80th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours - 16–17 June 2012

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It's great to see Hugues de Chaunac at Le Mans. I didn't realise that Team Oreca has teamed up with Toyota and de Chaunac is running the Team.
 
How exactly does the qualifying work for Le Mans? I saw they have three sessions, is their grid slot determined by their average time or something? Or do they have the attempts to set a fastest lap?
 
Fastest overall lap regardless of which qualifying session it is set in sets the grid.
 
2014 regulations revealed: as rumoured for some time, they really are sort of Group C 2.0

* The engines are free. The limitations of cylinders, restrictors and turbo pressures are removed.
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But big V12 is probably not going to be the winning choice with the draconian fuel allocations (see below), but at least there is the possibility.

http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h/update/new-lmp1-technical-regulations-for-2014-unveiled_7618.html
In more detail: http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers...rence_de_presse/technical_regulation_2014.pdf

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Paulie Walnuts
2014 regulations revealed: as rumoured for some time, they really are sort of Group C 2.0


But big V12 is probably not going to be the winning choice with the draconian fuel allocations (see below), but at least there is the possibility.

http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h/update/new-lmp1-technical-regulations-for-2014-unveiled_7618.html
In more detail: http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers...rence_de_presse/technical_regulation_2014.pdf

ICYnh.png
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This is in fact a motorsports fan/manufacturers/privateers dream come true!! 👍 :drool:

C'mon FIA/ACO, make it happen in 2014!! More manufacturers will participate in Le Mans, thus making it the endurance race of the century.

Maybe remove the Mulsanne chicanes for straight line speed?
 
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With cars going absolutely flat out through the Mulsanne straight towards the corner at the end of the Mulsanne straight, not ideal. We could see some massive accidents there. I think the chicanes need to stay to slow things down a bit.
 
Prince.M5
With cars going absolutely flat out through the Mulsanne straight towards the corner at the end of the Mulsanne straight, not ideal. We could see some massive accidents there. I think the chicanes need to stay to slow things down a bit.
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Or even worse, the cars could start flyin' again, resulting in more manufacters to put a hold on their program, ouch, am I getting a 'flashback' here ?
 
Maybe remove the Mulsanne chicanes for straight line speed?
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Even with the chicanes the cars are more or less maxed out right now, because the ACO doesn't want them to go faster than 335 kph. Actually the chicanes also have another purpose, they give two more opportunities to overtake.

EDIT:
Racingworld68
Or even worse, the cars could start flyin' again, resulting in more manufacters to put a hold on their program, ouch, am I getting a 'flashback' here ?
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Cars were flying even with the chicanes, the CLR crashes were in 1999, 1990 was the last race without the chicanes.
 
They could go faster, but they're bound by a) the regulations, and b) the ridiculous amounts of downforce these LMPs produce nowadays.

Removing the chicanes would add nothing since these cars would max their speed at a point before the chicanes anyway because of these high levels of downforce.

Neither would we see the cars start to fly again, because of the same reasons. The only reason why the CLR flipped was because it didn't produce enough downforce at the front compared to the lift it produced. Even when they added the little fins on the front it didn't stay on the ground. The CLR was pretty much a failed concept.

I was also surprised to hear John Hindhaugh saying the Dome S102 is such an ugly racecar. Surprised because there's so much Toyota TS020 in it, and he thinks it's basically the best looking prototype ever.
 
The only reason why the CLR flipped was because it didn't produce enough downforce at the front compared to the lift it produced.
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This, plus a complete blank underbody, hence why the Porsche GT1 flipped too, in Road America.
 
G.T.Ace
This, plus a complete blank underbody, hence why the Porsche GT1 flipped too, in Road America.
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And in fact the BMW V12 LMR also flipped once Road Atlanta. The chicanes have to stay there for all the reasons that have been stated.

I actually thought of another thing. Without the chicanes, the cars will have more chance to slipstream each other and by going side by side at more than 300kmh, there could also be another kind of massive accident along the straight.
 
Removing the chicanes would be the best thing the ACO could every do in my opinion.

With a 3.5 mile straight, you have to make a car with virtually no downforce as it has to have the minimum amount of drag possible. That makes the car a handful on the parts of the track with corners on it.

Or to put it another way, sideways out of every slow corner every lap. That was great to watch.

Now they have the downforce to drive the corners with good grip. No fun at all and too easy for the drivers.
 
Great news. The ACO ruled "force majeure" and the AF Corse Ferrari #51 will race !!!!! (er ... if they get a car ready in time :dopey:)


lemans.org
During free practice yesterday the No 51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia suffered an accident while in the hands of Giancarlo Fisichella, this car being one of the favourites in the LMGTE Pro class. He hit the wall hard in the Porsche Curves and the car sustained major damage to the rear left corner. It was sufficiently serious to mean that the car wasn't able to run in the first qualifying session.


This presented the team with some serious problems since it transpired the car needed a new chassis. This is normally outside the regulations. However, since the accident took place during free practice, the ACO and FIA stewards took the unusual step of recognising Force Majeure and allowing AF Corse to change the chassis.

So the race began to get the car rebuilt. A new chassis was put on a truck at the AF Corse factory and two drivers set off to drive the 700 miles from Piacenza to Le Mans. The team had already stripped down the original car and were ready to get started when the truck arrived at the circuit at 09:45hrs today (Thursday). At least nine mechanics will now set about rebuilding the car from the ground up. We understand the team is working towards getting the car out for the last hour of the second session this evening but, if it is not finished in time for qualifying, it will be allowed to start the race from the back of the grid or from the pit lane.

All three drivers, Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander, have raced at Le Mans before and completed the required number of night laps in AF Corse's No.71 car. But the important thing, for the team, Ferrari and all its many fans, is that they will be competing in the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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Reminds me of this:



Something similar must be underway at the #51's box. BUT ... they don't have the 18 hours it took for Highcroft to build a new car from a tub.
 
They may miss the qualifying sessions but I'm very sure they can get it done before the start of the race. When the car reached the parc ferme yesterday, didn't look like a lot of damage has been done. Now we know the chassis is already done and dusted.
 
Patrick
How long till qualifying session 2?
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Exactly 1 hour from now. Also, Eurosport International coverage starts in 1 hour too...

EDIT!!!

I made a timing mistake. It's 1 hour still from now. G.T.Ace is right!

Coverage for Eurosport International starts at the same time as in Eurosport 2. Sorry for the confusion!
 
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Damn you, Prince! I've been looking forward to the session since 4 PM!

On the upside, I made dinner for everybody in the meantime of waiting :sly:
 
Stream link,please? I know I'm annoying but I'm at work and I cannot be looking for too long for a stream that works with my boss lurking around lol.
 
:lol:

EDIT - Sorry, slow poster, I LOLed at Bram's post, not Cano's obviously. @ Cano maybe it's too soon to find streams but look for them @ justin.tv if lemans.org isn't available there.
 


Oliver Gavin uploaded this just a few hours ago.
 
I tried some streams yesterday and apparently the one from First Row Sports worked. The stream is not yet available at the moment though but will be in roughly 40 minutes from now.
 
Ah, thanks for the links. Sorry for asking now, It's just that it's 11:00 am over here already, heh.
 
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