KCMG #47 Retirement

[GaryHetherington]

We were following the KCMG with interest at the weekend only to see it unfortunately retire after 19 hours with what is reported on their website as "a leaking fuel cell". Having spoken to someone loosely linked with the team I was told that they retired as the repair would have taken 4 hours and there were only 5 hours left of the race so it wasn't worthwhile. Really? That's not quite in the spirit of Le Mans is it? Surely for a new team making their debut at Le Mans simply finishing would have been an achievement? What else were they going to do in the last 5 hours?

[Red Firecracker]

Without looking it up, they may have been short on laps compared to the leader and a four hour pit stop could have taken them into non classified territory even if they got back out and a save the car mentality sets in, especially in that weather. However, yes, one would like to think that a team would do all they could to get back out, a la Rebellion.

[Great Dane]

The ACO also asks teams who has no chance of reaching the classification cut off, to retire. In some circumstances they will be allowed a final lap at the end if there is not too much racing going on. (Pescarolo's last ever LM lap in '12 and L5 was allowed one cerimonial lap this year)

[alpinemauve]

"Sadly we have had to officially retire the car due to a cockpit based fuel leakage. Well done to the whole team for making it this far, with just over 5 hours remaining."

Kcmg did manage to achieve a number of pre determined goals being the first ever entrant from china.

[GaryHetherington]

Ah ok, think I was being a bit harsh then. I hadn't thought of them not completing enough laps and therefore being unclassified anyway.

[Red Firecracker]

Great Dane said:

The ACO also asks teams who has no chance of reaching the classification cut off, to retire. In some circumstances they will be allowed a final lap at the end if there is not too much racing going on. (Pescarolo's last ever LM lap in '12 and L5 was allowed one cerimonial lap this year)

I think everyone just wanted to see how much fire the L5 HPD could produce one last time!