Le Mans 24h Race - 2012

Please discuss here all your remarks and pose your questions about all racing series, except Formula One. Both technical and other questions about GP2, Touring cars, IRL, LMS, ...
Red Schneider
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Re: Le Mans 24h Race - 2012

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For you chaps, sportlemon.tv has had a rock-solid stream for me. It runs indefinitely. Eurosport English commentary.

Red Schneider
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Re: Le Mans 24h Race - 2012

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Little bit of history to peruse:

http://lemanscars.autosport.com/

I think I've just found my new heartthrob: the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB.

Image

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db__
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Harvey wrote:There's a GT Porsche floating around on the Eurosport footage that has a flashing blue led in the top corner of it's windscreen. Anybody know what this is for? It's been flashing since I started watching it just before Davidson's crash.
Eurosport commentary mentioned this earlier - it's apparently so the team can identify their car at night.

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Steven
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FYI: Anthony Davidson has "sustained fractures to his T11 and T12 vertebrae

Meanwhile, Audi #3 is had an accident but returned to the pits. He got a new engine cover fitted and then got back on with the racing.

Almost halfway:
Pos	N°	State	Cat	Car	Driver	Team	T	Laps	Gap	Last lap	Best lap	Av speed	Pits
1	1	Run	LM P1	AUDI R18 E-TRON QUATTRO	FÄSSLER M.	AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST	M	183		5:12.095	3:26.302	237.8	16
2	2	Run	LM P1	AUDI R18 E-TRON QUATTRO	KRISTENSEN T.	AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST	M	182	1 Lap	3:31.585	3:27.366	236.6	15
3	4	Run	LM P1	AUDI R18 ULTRA	BONANOMI M.	AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA	M	181	2 Laps	3:34.864	3:27.566	236.4	16
4	12	Run	LM P1	LOLA B12/60 COUPE - TOYOTA	JANI N.	REBELLION RACING	M	177	6 Laps	3:36.567	3:32.859	230.5	15
5	13	Run	LM P1	LOLA B12/60 COUPE - TOYOTA	BLEEKEMOLEN J.	REBELLION RACING	M	175	8 Laps	3:47.155	3:33.527	229.8	15
6	3	Out	LM P1	AUDI R18 ULTRA	DUMAS R.	AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST	M	174	9 Laps	7:32.803	3:26.633	237.4	16
7	44	Run	LM P2	HPD ARX 03B - HONDA	DALZIEL R.	STARWORKS MOTORSPORT	D	171	12 Laps	3:46.253	3:42.404	220.6	15
8	49	Run	LM P2	ORECA 03-NISSAN	PEREZ COMPANC L.	PECOM RACING	D	170	13 Laps	3:49.714	3:41.743	221.3	15
9	26	Run	LM P2	ORECA 03-NISSAN	RUSINOV R.	SIGNATECH NISSAN	D	170	1:43.982	3:54.346	3:43.134	219.9	14
10	46	Run	LM P2	ORECA 03-NISSAN	BECHE M.	THIRIET BY TDS RACING	D	170	3:06.869	3:42.593	3:40.991	222.0	15

lukeaar
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So I just woke up, can I have a bit of a recap from someone?

What I have gathered:
#8 (or was it 7?) got taken out be a 458.
The other Toyota got into an incident and took itself out along with the delta wing (what exactly happened here?)

What happened to the audi that's down in the order? I heard something about some huge driver error?


I think it's a real shame that both Toyotas and the Deltawing are out. They were most of the excitement for me for this year. Oh well. Ditch AM.

Jersey Tom
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Only just flipped this on.. seemed like more action in the garages than on track.

What I was most impressed to hear was the future "open" rules with limited fuel. That's exactly the way to do it IMO. Should be very interesting!
Grip is a four letter word. All opinions are my own and not those of current or previous employers.

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Holm86
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In the nights most cameras are shut down. Thats why you mostly see the pitgarage.

What happend to the second Toyota?? It hit the DeltaWing and took it out of the race. But it continiued. It also stalled at the pit exit later on. But then i dont know why its out of the race??

lukeaar
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I think it was karma for that stupid move:
Retirements:

#58 Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia
#24 OAK Racing Morgan-Judd Oil pump
#7 Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 HYBRID Engine
#80 Flying Lizard Porsche 997 RSR Accident damage
#29 Gulf Racing Middle East Lola-Nissan Accident
#8 Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 HYBRID Accident
#0 Highcroft Racing DeltaWing Nissan Accident
#81 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia Accident
#99 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage V8 Accident damage
#16 Pescarolo Team Pescarolo-Judd Power steering
#29 Gulf Racing Middle East Lola-Nissan Accident

SpliT
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Holm86 wrote:What happend to the second Toyota?? It hit the DeltaWing and took it out of the race. But it continiued. It also stalled at the pit exit later on. But then i dont know why its out of the race??
The engine lost power, so they retired. :(

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Ray
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Dammit. Both Corvettes are waaaaay down the order. Lost wheel due to a loose wheel nut and a gearbox failure. They've got about 12 hours to pull it back.

dumrick
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Re: Le Mans 24h Race - 2012

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lukeaar wrote:So I just woke up, can I have a bit of a recap from someone?

What I have gathered:
#8 (or was it 7?) got taken out be a 458.
The other Toyota got into an incident and took itself out along with the delta wing (what exactly happened here?)

What happened to the audi that's down in the order? I heard something about some huge driver error?


I think it's a real shame that both Toyotas and the Deltawing are out. They were most of the excitement for me for this year. Oh well. Ditch AM.
It was indeed #8 with Davidson that tried a pass in the Porsche curves and got it by AF Corse's #81 of Perazzini, with both cars out as a result (and Davidson in hospital...).

