Spa 1000km

[Red Firecracker]

Well, an interesting start to the weekend for Peugeot, Rebellion and RML.

Pictures here;

http://www.planetlemans.com/2011/05/05/1000-km-of-...

but suffice to say Mike Newton had an almighty smash in the RML HPD after contact from the No 9 Peugeot.

The Audi R18 meanwhile seems to have maintained its pace from the Test Weekend. Should be an interesting race, coverage on http://www.radiolemans.com

[FredericRobinson]

Eurosport are showing the whole race live too, which is a big improvement on their usual non Le mans ICLC / LMES coverage

[freedman]

FredericRobinson said:

Eurosport are showing the whole race live too, which is a big improvement on their usual non Le mans ICLC / LMES coverage

Now that is good news

[Red Firecracker]

Not HD unfortunately, but Eurosport.com schedule (for what it is worth....) states,

British Eurosport 2
Saturday
13:00
Car racing
Live Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - 1,000 Km of Spa-Francorchamps (210min)

British Eurosport
Saturday
16:30
Car Racing
Live Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - Spa-Francorchamps (150min)

ETA: there is also free coverage on the excellent DailySportsCar.com

Edited by Red Firecracker on Friday 6th May 12:58

[webby74]

A Peugeot coming together with another car.Never!

[Johno]

It's so annoying as I could hearvthem practicing today, but I've got to leave Spa this afternoon and return to the UK....... Gutted as was herenfor world sires by Renault last weekend and if it'd been a week later I could have gone to this ....

[MonkeyHanger]

Coverage on Eurosport HD from 1630.

[webby74]

Good qualifying from Audi's point of view.1-2-3 but peugeot paid for leaving it late to go out and start 13-18-50th due to a red flag. Excellent, come on Audi

[zac510]

The new Audi sure has looked strong all through the practices too.

[Red Firecracker]

webby74 said:

Good qualifying from Audi's point of view.1-2-3 but peugeot paid for leaving it late to go out and start 13-18-50th due to a red flag. Excellent, come on Audi

But of course, it was due to their position in the pitlane that they 'had' to wait until they did to go out as otherwise they'd have hit traffic....

Even taking into account misunderstandings and wrong inflections in translation, but bearing in mind the interview with the Peugeot Chef de Mission was given in English, their constant sniping and whinging is again becoming tiring.

They seem to continually fail to maximise their opportunites and then look for someone or something to blame outside of the teamor their own decisions. Still, at least if they decide to start from pitlane, they can change tyres and then just wait for the yellows and safety cars to play into their hands so that we then get the race we're all hoping for at the front.

RML obviously out,



one of the Oak's out (picture in this link),

http://www.planetlemans.com/2011/05/06/1000-km-of-...

but RLR still in it and hoping for a good British result.

Edited by Red Firecracker on Saturday 7th May 08:57

[northo]

Red Firecracker said:

...RLR still in it and hoping for a good British result.

Really hoping for a good result for the boys, but they have been hobbled by the regulations. Still, they did well at Paul Ricard, given the current imbalance.

[northo]

Is the coverage on Daily Sportscar video?

[E36Rob]

Amazing quote on planet lemans

[quote]Another classic example of how ACO favors Audi. They didn’t restart the session so that the Peugeots would be split up and have bad starting spots.

Posted by Dylan
[/quote]

Touched a soft spot mabie!

Good luck to Audi this weekend, will be great to see how the battles work now that Audi have the pace.

[Red Firecracker]

northo said:

Really hoping for a good result for the boys, but they have been hobbled by the regulations. Still, they did well at Paul Ricard, given the current imbalance.

P2 is certianly a wrk in progress at the moment, but at least the ACO have shown they are willing to look at and implement restrictor breaks. I think weight is their biggest issue though, the chassis running at above design weight by quite a way.

northo said:

Is the coverage on Daily Sportscar video?

No, just excellent interviews and insight.

[Red Firecracker]

E36Rob said:

Amazing quote on planet lemans

Planetlemans said:

Another classic example of how ACO favors Audi. They didn’t restart the session so that the Peugeots would be split up and have bad starting spots.

Posted by Dylan

Touched a soft spot mabie!

Good luck to Audi this weekend, will be great to see how the battles work now that Audi have the pace.

Indeed. Maybe Peugeot didn't need the armco that was missing to be replaced in Dylan's eyes.

Unfortunately the same disease that has hit F1 fans is starting to hit Sportscar fans, an almost blind insistence for some that the governing body favours one team above all others, no matter what the circumstances. It has always been known that the ACO have looked favourably upon teams/factories that it 'likes' but to suggest that it will favour Audi over Peugeot really is a touch shortsighted. I think the ACO have been very fair to both Audi and Peugeot since the diesel war started to be honest, especially the year in which Peugeot wanted to protest everything. Audi didn;t come out of that year scot free, they did have to change their car.

Bah, roll on the race, I'll climb down off my soapbox now!

[northo]

Red Firecracker said:

northo said:

Really hoping for a good result for the boys, but they have been hobbled by the regulations. Still, they did well at Paul Ricard, given the current imbalance.

P2 is certianly a wrk in progress at the moment, but at least the ACO have shown they are willing to look at and implement restrictor breaks. I think weight is their biggest issue though, the chassis running at above design weight by quite a way.

northo said:

Is the coverage on Daily Sportscar video?

No, just excellent interviews and insight.

I've put that to the team - I'll post the answer when I get it.

[Red Firecracker]

northo said:

I've put that to the team - I'll post the answer when I get it.

Would be interesting to know which set of P2 rules they are running to as well, as it's the one thing that nobody seem to know at the moment (field wide). The ACO haven't released whether each team is running as cost-capped, granfathered etc etc. Would really help trying to understand the different performances.

[northo]

Red Firecracker said:

Would be interesting to know which set of P2 rules they are running to as well, as it's the one thing that nobody seem to know at the moment (field wide). The ACO haven't released whether each team is running as cost-capped, granfathered etc etc. Would really help trying to understand the different performances.

RLR are grandfathered.

[Red Firecracker]

northo said:

RLR are grandfathered.

Excellent, thanks for that.

[northo]

OK - from the horses mouth:

"We are penalised for having an older & theoretically more sophisticated car. This means we are allowed less power & carry a weight penalty compared to the cost capped LMP2 cars".

However, the HPD's were given a performance break after Le Castellet in the form of bigger restrictors.

So RLR are the only team running with a full handicap. Go figure.