Team Essex scored pole in P2
Peugeot
Audi
Porsche
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Peugeot
This evening's thrilling qualifying session saw Team Peugeot Total's Stephane Sarrazin put the No.8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP (Sarrazin/Montagny/Bourdais) at the sharp end of the grid for the Le Mans 24 Hours for the third year in a row. Saturday's race will in fact start with four Peugeot's sitting on the top five places, with the Pescarolo-run No.17 car joining the three factory machines at the top of tonight's order.
For the first time in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours, in its modern-day format at least, teams benefited from just one qualifying session this year in their respective bids to claim first place on Saturday afternoon's grid. But while nobody would shun the honour of starting from pole position, the combined effects of the cancellation of the traditional preliminary test day and the wet conditions which marked the majority of Wednesday evening's free practice meant that teams still had a certain amount of work to get through in dry conditions before being able to think in terms of topping tonight's timesheets.
The principal mission facing the crews of the three Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs during this evening's four-hour run was to gather key information about the different compounds of slicks they have available for this weekend's race, and also to put the finishing touches to the set-ups of their respective machines.
"Given the all the work we still had to get through this evening, it was only after 11.30pm that I gave Stephane the green light to go for a time. I told him he had three laps to try, and he took five, but I have no intention of holding that against him!" said Peugeot Sport Director Olivier Quesnel after the session. "It's obviously nice to see four Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs in the top-five places tonight, but we mustn't forget that this was just qualifying. The only thing that counts for me is Sunday afternoon's result. Even so, I would like to say a big bravo to Stephane and to all the drivers, as well as to everyone in the team."
Franck Montagny surprised observers just a quarter of an hour into the session by putting the No.8 Peugeot at the top of the provisional order with an early benchmark lap of 3m 25.608s. However, it was only once all the team's crucial groundwork had been completed that the times truly began to tumble in the final half hour before the chequered flag came out on the stroke of midnight.
Stephane Sarrazin kicked off the frantic dying stages by closing to within 78/1000ths of the then best time at 23:30, but his first two flying laps were thwarted by traffic through the final sector. Following a quick pit-stop for freshly-heated rubber, the Frenchman then went out for one last attempt which bagged a 3m 22.888s to earn him a place at the front of the grid... with just 11 minutes remaining: "It's a great result for all the team, but Franck, Sebastien and I worked first and foremost on the race set-up this evening. It was only when we were fully satisfied on that front that we tried for a time at the end," observed Sarrazin. "Our objective now is to get away to a good start on Saturday afternoon and put in a good race."
The crew of the No.8 car was joined on tonight's podium by the No.7 sister car of Klien//Lamy/Minassian. "Stephane and I were on completely different strategies at the end," related Nicolas Minassian. "The No.7 and No.9 Peugeots were in race trim and our focus was on preparing for the race. I've think we've found a good balance. Our Michelin tyres are nice and consistent, too, and we were able to post some very encouraging times with the race set-up."
The top six cars this evening were covered by less than three seconds round the 13.629km circuit, which suggests that spectators can look forward to an exciting show when the great race itself kicks off at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
Audi
Ingolstadt/Le Mans -- Although Audi Sport Team Joest concentrated exclusively on preparing for the race throughout qualifying for the 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the three Audi R15 TDI starts from the front row for the French endurance classic on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
After it rained during free practice on Wednesday, the Audi team used Thursday evening's qualifying solely for car set-up and tire testing. During the four hour session last year's winners Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) completed a quadruple stint on a single set of Michelin tires in the Audi R15 TDI with the start number "1" and thus collected important findings about tire wear.
Only in the dying seconds towards the end of the first part of qualifying did Allan McNish make an attempt on fresh tires. In doing so he recorded a 3m 23.650s lap which proved to be almost unbreakable for the competition for the majority of the second qualifying session. Only after several attempts on fresh tires did Stephane Sarrazin, in the fastest Peugeot, manage to eclipse the time set by McNish by 0.762 seconds just twelve minutes before the end of qualifying.
