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24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 Wednesday: Practice and qualifying
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The #12 Rebellion receives the black and orange 'mechanical' flag.
Rain
According to race control, there are reports of rain somewhere on the far side of the circuit.
Buemi receives a track limits warning in the #1 Toyota for abusing the white lines in the final chicane.
Makowiecki puts the #92 Manthey Porsche third in GTE, second of the Pro cars. Remarkably, he's 0.001s slower than Lauda.
That gap is very, very rare around the Circuit de la Sarthe!
That gap is very, very rare around the Circuit de la Sarthe!
The constant changing of positions at the top of the order has cooled off somewhat, but plenty of cars in the LMP1 mix are still improving:
1 #9 Audi
2 #17 Porsche
3 #7 Audi
4 #1 Toyota
5 #2 Toyota
6 #8 Audi
7 #18 Porsche
8 #12 Rebellion
1 #9 Audi
2 #17 Porsche
3 #7 Audi
4 #1 Toyota
5 #2 Toyota
6 #8 Audi
7 #18 Porsche
8 #12 Rebellion
Aleshin has a spin in his BR01 coming onto Mulsanne. He's resumed without any real visible damage, as Hirsch goes second-fastest in LMP2.
Twitter
@PorscheRaces: "16.47 driver change car 17 after 9 laps: @Timo_Bernhard hands over to @BrendonHartley. Car inside, set-up work"
Vilander posts AF Corse's first proper time in the #51 458 Italia, but is only third-fastest in the GTE ranks. Still Am-class Lauda remains P2.
We should see the Manthey-run Porsches soon. It seemed the 911 RSRs were being held until the track dried properly.
We should see the Manthey-run Porsches soon. It seemed the 911 RSRs were being held until the track dried properly.
GARY WATKINS: Good progress being made by SMP Racing's BR Engineering LMP2 coupe.
Aleshin's 3m44.4s is more than three seconds faster than the best of the BR01s managed at the Test Day and only 2.5s shy of the best P2 time from the test.
Aleshin's 3m44.4s is more than three seconds faster than the best of the BR01s managed at the Test Day and only 2.5s shy of the best P2 time from the test.
It's now an SMP Racing 1-2 in LMP2. In the new, Russian-built BRE-Nissan BR01s, Mikhail Aleshin is on top with a 3m44.482s, 0.751s seconds clear of Maurizio Mediani.
Twitter
@Audi__Sport: "@Andre_Lotterer on team radio: 'The track is improving lap by lap'"
Gavin improves to a 3m58.880s in the Chevy – then pushes too hard and spins exiting the Esses. The Briton continues without damage.
Lauda falls about half a second short of breaking the 4m barrier. He goes quickest though, and is a couple of seconds quicker than Mucke even after the Pro driver improved.
Lauda falls about half a second short of breaking the 4m barrier. He goes quickest though, and is a couple of seconds quicker than Mucke even after the Pro driver improved.
Stopwatch
Albuquerque takes his latest turn at the top in the #9 Audi, posting a 3m24.673s to go fastest despite not setting a single fastest sector time on that lap.
GARY WATKINS: Attention is being paid to the #22 Nissan's brakes in the garage.
Nissan tried three different configurations across its cars at the Le Mans Test Day, but then confirmed a specification in which all three FT-R LMs will run this week at last Tuesday's roll-out test on the Bugatti circuit.
"We were trying a mixture of specs at the test day on the material side and the hydraulic side," Nissan global motorsport boss Darren Cox told AUTOSPORT earlier today.
Nissan tried three different configurations across its cars at the Le Mans Test Day, but then confirmed a specification in which all three FT-R LMs will run this week at last Tuesday's roll-out test on the Bugatti circuit.
"We were trying a mixture of specs at the test day on the material side and the hydraulic side," Nissan global motorsport boss Darren Cox told AUTOSPORT earlier today.
As that was being typed, Gommendy improved to a 3m47.512s, to sit atop LMP2 briefly, but he was bumped quickly by Gary Hirsch in the Greaves Motorsport Gibson-Nissan 015S.
Hirsch's new benchmark is 3m46.599s.
Hirsch's new benchmark is 3m46.599s.
As with LMP1 and GTE, times are improving in LMP2. Kevin Estre and Tristian Gommendy have traded times over recent laps.
Estre currently leads the way with a 3m48.108s, just under a second ahead of Gommendy.
Estre currently leads the way with a 3m48.108s, just under a second ahead of Gommendy.
Early LMP1 order:
1 #17 Porsche
2 #7 Audi
3 #9 Audi
4 #1 Toyota
5 #18 Porsche
6 #8 Audi
7 #2 Toyota
8 #19 Porsche
1 #17 Porsche
2 #7 Audi
3 #9 Audi
4 #1 Toyota
5 #18 Porsche
6 #8 Audi
7 #2 Toyota
8 #19 Porsche
Times are tumbling. Oliver Gavin puts Corvette top on a 4m01.609s in the #64 C7.R.
