Le
Mans Series 2009
Round 1. Catalunya 1000 Kilometres. April 3rd-5th 2009
Saturday Review
Sunday
- Raceday
Two
days of intense practice and qualifying come to a head late
on Sunday morning with the start of Round 1 of the 2009
Le Mans Series, but the day starts earlier than that with
official warm-up at nine. That's followed by some support
races, a paddock walkabouts for the public, autograph sessions
and, in the case of the RML drivers, introductions and briefings
with the AD Group guests in hospitality.
Warm
Up
Peter
Hardman in the (perhaps unexpectedly) pole-sitting Strakka
Racing Ginetta-Zytek LMP1 lead the stream of cars out onto
the track for the twenty-minute warm-up session. Tommy wasn't
far behind, nosing his way into the queue and then accelerating
out onto the tarmac.
One
of the GT2 Ferraris, fresh out of the pits, promptly beached
into the gravel at Turn 2, bringing out the yellows, and
then the reds. It was a brief pause, and then everyone was
back out again. The team made a very minor adjustment to
the car while Tommy waited, and then he was off again for
a single lap. Having lost time through the red flag Tommy
was prevented from setting a flying lap, and returned straight
away to carry out a full driver-change with Mike, simulating
a typical pitstop.
All
went perfectly, and Mike was soon out there and mixing it
with the rest. Then, with three minutes remaining, the team
confirmed a second simulated driver change to round-off
the session, with Tommy swapping back for MIke.
Lap
times in warm-up are rarely meaningful and while Mike's
time of 1:42.510 was the best of the session for the #25
Lola, it was hardly representative. The succession of interruptions
due to yellow or red flags and popping in and out for driver
changes wasn't conducive to fast times, but did establish
a mind-set for the race ahead.
Quickest in LMP2 was Amaral in the ASM Zytek, with the #30
Lola second and #33 third. Fastest overall was the #16 Pescarolo,
with Olivier Panis second in the #13 Oreca. There was then
the novelty of a seeing Prost in third, Senna in fourth,
and Mansell down in 35th place.
There
was just time for a quick de-brief before Mike and Tommy
headed out into the paddock to sign autographs and give
out copies of the new team HeroCard.
LMP2
Times - Warm Up
Pos |
No. |
Overall |
Team |
Driver |
Car |
Time |
1 |
40 |
15 |
Quifel
ASM |
Amaral/Pla |
Ginetta
Zytek GZ09S |
1:39.538 |
2 |
30 |
16 |
Racing
Box |
Ceccato/Francioni/Piccini |
Lola
B08/86 Coupé |
1:39.794 |
3 |
33 |
12 |
Speedy
Sebah |
Belicchi/Pompidou/Zacchia |
Lola
B08/80 Coupé |
1:39.985 |
4 |
29 |
13 |
Racing
Box |
Ceccato/Francioni/Piccini |
Lola
B08/86 Coupé |
1:42.251 |
5 |
25 |
14 |
RML
AD Group |
Erdos/Newton |
Lola
B08/86 Coupé |
1:42.510 |
6 |
39 |
18 |
Kruse
Schiller |
Marsh/Noda
/Sini |
Lola
B05/40 |
1:43.448 |
7 |
41 |
17 |
GAC
Racing Team |
Ojeh/Gosselin/Peter |
Ginetta
Zytek GZ07S |
1:39.425 |
8 |
35 |
20 |
Oak
Racing |
Ajlani/Lahaye |
Pescarolo
Mazda |
1:43.948 |
9 |
26 |
19 |
Bruichladdich |
Bruneau/Moseley/Greensall |
Radical
SR9 AER |
1:44.650 |
10 |
24 |
22 |
Oak
Racing |
Nicolet/Hein |
Pescarolo
Mazda |
1:46.009 |
11 |
38 |
24 |
Pegasus |
Schell/Thirion |
Courage
AER |
1:47.323 |
12 |
43 |
39 |
Q8
Oils Hache |
Moncado/Cortez/Armetta |
Lucchini
Judd |
1:47.951 |
13 |
28 |
28 |
Ibanez
Racing |
Ibanez/da
Rocha/Cavailhes |
Courage
AER |
1:50.920 |
14 |
42 |
25 |
Ranieri
Randaccio |
Randaccio/Giammaria |
Lucchini
McLaren |
1:51.337 |
15 |
37 |
21 |
WR
Salini |
Salini/Salini/Gommendy |
WR
Zytek |
1:51.676 |
The
Race
Race
coverage is created "live" starting from approximately
one-hour into the event, and then driver quotes and additional
observations are added later. This can lead to some inconsistency
with tenses, for which we apologise in advance.
