On the
www.lemans.org English live text site was the following (not sure which Test Day they were watching in sentence 1), but maybe some explanation why times were slower this year:
"In all four categories - LMP1, LMP2, LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am - the times clocked at the 2019 Test Day were faster across the board than last year.
The drivers explain it by the reduced grip of the track and the new design of the Ford chicanes. Jorg Bergmeister (Team Project 1's #56 Porsche 911 RSR) learned it the hard way, by catching air.
"You can't cut the right short or arrive too fast," explained Stéphane Sarrazin (SMP Racing's #17 BR Engineering BR1-AER) on Sunday evening.
"You have to keep your distance because if you hit the chicane, it can do a world of harm."