77th Le Mans 24 Hours

[Mt. Lynx]

I thought ALMS was the only series where the MC12 wasn't allowed. Mmph.

Not allowed in any ACO run series. It wasn´t even allowed in FIA GT to begin with, but they (FIA) gave the MC12 a wager, so it would be allowed there.

Vitaphone don't keep refusing. They used an Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 last year (as the MC12 isn't eliglble under ACO rules.)

Vitaphone actually was in contention for a LMP2 entry this year, but when the financial crisis showed its ugly face, they bagged that idea.

 

[Alex.]

What I'm concerned about for next year is the difference of speed between the LMPs and GTs for next year. Drivers are already saying that they do not see the LMPs coming, they are that fast. I believe slowing the GT cars down will only increase the risk of a crash when an LMP car will lap a GT car in the night. I don't think the LMP cars will get that much slower either. The ACO wanted the LMP cars to be slower, but they never expected the Peugeots to run 3'24-3'25 laps.

But now the 2010 regulations give only a 3.4 NA or 2.0 Turbo engine, so they will for sure be slower next time. (The current regulations state the maximum capacity for NA is 6000cc)

 

[Stevisiov]

In 1966, a Mini Marcos GT 1300 raced at Le Mans, (and finished 15th) and it was being passed by the Ferraris and Fords which were going over 80mph faster....

Yeh, safety was much better in those days.

 

[Azure Flare]

I am glad I was wrong about the LMP1 pick, LMP2 expected, GT1 of course, GT2 ****! i was wrong

 

[matski]

GET IN !!!! Peugeot 1-2

Not so much glad the Peugeot won, so much as glad that Audi didn't

 

[JAGUAR1977]

But now the 2010 regulations give only a 3.4 NA or 2.0 Turbo engine, so they will for sure be slower next time. (The current regulations state the maximum capacity for NA is 6000cc)

In 2010 the regulations will be similar to this year, tweaking here and there, and likely no GT1 class.

In 2011 LMP1 wil remain as it is now chassis wise, but the cars will have current LMP2 engines of around 550bhp+, smaller capacity diesels will also be allowed. LMP1 will allow hybrid technology such as KERS, battery power etc.

LMP2 will retain current chassis but with simplified electronics etc., and will be powered by 450bhp+ GT2 engines.

GT2 will remain as is but with simplified electronics and other cost cutting measures.

 

[M5_dude]

GET IN !!!! Peugeot 1-2

Not so much glad the Peugeot won, so much as glad that Audi didn't

Mostly glad for both conditions. What would have been better is if AMR had been able to close that 2 lap gap behind the R15 and take 3rd. Peugeot had the pace and the know how the last two years and have fallen just short. They deserve this for such hard work and the fact that they have been faster than Audi both years. That being said Audi won because they are highly experienced, great team. You don't win Le Mans for a straight decade without being absolutely brilliant as a sports car racing team. But I have been rooting against Audi the last couple of years because it was beginning to look like a circus act, like it was fixed. Maybe now the curse is broken, that being said I hope Audi will cancel their plans to pull out of this sport now that they didn't end on the high note they had planned on and F1 is very shaky right now.

 

[Bram Turismo]

But now the 2010 regulations give only a 3.4 NA or 2.0 Turbo engine, so they will for sure be slower next time. (The current regulations state the maximum capacity for NA is 6000cc)

Even with a smaller displacement, you can easily crank out some serious power out of an engine. If it is indeed true with what the above posted user said about the LMP1 cars having LMP2 engines in the future, I still see an enormous difference in speeds. The new GT2 class will be a so called "GT3" class as some other members have posted, so I'm not expecting that class to even get near the 190 mph mark on the Hunaudieres straight. (Hell, the Corvettes were touching 190 mph at most, and that's a GT1 class). The most dangerous place on the La Sarthe track is arguably the Porsche Curves. If you're driving a GT2 classed car, even the LMP2 cars are right under your rear bodywork faster than you dare to expect.

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

What a great race! Fantastic result for Spyker - Wait 'til next year

 

[kjb]

Great win by Peugeot it seems like they learned from last years mistakes. Hopefully like somebody else said more car companies will try to join in LMP1.

 

[CAMikaze]

Can you say "le Rawr?"

Also, congrats to Corvette Racing winning in their GT1 finale. You have once again proved your simply "'Vetter" than all the rest.

