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Le Mans Series 2008
Round 2. Monza 1000 Kilometres. April 26th-27th 2008
Saturday Report

Saturday

"We're far, far away from where we should be," was Tommy's verdict after the final practice session on Saturday morning. "It's turning into a very frustrating weekend." The news has not all been bad, however, and despite a general disappointment in the RML garage that the MG X265 wasn't as high up the timing screens as perhaps it should have been, Mike Newton was looking hot, but happy. His final three-lap practice stint had seen him set his fastest ever lap here at Monza.

Come the end of the afternoon, the mood had changed. A stunning lap in qualifying from Thomas Erdos had restored the team's spirits, and the RML MG was back amongst the front-runners in LMP2. There was still a gap to the Porsches, but it had narrowed considerably.

Third Free Practice

The guys at RML are used to long hours and hard work. The challenge is to not simply to complete the tasks assigned to them, but to do them well. Another late night, followed by an early rise, had ticked all the boxes, and the MG was looking in good shape by the time Tommy throttled away from the pitlane exit at just after ten this morning. Close examination of all the data had allowed Phil Barker and his technicians to devise a set-up for the car that they hoped would suit the track.

Tommy's first real flier proved that their educated guesswork had been pretty close to the mark. 1:40.257 was the quickest the red, white and blue MG had yet gone, and while it fell short of last year's qualifying best from the Brazilian (1:40.146) it wasn't far off. The only trouble is, the benchmark has been moved this season, and pole in LMP2 looks likely to be close to two seconds faster than the 2007 time of 1:39.271 set by Michael Vergers in the Barazi Zytek.

Photo: Marcus Pots / CMC

Over the course of the next forty minutes the MG was in and out of the pitlane almost every three laps, as the engineers made fine adjustments to the settings. Sadly, the mounting level of traffic meant that Tommy was never to get another clear lap, and that forty-point-two would end up being his best, for now at least.

Photo: Peter May / DSC

For the final ten minutes or so, Mike took advantage of some track time to set a new personal best of 1:42.386 for the Monza circuit. "I'm absolutely delighted with that," he beamed. "And that was in traffic too!". He admitted to some personal satisfaction at an achievement which can be attributed to two factors - his own improvement as a driver, and the advances the team has made with the chassis. If only that vital third factor - the engine - could be said to be contributing in equal measure. Although much improved since yesterday's disastrous start, the XP-21 is not yet meeting the potential that the team, and the AER technicians, know it represents. "We're much happier than we were yesterday," conceded Mike, "but it's all relative, We're not exactly over the moon with the general situation."

Photo: Marcus Pots / CMC

Adam Wisberg, Motorsport Director of AD Group, has been keeping tabs on times, not only those set by the RML MG, but also the other competitors in the LMP2 class. With the #34 Van Merksteijn Porsche posting 1:37.522 in that session, he was well aware of the challenge facing the team's two drivers. "Losing an engine in the first session yesterday has left us playing catch-up, and we've got an awful long way to go yet before we're in the position where we should be." Perhaps matching the pace of the Porsches on a circuit like Monza was always going to be a long-shot, but being 2.5 seconds adrift is immensely frustrating.

Top LMP2 Times - Session 3

Pos No. Overall Team Driver Car
Time
1
34
12 Van Merksteijn M/s Van Merksteijn/Verstappen Porsche RS Spyder
1:37.522
2 31 13 Team Essex Nielsen/Elgaard Porsche RS Spyder
1:37.928
3 32 14 Barazi Epsilon Barazi/Vergers/Rees Zytek 07S
1:37.968
4 27 15 Horag Racing Lienhard/Theys/Lammers Porsche RS Spyder
1:38.119
5 33 17 Speedy Sebah Belicchi/Pompidou/Zacchia Lola Bo8/80 Coupé
1:39.183
6
40
18 Quifel ASM Amaral/Pla Lola B05/40 AER
1:39.460
7
46
20 Embassy Racing Kane/Foster WF01 Zytek
1:40.033
8
25
21 RML AD Group Erdos/Newton MG Lola EX265
1:40.257
9
41
22
Trading Performance Ojeh/Gosselin/Schroyen Zytek 07S
1:40.816
10
35
23 Saulnier Racing Ragues/Lahaye Pescarolo Judd
1:41.239
11
45
25 Embassy Racing Hughes/Haberfield WF01 Zytek
1:41.462
12
26
26 Bruichladdich Rostan/Petersen/Lueders Radical SR9 AER
1:41.886
13
44
27 Kruse Schiller de Pourtales/Noda Lola B05/40
1:43.061
14
30
28 Racing Box Didaio/Francioni Lucchini Judd
1:43.868
15
37
37
WR Salini Salini/Salini/Roussel WR Zytek
1:47.512

Qualifying


The twenty-minute prototype session kicked off at five-past two, but the RML MG Lola EX265 was still sitting in the garage, Thomas Erdos strapped into the cockpit. There wasn’t a problem, and this time the choice to stay there was deliberate. “There are a lot of LM2 cars going down early, so we’ll wait five and then go,” said Phil Barker over the radio. Everyone relaxed, almost visibly, and Tommy sat calmly and quietly, the car’s wheels still baking gently in the warming cabinet.

