[LM24] Le Mans Pre Race Thoughts

[rdjones]

So the great race is now least than a week away so I have put together some pre-race thoughts

Lets look at quailifying first, we will take this class by class:-

LMP1

So will the grid be a Audi 1-2-3-4. No I don't think it will, in fact I think that the super quick Zytek of Andy Wallace /David Brabham/ Hayanari Shimoda will take pole. I think that the 2 Audi R8 of Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx will be there or there abouts, along with the other 2 Audi's of course. Other cars that might be challaging for pole will you have to say the 2 Racing For Holland Domes.

LMP2

Well what a week it has been in LMP2 half the field have pulled out or had a engine changes. As for Quailyfing I think the Paul Belmondo Courage will be on pole they have had an un-troubled build up to the race unlike the other Courage's.

GTS

GTS Pole now this IMO is the going to be the hardest class to call both in Qualifying and in the Race. I think that it is going to come down to the 2 Prodrive Ferrari's and the 2 Corvettes. For Pole the number 64 Corvette of Oliver Gavin /Olivier Beretta /Jan Magnussen

GT

Er a Porsche either the White Lighting car or #85 Fresinger car. But for the me White Lighting car just takes it.

Ok on to the race now.

Well I think it is going to be a victory for Audi, all 4 cars have strong driver lines up but I am going to wave my British flag and go for the number 88 car of Jamie Davies /Guy Smith /Johnny Herbert. Followed by the #8 car of Allan McNish /Frank Biela /Pierre Kaffer. I don't think it is going to be an Audi 1-2-3. I am going to tip the number 16 Racing For Holland Dome of Tom Coronel /Justin Wilson/ Ralph Firman to finish 3rd.

In LMP2 I think it is case of the car that will last the longest in this case you have to go for the number 32 Intersport Lola, followed by the 2 WR's. I don't think any of the Courages are going to last the distance.

Into GTS now - As I said above it is going to be a battle between the 2 Corvettes and the 2 Ferraris. I am going to for a Corvette 1-2 in with 64 car leading the 63 car home and I think the number 66 will finish 3rd.

GT tough but I think it will be a battle as in qualifying between White Lighting and Fresinger. But again I am going to go for the White Lighting car. I hope that both TVR's and the Morgan finish too.

I also think that Team Nasamax with there bio-enthonal fuel car might cause a few suprieses this year.

So how do you guys think that things are going to pan out next week.

[Hooper]

The zytec won't be able to take the pole on this track........
NOt enough hp. But it will maybe get the third or fourth place between the audis. From what i've seen at th PQ day, there's still a lot of potential to get from the audis. But, I think that it's during the race that we may have a suprise. The gear box is the main weakness of the Ingolstat squad.

[JAG]

I think the Zytek will get pole. At the PQ they had straight line speed issues which have now been resolved.

I predict the Zytek will lead at least the first couple of hours, before the Audis come to the fore.

I wonder if the Audis will push each other so much that they have reliabilty problems.

Looking at DSC the 550s look like they have had a lot of development since PQ, with lots of work done to the aero and cooling on the car. Enga for Pole!

[toge]

I think Dunlop and Yokohama don't have QFtires,
so 3 Domes won't be as fast as Audis and Zytek.
I think either of Audi UK will be on pole.
I can't expect which Audi will win the race...

In GT, Orbit porsche will become contender against
Freisinger and White Lightning. Seikel, ChoroQ,
Perspective, JMB, Racer's Group will compete in second group.
I think will be hard year for Alphand and PK....

Here's some icons I drew, it will update daily...
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-...ent04final.htm

[bernard b]

the Zytec should make the show during qualifying and the beginning of the race; I'm not sure they could last for a long time at top speed without (even minor) troubles, so they have to prove they can be Audi's equal before they get these troubles
GTS could definitely be the race to watch. During test day, I'm pretty sure Corvettes were at top speed, while 550 were probably not (the way both were running in Porsche curve the last hour says a lot ...)

[Hooper]

From what i've seen at the PQ, i'm quite sure that the zytech will stay at least 1 or 1.5 sec of the pace of the fastest audi (which one?). It was just as fast in slow corner in spite of its weight avantage and was ten km/h slower in the straight.

[Fab]

The Zytech is definitely too slow in Les Hunaudières to get the pole.

Another question : could we have a Porsche under 4:00 a lap this year ?

And a Vette under 3:45 ?

[Aysedasi]

Entirely possible for both, I'd say.

I just hope we're not placing too much hope on one singleton Zytec........

[Dunlop Corner]

Great list toge. Will print one, and have it near me at the TV.

One question though (i don't know much about sportscars, but i love Le Mans). Why has the 22, 25, 27 and 29 cars a different colour than the other LMP1 cars? I can see these cars were LMP675 cars last year, but is there a difference between them and the "big" LMP1 cars?

[toge]

Dunlop Corner,
Yes, No.22, 25, 27, 29 cars are made by
LMP675 specification, but they are using
same tire as LMP900 specification car in new rule...
This is one of the reason why Zyteks are fast.

More neat lists are here, but they contains Japanese text...
I don't have much English ability to translate
in English all of them...
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-...2004lmp1_1.htm

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by toge


Here's some icons I drew, it will update daily...
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-...ent04final.htm

Those are terrific.

Just a case of removing the ones that are now hors de combat......

[simon c]

can't see anything other an audi win, but i have a feeling that Big John's Lister will rumble around to a top 6 and that bourdais and co' will give the locals something to shout about.

[simon c]

oh yes forgot - tim sugden for gt pole (respect for steve o'rourke)

[The Badger]

Im particurly looking forward to seeing the RfH and Rollcenter cars , the fights going to be excellant in the top 6 . LMP-2 looks a little uncertain but the Lola should sound great . GTS will be Corvette and Prodrive beating the **** outta each other and the GT battle is going to be as mad as last year . Im off to bed in 2 hours cuz I gotta get up early to go to some little french town called Le Mans !!!

[toge]

Yes, I know No.7, 33, 34 are withdrew their entry,
as result fields are now 48cars.
I hope we have some other invitees to reach 50...

[Fab]

Originally posted by toge
I hope we have some other invitees to reach 50...

No, I think that the field is completed now. We'll have 48 cars on the grid if everything goes well... I mean if the weakest are able to qualify...

[bernard b]

interesting read about Michelin at lmsr.net
we learn that "At night time, quintuple stints may even be envisaged " : hard for the drivers !
"Each part of the same tyre hits the ground 6,684 times during a complete lap of the 13.650 km circuit" : never thought about something like that

[Aysedasi]

The ACO didn't have the b***s to let Creation in, so there's no chance of anything arriving unexpectedly now......

[paul-collins]

Quintuple stints - how long between pit stops? 45-50 minutes last year (should be shorter by about 1-2 laps this year due to the smaller tanks)?

Drivers are allowed 4 hours in the car out of 6 (maximum 14 over the race). So it would be about 3:45 based on last year's pit stops, 3:20 just based on a 10% reduction of fuel distance, between tire changes.

Doable, but ugh.

[jhansen]

I don't see a Zytek pole. But I believe they'll be right there in qualifying. A top five effort would be brilliant. I watched the Monza 1-hour recap on Speed over the weekend and Herbert thinks the Zytek will be strong at Nurburgring, which is nothing like Le Mans. It's a pitty this car will have a hard time staying reliable over 24 hours.

[Fieldgate]

Barbosa - P4 in the Dallara for qualifying.

[Aysedasi]

Will Barbosa have qually duties? I would have thought Martin would have taken the limelight?

[Aysedasi]

By the way, can I please use Rob's thread to say this:-

This will be my third Le Mans since joining Ten Tenths back in October 01. Frankly, the level of knowledge, interest and sheer camaraderie here continues to amaze me. There are other boards around but since joining this one I've never felt the need to go anywhere else. Its a real pleasure to be involved here with such a great bunch of people. So for those lucky ones like me who are going to be taking in the world's greatest sporting event this week/week-end, I just hope you all have a marvelous time (and don't burn too much in the scalding sunshine.... ). I'm looking forward to meeting a fair few of you there.

For those of you who aren't going, my commiserations. You must plan your life significantly better for 2005. At least you have the benefit of being able to listen to my friend Paul Truswell (one of the ultimate sportscar anoraks) on Radio Le Mans.

Enjoy yourselves out there people - enjoy the best weekend of the year!

[jhansen]

Couldn't agree with you more Ayse. This is the first motorsports forum that I had ever utilized. I have found no need to look elsewhere at all. The information and people here are just awesome!

[PascaLM]

Despite the predictable domination of the Audi, I think - and hope - that the race will be more agitated than for the last editions.
In LMP2, we will have the same between the Courage (héhéhé ).
And I hope the first non-Audi will be 3th, at least 4th.