And is anyone else besides me surprised that the Ferrari F430 dominated GT2? Before I forget, congrats to Rizi Competizione for the class win.👍 This must have been one of those off-years for Porsche, I guess. Especially when the Lizard got it's wings clipped. Maybe they should have some Red Bull with them at Lime Rock? And to make matters worse, only Porsche that did finish the race finished behind a Spyker!

At least the Porsches did win in LMP2 with one of their 4-wheeled Spyders, but I feel bad for Navi Team Goh after they crashed out. Are they going to be in any of the other Le Mans Series before the Asian LMS races later this year?

 

[RACECAR]

At least the Porsches did win in LMP2 with one of their 4-wheeled Spyders, but I feel bad for Navi Team Goh after they crashed out. Are they going to be in any of the other Le Mans Series before the Asian LMS races later this year?

Yeah, they are the most decent Japanese as of late when it comes to Le Mans and they had a good battle with the essex car. I think if it hadn't have been for the splitter problem and them the part failure they had, they could have been on the podium. As far as competing in any other le mans race, no idea. You could check their site.

 

[daan]

And is anyone else besides me surprised that the Ferrari F430 dominated GT2?

No. Risi's 430 also won the GT2 class last year.

The Ferraris were also more reliable. Only 1 of the 10 430s didn't finish.

And to make matters worse, only Porsche that did finish the race finished behind a Spyker!

Don't put down the Spyker. It was a great acheivement for them to finish 5th in class. The only GT2 Porsche left running at the end was so far back it wasn't classified.

 

[CAMikaze]

Sorry daan.

 

[Finnish Bomber]

Did I miss this race? If I did, then ****

 

[NapoleonMikey]

im actually surprised the spyker was able to cross the finish line. it seems that cars run of bad luck is finally over. now the team just needs to run with there luck and aim for a podium next year. to bad navi goh crashed so late in the race i was pulling for them to win P2. and as for LMP1 i was hoping for the pescarolo pug to win overall but that was not to be i guess and im sure the factory pugeot wouldnt have allowed it anyways.

and i cant forget congrats to the pratt and miller boys on winning your last GT1 race. and congrats to the #63's crew chief dan binks for finally getting the GT1 class win that has eluded him for so long. and of course jhonny o getting his 4th class win. great job guys.

 

[JAGUAR1977]

Even with a smaller displacement, you can easily crank out some serious power out of an engine. If it is indeed true with what the above posted user said about the LMP1 cars having LMP2 engines in the future, I still see an enormous difference in speeds. The new GT2 class will be a so called "GT3" class as some other members have posted, so I'm not expecting that class to even get near the 190 mph mark on the Hunaudieres straight. (Hell, the Corvettes were touching 190 mph at most, and that's a GT1 class). The most dangerous place on the La Sarthe track is arguably the Porsche Curves. If you're driving a GT2 classed car, even the LMP2 cars are right under your rear bodywork faster than you dare to expect.

GT2 isn't changing performance wise, they're just reducing the costs by banning certain electronics and such.

The new GT1 class is an FIA/Ratel idea for the FIA GT Championship, it won't be introduced at Le Mans unless there is a decent entry and at least one factory team, if not the ACO will have a single GT class based around GT2.

There is some talk of GT1's like the C6.R being performance balanced down to GT2 pace for a year or two to give teams like Alphand a place to race with their current car, considering the current economic conditions and the difficulting in funding a new car.

 

[matski]

You don't win Le Mans for a straight decade without being absolutely brilliant as a sports car racing team.

In all fairness Audi didn't win for anything like a straight decade.

Now is 2009, lets take a look

2009: Peugeot
2008: Audi
2007: Audi
2006: Audi
2005: Audi
2004: Audi
2003: Bentley
2002: Audi
2001: Audi
2000: Audi

So at best that is a straight run of 5 wins... and only 8 out of the last decade.. and please, Audi Fan boys... look up who won in 2003... it was Bentley.. doesn't matter how many times you look at the roll of honour, it says Bentley, so leave it alone, it's pathetic to whinge on and on and on, about how it was an Audi with a Bentley badge... prior to buying team Joest in 2000, Audi was not winning.