Out on track the first cars were hustling through the Ascari chicane and heading down towards Parabolica. The GT times still topped the timing screens, with the #72 Luc Alphand Corvette on pole, but not for much longer. First to show in LMP2 was the #27 Horag Porsche, driven by Jan Lammers. He whistled past the pits in a time of 1:38.104. He was followed in swift order by Jos Verstappen, clocking a 1:36.340 in the #34 to go 4th overall and reaffirm the purple Porsche’s credentials as fastest in LMP2 – a position it has occupied throughout all sessions so far. However, with the Peugeots, Audis or other leading P1 contenders yet to appear on track, it was all pretty academic at this stage.

Five minutes had more than elapsed, and Tommy was still mentally twiddling his thumbs in the garage. Then, with 12 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, Phil Barker called for the tyres. Quickly, and efficiently, the four fresh tyres were collected from the infra-red warming cabinet and fitted to the car, but as the last nut was tightened fast there was a gasp from those watching the TV coverage. Jamie Cambell-Walter in the #14 Creation had plunged at considerable speed across a paved run-off and straight into the tyre wall at the second chicane. It was a very heavy accident,. “There may be a red flag” called Phil Barker. Yellow flags could be seen being waved, but the car and scattered tyres were clear of the track. “No, it looks like we’re going on,” countered Phil. “Let’s send him out.”

Tommy and the MG were eased out onto the pitlane. “If there’s a crash and yellow flags, I won’t be able to set a time,” suggested the Brazilian, but Phil reassured him that everyone else was still going for it. “You’ll just have to drive through it,” he said, as the car accelerated away down the pitlane.

Half the session had now gone, and the situation in LMP2 had the #34 Porsche on provisional pole with a time of 1:36.842, followed by the #27 Horag Porsche on 1:37.845, then the #32 Barazi Zytek, Vergers in the cockpit, on 1:38.955. Fourth and fifth stood the two Embassy WF01 Zyteks, but their times of 1:40.196 and 1:40.386 respectively looked achievable. Then, with nine minutes remaining, the #33 Speedy Sebah Lola muscled through with a 1:38.180 to plant a flag for third in LMP2. It was significant, perhaps, that Jos Verstappen had already returned to the garage in the #34, job done on 1:36.842.

Photo: David Downes / DSC

Despite Jamie Campbell-Walter buried in the tyres, many cars were still setting improved times, and some still had to post a meaningful time at all, including Tommy and the ASM Lola #40. The first lap from the MG was a 1:41.135, which was good enough for 10th in LMP2, 21st overall, but it was soon evident that there was much more to come. The first two sectors of Tommy’s next lap both showed as green on the timing screen, signifying a potential improvement. Sure enough, it was a “quick one”, and he swept across the line to record 1:38.697, his fastest lap of the meeting so far, and good enough for fifth in P2, 15th overall.

In LMP1 the times were continuing to tumble, with a shoot-out to the flag being staged between Peugeot and Audi, with the Charouz Lola Aston Martin the quickest of the petrol-powered cars. “I’m aborting this lap,” came the message from Thomas Erdos, who’d encountered traffic. He looked for space, as Phil confirmed two laps to the end of the session. Finally, a time from Olivier Pla in the #40 ASM Lola, but 1:40.785 wasn’t yet a threat. His next, at 1:39.998 would be better, but that was as good as it got, and the Portuguese Lola would end the day 8th in LMP2.

Others were giving up by this stage, although several did not have Verstappen's luxury of believing they couldn’t be caught. Jonny Kane had been in the pitlane for five minutes already, and with three still to go, Warren Hughes joined him. The two Embassy Zyteks will start tomorrow’s race from 10th and 11th, but neither car has yet to each its full potential. If the numbers on the track were thinning, those that remained included several with the potential to change the status quo. One such was Casper Elgaard in the Essex Racing Porsche #31. His next lap was a 1:38.346, which slotted him into the frame, fourth in LMP2.

Also showing pace for the first time, the #41 Trading Performance Zytek. This, the same car which had led last season’s Silverstone 100 Kilometres as a works entry for Zytek, failed to impress in Barcelona, but in the closing moments of qualifying today, Claude-Yves Gosselin notched up a time of 1:39.861 to claim sixth in LMP2, just behind the MG.