"For us, today was all about finding the optimum race set-up and to collect as much data as possible with our new car around the Le Mans race track," explained Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "The grid positions for a 24-hour race do not directly affect the final result. That Allan (McNish) managed to secure a position on the front row while working through the program demonstrates just how much potential the R15 TDI has."
Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner also only undertook a single qualifying attempt. Around midnight Marco Werner posted a time of 3m 25.780s which secured sixth place on the grid for the Audi R15 TDI with the start number "2".
The three Germans were assigned the task of comparing different aerodynamic configurations in the first part of qualifying. For this purpose their Audi R15 TDI was equipped with special data-logging suspension, which was changed as scheduled between the two qualifying sessions. Since the break was reduced from 60 to 35 minutes because the schedule was changed at short notice, Luhr Rockenfeller and Werner could only continue qualifying later. Changing a turbocharger cost further time.
The third Audi team with German Timo Bernhard and the two Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Alexandre Premat made no qualifying attempt whatsoever. They concentrated on tire tests and will start the race on Saturday from seventh on the grid. Alexandre Premat set the fastest time of 3m 27.106 s immediately at the beginning of qualifying.
The fastest ten cars on Thursday evening were all within about five seconds -- this much time separated the fastest Peugeot from the quickest Audi in qualifying last year. This time the difference around the 13.629-kilometer track is less than one second.
The two Audi R10 TDI fielded by the privateer team Kolles qualified in 13th and 14th positions.
This weekend Audi has the chance of taking a ninth overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to draw level with Ferrari in the race's all time winners list.
Porsche
Stuttgart. A perfect start to the French long distance classic: At the qualifying session for the Le Mans 24 hour race, Porsche race cars claimed pole position in both the LMP2 class for sports prototypes as well as in the production-based GT2 category. Competing for Denmark’s Essex racing as a regular driver, Casper Elgaard (Denmark) qualified the RS Spyder on pole in the LMP2 class in 3:37.720 minutes. The second RS Spyder, fielded by the Japanese NAVI team Goh and manned by Seiji Ara (Japan), followed in second, a mere 0.082 seconds slower than the pole-sitter. With these brilliant times, the two vehicles left the rest of the LMP2 field a good four seconds behind them on the 13.629 kilometre circuit.
At the top of the GT2 category, the situation was equally as tight. Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany, Flying Lizard team) and Marc Lieb (Germany, Felbermayr-Proton) were separated by just 0.03 seconds with their two Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at the head of the field. The 77th running of the long distance classic takes off on Saturday, 13 June, at 15.00 hours. Porsche is excellently represented in the race. Aside from the two sports prototypes, which last year celebrated a double victory, international customer teams field a total of five 911.
The 2009 Essex squad, which last year came second in the LMP2 class, consists of pole-sitter Elgaard as well as his compatriot Kristian Poulsen and Porsche works driver Emmanuel Collard (France). “Although we couldn’t work on the race set-up because of the rain during yesterday’s free practice, the RS Spyder felt very good right from the start in the dry today. The balance was just right. We’ve made great improvements with the Michelin tyres compared to last year. They are perfect for the car.” Essex team’s RS Spyder surprised fans in Le Mans with a completely new look. The green paintwork symbolises that the car is the official “Michelin Green X Challenge” ambassador. Last year, the RS Spyder won Michelin’s efficiency award at the 24 hour race and in the Le Mans Series as the vehicle with the best overall efficiency in the field, which was calculated from a combination of high average speed and low fuel consumption. The Danes received the right to compete at Le Mans through their result in the efficiency classification from last year.
Seiji Ara of Japan’s NAVI Team GOH, overall winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2004 with Goh, was slightly unhappy after narrowly missing out on pole position. “The front position was within reach,” said Ara, who last drove in Le Mans in 2005, “but then I got caught in traffic on the fast passage. Never mind! We have an excellent car. Most of all, I’m very impressed with the braking stability of the RS Spyder. It’s huge fun to brake for the narrow corners from over 300 kph.” Joining forces with Ara is his 20-year-old countryman Keisuke Kunimoto, who won the famous Formula 3 street race through Macao last year, and the German Porsche factory pilot Sascha Maassen. “From the first moment on I was involved in the development of the RS Spyder,” said the 39-year-old German. “For that reason my dream and my goal is to win the fastest and most fascinating long distance race in the world.”
