Le
Mans Series 2007
Round 4. Spa 1000 Kilometers. August 17th - 19th 2007
Friday
Report
It
has been a very long break for the Le Mans Series teams,
with no race action since the Nurburgring at the start of
July. Thomas Erdos has seen action in the British GT Championship
at Brands Hatch and Silverstone, co-driving the #10 Damax
Ascari KZ1R GT3 with Stephen Keating, but it has been six
weeks since Mike Newton attacked a track in anger. The two
Friday free practice sessions are therefore an opportunity
for both drivers to get their eye back in, and also to address
the changes made to the Spa Francorchamps circuit since
they each raced here last year.
The
circuit itself has seen two significant amendments. Once
again, there have been alterations to the "Bus Stop"
chicane, to the point that it now no longer exists. The
famous lay-by (left-right, short straight, right-left, and
out again) has disappeared, to be replaced by a more conventional
right-left sequence, but on a significant scale. Extensive
run-offs shoulder either side of the track, and the whole
chicane is built out upon a new plateau of reclaimed land
that overshadows the old support paddock. "It's very
slow on the way in," suggests Tommy Erdos. "I
do prefer it the way it is now, from the safety point of
view, but it's very awkward, too tight, and it doesn't allow
you to flow smoothly through the bends. The kerbs are a
bit harsh too, but I suppose we'll get used to it!"
The
other changes are at La Source. A totally new pit complex
(above, with incomplete grandstand to the left) now overlooks
the signature Spa hairpin, and the surrounding walls have
been reprofiled to accommodate the fact that the start-finish
line has now been moved to the upper paddock straight. Yet
again, generous swathes of run-off border the track, and
the concrete walls have been moved back. "It looks
very different indeed," claims Mike Newton, "but
actually, you treat the track exactly the same as before.
You're following the same lines, and using the same tarmac,
but all your old points of reference have gone." That
means braking points have to be recalculated, and apex and
turn-in positions reassessed.
First
Session
The
day's first session got under way at midday under uncharacteristically
blue Ardennes skies, bright sunshine lending a rich green
tint to the surrounding forests. Thomas Erdos was first
out in the RML MG Lola EX264, and moved straight to the
top of the LMP2 screen with a first flyer of 2:12.561.
That
initial benchmark was soon bettered, first by Michael Vergers
in the Barazi Epsilon Zytek, and then by Warren Hughes in
the Embassy Radical (partnered this weekend by Darren Manning
while regular co-driver Neil Cunningham awaits the imminent
arrival of his first child - due yesterday).
After
20 minutes the MG stood 12th overall; a minor improvement
from Erdos setting a new best for the #25 of 2:12.068. This
had been insufficient to stave off assaults from Stuart
Moseley in the Bruichladdich Radical and the Belgian crew
in the #27 Horag Lola - local knowledge perhaps giving the
Swiss team an edge this weekend - and leaving the RML entry
fifth in class.
Just
before the half hour Tommy prepared for his final run, and
two green sectors at the start of the lap suggested a quick
time was on the cards. He duly swept across the line to
record 2:09.670, and thereby claim ninth overall, second
in LMP2 behind Verger's earlier time of 2:09.611. He pitted
at the end of the next lap, and handed over to MIke Newton.
Mike
was rapidly into the groove, and started out with a 2:16.822.
He followed that with a succession of very similar times;
2:15.834, 2:15.846, 2:16.513, 2:15.698, 2:15.246 and 2:16.091.
It was extraordinarily consistent running but, as he later
admitted, he was "always finding traffic through the
third sector! I didn't get a single clean lap. It was becoming
a little frustrating."
Elsewhere
within LMP2, most of the acknowledged quicker drivers had
completed their stints and handed over to their co-drivers,
but one exception was Miguel de Castro. The Spaniard had
taken over the #40 ASM Lola from Miguel Amaral, and came
through with a much improved time for the AER-engined Lola
of 2:09.869 - eleventh overall and third in class behind
Tommy.
Shortly
afterwards a light drizzle began to fall, but it wasn't
enough to deter most drivers, and Mike Newton rounded off
his ten laps with a new best of 2:14.009. Under the circumstances,
it was an excellent time, and placed him neatly among some
of the quickest on track at the time.
With
less than a minute of the hour remaining MIke brought the
MG back to the pitlane and ended RML's opening session.
He was grinning broadly. "I was going no-brakes through
Eau Rouge!" he said with considerable satisfaction.
"That feels pretty awesome. I'm not quite "flat"
yet, but I'm getting there. I'm also nearly flat through
Blanchimont, so I'm feeling pretty good about things just
at the moment." How had he managed to fins almost two
seconds for that last lap? "I finally got a clear lap,"
he said. "Up until then, I'd kept meeting traffic through
the middle section."