Can't take anything away from what Audi acheived, but lets put it in perspective... for the last 9 years all we've heard from Audi fans is how prestigious the LM is, how much better and more relevant than F1 LM is... sh'yeah, I hope they're all singing the same tune now!

 

[JohnBM01]

"Peugeot pwns joo!" I never assumed anything, I never outright predicted that Peugeot would win overall... but the blue lion of Peugeot roared proudly. This was amazing. I wanted to cry because of the usual beautiful endings of Le Mans, but my eyes wouldn't let me. * The LMP2 race went to the Essex Porsche. LMP2 is usually wide-open anyways, but I was pulling a bit for the Team Goh Porsche. That is... until that Porsche RS Spyder got owned hard in the first chicane of the Hunaudieres(?). * It's safe to say that the 24 Hours of Le Mans makes grown men cry. Anyone saw how emotional Dan Binks was for the Corvette team? That was awesome to see the #63 Corvette cross the line in GT1's swan song. * And finally, a shoutout to Risi Competizione for their lovely GT2 win. In addition, special shout out to the Risi-Krohn Ferrari that finished in 3rd in GT2. So Houston's two sportscar racing teams finish 1st and 3rd in GT2.



I'm planning on doing a blog entry on my Blogspot blog as well as possibly doing a YouTube video to share my innermost thoughts on this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. But let me just speak on a few things...

* I finally got to hear those Aston Martin-powered Lola B08/80's. That's an AWESOME sound. Not awesome, AWESOME! Fierce car.

* classic quote from Bob Varsha: "you want to win Le Mans? Get an Australian!"



John's Winners and Losers: 24 Hours of Le Mans

---My Winners ---
* all class winners
* everyone who managed to finish
* the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP
* (to be honest) the #3 Audi for just hanging on after some wild rides
* Speedtv.com's live stream
* Ferrari in GT2
* Endurance Asia Team- the only Porsche to finish in GT2
* Spyker
* Team Advanced Engineering- finishing all 24 hours, racing for a cause. EPIC win.
* The Aston-Martin powered Lola B08/80's, especially the ones that finished. SWEET sound!

--- My Losers ---
* the death of the GT1 class. I'm sure GT will be plenty competitive when GT becomes a single class.
* Pescarolo's Peugeot 908 HDi FAP- for the (what the hell?) moment in the pits
* JLOC and Team Goh- two good Japanese teams that failed to finish. The JLOC Lambo was the first DNF of the race.
* RML - a tough break for this team.



My Final Thoughts
This is the most important race for me all year long. There is NOTHING like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I think David Hobbs or Bob Varsha said it best- "there may be other 24-hour races, but there is only one Le Mans." You can't script the drama or anything else unfolding in an action-packed race like this. The race is like a 24-hour movie with the cars and drivers being the stars, while the pit crews and team personnel and corner workers are the many people behind the scenes that keep this movie exciting. The prediction I made was that Audi was going to win, only that I said that I still want Peugeot to win. Peugeot not only won, but won 1-2. This was an epic win as France's national anthem was played when the Peugeots crossed the line. Some may say that the racers at Le Mans are pansies for not racing flat out to the line late. Well, there's sportsmanship involved, and not to mention that the margins of victory being almost insurmountable. When you cross the finish line, you do what most sportscar racing fans (or racing fans in general) WISHED they could do- finish Le Mans, let alone win it.

This year's race was the ninth Le Mans I've followed. How else can I say it- there's NOTHING like this race. I love this race as much as NASCAR fans love the Daytona 500, as much as Indy car fans love the Indy 500, as much as Australian V8 Supercar fans love the Bathurst 1000, and you go from there. Not only am I thankful to be able to see the race live, I'm more than thankful to share my love of this race with a message board that is almost like my extended international family- GTPlanet. I'm glad to be able to talk about a race like this with people who really know what they are talking about and will stop at nothing to keep things interesting on here. It's a great pleasure to chat about this race on this lovely message board. All I can say now is...


BRING ON LE MANS 2010!





That's all. Thanks for reading!

 

[daan]

* classic quote from Bob Varsha: "you want to win Le Mans? Get an Australian!"

I know he lists his nationality as Australian, but...

Place of birth: Wimbledon, England

Lives: Henley-on-Thames, England

 

[NapoleonMikey]

In all fairness Audi didn't win for anything like a straight decade.

