Has Peugeot got this one sewed up?
Discussion
After qualifying yest, and Peugoet 3 seconds a lap quicker than the leading Audis. Has Peugeot got this one in the bag? After listening to Radio LeMans, Audi seem very shocked how fast the Peugoets are! Is Audi's only hope of winning, is fingersX Peugeot realibility let them down? Crash out? Or even rain?
Wayney said:
After qualifying yest, and Peugoet 3 seconds a lap quicker than the leading Audis. Has Peugeot got this one in the bag? After listening to Radio LeMans, Audi seem very shocked how fast the Peugoets are! Is Audi's only hope of winning, is fingersX Peugeot realibility let them down? Crash out? Or even rain?
Watching last night no doubt the pugs are quick, but it's not a mad dash, it's 24 hours!I suspect Audi are hoping for rain and a bit of luck, although they all stood there last night and were trying still to be confident either way.
Could be either boring, or very interesting.
The Peugeots are bashing the kerbs, the Audi's don't. Was the same last year as well, so that helps to explain a bit of the gap. There is no doubt that that they are quick, but how quick in race trim at the end of their programmes when compared to the Audi's in race trim also at the end of their programmes we'll have to wait and see.
If the start is anything like last year, it may be a better thing not to be on the front row as the Pugs seemed intent on bashing anything and everything out of the way in the first few corners.
The interesting thing will be to see how far the Oreca Peugeot is allowed to get into the mix with the 3 full factory cars before Olivier Quesnel presses the 'stop customer car' button (sorry, it runs out of fuel...)
If the start is anything like last year, it may be a better thing not to be on the front row as the Pugs seemed intent on bashing anything and everything out of the way in the first few corners.
The interesting thing will be to see how far the Oreca Peugeot is allowed to get into the mix with the 3 full factory cars before Olivier Quesnel presses the 'stop customer car' button (sorry, it runs out of fuel...)
As a long time Le Mans fan, I was convinced that Audi were confident of their revenge after last year, but now I'm not sure at all. Dare I say it, but those Pugs are going round with - er - germanic efficiency and Sebastien Bourdais (who grew up here) seems to have the car and the track well under control. Rain isn't forecast (whatever that might mean!) and last year the only reason the Audis caught up was in the wet. Things aren't looking good for them.
Further down the food chain, I was so disappointed by the Jaguar which did one lap in the first prequal on Wednesday and certainly did not do enough to qualify their two rookie drivers so technically they are out before it starts. Yesterday evening the car did but six laps in the first session - I didn't watch the second one. Their situation may be like the JLOC car last year - allowed to go out and "race" but then "retire" after three laps.
Further down the food chain, I was so disappointed by the Jaguar which did one lap in the first prequal on Wednesday and certainly did not do enough to qualify their two rookie drivers so technically they are out before it starts. Yesterday evening the car did but six laps in the first session - I didn't watch the second one. Their situation may be like the JLOC car last year - allowed to go out and "race" but then "retire" after three laps.
Peugeot won't have anything sown up until 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon and I guarantee you that not all the Peugeots / Audis will finish.
Given the closing speeds between the diesels and the slower GT2 cars there are bound to be "incidents" during the race.
Having said this I still think Peugeot will win but I have a sneaky feeling the Oreca Peugeot might be the car to back.
Given the closing speeds between the diesels and the slower GT2 cars there are bound to be "incidents" during the race.
Having said this I still think Peugeot will win but I have a sneaky feeling the Oreca Peugeot might be the car to back.
lowdrag said:
Further down the food chain, I was so disappointed by the Jaguar which did one lap in the first prequal on Wednesday and certainly did not do enough to qualify their two rookie drivers so technically they are out before it starts. Yesterday evening the car did but six laps in the first session - I didn't watch the second one. Their situation may be like the JLOC car last year - allowed to go out and "race" but then "retire" after three laps.
To be fair, they were putting in quite a few laps in the second session yesterday. However, they were slow and I agree, I think the name on the entry is preserving their chance to 'race' at the moment.Red Firecracker said:
lowdrag said:
Further down the food chain, I was so disappointed by the Jaguar which did one lap in the first prequal on Wednesday and certainly did not do enough to qualify their two rookie drivers so technically they are out before it starts. Yesterday evening the car did but six laps in the first session - I didn't watch the second one. Their situation may be like the JLOC car last year - allowed to go out and "race" but then "retire" after three laps.
To be fair, they were putting in quite a few laps in the second session yesterday. However, they were slow and I agree, I think the name on the entry is preserving their chance to 'race' at the moment.MiniMan64 said:
I am torn somewhat, while I agree that both JLOC and Jag cars aren't competitive and it is perhaps unfair to have them there in place of other competitve cars, I love the fact they are there as underdogs, just trying to make the start line and plus it adds a bit of variation to what was becoming a stagnant field.
I'm fully behind them, but to have a situation where one of the drivers is arguing the toss with the ACO over whether he is classed as a rookie and needs to do the 10 laps is poor form in my book.Edited for formatting.
Edited by Red Firecracker on Friday 11th June 11:55
I am perhaps misunderstanding the intention behind the post above but I am fully behind the ACO's stance on the rookie issue. Anyone who hasn't raced at Le Mans for three years is reclassified as a rookie. Given the ongoing changes to the circuit and the advancement of the cars I think it a wise move. The first lap I did after the changes at the Dunlop I put my car straight in the gravel not realising that instead of an "S" it was now two 90 deg bends. You enter an event and you accept the rules as published - you can't argue the toss later when things don't go your way.
I'm fully with the ACO, Lowdrag. The driver in question is not (apparently) on the ACO list of qualified drivers, therefore he should do the 10 laps. My comment of poor form was on the part of the team, not the ACO, who lets face it, do go out of their way at times to accommodate situations and get people into the race.
Edited by Red Firecracker on Friday 11th June 15:45
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