'10 LMS Round 2 • Spa-Francorchamps • May 7th-9th

[GTfour]

Originally Posted by MihokS5

but how can it be a "flawed" design if it is still competitive??

Look my dear fellow,it hasn't won any of the big prices since it's occurrence(except one),so what do you mean by 'still competitive' ?

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by GTfour

Look my dear fellow,it hasn't won any of the big prices since it's occurrence(except one),so what do you mean by 'still competitive' ?

Dude, since its occurance it has only been in 3 of those that I would consider "BIG prices" races, Sebring, Le Mans and Petit. It won Sebring, lost Le Mans and lead a majority of Petit and spun in the rain to give Pug the lead before the red, hardly a competitve loss at Petit. So, it seems to me, that view is rather lopsided.





L.P.

[chernaudi]

Audi mopped the floor with the 908's at PLM last year-by the end of hour 1, one Pug was two laps down and the other was about to be lapped when both got bailed out by full course yellow and the lapped Pug got the wave by. Even when it was dry, the Audis still had the measure of the 908s and ran the #2 R15 ran equal laptimes to the 908s while double stinting tires(the Peugeot's didn't). And at Paul Ricard, the R15 entered there was consistantly faster than the Oreca 908. It can be argued the the Oreca Pug is a hand-me-down(a 2007 car updated to 2010 specs, but it's been able to run with the factory cars in testing and so far at Spa, so that should put any doubts to rest about that), but with relaitively little performance testing(Audi had done quite a lot of testing with the R15 this year, but most of it has been endurance testing or high speed testing on ovals at Homestead and EuroSpeedway's test track oval, and at Monza testing for LM-spec areo and suspension setups), Audi shows that the R15 has the speed at a track like Paul Ricard to give Peugeot some worries, since they've reportedly not done much development since 2009 before Le Mans.

Audi has admitted that even though they have a few endurance-type tests left, they're switiching more towards a performance bias to make the car faster yet. Problem is that they've only started to do performance enhancement testing only maybe a couple of weeks ago. And since so far the Audis have run basically LM/Paul Ricard spec low downforce bodywork, they'll of course struggle for grip on a damp or cold track(it was only like 45-50 degrees F today) without the HD diveplanes and gurneys that they've decided not to run(yet, and they have the parts-they used them during a practice session at Paul Ricard). And unlike last year, Audi has had few wet weather tests and the temperatures have been realtively mild most of the times(or hot if you count the week long Sebring test).

I think that Audi may be playing this like PLM last year, where they were fast first day, fell behind the second and didn't qualify all that fast relative to the Pugs, but come race day, wet or dry, the were faster, and much faster in the wet.

I don't think that Audi are pushing yet at all-they're running LD bodywork on their cars right now, and they know that today was kind of a throwaway day depending on Sunday's forcast, which is switching back and forth between cloudy with a chance for showers and definite light rain. However, both Saturday and Sunday will be much warmer than today, so maybe that will be to Audi's advantage. Even Peugeot probably know that today with the rain and(especially) the cold temps that what they learned today might not apply tomorrow, especially if Audi do fit some higher downforce bodywork to their R15s and the warmer conditions suit them better.

[Holt]

At the Sebring test after the 12 hours this year Peugeot was quicker then the R15.

But Lemans is the goal. How fast you are anywhere doesnt mean you'll be quick at Le Mans unless your a 908 which has proven itself there. Lets face it, the R15 was woefully slow at Le Mans. Ive been watching the '09 24hrs again and was stunned to see the '08 Pescarolo 908, with the right driver, pull away from the R15s about 6 hours in. One of the Audis even had the nerve to flash the Pescarolo 908, which irritated him im sure so he drove away from the mcnish/kristisen/capello R15. Pescarolo gave orders for the drivers to run 3:30.xxxx laps, but the car was equal to the R15 when it wanted to be.

Peugeots 908 '07 debut fast race lap was only a few tenths off the R10's fast race lap despite it being a severely detuned car , the R15's '09 debut saw its fast lap 2.2 seconds behind the 908's best . Since '08 the 908 has proven it can run juast as fast in race trim as in qualifying at Le Mans

In '08 Audi was quicker at petit though the car was butchered at Le Mans.

The R15 is still tempermental, but with its revised aero it may perform better at Le Mans.

http://www.crash.net/le+mans/news/15...scar_ever.html

[Holt]

A few days ago McNish said all 3 R15s would be in Le Mans trim

http://www.crash.net/le+mans/news/15...re_at_spa.html

[chernaudi]

But then again, so far at Spa, the Audis have been basically in Le Mans spec, while the Peugeot's are in high downforce trim. Photos and Tom Kristensen in his LM Countdown release attest to this.

