Paul Ricard Test Days – Sunday Morning Report
Busy, Some Dramas

We’ve got 35 entries to cover here, and so far have only travelled along half of the pit lane: we’ll get there (to the other end).

Audi, Pescarolo, Audi was the top three in LMP1, with the van Merksteijn RS Spyder fourth, fastest in P2 – then the Lola Aston Martin. In GT2, it was (some new) Porsches first, second and fourth, the Virgo Ferrari third – but this is testing, so don’t read too much into anything, yet.

“It’s always gusty here in the last months of the year, and the first months of the year,” commented Allan McNish. “The balance of the car changes at every corner, on every lap, depending on the wind. I’ve been here in the past (in F1) and not been able to achieve anything except durability running.”

That was all we managed to get out of the Scot – on the way to a marvellous lunch. Perhaps the fuel for the cars isn’t quite so marvellous though, Phil Barker suggesting that the engine that RML lost this morning can be attributed to the petrol. The turbo P2 cars are suffering, apparently.

Fastest in P2 was that purple van Merksteijn RS Spyder, and observers out on the track reported that it looked very, very impressive. John McNeil was one to comment thus, the Nasamax team owner here on a sort of busman’s holiday – with Robbie Stirling, father of Dean, who is here to test the Rollcentre Pescarolo.

“I set a 45,” said Jeroen Bleekemolen, “and then we took some downforce off and Jos set the 44, about half a second quicker. It’s a very, very nice car to drive – it’s actually quite relaxing.” The Dutchman couldn’t have been more impressed by the Van Merksteijn RS Spyder. "With the track getting better and better, a low 1.43 lap or maybe even a high 1.42 is possible." Blimey.

As this text won’t be terribly structured, let’s mention drivers now. We haven’t got a list of names for each car, so we’re piecing it together as we go.

“We’ve got Joao Barbosa, Stephan Gregoire, Dean Stirling, Marc Rostan and Pierre Bruneau, and Vanina Ickx here, as well as me,” said Martin Short. “No, I’m not that happy yet. We’re tuning in the new nose to the fast track, as expected.”

Joao Barbosa is perhaps one surprise name here, but Martin Short hasn’t settled on a line-up yet, far from it.

Vanina Ickx was “called up by my sponsor, Veryplast to be here, it was a surprise to me. I wasn’t planning on racing too much this year, but I hope to race in the Spa 24 Hours in a Porsche.”

Vanina’s views on the DTM events were enlightening: big crowds, hero drivers such as Schneider and Ekstrom, well promoted events, etc. Endurance races are different of course… Vanina’s last race in an LMP car was at Istanbul in 2005.

“I’m working hard on finding sponsorship to secure the drive,” said Dean Stirling. He’s covered about 40 laps in the Rollcentre Pescarolo in testing at Donington Park, “but the temperature was minus 1, so I made sure I was very careful.”

Still on Pescarolos, Emmanuel Collard passed on the news that “Jean-Christophe (Boullion) set the time right at the start of the morning, with the car in 2007 specification, and since then we have been working on developments – mainly the new nose and dampers.”

At Creation, the Ed. met Yukinori Suzuki and Yoshihiko Ogane, President and Manager of the AIM company, and we’ll be interviewing them this evening.

Stuart Hall is here, with JC-W and Felipe Ortiz, to drive the CA07, and Hall was delighted with the “good, professional environment” at the team.

“It was great to get 60 to 70 laps of testing in at Estoril: you improve, just by spending time doing it, as you do in any sport. I’m still new in prototypes, and the more time in the car, the better you get.” The CA07 lost some time this morning with the clutch, but having covered so much in testing at Estoril, that wasn’t a significant loss.

Andy Wallace was about to get in the RML MG-Lola, but passed on the news that the Max Crawford-built, tubeframe Ferrari for Grand-Am “is going to be a really good car. It felt really nice at Homestead.” Andy’s reference to a lap in 1:19.6 meant nothing since lap times were not made available at that test earlier this week.

RML’s Adam Wiseberg was suitably evasive on what the team was working on today: “We’re doing some work.” Thanks Adam.

Stuart Moseley is here with the Bruichladdic Radical, but isn’t expecting to race it this year.

“We’ve got Pierre Bruneau, Marc Rostan, Jens Petersen and Jan-Dirk Lueders testing the car here,” said Tim Greaves. “For Le Mans we’ve got five potential drivers. We’re running quite a lot of downforce as we give the drivers a try, to keep it safe.”

Greaves pointed out that “we’re running the car mainly black this year, which will allow logos to stand out”, and also that “the LMP1 tub was crash tested yesterday, and apart from one minor problem with a bracket, that went well.”

Stuart Moseley is “actively seeking a drive in the LMS and Grand-Am” and reminded us that he was quickest in P2 last year and “I love Signes. You don’t experience anything that fast very often.”

Moseley’s father and grandfather are working hard on a Motus Sports 2000 car at the moment, “and my 94 year old Gran is sanding the buck for the bodywork mould.” What a Gran, what a family.

Karim Ojjeh experienced a wall or barrier somewhere, in the Belgian Zytek, and the 07S came off a predictable second best this morning, unfortunately.

Sam Hignett – whose partner, Maya, has a UK visa that only lasts to October (wedding bells?) – was in charge of the Cytosport Lola, the one he ran last year, “and we’re pounding round. The car is very reliable: we’re worth watching at Le Mans.”

Last few words on the morning – from Marc Lieb. “This is the first time I have driven a full-spec. 2008 car. Until now I have only driven with some of the development parts fitted – apart from shaking the car down.” Lieb thinks that Porsche may have a Ferrari beater for this season. The 2007 IMSA Le Mans winner was fastest in class this morning - but the Virgo team wasn't going for a tme, but focusing on tyre work.

Oh, and starting on the second half of the pit-lane, Amanda Stretton is thoroughly enjoying reaching “311 kph” along the Mistral, and was just preparing for her second spell in the Chamberlain-Synergy Lola. We’re still researching ladies in LMP1 cars, although Vanina Ickx has raced one of course – but not with her husband. Hugh Chamberlain reports that poor Gareth Evans isn’t here. “He’s got the pox.” No more details, but we think that means a high temperature, sore throat sort of thing.