Casper Elgaard hadn’t finished yet, and his final lap of 1:37.957 moved the #31 Porsche through into class 3rd. Another driver still on the move was Michael Vergers, and in the closing moments he came through with a new fastest time for the #32 Barazi Zytek, pipping Tommy by a tenth with 1:38.570. Tommy, meanwhile, was finding space a rare commodity, and his next lap was a 1:39.129. “This will be your last timed lap,” said Phil over the radio as the chequered flag was waved from the starting gantry. The MG’s first sector was blue, and so was the next. “Slacking off, slacking off,” announced Erdos over the radio. “Never mind,” replied a conciliatory Phil Barker. “That was a good lap anyway.”

“That was a very good lap from Tommy – a great effort,” said Phil. “Considering we’ve been on the back foot all meeting, that was a great effort. To have the Vergers car (Barazi Zytek #32) just a tenth in front, and all the others ahead of him brand new cars this year, I don’t think the result is too upsetting.”

Mike Newton was pleasantly surprised. “From where we started yesterday, with a dead engine and struggling with the chassis, the time that Tommy delivered today is probably the best we could possibly have expected. Compared to ASM and the Zyteks, I think it’s probably indicative of where the car truly is now. It could have been a lot worse. I just hope that we’ve now sorted out the gremlins and cleared them away in practice.” From his own point of view, he was very pleased to have set his best-ever time for the Monza circuit, 1.8 seconds better than he’d managed last year. “I’m confident that a mid-forty-two is certainly possible for me. In that context of the times being set by the other cars here, that’s not bad at all. I’m just mindful of the fact that these Porsches are six seconds quicker than me!

Tommy recognised that his best efforts, as excellent as they were, left a huge amount of work still to be done. “I’m happy with that, but we have to recognise that we’ve got an ocean to cross now. To be two seconds behind pole is a vast difference, but that’s where we are, and that’s not a nice situation to be in. However, we’re ahead of the ASM Lola, and that’s the nearest comparable package we’ve got to go on. I’m happy to be ahead of them, and to be the quickest of the [open topped] Lola chassis, but there’s such a vast gap between us and the people on the front row. We’ll just have to keep pushing, keep trying, and see if we can close the gap.

News of Jamie Campbell Walter

Jamie was taken to hospital after his heavyweight meeting with the tyrewall today, but the general prognosis seemed good. Although battered and bruised, he was not believed to be seriously injured, but had sustained ligament and muscle damage to his back. He later underwent a specialised scan which revealed two broken vertebra. Although in good spirits, Jamie will be forced to take it easy for a while.

The car is beyond repair, at least for this weekend's race, and co-driver Stuart Hall will join Robbie Kerr and Bruce Jouanny in the #15 sister car.

Penalised Cars

Two GT cars were penalised after qualifying for excessive cockpit temperatures. Part of the ACO's latest regulations state that drivers are not expected to have to endure cockpit conditions that exceed 12 degrees above ambient. One of the Spyker GT2 cars, and the #73 Corvette will start from the back of the grid as a result, as will the #37 WR Salini Zytek, which failed to set a time in qualifying.

Top LMP2 Times - Qualifying

Pos No. Overall Team Driver Car
Time
1
34
10 Van Merksteijn M/s Van Merksteijn/Verstappen Porsche RS Spyder
1:36.842
2 27 14 Horag Racing Lienhard/Theys/Lammers Porsche RS Spyder
1:37.845
3 31 15 Team Essex Nielsen/Elgaard Porsche RS Spyder
1:37.957
4 33 16 Speedy Sebah Belicchi/Pompidou/Zacchia Lola Bo8/80 Coupé
1:38.180
5 32 17 Barazi Epsilon Barazi/Vergers/Rees Zytek 07S
1:38.570
6
25
19 RML AD Group Erdos/Newton MG Lola EX265
1:38.697
7
41
20
Trading Performance Ojeh/Gosselin/Schroyen Zytek 07S
1:39.861
8
40
21 Quifel ASM Amaral/Pla Lola B05/40 AER
1:39.998
9
35
22 Saulnier Racing Ragues/Lahaye Pescarolo Judd
1:40.174
10
46
23 Embassy Racing Kane/Foster WF01 Zytek
1:40.196
11
45
24 Embassy Racing Hughes/Haberfield WF01 Zytek
1:40.385
12
44
26 Kruse Schiller de Pourtales/Noda Lola B05/40
1:41.007
13
26
27 Bruichladdich Rostan/Petersen/Lueders Radical SR9 AER
1:41.785
14
30
30 Racing Box Didaio/Francioni Lucchini Judd
1:44.471
-
37
-
WR Salini Salini/Salini/Roussel WR Zytek
-:- -.- - -

Click here for live feed to RLM
Click the link to hear an interview with Thomas Erdos

There are high resolution images posted in the Monza Gallery.

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