although Ludovic Badey's effort is 3.647 seconds off Bradley's lap a couple of minutes ago.
Halfway through the session, the #37 SMP Racing entry is third, ahead of Extreme Speed Motorsport's #30 and Team SARD Morand's #18. All bar two cars are currently on track.
Halfway through the session, the #37 SMP Racing entry is third, ahead of Extreme Speed Motorsport's #30 and Team SARD Morand's #18. All bar two cars are currently on track.
Lietz brings the #91 Porsche into the mix properly for the first time in practice with a 3m59.892s. That's about a second off the Aston and Corvette in front.
Stopwatch
Webber has to negotiate the Krohn LMP2 entry in the Porsche Curves but that's not enough to stop him getting into the 3m21s with a 21.796s.
GARY WATKINS: Another fastest time from Webber puts him within a tenth of Nakajima's 2014 pole for Toyota.
Lieb was on course to improve his time in second (though it didn't look to be a threat to Webber), but he lost a lot of time in the final sector and ended up heading for the pits.
Webber is lighting up the timing screens again. Let's see what he does this time.
Remember, it was in this session last year that Duval, who is currently on track in the #8 Audi, had this horrific accident.
Stopwatch
Webber gets baulked by a Corvette in the final chicane, but he still finds another few tenths to go even faster with a 3m21.362s.
You've got to think that was going to be a sub-3m21s for Webber without that delay at the end of the lap.
GARY WATKINS: Now we have a time quicker than last year's pole from Webber. His 3m21.382 is now only three tenths slower than the test day best from team-mate Hartley.
The #26 G-Drive Racing (OAK) and Strakka Racing entries improve to second and fourth in LMP2 respectively.
In G-Drive's Ligier-Nissan JSP2, Roman Rusinov had to avoid Vincent Capillaire in the Signatech Alpine, who had a trip over the final chicane.
In G-Drive's Ligier-Nissan JSP2, Roman Rusinov had to avoid Vincent Capillaire in the Signatech Alpine, who had a trip over the final chicane.
Fassler was on course to improve in the fourth-placed #7 Audi, but a wobble in the Porsche Curves and some GT traffic in the final chicane cost him too much time.
Fassler's Audi is the car that has done the most laps so far in this session. It's currently on its 31st time round.
Red flag
Red flag. Looks like something has happened in the Porsche Curves.
Webber returns to the pits and jumps out of the #17 Porsche after that lively run that featured several new fastest laps for the ex-grand prix driver.
Mark Patterson in the Murphy Prototypes LMP2 entry has crashed at the Porsche Curves.
Twitter
@CorvetteRacing: "Big lap for @AntonioGarcia_3 at 3:57.549. He would be P1 by 0.9 were it not for #RedFlag and time not being allowed."
All three Audis (with Fassler, Duval and Bonanomi in action) were on course to improve when the red flags came out.
Imperatori has stopped out on track as well in the #13 Rebellion. It was on an outlap, and it's being reported the car is missing a wheel.
The Murphy car was the cause of the stoppage though, and it's sustained some pretty big damage front and rear by the looks of the CCTV footage we've seen.
The Murphy car was the cause of the stoppage though, and it's sustained some pretty big damage front and rear by the looks of the CCTV footage we've seen.
Just prior to that accident we had a shake-up in the GTE order, which now looks like this:
1. #99 Aston Martin 3m58.106s
2. #97 Aston Martin 3m58.448s
3. #64 Corvette 3m58.880s
4. #91 Porsche 3m59.892s
5. #98 (Am) Aston Martin 4m00.307s
MacDowall and Turner have put Astons one and two.
1. #99 Aston Martin 3m58.106s
2. #97 Aston Martin 3m58.448s
3. #64 Corvette 3m58.880s
4. #91 Porsche 3m59.892s
5. #98 (Am) Aston Martin 4m00.307s
MacDowall and Turner have put Astons one and two.
Red flag
Race control says this stoppage will last at least another 20 minutes.
The #48 Murphy ORECA is on its way back to the pits on the back of a flatbed. There's damage to the front end and the left-rear corner.
