24h Le Mans
The top step on the podium at the first of two Road to Le Mans races was claimed by Team Virage today. In GT3, Valentino Rossi's successful start was ruined when his teammate got pushed out.
During the first GT3 qualifying session, Max Hesse (#31 M4, WRT) clocked a time of 03:55.888 ahead of famous teammate Valentino Rossi. Three minutes from the end, Daniel Keilwitz led the class representing Rinaldi Racing (03:47.271), but was ousted from the top spot by Manuel Espirito Santo (age 19) in the #58 (03:46.735). Wayne Boyd (#23, United Autosports) managed to squeeze in. Two incidents in a row shortened the second qualifying session. The green flag resumed the action for a little more than nine minutes, leaving barely two laps for drivers to attempt their best time.
In the end, Rich-Espirito Santo (#58 Ligier JS P320-Nissan) snatched pole position, accompanied on the first row by the #23 of United Autosports (Schauerman/Boyd). In the GT3 class, WRT owner Vincent Vosse scored the pole in the #31 ahead of the #46.
The 58 competitoros were released by the Safety Car for 13 race laps at 18:30. Right off the bat, Valentino Rossi grabbed the lead thanks to a perfectly negotiated turn. The first Mulsanne Straight chicane turned chaotic after P5, with six cars causing problems and provoking the deployment of the Safety Car. Three cars had to be evacuated. Though the nine-time MotoGP world champion managed to avoid the obstacles, he lost 10 spots in one fell swoop!
After the Safety Car left the track, Wayne Boyd found his rhythm and Keilwitz (2nd in the #66) maintained. By mid-circuit, Rossi had already climbed four places as Fielding (Audi), Ward (Mercedes) and Creswick (Porsche) battled for the lead. The game of pit stops then got underway at the end of the fourth lap. Boyd put the pedal to the metal (03:49.213) at the end of the fifth lap as Rossi, already in P2, made his obligatory pit stop and passed the wheel to teammate Jérôme Policand. But, a Ferrari sent the French driver into a spin going into the Dunlop Curve, ending the #46 BMW's hopes for a good result.
John Schauerman at the wheel of the #23 gave up his position to Boyd. Manuel Espirito Santo took off in Team Virage's #58 LMP3 prototype. In GT3, Max Hesse (#31 BMW M4) took the lead ahead of the #86 Porsche driven byr Anders Fjordbach.
Road to Le Mans | Race 1 Classification:
1. #558 Ligier JS P320 | Team Virage, Rich/Espirito Santo
2. #4 Duqueine M30 D08 | Melsom/Bell
3. #77 Ligier JS P320 | Team Thor, Gudmundsson/Noble
4. #12 Ligier JS P320 | Racing Spirit of Leman, Wolff/Doquin
5. #97 Ligier JS P320 | COOL Racing, Sanjuan/Droux
GT3 Classification:
1. #31 BMW M4 GT3 | Team WRT, Whale/Hesse
2. #86 Porsche 911 GT3 R | HCR with Caffeinesix, Creswick/Fjordbach
3. #74 Ferrari 488 GT3 | Kessel Racing, Cuhadaroglu/Fumanelli
Road to Le Mans competitors will return to the track tomorrow, Friday 9 June, for Race 2 starting at 11:30 local time.
Four years after its last appearance, the Ferrari Challenge is back at Le Mans. A red flag came out just after the start of the free practice due to an incident after Tertre Rouge caused by Dan Cornish in the #363 entered in the Coppa Shell-AM class by Ferrari of Austin. The driver was unhurt, but debris on the track caused a 15-minute interruption.
Thomas Fleming (#73 Ferrari, HR Owen-FF Corse) took the lead as soon as possible. He managed to clock a magnificent 03:59.296, much faster than yesteray and two seconds quicker than Mathew Kurzejewski (#221 Ferrari, Ferrari Beverly Hills). Thomas Neubauer (#6 Ferrari, Charles Pozzi GT Racing), also competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans JMW Motorsport's #66 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, failed to make it onto the timesheet after suffering a flat tyre early in the session.
Lap times improved greatly in the second free practice for the Porsche Carrera Cup France and Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia competitors. Dorian Boccolacci (#98, Forestier Racing CLRT) topped the timesheet for a long while (04:00.956). But, Marvin Klein (#1, TFT Racing) earned the pole in 03:59.853, the only driver to clock beneath the symbolic 04:00 mark! The time was only six seconds slower than the top Porsche 911-RSR 19 fielded in the 24 Hours this year (the #77 of Dempsey-Proton Racing, Christian Ried/Mikkel Pedersen/Julien Andlauer) timed at 03:53.481 during qualifying.
He was trailed by Dylan Pereira (#192, Mtech Compétition) in 04:00.066. Dorian Boccolacci (called Bocco) rounded out the top 3 and the best Rookie was Benjamin Paque (fifth with the #99 of Forestier Racing CLRT in 04:01.697). In Pro/Am, Ryan Ratcliffe proved fastest (18th overall) with a time of 04:03.535 in the #924 entered by Parker Racing. Lastly, in Am, Sébastien Poisson finished 27th overall in 04:04.767 at the wheel of ABM's #73.
The competitors will take the track again on Friday at 09:00 local time for a qualifying session to determine the starting grid for the race on Saturday beginning at 10:45 local time.
