Look
both ways before you cross the track
As
a preview to this year’s Le Mans we begin
by taking a look back down the track, into the
history of this remarkable annual event, before
considering the front-runners and key elements
of the 24 Hours in 2009.
The
Years Pass By
The
whole concept of the classic “Le Mans
Start” is so engrained in the legend of
the 24 Hours that it’s almost hard to
credit that it is exactly forty years since
that mad dash across the track last took place.
It
was the 14th June, just a day later in the calendar
than this year’s start, when one man refused
to take part in that headlong sprint towards
his waiting car. In defiance of convention,
and as a deliberate protest against what he
believed to be a dangerous and unnecessary risk,
Jacky Ickx walked sedately across the track,
carefully tightening the binding on his gloves
as he paced the tarmac. He climbed into the
Ford GT40 and methodically fitted and adjusted
the straps on his harness before firing up the
car’s thunderous V8. By the time he pulled
away from the herringbone formation, he was
the last driver to head off up the rise towards
the Dunlop Curve. He and his co-driver Jackie
Oliver would, of course, go on to win the race.
It would be the first of six such victories
for the Belgian, but the last time anyone else
sprinted for the start of a Le Mans 24 Hours
race.
Ickx’s
concerns were well founded, and the risks proven
later on the opening lap, when John Woolfe’s
Porsche 917 was involved in an accident at the
old Maison Blanche kink. It was, by today’s
standards, a relatively modest impact. Unfortunately,
Woolfe’s eagerness to get ahead at the
start had meant he’d devoted less time
to securing himself into the cockpit than perhaps
he should. Opinions differ. Some believe he
hadn’t fitted his harness at all, while
others say he’d never even closed the
door properly. Either way, he was thrown from
the car and died from his injuries.
The
point where Woolfe’s Porsche struck the
crash barriers was immortalised by Steve McQueen
in a poignant moment during the opening minutes
of the film Le Mans, when McQueen contemplates
the repaired steelwork beside the track. The
filming was done during the year following Woolfe’s
accident, and released in 1971.
Names
and Dates
That
race in 1969 is peppered with the names of drivers
who are remembered to this day – the likes
of Mike Hailwood, Helmut Kelleners, Reinhold
Joest, Gérard Larousse, Vic Elford, Bob
Wollek, David Piper, Jo Siffert and Chris Amon,
to pick out just a few.
One
name you might expect to see in that list, but
is conspicuously absent, is that of Henri Pescarolo.
The Frenchman, who remains to this day a cult
hero in French motorsport, should have been
taking part in the race, but had crashed during
the April test when the long-tailed Matra 640
he was driving took off along the Mulsanne.
At that time the Straight was without the two
chicanes and significantly the fastest part
of the circuit. The car disintegrated on impact
and erupted into a ball of fire. Although Henri
was seriously burned, he did return to racing
a few months later, but missed out on the Le
Mans 24 Hours and has sported a beard ever since.
Henri
Pescarolo is back at Le Mans again this year
– not as a driver, but as a team owner
and manager. From a record 33 starts he won
the race four times, including the memorable
1972 victory co-driven with Graham Hill, but
he has perhaps his best chance ever of adding
to that impressive CV in 2009. Not only has
he entered one of his own, very competitive
chassis, but he has become the first customer
for the Peugeot 908 HDi. He will hope that whilst
his drivers can’t perhaps match the outright
pace of the factory cars – Peugeot wouldn’t
like that! – his experience will give
them an edge over twenty-four hours.
Whilst
on the subject of names, it will be interesting
to record that this year’s 24 Hours includes
those of three iconic stars from the glory days
of Formula 1; Prost, Senna and Mansell. The
associated forenames are not Alain, Ayrton or
Nigel, of course, but Nicolas, Bruno (right)
and Leo. Nicolas will share the Speedy Sebah
LMP1 Lola Aston Martin; Bruno will be in the
#10 Oreca Courage LMP1, and Leo will co-drive
the Team Modena Ferrari F430 GT2. Of the three,
perhaps Leo and his co-drivers have one of the
most obvious chances of a class podium, having
taken the GT2 win at Spa last month, but the
other two cannot be excluded. Both are in very
competitive cars.