Who will be first to dip below the 4m barrier in GTE?
Who will be first to dip below the 4m barrier in GTE?
Stopwatch
Bernhard goes fastest in the #17 Porsche - 3m26.215s, just 0.026s faster than Lotterer's previous best.
Mathias Lauda, three-time Formula 1 champion Niki's boy, briefly goes top of the GTE pile in his #98 GTE Am-class Aston.
But Pro stable-mate Mucke (#97 Aston) blitzes the Austrian's time by 2.6s to lower the GTE benchmark to a 4m03.339s.
But Pro stable-mate Mucke (#97 Aston) blitzes the Austrian's time by 2.6s to lower the GTE benchmark to a 4m03.339s.
While the focus of attention in LMP1 will be on the works entries from Toyota, Audi, Porsche and Nissan, don't forget about the three privateer entries. Rebellion has two of its R-Ones, which have switched from Toyota to AER power this year, while the ByKolles team runs a CLM. Remember, Rebellion finished fourth overall in 2014.
Rees lowers the GTE best as well, dropping to a 4m06.368s in the Aston.
Buemi slots the #1 Toyota into second, with the track clearly starting to come to the drivers now.
Stopwatch
Lotterer smashes Jarvis's benchmark by 6.9s to move the #7 Audi out front with a 3m26.241s.
Beating Vilander/Mucke to the GTE Pro punch is Fernando Rees.
The Brazilian sets a 4m08.733s in the #99 Aston Martin Vantage, and goes quickest of the GT brigade.
The Brazilian sets a 4m08.733s in the #99 Aston Martin Vantage, and goes quickest of the GT brigade.
Stopwatch
Jarvis moves the #8 Audi into top spot, beating Conway's benchmark by 1.1s with a 3m33.165s.
Daniel Abt, 22, is on track in the #13 Rebellion-AER. He is making his Le Mans 24 Hours debut this year. He follows in the footsteps of father Christian Abt, who started the 1999 and 2000 races, finishing third overall alongside Michele Alboreto and Rinaldo Capello in an Audi R8 on his final appearance.
After a long wait and a lot of standing around for the marshals, the Nissan is pushed into the weighbridge area.
Other than the KCMG stoppage, the 19-strong LMP2 contingent has had a quiet opening 30 minutes.
Eight cars have logged a lap, with Kevin Estre - in the the OAK Racing Ligier-Honda JSP2 - the best of them so far with a 3m56.264s.
Eight cars have logged a lap, with Kevin Estre - in the the OAK Racing Ligier-Honda JSP2 - the best of them so far with a 3m56.264s.
Patrick Long puts the GTE Am #77 Dempsey-Proton Porsche 911 RSR quickest of the GT runners with a 4m18.170s.
Looks like we might see the first of the GTE Pro flying laps soon - Vilander (#51 AF Corse Ferrari) and Mucke (#97 'art car' Aston Martin) are both on track.
Looks like we might see the first of the GTE Pro flying laps soon - Vilander (#51 AF Corse Ferrari) and Mucke (#97 'art car' Aston Martin) are both on track.
The #22 Nissan has stopped at the pit entry, with a bit of smoke coming out of the front wheel arches.
Twitter
@CorvetteRacing: "Olly [Gavin] confirms the track is almost completely dry as he's in from an outlap."
Stopwatch
Conway beats Albuquerque's best by a second to put the #2 Toyota back on top, as the track continues to dry.
Stopwatch
Albuquerque puts the #9 Audi on top with a 3m35.411s.
Minimal activity in the first half hour among the GTE runners.
Only three drivers – all in GTE Am entries – have set times, with Al Faisal the quickest with a 4m19.519s aboard the #66 JMW Ferrari 458 Italia.
Only three drivers – all in GTE Am entries – have set times, with Al Faisal the quickest with a 4m19.519s aboard the #66 JMW Ferrari 458 Italia.
Porsche has decided to take the #19 car into the garage following that black and orange flag from the officials.
Race control reminds the #23 Nissan it must have its rear lights on, and the same message goes to the #4 ByKolles entry.
In the equivalent session last year, the fastest lap was a 3m23.653s, set by Davidson in the Toyota. Still some way off that kind of pace, and understandably so given the track is damp.
Stopwatch
Lotterer moves the #7 Audi back to P1 with a 3m37.289s.
Tandy pulls the #19 Porsche into the pits and the crew gets to work in the pitlane rather than wheeling it into the garage.
Replays show the #9 Audi has been off at the first Mulsanne chicane, with Albuquerque at the wheel.
Replays show the #9 Audi has been off at the first Mulsanne chicane, with Albuquerque at the wheel.
By: Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Scott Mitchell, Mitchell Adam, AUTOSPORT staff, Gary Watkins
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