Top
LMP2 Times - Session 1
| Pos |
No. |
Overall |
Team |
Driver |
Car |
Time |
| 1 |
32 |
10 |
Barazi
Epsilon |
Vergers/Ojeh/Barazi |
Zytek
07S |
2:09.611 |
| 2 |
25 |
11 |
RML
AD Group |
Erdos/Newton |
MG
Lola EX264 |
2:09.670 |
| 3 |
40 |
12 |
Quifel
ASM |
Amaral/de
Castro/Burgueno |
Lola
B05/40 AER |
2:09.869 |
| 4 |
45 |
14 |
Embassy
Racing |
Hughes/Manning |
Radical
SR9 AER |
2:10.438 |
| 5 |
21 |
15 |
Bruichladdich |
Moseley/Greaves |
Radical
SR9 AER |
2:10.866 |
| 6 |
27 |
17 |
Horag
Racing |
Lienhard/Theys/Van
de Poele |
Lola
B05/40 Judd |
2:11.652 |
| 7 |
35 |
18 |
Saulnier
Racing |
Nicolet/Filhol/Jouanny |
Courage
LC75 AER |
2:12.539 |
| 8 |
31 |
19 |
Binnie
Motorsports |
Binnie/Timpany/Buncombe |
Lola
B05/40 Zytek |
2:12.831 |
| 9 |
44 |
20 |
Kruse
Motorsport |
de
Pourtales/Siedler |
Pescarolo
C60 Judd |
2:15.861 |
| 10 |
20 |
21 |
Pierre
Bruneau |
Rostan/Bruneau/Pullan |
Pillbeam
MP93 Judd |
2:16.807 |
Second
Session
The
day's second free practice period started even later in
the afternoon than the 5:20 schedule, thanks to the frequently
interrupted World Series Renault session that preceded it.
The Le Mans Series cars weren't out on track much before
six o'clock, but the light was still good, and the surface
significantly less "green" than it had been. A
full day's activity had laid down a generous layer of fresh
rubber, and times looked set to improve.
Mike
and Tommy had spent the hours in between poring over the
video footage from their earlier runs, comparing notes,
and seeking out those areas where a few tenths might be
saved.
The
intention had been to give both drivers an equal share of
the hour, but in the end Tommy stayed out for the duration
after Mike decided that the Brazilian could make better
use of the time. This may have been prompted by the light
drizzle that set in part-way through the session, enough
to wet the pitlane anyway, but leaving some corners totally
unaffected - typical Spa conditions really, and something
that it was useful to address ahead of the likelihood that
Sunday's race may offer similar situations.
It
wasn't until after the track had dried again that the times
really began to tumble. The first to show a significant
improvement was Angel Burgeno in the Quifel ASM Lola, who
set an impressive 2:07.180. On Tommy's next lap the MG came
through in a much improved 2:08.3, followed by a 2:08.1,
and then a 2:07.750 to move eighth overall, second in LMP2.
That
was how the session closed, with the ASM Lola quickest in
the class, Tommy second, and Michael Vergers third in the
Barazi Zytek by almost a second. Stuart Moseley in the Bruichladdich
Radical ended up fourth, almost three seconds behind the
leaders. "We've seen this from them before," said
Erdos later, with reference to the rapid time set by the
Portuguese Lola. "They did much the same thing at Valencia,
but then couldn't repeat it in qualifying. We'll just have
to see what they can do tomorrow, when they have to qualify
on the same tyres they intend to use for the race, but overall,
we're very happy with the way things have gone today. The
car feels really good."
The
Brazilian's only gripe appeared to be the driving standards
of one of the GT2 Ferraris, which had chopped across his
nose at the first of the two Stavelot corners, weaved towards
him wildly into the second, and then thumped the MG up the
rear on the exit. There was minor damage to the back of
the car, although even a small panel is a costly replacement
on cars at this level.
Phil
Barker wasn't overly concerned. "We're just working
through our usual routine," he said. "This is
the first time we've raced a medium-downforce setting this
year, so we're simply working towards achieving a good balance
for the car. We made a number of changes after the first
session, and those have been positive. The grip level is
steadily improving now, but as much as we move forwards
with the car, so does everyone else. Tommy did well to find
that seven-seven, and we're pleased to be up there with
the P1 cars again. "
Top
LMP2 Times - Session 2
| Pos |
No. |
Overall |
Team |
Driver |
Car |
Time |
| 1 |
40 |
5 |
Quifel
ASM |
Amaral/de
Castro/Burgueno |
Lola
B05/40 AER |
2:07.180 |
| 2 |
25 |
8 |
RML
AD Group |
Erdos/Newton |
MG
Lola EX264 |
2:07.750 |
| 3 |
32 |
9 |
Barazi
Epsilon |
Vergers/Ojeh/Barazi |
Zytek
07S |
2:08.543 |
| 4 |
21 |
13 |
Bruichladdich |
Moseley/Greaves |
Radical
SR9 AER |
2:10.223 |
| 5 |
45 |
14 |
Embassy
Racing |
Hughes/Manning |
Radical
SR9 AER |
2:10.628 |
| 6 |
44 |
16 |
Kruse
Motorsport |
de
Pourtales/Siedler |
Pescarolo
C60 Judd |
2:11.739 |
| 7 |
31 |
18 |
Binnie
Motorsports |
Binnie/Timpany/Buncombe |
Lola
B05/40 Zytek |
2:14.203 |
| 8 |
27 |
19 |
Horag
Racing |
Lienhard/Theys/Van
de Poele |
Lola
B05/40 Judd |
2:14.418 |
| 9 |
20 |
22 |
Pierre
Bruneau |
Rostan/Bruneau/Pullan |
Pillbeam
MP93 Judd |
2:16.231 |
| 10 |
35 |
23 |
Saulnier
Racing |
Nicolet/Filhol/Jouanny |
Courage
LC75 AER |
2:16.347 |
For
full results of all races and events being staged at the
Spa this weekend, please visit this
link,
where it is possible to download PDF files for all sessions
The
third Free Practice session is scheduled for 09:45 tomorrow.
There
are high resolution images posted in the Spa
Gallery.
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