Now is 2009, lets take a look

2009: Peugeot
2008: Audi
2007: Audi
2006: Audi
2005: Audi
2004: Audi
2003: Bentley
2002: Audi
2001: Audi
2000: Audi

So at best that is a straight run of 5 wins... and only 8 out of the last decade.. and please, Audi Fan boys... look up who won in 2003... it was Bentley.. doesn't matter how many times you look at the roll of honour, it says Bentley, so leave it alone, it's pathetic to whinge on and on and on, about how it was an Audi with a Bentley badge... prior to buying team Joest in 2000, Audi was not winning.

Can't take anything away from what Audi acheived, but lets put it in perspective... for the last 9 years all we've heard from Audi fans is how prestigious the LM is, how much better and more relevant than F1 LM is... sh'yeah, I hope they're all singing the same tune now!

not to be a fan boy (which im not im a corvette fan boy) but you act like winning 7 out of 9 le mans is some easy task any moron could do. but truth be told the AUDI team is one of the best around and even when they have a slower car they are still able to win because they know what there doing. 7 out of 9 is quite a feet especially at Le Mans.

 

[Crashbroke23]

not to be a fan boy (which im not im a corvette fan boy) but you act like winning 7 out of 9 le mans is some easy task any moron could do. but truth be told the AUDI team is one of the best around and even when they have a slower car they are still able to win because they know what there doing. 7 out of 9 is quite a feet especially at Le Mans.

You got a point because Porsche won 7 out of 9 in the 80's and for the last half or so, the other factory teams were faster. But much like this decade, much less reliable. To put it bluntly;

You win Indy, You win Monaco, You Survive Le Mans.

 

[Earth]

2009: Peugeot beats Audi
2008: Audi beats Peugeot though their cars are much slower
2007: Audi beats Peugeot
2006: Audi beats Privateer Pescarolo
2005: Private Audi win vs other privateers
2004: Private Audi win vs other privateers
2003: Bentley win
2002: Audi won vs Bentley
2001: Audi won vs Bentley
2000: Audi won vs Pescarolo and Panoz
1999: Audi lost to Toyota and BMW

Considering Bentley isn't a LeMans powerhouse like Porsche, Toyota or Peugeot, I only see 2 quality wins here. 2007 and 2008

 

[Paulie]

I know he lists his nationality as Australian, but...

David Brabham? Isn't an Aussie?

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I've been trying to follow the 24 Hours of Le Mans closely for the last 4-5 years, but those years didn't compare to this years. Despite the fact that the on track action wasn't the best I've seen at Le Mans, it was still the best time I've had watching the famous race due to finally getting some excellent coverage in Australia! The only thing ONE need to improve for the up coming years is perhaps some coverage of qualifying and some coverage between 6:30am and 6:30pm.

I can't wait for, hopefully, many more years of being able to catch this race on network TV in Australia. 👍

 

[TheCracker]

Considering Bentley isn't a LeMans powerhouse like Porsche, Toyota or Peugeot, I only see 2 quality wins here. 2007 and 2008

Toyota. A Le Mans powerhouse?

 

[Bram Turismo]

I can't see why we even are discussing Audi's winning streak at Le Mans for 9 years. Even the Bentley win was at least 50% Audi's win. Whether Audi won it by ease or by a margin with an inferior car, a win is a win, and few manufacturers have achieved at Le Mans what Audi has.

 

[Stevisiov]

Toyota. A Le Mans powerhouse?

Sure they are, despite the fact the only Japanese team to win at Le Mans is Mazda, They still far surpass Bentley's 6 victories, in terms of Le Mans stature.

....making them the 5th most successful manufacturer in le Mans history.

 

[Wardy 944]

the only Japanese team to win at Le Mans is Mazda.....

And after the win what did the FIA do, that's right they band rotary engine's

edit: just realised it could have been the ACO not the FIA but anyway.....

 

[Ardius]

Well, to be fair, Toyota have spent a lot of time trying to crack Le Mans even if they haven't been successful. So I suppose it depends on your definition of "powerhouse" but yeah...saying Bentley are below Toyota in terms of competition is a bit bizarre

I suppose Audi has fallen into the same problem as Schumacher/Ferrari, so dominant that people question how much was really their skill and how much was just the pathetic competition they had. Audi have achieved an impressive statistic but how impressive that is or whether they are the greatest is largely left up to the personal opinion.