Ickx
is racing again too, but not Jacky. Although
the six-times winner will almost certainly be
at the circuit, he’ll be there to support
his daughter Vanina, left. She is the
only woman in this year’s race, but has
ably demonstrated her pace over several years.
This will be her fifth participation at Le Mans,
having finished 11th overall last year. In 2009
she shares the Creation Autosportif entry in
LMP1 with Briton Jamie Campbell Walter.
Clocking
up the Decades
If
it is forty years since the last time the drivers
were made to run across the track to start the
race, it is fifty since the one and only victory
recorded by Aston Martin. For a marque so strongly
associated with motorsport in general, and Le
Mans in particular, it is hard to believe that
the factory has won Le Mans just once from 32
starts, but in 1959 the DBR1 shared by American
Carroll Shelby and Briton Roy Savadori beat
the sister car co-driven by Paul Frère
and Maurice Trintignant by one lap. That winning
Aston Martin (below) will compete in
this year’s Legends event, and is also
scheduled to lead off the Driver’s Parade
through the streets of Le Mans on the Friday
evening. (The car would eventually fail
to take part due to mechanical issues)
Hoping
to mark that fiftieth anniversary with another
outright win, Aston Martin has mounted perhaps
its most credible and determined challenge for
nearly two decades by entering three of their
new Gulf-liveried Lola Aston Martins (below
right). With a debut win in Barcelona,
the car certainly has the potential, but last
time out at Spa the differential which still
exists between the diesel-powered Peugeots (and,
potentially, the new Audi R15 as well) and the
best of the petrol-engined cars appears as vast
as it has ever been – and this despite
efforts by the ACO to curtail the diesel’s
advantages.
Totting
up the Odds
In
their official press releases, Aston Martin
concedes that the odds are stacked against the
three Lolas, but they cite the 1959 win as inspiration.
On that occasion a third DBR1, driven by Stirling
Moss and Jack Fairman, retired, but not until
after it had set such a blistering pace during
the early stages that it had also broken the
back of the Ferrari challenge. The spirit and
tactics of endurance racing have changed since
then, and Ickx, starting from the back of the
grid ten years later in 1969, could not realistically
hope to win from the same position in 2009.
Today’s Le Mans is a succession of sprint
races interrupted by pitstops, and losing one
lap can be enough to destroy all chances of
victory, but the prediction remains that one
of the three Astons will hare off into the distance,
taking the race to the diesels, while the other
two concentrate on reliability.
In
that capacity, Peugeot’s record is not
a good one. The 908 is undeniably fast –
the fastest prototype on the track, without
a doubt – but it has also demonstrated
fragility and an unforgiving nature. Minor driver
errors have resulted in major accidents, and
despite dominant performances in qualifying,
the Peugeot has consistently missed out on the
big prizes. The factory – and Henri Pescarolo
– will be aiming to rectify that fault
in 2009, but they’re up against another
huge challenge from Audi.
The
Audi R10 has been the dominant car at Le Mans
for the last three years, but it won’t
be in 2009. Well, not on recent performance
anyway. The Kolles outfit has failed to impress
this season, taking on the privateer mantle
for the R10 in the Le Mans Series and, perhaps
through the choice of drivers with little experience
in endurance racing, looking surprisingly uncompetitive.
By contrast the factory entered R15 TDi has
appeared awesome.
Favourites
. . . . again.
Brand
new, straight out of the box, the R15 TDi took
a maiden win in the Sebring 12 Hours in March.
In a situation not dissimilar to that witnessed
in Formula 1 following Brawn & Button’s
emphatic start to the 2009 season, others cried
foul, pointing the finger and citing a string
of minor technical infringements in the way
the Audi was constructed. The mud flew, but
nothing seems to have stuck, and Audi will embark
upon an attempt to make it ten wins on the trot
for the cars from Ingolstadt (allowing for a
small discretionary tweak over Bentley’s
win in 2003), and a fourth for the TDi diesel
engine. There is no denying their status as
favourites for the overall win.