Race
Start
11:30
The race gets under way, with the pole-setting Strakka Racing
Ginetta Zytek, Peter Hardman taking the rolling start, appearing
to slow before the line. The three cars behind pounce immediately,
and the black car is swamped by a wave of orange and pale
blue as the first of the Astons romps by, followed eagerly
by the #13 red and silver Speedy Lola. The Zytek enters
the first corner in fourth.
No
such problems in LMP2, although Olivier Pla in the #40 Ginetta
Zytek is through to the class lead as they barrel along
the main straight. That sets the Racing Box Lola #29 into
second, the #33 third and the #30 Lola fourth. Tommy is
squeezed out on the left hand side through Turn 1, and the
#41 Zytek forces the gap and takes fifth. There's a moment
too when the WR Salini noses up on Tommy on the run into
Turn 3, but the Brazilian slams the door shut, and the leading
LMP2 pack heads away for the opening lap.
11:40
The race has quickly settled down into a series of individual
tussles, with Tommy now latched onto the tail of the #41
Zytek. There seems no doubt that he could go quicker, if
only he could get ahead. The top six in LMP are separated
by only a matter of seconds, but the gaps are steadily lengthening
all through the pack.
For
now the three Aston Martin powered cars lead overall with
the Strakka Racing Ginetta-Zytek fourth, but with less than
a quarter-hour gone, the #16 Pescarolo moves ahead of Peter
Hardman to demote the black car to fifth.
The
order in LMP2 is #40 leading from #29 and #33, with the
third #30 Lola in fourth. These are pretty evenly spaced,
before a short gap to the #41, with Tommy right on his tail.
11:50
Tommy is still battling to get passed the #41 car, but no
matter how hard he tries, and no matter where, the opening
he needs is denied him. Meanwhile, the top four are pulling
steadily clear.
12:00
The #40 leads LMP2 by a generous margin, maybe eight to
ten seconds, over the #33, which has moved into second ahead
of the #29. There's another lengthy gap to the #30, while
Tommy continues to nibble away at the heels of the #41.
12:07
SAFETY CAR
The #14 Audi R10, with Michael Krumm at the wheel, has gone
off into the gravel with some damage, after contact with
the Signature Plus Oreca Judd. Tommy misses his first chance
to pit, but takes it on the next tour, and at 12:11 he's
trundling down the pitlane for some fresh tyres and a top-up
of fuel.
It's
a quick pitstop, and he gets out just ahead of the safety
car. Many other cars have pitted, and for some while it's
hard to determine an order.
The
#40 ASM Ginetta-Zytek leads LMP2 from 8th overall.
12:16
RACING RESUMES
Hour
2 (12:30-13:30)
12:30
Tommy holds sixth in LMP2, but is closing fast on the Racing
Box Lola in fifth. The full order in LMP2 is:
1
(9th overall) #40 Quifel ASM Ginetta-Zytek (Olivier Pla)
34 laps
2 (10th) #30 Racing Box Lola B09/86 (Thomas Biagi ) 33 laps
3 (12th) #35 Oak Racing Pescarolo - Mazda (Matthieu Lahaye)
33 laps
4. (13th) #41 GAC Racing Zytek 07S - Zytek (Philipp Peter)
33 laps
5. (15th) #29 Racing Box Lola B09/86 Coupé - (Filippo
Francioni) 33 laps
6. (16th) #25 RML Lola Mazda B09/86 Coupé (Tommy
Erdos) 33 laps
7. (17th) #26 Bruichladdich Bruneau Radical SR9 (Nigel Greensall)
32 laps
12:34
The RML Lola Mazda is now right under the tail of the Italian
car, and challenging for the position.
12:46
SAFETY CAR
Karim Ojeh in the #41 Zytek and the #35 Oak Racing Pescarolo
are stranded on track requiring recovery.
12:50
Reporting from now on was uploaded "live", and
coverage from first hour of the race was added subsequently.
The
Oak Racing LMP2 Pescarolo which had spun across the track
and lost power has now been recovered, so we expect the
race to go green" again shortly. Tommy reports that
the safety car is not yet letting anyone through, and the
leader (#13) is currently behind Tommy, so a lot will have
to be waved by before the race can resume.
Directly
ahead of Tommy, on track, are two LMP2 prototypes, and they
are "for position". Immediately ahead of the RML
Lola is the #29 Racing Box Lola, with Francioni in the cockpit,
and he's tailing Phillip Peter in the #41 Ginetta Zytek.
