24h Le Mans
What happened in the second and third qualifying practice sessions on Thursday 11 June? The complete rundown in words and pictures.
Even if the best time wasn’t beaten during the second evening of Qualifying Practice, the session was action packed. Eventually, drivers set their final grid positions for race.
Porsche on pole position
As many race fans were expecting, Porsche will start from the front row at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The No. 18 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb is ahead of the No. 17 of Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard. The No. 19 Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber and Nico Hülkenberg will start from third. With a lap in 3:16.887, Neel Jani set a new lap record for an LM P1 car in Qualifying Practice on the 13.629 km track, breaking the best time posted by Stéphane Sarrazin in 2008 (3:18.513).
The last time a Swiss driver, Jo Siffert, secured pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was 47 years ago, back in 1968.
“To be in pole position in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a mythical brand such as Porsche, is exceptional," Jani said. "Now we are aware that the hardest is yet to come."
Porsche has already communicated the names of the drivers who will take the start in the 919 Hybrids: Timo Bernhard (No. 17), Neel Jani (No. 18) and Nico Hülkenberg (No. 19).
Live from the pits @PorscheRaces where the departing team is cheered #24LM pic.twitter.com/T9K52A4AlH
— 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 11 2015
Jan Magnussen crashed and his Corvette C7.R is withdrawn from the event
Because of a mechanical problem, Danish driver Jan Magnussen lost control of his No. 63 Corvette C7.R, just after the Porsche Curves. The heavy hit resulted in an early end to the session for barrir repairs. The impact was double: first in the front right then the car drifted to the other side of the track for a second impact on the back of the car. It came to a stop facing the wrong way. Magunssen is okay, but the No. 63 was damanged beyond repair at the circuit.
“Corvette Racing made a great deal of efforts to prepare the two C7.R for this race but unfortunately there will only be one car on the starting grid,” Mark Kent, Manager of Chevrolet Racing said.
Without a second car, Corvette's race just got tougher, but the No. 64 of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor is up to the challenge!
Withdrawal of the Corvette C7.R n°63 after an accident during the qualifying session #LEMANS http://t.co/h2V9SN401l pic.twitter.com/4UoFF7xfm5
— 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 11 2015
Popular success for Cali
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is full of activity on the track but also off the track. Among the week’s highlights, concerts are always on the top of the list. After Your Zinc, a local group which crosses French songs with reggae, rap and folk to end up with its own style, it was Cali’s turn to take the stage. The concert lasted more than two hours with a great number of fans on hand. As usual, he gave a 100 percent of himself not hesitating to interact with the crowd.
On stage, Cali is the one who does the show! #LeMans #24LM pic.twitter.com/FdKGQ7qIce
— 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 11 2015
Discovering the circuit
The winners of a competition organized on Facebook via the official page of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, were able to take a unique tour at Le Mans. First a trip to the exhibition Ford/Ferrari, then a small tour of the working areas in the paddock, a look inside the media centre and its media teams for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, without and finally, a view at the top of the sports module!
This was a privileged moment for the 10 winners who all left with a big smile on their faces. On this subject please read: the guided tour of the Facebook winners.
60 cars by 2017
L’Automobile Club de l’Ouest had promised growth in the number of cars on the 24 Hours of Le Mans grid. Promise kept!
The starting grid will be contain 58 cars in 2016 and 60 cars in 2017. The addition of the new garages will be carried out at the pit exit end of the structure. By adding more cars, the ACO answers the requests of the spectators without sacrificing working conditions for new competitors. Read here: Safety, innovation, development: the ACO writes the future of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
New regulations in GTE and LM P2
New technical regulations have been presented during the official press conference organized by l’Automobile Club de l’Ouest at the 24 Hours Museum.
The category Le Mans Grand Touring (LM GTE) is going to evolve and see the performances of its cars improved. The aim is to create a significant difference with the GT3, whilst balancing equality amongst the various manufacturers. Radical and expensive developments will be limited in order to make the category always more attractive for new manufacturers. This will take effect in January 2016.
The category Le Mans Prototype 2 (LM P2) evolves towards a reduction in the number of authorized chassis and toward the establishment of a single engine supplier. The aim is to bring the private teams a better budget. Engines will be rented, according to an hourly cost. Vincent Beaumesnil, Sporting Director of the ACO, wanted to address economic concerns in order to ensure the current success of the LM P2 should continue! This will take effect as from 2017.
Complete program for Friday 12th June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit
Qualifying is finished and now we wait for the warm-up on Saturday morning (from 9am to 9.45am), then the race at 3pm to see the cars back on the track. But in the meantime, there is plenty of activity in Le Mans. At 10am the pit lane will be open to all spectators holding a general ticket. This will be the opportunity to walk in a mythical place and see the teams at work. The fun continues at the Village with its various booths abd the exhibition on the duel between Ford and Ferrari. You can pretend to be a driver yourself with the ultra-realistic simulators or discover the circuit from above thanks to the ferris wheel. Outside the premises of the circuit several activities are also held, including a gathering of classic vehicles at the Centre Culturel et d’Animation du Val-de-Vray. 1000 cars are expected! You can also go to the Mulsanne corner where you will find an exhibition of cars and drivers …The Peugeot brand will be honoured throughout Friday. Finally, at 5.30pm, the drivers’ parade will begin in the city centre of Le Mans with, as every year, an enormous and enthusastic crowd.
Don’t miss any of the action
There is still time to download the only official app of the 24 Hours of Le Mans so you never miss a single moment of the event. Standings, circuit info, teams, drivers, schedule, calendar, photos, videos, interviews, highlights, results and life on social media - everything is there. Download the official app now, 24-LEMANS®, and be part of the race!
Geoffroy Barre / ACO
