ILMC/ LMS, Silverstone - Preview Pt. 1

This coming weekend sees Silverstone hosting Round 4 of the second (and final) ILMC, and, concurrently, Round 4 of the 2011 Le Mans Series.

49 cars, five classes, two Championships - plenty to discuss then but let's try to keep it simple!

LMP1 sees an 11 car entry, absentees include the two teams which, on reflection were somewhat unfortunately named - Guess and Hope!

Guess once again have tested pre race in their ex Racing Box / MIK Corse Lola Judd Coupe but have yet to actually show up for a race - That's a real shame, whilst the car certainly wouldn't be a challenger to the factory diesels it might provide an interesting comparator to the Rebellions and Oak Pescarolos.

Hope meanwhile have at least had the honesty to announce a withdrawal from the remainder of the season, their Oreca 01 chassied, Lehmann Swisstech engined Flybrid hybrid beyond their immediate abilities to bring to the track in anything like a competitive form.  They promise a return in 2012 and we hope that comes to pass from an ambitious team with an interesting project. For now though they won't race, and neither, for Silverstone at least, will their Oreca FLM.

The third absentee, and another announced withdrawal from the remainder of the season, is the Quifel ASM Zytek, bad luck and an uncompetitive Pro-am line-up when measured against the all pro competition have seemingly brought that programme to a close, the purchase by Miguel Amaral of a GT3 spec McLaren seems to Indicate that they won't return in 2012.

Finally, and in competitive terms by far the most significant LMP1 withdrawal, is the ORECA Team Matmut Peugeot 908 HDI FAP, the Sebring winning car misses Silverstone and Zhuhai as Hugues de Chaunac seems to be focusing firmly on 2012 rather than a supporting role in 2011.  Is this a precursor to an LMP programme alongside another make  next season? Or is it linked to a rumoured Indycar programme? or both?  We'll see!

So then, well over 300 words and we haven't even started on the cars that actually WILL be racing!

Let's change that now with some good news.

Oak Racing return to full strength here after their Spa woes - Matthieu Lahaye a very welcome returnee to the #15 Pescarolo Judd alongside Guillaume Moreau.

Even better news though is a far more competitive line-up aboard the sister #24 car, team principal Jacques Nicolet bolstered by not only Alexandre Premat but also ASM refugee Olivier Pla!  This could be one to watch, two quick men with something to prove in a car that has, so for in 2011, proved disappointing in terms of relative performance.

The scalps they'll be looking to take will most likely include the Rebellion Toyotas and Team Pescarolo's, these amongst the class of the petrol powered field this year, the Pescarolo seeming to bolster a case for the grandfathered LMP1s being more competitive than planned and the Rebellions beginning to come on strong with a package that is bedding in well, and with a bolstered back room squad now making real inroads into some of the technical issues which have haunted the team in previous outings.

In LMS points scoring terms it's currently neck and neck between Rebellion and Pescarolo - 28 each after three LMS races, one of the Rebellions fulfils a dual ILMC/ LMS entry.

A good weekend for the Lola Toyotas could see them emerge with a points lead in LMS, and third slot in ILMC (Oreca of course won’t score)

All three LMS title protagonists should be reliable, and if the Oaks are too we could see a fine battle behind the diesels, a petrol powered car on the overall podium is far from out of the question.

Could that car be the AMR Lola Aston Martin?  Christian Klien will join Harold Primat and Adrian Fernandez aboard the sonorous substitute for the somewhat disgraced AMR Ones.

As a grandfathered car there is nothing to report on the development front but unless the air restrictors have a dramatic effect on overall reliability there's nothing to suggest that the #007 car shouldn't be a 'keeper' - A finish will be the first objective, but we'd predict a fighting display by the boys in powder blue and orange, the crowds will surely lap up an unexpected opportunity to revel in the sounds of the car's glorious V12 on home ground just one more time too!

Let's not forget either the so far rather underwhelming MIK Corse Zytek Hybrid, the car has yet to race in a fully competitive hybrid trim but there has been much midnight oil burned in Repton, and many miles put under the wheels in testing since Imola.  The car is set to make what could/ should be the first race start for a 'proper' hybridised LMP1.

That start will come with the team renamed as GV Racing and with the debut of Zytek’s pure race hybrid system. The earlier hybrid system met the then regulations that stipulated the use of automotive production based parts. GV Racing’s 09SH will be the first Zytek to take full advantage of being able to use a pure race system.

And so to the diesels, but before we look at them in detail there's a potentially important new factor to take into account.

After the pre-season aerobatics of a couple of the Peugeot Sport 908s the FIA announced an investigation into both the circumstances and causes of the incidents, and whether any lessons learned might apply across the remainder of the LMP field.

The conclusions seem to indicate that they believe they do, all LMP1s are now subject to a new and far more stringent ride height rule which, in effect, means the under car 'plank' must not be damaged in any way.  That entails a fairly dramatic (in racing aerodynamics terms) ride height increase and it remains to be seen which car, or cars adjust best to the change.  Those close to the factory programmes claim there will be very little difference in overall terms, but could there be a significant change in relative terms?

Some of the smart money (certainly smarter than me!) suggests that the change has been made to reduce the opportunities for teams to run more aggressive front aero, the use the rear to balance the car- a practice that works fine if all goes well but which holds major risks if there's a problem!

That issue is, of course, most critical for the factory diesels, the quartet of LMP1s that in anyone's reckoning are set to contest the overall podium.

And what a season they have dished out once again.  The soundtracks might not suit the racing purists but the standard of racing and action surely must!

A conversation with Anthony Davidson over the weekend gave the dsc Editor that the Englishman’s participation was looking less and less likely and sadly so it has proved – Davidson has been replaced for Silverstone by Simon Pagenaud, the recovery from a broken collarbone not yet complete enough for a 100% attack.  Peugeot then now have an French driver line-up.

No such driver issues over at Audi, the question here is about relative pace, the factory team will surely have come up with a solution to the brake heat issue that robbed them of their ultimate pace in Imola, they'll want a strong showing here to take the ILMC points battle to their arch rivals, Peugeot hold a substantial advantage on that front having outscored Audi at every round so far this season.

Audi will want to begin to even things up on that score, Peugeot though can sniff a title!

ILMC Points - before Silverstone:

Manufacturers -  Peugeot 132 - Audi 89
Teams - Peugeot Sport Total 65, Audi Sport Team Joest 61, Team Oreca Matmut  34,  Rebellion Racing  33, Oak Racing  5

LMS Points  - before Silverstone:

Teams - Pescarolo Team 28, Rebellion Racing 28, Quifel - ASM 9, 4 MIK Corse 2