Photos: http://www.fourtitude.com/gallery/ga...0Km%20of%20Spa

TK's LM Coundown notes: http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publi...cle_5900.shtml

At PLM, the Audi picked up a lot of speed in race trim when the put the car in a high downforce configuration, and they should in theory do the same here, since Spa and Road Atlanta are similar in configuration. If Audi want to see where they stand, why not run their car in a similar downfore configuration to the Pugs? Audi did the same at Sebring while Peugeot was there. And both simply pretty much ran off laps usually at about the same pace according to those who were there. What Audi did after Peugeot packed up and left is unknown, since the heavy hitters weren't there(though Lotterer, Fassler, and Truyler are reportedly very fast in both the 2009 and 2010 spec R15s in testing), and that during a private test at Sebring, a 2009 spec R15 with a 2010 spec engine ran a 1:43.8, which was over a second faster than the fastest race lap that a Peugeot did, which was faster than it's qualifying lap, indicative that Peugeot was sandbagging and should in theory be capable of similar lap times.

We can't tell today where Audi and Peugeot really stand, as neither car is in the same spec as far as sprint race vs LM spec, and it was basically a throwaway day, as it was damp both sessions and much colder than what Saturday or Sunday is forecasted to be.

[nasdriv87]

http://www.race-rally.be/2010/1000km...e/default.aspx

http://www.race-rally.be/2010/1000km...t/default.aspx

i hope they really work this weekend!!!

[Purist]

Sorry, Audi Racer, but we've got Audi, Peugeot, and Aston Martin in LMP1, and that's all we're likely to get anytime soon. Aston doesn't have the potential budget, so whinging on them is pointless. The trouble is, the public doesn't understand this monetary discrepancy. They just know that, "It's ASTON MARTIN!", and so they EXPECT that marque to perform against anyone, period. Dave Richards knows this, and thus, knows the brand name simply can't afford too many black eyes, so he does his best to avoid that happening, which is what ANY "good businessman" is going to do in this day and age, regardless of the manufacturer.

And Anthony Davidson really should be more appreciative of the difference that having 50+% more torque than any petrol car to ever run in the class makes.

BMW is pulling back and concentrated in GTs; no LMP effort from them is even remotely in sight. Renault is tied up with a massive black eye in F1, so nothing doing there. Toyota is a maybe, but I haven't heard anything come of those rumors in quite some time. Honda is pulling back at present, and their LMP1 was sure as hell no match on any circuit with even one long straight. Mercedes is tied up in F1 and GTs. Ferrari has been F1, and ONLY F1, since they got trounced in the 1973 season of the World Sportscar Championship; don't hold your breath on them showing up in an official capacity, period. Nissan is tied up in GT1, and hasn't done much else officially outside of SuperGT since the old IMSA collapsed. Bentley is part of VAG, like Audi, so VERY unlikely. Porsche has VAG ties as well, so a tough slog for them too with Audi already in the class.

[The Badger]

How about Maseratti ..... maybe a P1 from them in the next 2 years .

[Andy77]

FP3 is underway as is Radio Le Mans coverage. you can join me at 10 Tenth Chatroom if you like

[Tom908V12]

What ???? Minassian wounded ????
Bummer...

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by Tom908V12

What ???? Minassian wounded ????
Bummer...

What??

Tom.

[manthey]

Originally Posted by nasdriv87

http://www.race-rally.be/2010/1000km...e/default.aspx

http://www.race-rally.be/2010/1000km...t/default.aspx

i hope they really work this weekend!!!

thanks!

I have a tech question,which is the difference between dive planes and HD dive planes?thanks

[Tom908V12]

Originally Posted by airbusA346

What??

Tom.

Le Mans Radio and Laurent Chauveau from Endurance-Info confirmed Quick Nic has been lightly injuried during the training last week and that it hurt him preventing him to drive the 908 #2...Sarrazin and Montagny will have to play a "McNish-Capello"(remember the 8h of Le Castellet without Kristensen)at Spa tomorrow

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by manthey

thanks!

I have a tech question,which is the difference between dive planes and HD dive planes?thanks

Dive plane can also be called a "guerny flap" ...... HD means you can see it clearer

I would think the "HD" stands for high downforce . Its probably a larger version of the smaller guerny flap . for more downforce .

[Audi Racer]

Has anybody seen Mike Rockenfeller at all this race weekend?

[Tom908V12]

In 10 minutes start the qualifying practice(for GTs)

[Martin90]

I believe he was driving the car this morning?

[manthey]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Dive plane can also be called a "guerny flap" ...... HD means you can see it clearer

I would think the "HD" stands for high downforce . Its probably a larger version of the smaller guerny flap . for more downforce .

Ok thanks,that's why I thought but I wanted to be sure about the abbreviation

[911targa]

#96 on pole again in GT2 class while #70 gets GT1 pole

[Victor_RO]

Not yet, session is not over, it was red-flagged for about 10 minutes. 4 minutes left at the moment. Rahel Frey stuffed her Ford at Stavelot, apparently, and that caused a lengthy stoppage.

[911targa]

what happened to those CRSs?both car qualified behind the 2007built porsche.
a shame is AMRyoungdriver hadnt finish a lap

[Victor_RO]

No longer the case, Kirkaldy in 11th and 7th in GT2. Ford 1-2 in GT1, and three GT1s ahead of the GT2s. YDAMR car got a puncture on its flying lap.

[911targa]

there must be something wrong with the live stream

[cg7aa]

Originally Posted by 911targa

there must be something wrong with the live stream

Are you watching live pictures?