LMP1 order:
1 #17 Porsche, 3m21.382s
2 #18 Porsche, +1.129s
3 #19 Porsche, +1.457s
4 #7 Audi, +1.814s
5 #8 Audi, +2.289s
6 #9 Audi, +3.311s
7 #1 Toyota, +3.515s
8 #2 Toyota, +4.175s
9 #12 Rebellion, +7.079s
10 #13 Rebellion, +14.028s
12 #21 Nissan, +18.970s
13 #23 Nissan, +19.067s
14 #22 Nissan, +19.940s
1 #17 Porsche, 3m21.382s
2 #18 Porsche, +1.129s
3 #19 Porsche, +1.457s
4 #7 Audi, +1.814s
5 #8 Audi, +2.289s
6 #9 Audi, +3.311s
7 #1 Toyota, +3.515s
8 #2 Toyota, +4.175s
9 #12 Rebellion, +7.079s
10 #13 Rebellion, +14.028s
12 #21 Nissan, +18.970s
13 #23 Nissan, +19.067s
14 #22 Nissan, +19.940s
That's a big blow for the Murphy Prototypes team, which was the LMP2 pacesetter in the Le Mans test a couple of weeks ago and had a morale-boosting second place in the ELMS round at Imola last month.
Looks like there is damage to both the front and the rear of the #48 ORECA, but impossible to assess the extent of the damage visually.
Twitter
@MurphyPrototype: "Free Practice @24hoursoflemans ends early for #murphysmen after contact with barrier. Mark ok. Car on its way back to pits for assessment."
Good that Patterson is apparently OK. But it will be a blow to his confidence, which is unfortunate because he did a great job to hold second place for the opening 10 or so laps of the ELMS race at Imola last month. As he is the silver-rated driver in the #48 Murphy car, team-mates Berthon and Chandhok need him at his best to minimise the time loss with him at the wheel.
The Rebellion is back in the pits as well, so both cars that were stranded out on track have been recovered. Race control says we will have an update in five minutes on when the session will restart.
As we wait for the restart after the red flag caused by Patterson's crash in the Porsche Curves in the #48 ORECA, here's a look at how silver drivers such as Patterson are classified.
In the LMP2 class, the performance of the silver driver is often decisive. Each trio of drivers must include at least one silver-rated driver.
Silver drivers are defined as amateurs who satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
- driver aged under 30 and not satisfying the criteria of categories A (Platinum) and B (Gold);
- driver satisfying the criteria of the Platinum category but aged 60 or over;
- driver who has won a non-professional drivers’ series (Ferrari Challenge, Maserati Trofeo, Lamborghini Supertrophy…);
-is a driver whose performances and achievements, despite note being covered by one of the definitions above, may be considered as silver by the Endurance Committee.
In the LMP2 class, the performance of the silver driver is often decisive. Each trio of drivers must include at least one silver-rated driver.
Silver drivers are defined as amateurs who satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
- driver aged under 30 and not satisfying the criteria of categories A (Platinum) and B (Gold);
- driver satisfying the criteria of the Platinum category but aged 60 or over;
- driver who has won a non-professional drivers’ series (Ferrari Challenge, Maserati Trofeo, Lamborghini Supertrophy…);
-is a driver whose performances and achievements, despite note being covered by one of the definitions above, may be considered as silver by the Endurance Committee.
There are some barrier repairs going on at the Porsche Curves, hence the delay even though the track is now clear.
Some more information on the Rebellion stopping - we're now hearing it was a puncture rather than a lost wheel.
We were promised an update on the session restart at 18:40 local time, but as the barrier repairs continue at the Porsche Curves we're still waiting.
Race control informs us that the session is set to start at 18:55 local time - so in seven minutes.
Quote
Some thoughts from the Toyota camp in this stoppage, with its cars seventh and eighth so far:
Sebastien Buemi: "We've experienced wet and dry conditions and completed quite a few laps, which is good to do before qualifying. We now need to work on improving the car."
Mike Conway adds: "I think we've learned a lot."
Sebastien Buemi: "We've experienced wet and dry conditions and completed quite a few laps, which is good to do before qualifying. We now need to work on improving the car."
Mike Conway adds: "I think we've learned a lot."
Cars are heading down to the end of the pits for the restart, with the #2 Toyota at the head of the queue.
Green flag
And the session is back under way. Green flag. 65 minutes of the four-hour free practice session remaining.
By: Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Scott Mitchell, Mitchell Adam, AUTOSPORT staff, Gary Watkins
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