Le Mans Series – Paul Ricard – Friday – Free Practice 1 – Top Speeds

‘Ol Cracknell was keen to explore top speeds along the Mistral Straight – and the figures from the first session are interesting... and perhaps misleading.

LMP1

Audi 324kph, Signature Lola Aston Martin 322, Peugeot 322, AMR Lola Aston Martin 320, Beechdean Mansell Zytek 311, Rebellion #13 309, Oreca AIM 305, Rebellion #12 303.

Nothing too surprising perhaps, although the Rebellion cars and Oreca AIM are slower in a straight line than their lap times would suggest.  We’ll check that they’re using more downforce than others perhaps are.

Yes they are.  Guy Smith, backed up by Race Engineer Steve Wills:

“We’re running less downforce than #12 so we’re faster on top speed.  We were planning to take downforce off for the second session.” (but an engine issue curtailed that plan.

“In the race, if you’re held up coming onto the straight by GTs it can be a drag race, so you need the top speed.  Really there are two ways to skin a cat.”

Steve Wills:

“The Aston Martins were reaching 312-315 at the test so they have taken some of the downforce off.”

Incidentally the split times indicated that the Audi could have set a 1:43.6 in session 1 – which it went on to beat in session 2, perhaps significantly when the sun hid briefly behind the cloud.

Last point and ALMS rather than Le Mans Series – from Guy Smith again:

“We had a minor problem with the Mazda at Sebring. Ironically it was almost the only part of the engine that wasn’t changed over the winter.  It was a major investment but we’re all very positive about the whole package – The Mazda AER, the Dunlop tyres and Dyson racing itself.  We ran the engine flat out at the end of the 12 Hours and it ran perfectly. ”

LMP2

The three fastest (on lap times) are three of the four fastest on the straight:

#42 Strakka HPD 291kph, #25 RML Lola-HPD 290, #40 Quifel-ASM Zytek 285, #41 Bruichladdich Zytek 285. 

GT2

Here it does get very interesting:

#88 Felbermayr Porsche 274kph, #89 Hankook-Farnbacher Ferrari 271, #76 IMSA Porsche 270, #94 AF Corse Ferrari 269, #95 AF Corse Ferrari 269, #75 Prospeed Porsche 269, #85 Spyker 269... and the last two... #91 CRS Ferrari 265, #92 JMW Aston Martin 263.

So CRS’s #91 was in penultimate spot through the speed trap, but fastest on lap time.  The Aston Martin’s aerodynamics do hold it back on top speed, although Rob Bell is more than happy at the rapidity with which it gets there.  A flat, large front and a GT1 inspired rear wing seem to be taking their toll.  It’s hard to choose between 430s and 911s – more the downforce level than engine power, as the Mullen/Kirkaldy set-up would seem to confirm.

Tim Mullen – who was very interested in the top speed table and too a copy of it immediately:

“The Porsche has always been fast on the straights at Le Mans and for the Ferraris to be similar you have to reduce the downforce.”

Tim seemed to be forgetting though that the Ferraris have bigger engines so perhaps its more equal than he thinks.

MCC