The two Porsche works drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France), lent to Audi to contest the race, take up the 24 hour event from seventh in the overall classification. They share driving duties with Audi pilot Alexandre Prémat (France) at the wheel of an R15 TDI in the most powerful class of the LMP1 sports prototypes. “During qualifying we concentrated predominantly on the car’s race set-up, and not just on turning out a quick qualifying lap,” the German said. “Being new to the diesel vehicle this was very important, particularly because we didn’t get a chance yesterday in the wet and there was no pre-testing here on the track in the lead up to the race. Romain and I are very happy to get the chance to drive for overall victory in an LMP1 vehicle. We have received a warm welcome from the Audi crew and feel right at home here. That’s not something I simply take for granted.”
For a long time it looked as if Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz (Germany) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) would bring home an unchallenged top time in the GT2 class. But in the dying minutes of the qualifying, Joerg Bergmeister snatched the pole position away. The Porsche works driver from Germany competes in the 911 GT3 RSR of the American Flying Lizard team with Seth Neiman and Darren Law (both USA). “In the first instance it was important for my two team mates to get a couple of laps in on a dry track,” said Bergmeister. “During the first part of the qualifying we worked on the set-up and only put in some fast laps towards the end on a fresh set of tyres. I turned a relatively decent lap before it got dark. In the second session I continued working on the set-up.”
Marc Lieb was also satisfied: “Our whole package is very good with a great team, great car and great drivers. So, we’re feeling quite optimistic for the race.” Taking up the race from sixth in the GT2 class is the IMSA Performance Matmut team with the two Porsche works drivers Patrick Pilet (France), Patrick Long (USA) as well as Raymond Narac (France). The second IMSA-911, with drivers Horst Felbermayr Jr., Horst Felbermayr Sr. (both Austria) and Michel Lecourt (France) head into the race from 14th, ahead of the 911 GT3 RSR of the Endurance Asia team with drivers Darryl O’Young (China), Philippe Hesnault (France) and Plamen Kralev (Bulgaria).
Qualifying result LMP2
1. Elgaard/Collard/Poulsen (DK/F/DK), Porsche RS Spyder, 3:37.720 minutes
2. Ara/Kunimoto/Maassen (J/J/D), Porsche RS Spyder, + 0.082 seconds
3. Kane/Leuenberger/Pompidou (GB/CH/F), Lola Judd, + 4.004
4. Erdos/Newton/Dyson (GB/GB/USA), Lola Mazda, + 4.232
5. Pla/Amaral/Smith (F/P/GB), Ginetta-Zytek, + 4.292
6. Biaggi/Bobbi/Piccini (I/I/I), Lola Judd, + 5.128
7. Ojjeh/Gosselin/Peter (SAU/F/A), Zytek, + 7.110
8. Lahaye/Ajlani/Moureau (F/SYR/F), Pescarolo Mazda, + 7.312
9. Barazi/Bennett/Moseley (DK/GB/GB), Zytek 07S, + 15.263
10. Noda/Pourtales/Marsh (J/F/GB), Lola Mazda, + 15.352
Qualifying result GT2
1. Neiman/Law/Bergmeister (USA/USA/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 4.03.202 minutes
2. Lietz/Lieb/Henzler (A/D/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.030 seconds
3. Melo/Kaffer/Salo (BR/D/FIN), Ferrari F430 GT, + 0.854
3. Bouchut/Lebon/Rodrigues (F/F/F), Ferrari F 430 GT, + 0.882
5. Malucelli/Ruberti/Babini (I/I/I/), Ferrari F 430 GT, + 1.020
6. Pilet/Narac/Long (F/F/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.446
7. Bruni/Companc/Russo (I/ARG/ARG), Ferrari F 430 GT, + 1.736
8. Bell/Kirkaldy/Sugden (GB/GBGB), Ferrari F430 GT, + 1.966
9. Cocker/Drayson/Franchitti (GB/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, + 3.280
10. Simonsen/Farnbacher/Montanari (DK/D/I), Ferrari F 430 GT, + 3.410