Toyota #7 hit the Deltawing in the bunch formed after the release of the pack after the huge crash of #8 & 81. The Deltawing was sent into the barriers and the Toyota went into the pits. Both cars seemed to suffer from the accident, ultimately retiring (the Toyota soldiered on, until dropping the towel after 134 laps). The first Japanese car is already the Dome, ahahah!!!

The Audi #3 with Dumas crashed (now twice, but the first one, that meant more time left) in the first chicane of the Hunaudières; while travelling behind a Porsche, but in the left seemed to abruptly lose the line and went straight into the barrier. That Porsche later in the lap spun (at Indianapolis, I believe) and caught some fire at the rear, maybe it was leaking oil back at the Audi? The right front suspension of the car was broken and Dumas was forced to get out of the car and clear the hanging bodywork (all the front!).

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Holm86
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Jersey Tom wrote:Only just flipped this on.. seemed like more action in the garages than on track.

What I was most impressed to hear was the future "open" rules with limited fuel. That's exactly the way to do it IMO. Should be very interesting!
Where have you seen those rules? I Would like to see Them as well.

Red Schneider
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ACO says:

The Technical Regulations for the Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) class were today presented at the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's press conference, held at the Museum of the 24 Hours.

These 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP1 Technical Regulations will also, from the 1st of January 2014, cover the Le Mans Series LMP1 category, the FIA World Endurance Championship and the American Le Mans Series.

Once approved by the FIA World Council, the 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP1 Technical Regulations will be available online from late afternoon on Friday, 15th June.

6 BASIC POINTS TO REMEMBER

• New technology will be granted freedom with regard to powertrain (that is engine and hybrid system) in accordance with the development of road vehicles.

• The engines are free. The limitations of cylinders, restrictors and turbo pressures are removed.

• Significant reduction - up to 30% - of the use of fossil fuels used.

• The hybrid systems are free as long as they can be measured but are limited to two per car. The private teams are protected.

• Cars must be closed to improve safety.

• Weight and width are reduced.

QUOTES

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest: "The philosophy of this particularly innovative regulation was outlined by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest in 2009, then came talks with automakers. They all adhered to this concept.This text has been drafted in close partnership between the ACO and the FIA and in an ongoing dialogue with the manufacturers. I want to underline the excellent cooperation between our two entities both in the working groups, technical, sports and endurance Committee. I also wish to highlight the excellent spirit that prevails between our different teams ACO and FIA. And I thank Lindsay Owen Jones, President of the Commission Endurance of being the guarantor of this state of mind."

Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, Chairman of the Commission of the FIA Endurance: "With a thorough job and excellent collaboration, the ACO and FIA today present a unique and ely innovative LM P1 2014 technical regulations, in step with the times. It should promote the development of powerful and spectacular cars as well as the development of technologies with real relevance for the everyday motorist. The private teams are not forgotten, but competitive through simple alternatives. I hope that the technical regulations LM P1 2014 will thrill you as it fascinates all who participated in its elaboration."

Leading figures in endurance racing voiced their satisfaction after the launch today of new LMP1 Technical Regulations which will come into force in 2014.

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Audi: "These are not a surprise to us as the constructors have worked on the development of these regulations. The different companies, of course, all have different ideas but I think that a ruling which pleases everyone isn’t a good ruling. For my part, I am very happy with the basic regulations which have been revealed today. They allow us to demonstrate transferable technologies from road to track, and that’s very important for Audi."

Hugues de Chaunac, Oreca: "It’s very exciting. These are not an evolution of the regulations, but a real revolution. Endurance racing is going to completely differentiate itself from other motor racing. The allocation of energy is something new and that will allow endurance races to separate themselves clearly from F1. That will also allow new technologies to distinguish themselves from the old; it’s an enormous step forward. We won’t be doing laps just to use fuel…we will be contributing to the way forward in terms of energy economy. I think there will be a great diversity of technologies represented because the engineers aren’t all in agreement with each other on this area."

Jacques Nicolet, OAK Racing: “We have to see if this new regulation is going to translate on a more practical level. If we put ourselves into a private team category, with the amount of fuel we are allocated, I await to see if we can be competitive compared with the more costly hybrid systems to which we won’t have access, at least to begin with. However, the intentions appear to me to be good and I think that these new regulations will be a source of innovation. As far as the Asian Le Mans Series is concerned, all these emerging markets are good for us. I think that it’s potentially an enormous market in which we can sell many cars. The contacts are there, and we already have a presence in China.”

Jean-Félix Bazelin, Dunlop: "The most important thing is that Endurance racing will be more easily understandable. At the moment it’s difficult to explain restrictor equivalencies between the ‘diesels’ and the ‘petrol’ cars. Everyone will have the same amount of energy available…there will be nothing more to explain! The ACO has returned to the values that we have perhaps forgotten: competition should have an impact on the car of Mr and Mrs “everyman”. It’s not just politically correct but also very interesting for engineers. Finally, there is a last point which is close to my heart: privateers will have a chance to show themselves to their best advantage."

Diff-user
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Harvey wrote:There's a GT Porsche floating around on the Eurosport footage that has a flashing blue led in the top corner of it's windscreen. Anybody know what this is for? It's been flashing since I started watching it just before Davidson's crash.
I think its there on all the GT cars... Its for the pit crew to identify the car at night when the glare of the headlights makes that a hard job.... and also for the guy holding the pit board to identify the car on the track (that is what Liz Halliday said on eurosports)
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Ray
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What happened to that Corvette? I missed it!