Cheats never prosper.........
Discussion
Peugeot 1-2-3 then our Nige crashes. Safety cars out.
Were we the only ones to see one of the Peugeots overtake the safety car at the exit to the pits ?
The Pug was on the pit straight as the safety car exited onto the track. It was fully on the circit past the pit exit white line yet the Pug overtook it. Next car along was.........one of the Audis who had to tuck in behind the safety car. Result, Audi half a lap down.
One of the Audis pitted and started to drive down the pit lane to exit back onto the circuit. As he gets to the exit, the official extends the red flag and does not allow him out onto the track, a split second decision made against the Audi driver. He had to wait for the second safety car to come round, many many minutes later before he was allowed back onto the track behind the lot of them. Now I fully understand the new rules but this was too close, they could have let him out behind the 1st safety car as the line of cars were still in sight on the main pit straight.
Still under the safety car, the leading Audi was behind the slowest safety car, some 10 seconds per lap slower than the one the Peugeots were behind.
Now i'm no fan of Audi or the Germans, but everything it seemed fell well and truly the way of Peugeot at a french race, run by the french who just happen to love Peugeot. Am I being synical or did anyone see what we saw ?
Were we the only ones to see one of the Peugeots overtake the safety car at the exit to the pits ?
The Pug was on the pit straight as the safety car exited onto the track. It was fully on the circit past the pit exit white line yet the Pug overtook it. Next car along was.........one of the Audis who had to tuck in behind the safety car. Result, Audi half a lap down.
One of the Audis pitted and started to drive down the pit lane to exit back onto the circuit. As he gets to the exit, the official extends the red flag and does not allow him out onto the track, a split second decision made against the Audi driver. He had to wait for the second safety car to come round, many many minutes later before he was allowed back onto the track behind the lot of them. Now I fully understand the new rules but this was too close, they could have let him out behind the 1st safety car as the line of cars were still in sight on the main pit straight.
Still under the safety car, the leading Audi was behind the slowest safety car, some 10 seconds per lap slower than the one the Peugeots were behind.
Now i'm no fan of Audi or the Germans, but everything it seemed fell well and truly the way of Peugeot at a french race, run by the french who just happen to love Peugeot. Am I being synical or did anyone see what we saw ?
I'm not sure the ACO are actually competent enough when it comes to safety cars to have contrived anything - if the ever managed to pick up the race leader as they are meant to I might.
As for the Audi in the pit lane that was fair - given the rule. The rule is you release any cars that were waiting when the safety car passes, then close the pit exit until the next safety car passes. If you are driving down the pit lane towards the exit you aren't waiting at the pit exit at the time, so get stopped.
It did seem crazy to have cars sat there for minutes on end but, lets be honest if they had been released on to a clear track 60 seconds after the safety car had passed can you name one driver that would only have done a fraction over safety car speed to slowly catch up with the back of the pack? Naa, they all hammer it round to get on the back ASAP in case the car comes in the next lap.
As for the Audi in the pit lane that was fair - given the rule. The rule is you release any cars that were waiting when the safety car passes, then close the pit exit until the next safety car passes. If you are driving down the pit lane towards the exit you aren't waiting at the pit exit at the time, so get stopped.
It did seem crazy to have cars sat there for minutes on end but, lets be honest if they had been released on to a clear track 60 seconds after the safety car had passed can you name one driver that would only have done a fraction over safety car speed to slowly catch up with the back of the pack? Naa, they all hammer it round to get on the back ASAP in case the car comes in the next lap.
The rules are clear but its how they are enforced which is questionable and how none of the officials saw the Pug overtake the safety car. The rules anyway are total s
t to put it mildly. Holding cars at the pit exit for 7 or 8 minutes because they missed the 1st safety car by 5 seconds as the train passes by is ridiculous. GT2 leader, Lola Aston, Audi No.1 all caught out.
t to put it mildly. Holding cars at the pit exit for 7 or 8 minutes because they missed the 1st safety car by 5 seconds as the train passes by is ridiculous. GT2 leader, Lola Aston, Audi No.1 all caught out.//j17 said:
It did seem crazy to have cars sat there for minutes on end but, lets be honest if they had been released on to a clear track 60 seconds after the safety car had passed can you name one driver that would only have done a fraction over safety car speed to slowly catch up with the back of the pack? Naa, they all hammer it round to get on the back ASAP in case the car comes in the next lap.
I agree with you but the safety cars were out in because of Mansells crash, the rest 99% of the track was clear. The safety car was literally 5 seconds past the pit exit so the audi and others behind it would have taken 20 seconds ? to catch it up. Something needs to be done to sort this out.
the whole race has changed to be honest since that certain french team has been racing it is so biased it is almost unreal , i have no interest at all in peugeot or audi and i hope these class regulations make great changes when they fall into play and maybe we will see some other teams maybe get a chance on the podium .
I don't really have an issue with the multiple safety cars and how the cars are held in the pit lane but what I do think should happen is that the safety cars come in in reverse order so the field rebunches behind the lead train before the whole field is released again....just a thought !
rossc said:
I don't really have an issue with the multiple safety cars and how the cars are held in the pit lane but what I do think should happen is that the safety cars come in in reverse order so the field rebunches behind the lead train before the whole field is released again....just a thought !
Far, far too sensible dear boy 
I'm also tempted to suggest that maybe having fire engines and other assorted vans running round the entire circuit (or a large chunk of it) might not be the way ahead...
The thing that pissed me off most was not only that they managed to get the audi behind a different safety car but that the second safety car was lapping considerably slower than the one the peugeots were behind.I am not a big audi fan but I was so pleased when I woke up to find audi leading
Watching down by Corvette Corner I couldnt work out how the Audi Pug drifted so far apart when they had been so close. Now its all become clear.
I have never been a fan of pace cars and tbh would rather see a race without them. However there is an obvious need for them but when ever they are used some teams will always gain and some will not. In this case however a certain team always appeared to gain....
2007 (?) was another year the pace cars had a direct result on the race. In GT1 alone the Ron Fellows Corvette was gaining on the lead AM at an unbelievable rate. It was his last Le Mans and I watched the car squirm as he nailed it down the start/finish straight lap after lap. I remember thinking then that he was either going to win it or bin it. we were certainly in for a great race in the last hours. Then the pace cars came out.....
Not because of a serious crash, emergency repairs, debris on the track. nope because it was raining hard. I'm sorry but these are professional drivers and teams if they cant circulate and run as a team when its wet without having to follow a leader then they shouldnt be there.....
I have never been a fan of pace cars and tbh would rather see a race without them. However there is an obvious need for them but when ever they are used some teams will always gain and some will not. In this case however a certain team always appeared to gain....
2007 (?) was another year the pace cars had a direct result on the race. In GT1 alone the Ron Fellows Corvette was gaining on the lead AM at an unbelievable rate. It was his last Le Mans and I watched the car squirm as he nailed it down the start/finish straight lap after lap. I remember thinking then that he was either going to win it or bin it. we were certainly in for a great race in the last hours. Then the pace cars came out.....
Not because of a serious crash, emergency repairs, debris on the track. nope because it was raining hard. I'm sorry but these are professional drivers and teams if they cant circulate and run as a team when its wet without having to follow a leader then they shouldnt be there.....
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