So
LMP1 boasts no less than five Audi diesels,
three Peugeots and, including the Speedy Sebah
entry, four Lola Aston Martins. The top step
of the podium is widely expected to be occupied
by a driver line-up from one of these twelve
cars, but that’s not to rule out the other
entries completely. The Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S
has been entered by two teams; the factory in
the form of Team LNT, and also Strakka Racing.
Newcomers to the top class, Strakka impressed
by taking pole in Barcelona, ahead of the Astons,
and cannot be disregarded, while neither can
the two Team Oreca Courages, nor Henri Pescarolo’s
own Judd-engined chassis.
Not
always the Bridesmaids
LMP2
has been seen, for some time, as the bridesmaids
in the Le Mans 24 Hours. In the early days they
were fast but fragile, often snapping at the
heels of the big boys, but too often falling
by the wayside. That has changed, and while
regulations have dictated that they are no longer
on a pace with the LMP1 cars, reliability and
numbers work in their favour. RML notably won
the LMP2 class two years in succession; in 2005
with the Judd-engined MG EX264, and then again
in 2006 with an AER turbocharged unit. Front-runners
again in both 2007 and 2008, the team’s
charge ended in disappointment both times when
engine or technical problems intervened.
This
season has not started well for the Wellingborough-based
outfit, with two engine failures in the first
two races, and this has contributed to a sense
that others, including some on-track rivals,
may have dismissed them as contenders in 2009.
That might prove to be a risky oversight, and
following late nights and diligent hard work
over the past few weeks, the Snetterton shakedown
test last Tuesday demonstrated that the issues
that contributed to those engine failures may
have been successfully addressed and a return
to form could be within sight.
That
being the case, who are those rivals? Last year
was dominated by the arrival of the Porsche
RS Spyder in Le Mans Series races, and at Le
Mans. However, despite being unbeaten all year,
the Spyders are not back in numbers in 2009.
The high cost of running the cars has deterred
entrants in these difficult economic times,
and only two LMP2 Porsches will compete this
year.
Team
Essex competes in the Le Mans Series, finished
second in LMP2 at Le Mans last year, and must
be among the favourites for 2009, but the second
Spyder, entered by Team Goh, is equally capable.
The chassis is the same one that took the class
last year, and Team Goh won overall with an
Audi R8 in 2004.
Impressive
in the first two rounds of the Le Mans Series
have been the new Lola coupés. RML’s is
one, of course, but the Judd-engined examples
from Racing Box and Speedy Sebah Racing have
also performed well, with the former winning
in Barcelona (right), and the latter
finishing second at Spa. Kruse Schiller had
high hopes of revealing a new Mazda-powered
coupé at Le Mans, but time and funds conspired
against them, and they will field their open-topped
version once again. If the coupé had made an
appearance, it would have been the car’s
debut and a hard place to carry out a first
run.
The
Lolas will face a tough challenge from the Zyteks.
Team Quifel ASM (below), for so long
a direct rival to RML with a similar Lola chassis,
deserted the Huntingdon-based manufacturer this
year in favour of the new Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S
LMP2, and has demonstrated good pace and strong
reliability. Two other teams; Barazi Epsilon
and GAC (formerly Trading Performance) will
field the slightly older 07S chassis, but have
the same support and engine package.
Last
year the Saulnier outfit was rarely worth a
second glance, but a rebranding exercise over
the winter, a smart livery and a new name; Oak
Racing, seems to have worked wonders for the
French team. Enthusiastic support from Mazda
in France has generated extra media and public
interest, and after strong showings at Barcelona
and Spa, and in front of a home crowd, the two-car
squad stands a fair chance of recording its
best Le Mans result.
