Le Mans practice and first qualifying
Live Text
Sort by
Newest first
LMP1
And the timing screen suggests DragonSpeed's Hedman has stopped on track...
LMP1
Lotterer brings an end to his stint in the funky #1 Rebellion.
We're sticking with funky as the go-to description, by the way.
We're sticking with funky as the go-to description, by the way.
LMP2
Anthony Davidson is now at the wheel of the #31 DragonSpeed ORECA which currently sits atop the charts in LMP2. He's clearly on it in sector one, getting a little bit sideways on the exit of the Dunlop Chicane as he attempts to clear Matthias Beche's slow-moving #20 High Class Racing ORECA on its outlap.
GTE PRO
Scott Dixon has a spin in the #69 Ford - that's the faux Gulf-liveried one - exiting (aptly enough) the Ford chicane, but appears to be back on his way. That car is down in 12th in class right now.
LMP1
Dillmann's pitted the ByKolles machine now.
LMP1
Hedman has taken over for Hanley in the DragonSpeed, he's heading back out to the track.
LMP1
Hanley in too, looks like there's some driver changes afoot and darkness is falling.
LMP1
Vandoore comes into the pits too.
Kobayashi went purple in sectors one and two before pitting.
LMP2
The top six runners in LMP2 are all using Michelins. The French tyre was the quicker over a single lap last year, but Dunlop's introduction of a new 'C' spec tyre at Sebring meant tyre choice was a big question mark heading into the event. Ricky Taylor is currently the best of the Dunlop runners, 2.6s off the pace in the #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA.
LMP1
Kobayashi and Orudzhev bring the Toyota and SMP Racing machines in respectively.
Driver Change
Lopez is climbing into the #7 Toyota.
No improvements for Vandoorne or Hanley that time around, while Lotterer shaves off the slightest amount for the fifth-placed #1 Rebellion.
No improvements for Vandoorne or Hanley that time around, while Lotterer shaves off the slightest amount for the fifth-placed #1 Rebellion.
GTE AM
Porsche is also holding sway in Am right now, thanks to Matteo Cairoli's early effort of 3m52.454s in the #88 Dempsey-Proton car. Worth noting that the #99 machine, earlier shunted by Tracy Krohn, has yet to return to the track and is unlikely to do so this evening.
LMP2
Pastor Maldonado has eclipsed Lapierre's early benchmark - but only by a tenth. He's clocked in with a 3m26.804s in the #31 DragonSpeed car, with Filipe Albuquerque third for United Autosports in the best-placed Ligier on a 3m27.338s.
LMP1
Vandoorne's improved in the second sector, could this be another strong SMP lap?
LMP1
The #8 Toyota, driven by Nakajima, is currently 4.818s off the best time of the sister car.
GTE PRO
It's still Porsche at the top in GTE Pro, as Gianmaria Bruni sets the early class benchmark of 3m50.111s in the #91 car. That's 0.190s on Alex Lynn's Aston Martin, and 0.357s up on Michael Christensen in the third-placed Porsche.
LMP1
So after those latest runs, it's now:
#7 Toyota
#17 SMP
#10 DragonSpeed
#11 SMP
#1 Rebellion
#8 Toyota
#3 Rebellion
#4 ByKolles
#7 Toyota
#17 SMP
#10 DragonSpeed
#11 SMP
#1 Rebellion
#8 Toyota
#3 Rebellion
#4 ByKolles
Every LMP2 car is out on track at the moment barring the #20 High Class Racing ORECA, which is making its debut at Le Mans. In fact, it's the only car other than the #99 Am class Porsche that was heavily damaged in practice which is sitting out the start of the session.
LMP1
Hanley slots the DragonSpeed third with a 3m20.200s time.
Stopwatch
And Kobayashi sends the #7 Toyota top with a 3m17.161s, putting it 0.472s up on Orudzhev.
LMP1
So after that first run, here's the lowdown.
#17 SMP Racing (Orudzhev)
#11 SMP Racing (Vandoorne)
#8 Toyota (Nakajima)
#3 Rebellion (Menezes)
#10 DragonSpeed (Hanley)
#1 Rebellion (Lotterer)
#7 Toyota (Kobayashi)
#4 ByKolles (Dillmann)
#17 SMP Racing (Orudzhev)
#11 SMP Racing (Vandoorne)
#8 Toyota (Nakajima)
#3 Rebellion (Menezes)
#10 DragonSpeed (Hanley)
#1 Rebellion (Lotterer)
#7 Toyota (Kobayashi)
#4 ByKolles (Dillmann)
LMP2
The first quick lap on the board in LMP2 is set by three-time class winner Nicolas Lapierre in the #36 Signatech-Alpine. His effort of 3m26.935s is 0.9s up on practice pace-setter Paul-Loup Chatin in the #48 IDEC Sport ORECA, with Nico Jamin third in the #30 Duqueine ORECA a full 1.7 behind.
Stopwatch
Hanley gives us the first time with a 3m23.539s in the DragonSpeed but then it's quickly knocked off the top by the SMP Racing car of Orudzhev!
It's a 3m17.633s and it's 3.301s up on the sister car of Vandoorne.
That's some start to qualifying...
It's a 3m17.633s and it's 3.301s up on the sister car of Vandoorne.
That's some start to qualifying...
Information
More weather fun while we wait for times. The sun officially set one minute before the start of the session, although there's still a hint of yellow in the skies. The air temperature is 15.6C, and on the ground in pitlane it's 20.6C.
LMP1
Kobayashi is quickest through sector two in the #7 Toyota, he lost some time in swathes of traffic on the run to the first corner and backed off to find some space.
But then Orduzhev goes slightly quicker at the same point.
But then Orduzhev goes slightly quicker at the same point.
LMP1
Orudzhev's #17 SMP Racing has the edge in the first sector - likely aided by traffic.
LMP1
So much traffic for the #7 Toyota as it heads onto the first flying lap! Finding space while visibility is acceptable will be a challenge.
Information
A reminder that this session is two hours long and the majority of it will be run in total darkness.
LMP1
Every LMP1 runner heads out.
Green flag
And it's go, go, go for the first qualifying session!
Rain
Looks like there's going to be a few drops of rain around Arnage in the next few minutes.
LMP2
Memo Rojas revealed in the break that IDEC Sport had to change a driveshaft on its #48 ORECA in practice, which explains why they were languishing near the bottom of the timesheets until late in the session. Matthieu Vaxiviere has also explained that it was a throttle-related issue that delayed the progress of TDS Racing's #28 ORECA.
Proper traffic queue in the pitlane now, looks like everyone's listening to Gary Watkins and planning an early banker lap run.
LMP1
We didn't see a lot of it early in practice, but that Gulf-liveried DragonSpeed looks a bit smart doesn't it?
Sounds like the first car has trundled down the pitlane to await the start of the session.
Autosport
We know what you're thinking. Toyota's going to walk it.
But Toyota thinks otherwise, and there are some encouraging signs that it could at least have some competition in qualifying...
But Toyota thinks otherwise, and there are some encouraging signs that it could at least have some competition in qualifying...
Few engines firing into life early here. The sun is setting and it won't be long until it becomes a full-on night session.
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Page:
