Photo : Michel JAMIN - ACO

 

The purpose of this process is to test compliance with the regulations of the equipment and procedures. Administrative checks are the first step: checking that the documentation of drivers and competitors are in order. We must ensure that such drivers have the B international license entitling them to take the start in the FIA World Endurance Championship and that competitors documantation is entered correctly. Then the regulation stickers are put on the cars.

This is followed by scrutineering, which has two stages. The first phase is to ensure that the equipment used by drivers meets safety regulations: for example, each helmet must be licensed and comply with standards imposed by the FIA. The second phase concerns the compliance of vehicles with respect to technical regulations.

The first checks are related to safety, checking the operation of fire extinguishers and lights or the strength of the driver's safety harness. Then comes the most publicly known: the testing of vehicle compliance. Cars are carefully examined and measurements are performed with measuring instruments. Manufacturers must provide all the features of the cars on the homologation forms and the car must match them.

Some measurements can be performed while driving the vehicle, an electronic unit that records data is embedded in all cars. Finally, after each practice session or qualifying and after the race, the cars are placed in parc ferme with a ban on teams access to cars before further checks are carried out. The classification is provisional until all checks are completed.

At the end of the scrutineering, competitors will be entitled to take part of both sessions of tomorrow's Test Day.

Cécile Bonardel / ACO

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, FRIDAY JUNE 1ST 2012, SCRUTINEERING. IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche is about to take tests.