The
full LMP2 entry is as follows:
Image
(Click for an enlargement) |
No |
Team
&
Nationality |
Drivers |
Car |
Engine
& Tyres |
|
5 |
NAVI
Team Goh
Japan |
Seiji
Ara
Keisuke Kunimoto
Sascha Maassen |
Porsche
RS Spyder |
3396cc
Aspirated
Michelin |
|
24 |
Oak
Racing
France |
Jaques
Nicolet
Richard Hein
Jean-François Yvon |
Pescarolo
Mazda |
1995cc
Turbocharged
Michelin |
|
25 |
RML
AD Group
Great Britain |
Mike
Newton
Thomas Erdos
Chris Dyson |
Lola-Mazda
B08/86 Coupé |
1995cc
Turbocharged
Michelin |
|
26 |
Team
Bruichladdich Radical
Great Britain |
Pierre
Bruneau
Tim Greaves
Marc Rostan |
Radical
AER SR9 |
1995cc
Turbocharged
Dunlop |
|
30 |
Racing
Box SRL
Italy |
Andrea
Piccini
Matteo Bobbi
Thomas Biagi |
Lola-Judd
B08/80 Coupé |
3395cc
Aspirated
Dunlop |
|
31 |
Team
Essex
Denmark |
Casper
Elgaard
Kristian Poulsen
Emmanuel Collard |
Porsche
RS Spyder |
3396cc
Aspirated
Michelin |
|
32 |
Barazi
Epsilon
France |
Juan
Barazi
Roland Berville
Stuart Moseley
|
Zytek
07S |
3396cc
Aspirated
Michelin |
|
33 |
Speedy
Racing Team Sebah
Switzerland |
Xavier
Pompidou
Jonny Kane
Benjamin Leuenberger |
Lola-
Judd
BO80/80
Coupé |
3394cc
Aspirated
Michelin |
|
35 |
Oak
Racing
France |
Matthieu
Lahaye
Karim Ajlani
Guillaume Moreau |
Pescarolo
Mazda |
1995cc
Turbocharged
Michelin |
|
39 |
Kruse
Schiller Motorsport
Germany |
Hideki
Noda
Jean de Pourtales
Matthew Marsh |
Lola-Mazda
B08/86 |
1995cc
Turbocharged
Dunlop |
|
40 |
Quifel
ASM
Portugal |
Miguel
Amaral
Olivier Pla
Guy Smith |
Ginetta-Zytek
09S |
3396cc
Aspirated
Dunlop |
|
41 |
G.A.C.
Racing Team
Switzerland |
Karim
Oijeh
Claude-Yves Gosselin
Phillip Peter |
Zytek
07S |
3396cc
Aspirated
Michelin |
With
the exception of the Team Goh Porsche RS Spyder,
#5, you may click on any thumbnail to view an
enlargement (all photos: Marcus Potts/CMC).
Some details may be subject to change. * The
image for KSM shows the open-topped Lola raced
last month at Spa. The team hopes to have their
new coupé ready for Le Mans, and a similar livery
is expected, but if not, then the open-topped
car will appear again. (It transpired that
the KSM coupé would not appear in 2009,
and the team persevered with the open-topped
Lola.)
The
Rest
With
no works interest this year from Aston Martin,
GT1 is a mere shadow of its former self, and
2009 looks like being both Swan Song and Benefit
Match for Corvette Racing. With GM in such dire
straits there’s unlikely to be another
chance for the yellow Corvettes to make their
mark at Le Mans, so expect a concerted effort
to record a one-two for Detroit.
Of
the six class entries, there are two more Corvettes,
entered by Luc Alphand Adventures (both credible
candidates for a podium), a Lamborghini Murcielago,
and one Aston Martin DBR9 entered by JetAlliance.
By
contrast, GT2 offers plenty of likely contributors
towards a good contest and every possibility
of some entertaining competition.