The
leader is LMP2 remains the Olivier la in the #40 ASM Zytek,
with a safety car's six seconds between him and Biagi in
the #30 Racing Box Lola second.
12:56
Tommy is waved by the pace car. The #13 Speedy Lola Aston
Martin currently leads overall. The organisers appear to
have adopted a new system whereby the race restarts as soon
as the safety car has collected the leader, irrespective
of where anyone else is on the track.
12:58
RESTART
The lights go green and we're racing again. Tommy is nose-to-tail
on the cars ahead of him, with three seconds separating
Peter, Francioni and Erdos.
13:02
Tommy moves ahead of Francioni, passing the Racing Box Lola
and moving into fourth place.
13:07
LMP2 leader, the ASM Zytek #40, pits. It's a slow stop,
and the car starts to fall down the order.
13:09
Tommy into the pitlane for a fuel-only
pitstop. Phil confirms that the tyres from the last pitstop
reveal that it's good to double-stint the Michelins. It's
a brief pause only, and the RML Lola is back out again before
13:10.
Despite
the pitstop, Tommy moves ahead of the #40 Zytek to take
third in LMP2. He rejoins the track some distance behind
Peter, who's still in the #41 Zytek and holding second.
Amaral in the #40 rejoins, but now in a class fifth, 15th
overall.
13:15
Overall, the 007 Aston Martin has now regained the lead,
from the #16 Pescarolo and the 009 Aston. The #13 Lola has
dropped to 7th after a pitstop.
Only
thirty seconds cover the top five, and any error, or any
pitstop, will result in many positions lost.
13:18
Tommy up to second in LMP2, now ahead of Peter, who's just
made a standard pitstop. The Zytek returns to the track
just six seconds behind the Lola.
13:24
Tommy appears to be easing clear of Peter, and has opened
out the gap to nearly 12 seconds.
13:25
The LMP2 leader, the #30 Racing Box Lola, is into the pits
for what appears to be a routine stop and driver change,
with mateo Bobbi climbing into the cockpit.
13:27
Tommy heads past the pits and into the lead, gaining 15
seconds over Bobbi. It's a great way to round off the second
hour.
Moments
later Peter Kox in the leading GT1 Lamborghini nurfs the
side of the #41 GAC Zytek. The prototype with Phillip Peter
had just moved up into second, having also passed Bobbi.
The Lambo appears to be damaged, but the #41 presses on
Hour
3
(13:30-14:30)
13:32
Order in LMP2 is now RML first by 30 seconds from the #41
Zytek, and then the #37 WR Salini, narrowly ahead of the
first of the two Racing Box Lolas, Bobbi's #30 car in fourth.
13:41
Cavailhes in the Ibanez Courage is so distracted by the
battle for the overall lead that he ploughs straight on
at Turn 4 and buries the #28 in the deepest area of gravel.
The leaders press on regardless, but there may be a safety
car.
That
battle is becoming more intense as Tinseau in the #16 Pescarolo
narrows the gap on Charouz in the leading 007 Aston to less
than half a second.
13:45
Tommy is maintaining his half-minute lead over the second-placed
car, although this is now Bobbi in the #30 Lola. The #41
Ginetta-Zytek has fallen back to third.
13:46
Charouz pits from the lead, handing the position to Tinseau
. . . . who has Tommy chasing him along the main straight.
13:50
Tommy has opened out his lead to forty seconds, but is aware
that there's a scheduled pitstop coming up shortly. The
RML Lola is holding 10th overall.
14:00
Exactly on the hour, Tommy enters the pitlane for a full
driver change, refuel and fresh tyres. Apart from a TV cameraman
getting in the way of the refuelling hose, it all goes well,
and Mike is soon being strapped into the cockpit. Then,
just as Mike's about to leave, the Ferrari in the pit alongside
comes in to pit as well, but a small fire develops. The
crew is fast to apply the extinguisher, but the cloud of
white powder delays Mikes departure.
14:02
Mike back out onto the track, but is soon complaining of
a misfire. He hasn't got half-way round the track before
a cloud of smoke starts to envelop the rear of the car.
He confirms the misfire is getting worse, but the team advises
him to press on and try to get back to the garage. The telemetry
reveals problems with the engine, but as yet undetermined.
14:04
Mike has pulled over to the side of the track. The car's
race is over.
15:00
A full explanation for the engine failure is unlikely to
be forthcoming until the unit can be fully dismantled and
examined, but the previously suspected crankcase or piston
failure remains the most likely. Comment from Thomas Erdos
and Mike Newton to follow - see press
release.
There
are high resolution images posted in the
Barcelona Gallery.
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