The
pride of five Porsche 997s takes on the glory
of ten Ferrari F430s, with a single Spyker C8
Laviolette and the Drayson Racing Aston Martin
Vantage GT2 making up the total of seventeen
runners. Victory could fall to almost any one
of these, although bookie’s favourites
must include the Porsches of Team Felbermayr
Proton and IMSA Performance, the Ferraris of
JMW Motorsport and Team Modena, and the Drayson
Aston. The latter has gathered a healthy following
in the UK, thanks to the Vantage name and three
high-profile drivers; Lord Drayson himself,
Jonny Cocker (youngest ever winner of an FIA
title), and Marino Franchitti, brother of Dario,
but a champion in his own right too.
A
Classic Year?
After
passing through the doldrums during the mid-Nineties,
and tending towards the rather processional
in the early-Noughties, the Le Mans 24 Hours
is widely seen as being on the point of a renaissance.
Despite the worsening economic climate, the
77th running is being tipped for stardom, and
one of the most riveting on-track battles for
years is anticipated. Every class, perhaps save
one, is finely balanced, with no outright favourites
but many potential winners, and that’s
the recipe for a classic endurance race. Qualifying
on Thursday may offer up some pointers, but
nothing is ever a foregone conclusion at Le
Mans. Not until that chequered flag falls on
Sunday afternoon.
TV
and Radio
The best way for racegoers to keep tabs on what's
happening, not only during the race but also
in the days leading up to it, is to tune in
to Radio Le Mans. The crew at RLM must be amongst
the most knowledgeable in motor racing anywhere,
and as well as anchor man John Hindhaugh's seemingly
endless banter, the Man from up North will be
joined by twinkle-toed pitlane reporter Graham
Tyler (known as GT, no less), Joe Bradley, Nick
Damon, Bruce Jones and Dailysportscar's Graham
Goodwin. Tune in to 91.2 FM, or log on to www.radiolemans.com.
This year the feed to the web won't be exactly
the same as the live broadcasts, will the Internet
offering access to some of the pre-recorded
interviews as well as blow-by-blow action.
The
RLM commentary will also be employed by the
Kangaroo TV system. Introduced last year, the
hand-held Kangaroo TV system blends the live
TV feed with timing and English Language commentary
via Radio Le Mans.
If
you are unable to make it to La Sarthe this
year, and want to follow the 24 Hours on TV,
then coverage will be extensive in 2009, but
only to those with access to satellite. Eurosport
will be offering generous coverage of this year's
race, with live coverage of some parts of free
practice on Wednesday, all of Thursday qualifying,
Sunday morning warm-up, the Legends race, then
the start of the 24 Hours, and virtually the
whole of the race itself, although you'll need
to hop between channels 1 and 2 to get the most
of it. Full details can be found here.
The
Track
Rarely
a year passes when something doesn't change
at Le Mans, but since the race in 2008 there
have been no major redevelopments, although
work on the Village has now been completed.
The
teams will discover one radical change to the
pit wall, however, which has now been topped
off with (we assume) bullet-proof glass instead
of the old catch fencing and grill. The effect
is very clean and 'new', and offers an enhanced
appearance both ways. Those behind the wall
will be able to see the cars passing more clearly,
and the spectators on the opposite side will
get a better view of what's happening in the
pitlane. (Photo: David Legangneux / Dailysportscar)
For
a general view of the circuit, we repeat the
high-resolution images we created last year,
based upon the excellent Google Earth mapping
program.
The
image above depicts the entire circuit, with
the Bugatti Circuit almost hidden away in the
bottom left. North is to the left, with the
overall orientation being East to West, top
to bottom. Your challenge is to find Silverstone
circuit! *
The second image, on the left, is a close-up
of the pit, paddock and Village area. Clicking
the image will reveal a very close-up image
that can be navigated using the slider bars
to the right and base. It clearly shows the
new profile of the Dunlop Chicane and through
Dunlop Curve to La Chapelle and the Esses de
la Forêt.
* As a hint, find the
very centre of the image on your screen, then
look slightly to the right.
The
Le Mans 2009 gallery can be accessed here