FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps - Race Preview - Part One LMP1

Round two of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship sees the action switch to Spa Francorchamps for what has become a regular Le Mans 24 Hours warm-up where the teams, and the fans, get an opportunity to assess form before the rigours of France in June.

Unfortunately for the teams AND the fans there is some bad news for Spa, and almost all of it involves LMP1 where both the expected debuts of the Toyota factory TS030 Hybrid, and the new, Aston Martin chassied Pescarolo 03 have been delayed, Toyota reportedly, and rather oddly, due to a pre season accident and Pescarolo with supplier and reported finance issues – Here’s hoping all will be well for both concerns in June.

#1 M Audi Sport Team Joest André Lotterer/ Benoît Tréluyer/ Marcel Fässler Audi R18 e-tron quattro
#2 M Audi Sport Team Joest Allan McNish/ Tom Kristensen/ Dindo Capello Audi R18 e-tron quattro
#3 M Audi Sport Team Joest Romain Dumas/ Loïc Duval/ Marc Gené Audi R18 Ultra
#4 M Audi Sport Team North America Oliver Jarvis/ Marco Bonanomi Audi R18 Ultra
#12 M Rebellion Racing Nicolas Prost/ Neel Jani/ Nick Heidfeld Lola B12/60 Toyota
#13 M Rebellion Racing Andrea Belicchi/ Harold Primat Lola B12/60 Toyota
#15 D OAK Racing Guillaume Moreau/ Dominik Kraihamer/ Bertrand Baguette OAK Pescarolo Judd
#17 M Pescarolo Team Sébastien Bourdais/ Nicolas Minassian Dome S102.5 Judd
#21 M Strakka Racing Nick Leventis/ Danny Watts/ Jonny Kane HPD ARX-03a Honda
#22 M JRM David Brabham/ Karun Chandhok/ Peter Dumbreck HPD ARX-03a Honda

It’s not all bad news though, far from it – Audi have chosen to debut both of their new cars at Spa, and there are two each of their all diesel 2012 spec R18 Ultras and the hybridised version of the same car the e-tron quattro.

The 2011 Le Mans winning squad of Andre Lotterer, Ben Treluyer and Marcel Fassler and the trusty trio of Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Dindo Capello are aboard the Hybrids whilst the Ultras (#3 car in Sebring testing pictured below) are raced at Spa by Romain Dumas, 2012 signing Loic Duval and super sub Marc Gene, filling in for the still injured Timo Bernhard., and a very new looking crew of Oliver Jarvis and Marco Bonamoni in the Audi Sport North America entered car.

It’s early days for the hybrids but Audi’s preparation will be thorough, and the revised R18 should give all of the drivers better visibility than in 2011 too, so hopefully fewer on track incidents.

Will a Hybrid win?  On pace it should, and in particular if Spa dishes up its usual mix of unpredictable weather – The additional punch of the hybrid, and its delivery through the front wheels, should suit the circuit, but the diesel package is the more proven one and endurance racing can trow up more than the odd surprise – It wouldn’t therefore be too much of a shock if an Ultra took the top slot!

The Audis aren’t the only coupes on the grid here, joining the now familiar Rebellion Lola Toyotas will be the Pescarolo Team entered Dome Judd S102.5.

The Dome was a popular beast when it last raced at Le Mans, fast, aesthetically pleasing and, well just different!

The 2012 version sees a fully updated aero package, a now 3.4 V8 Judd rather than the older 5.5 litre V10, and a very different driving squad with two more Peugeot refugees on board, Sebastien Bourdais and Nicolas Minassian – It should therefore be wanting for nothing in the driver and strategy departments, but can it be quick enough to stay in touch with the Audis if it stays dry next weekend?

The same question applies to both of the Lola Toyotas, the cars ran well at Sebring but both hit trouble.  Nick Heidfeld is aboard the #12 car again and will be hoping for better luck than that which dashed hopes for what could even have been an overall podium in Florida.

To do so they'll have both cars with their full 2012 upgrades for the first time - Here's hoping that the team can find pace and balance very early in their programme with the new look cars.

There’s still no sign of an announcement meanwhile of the Lotus branding which the cars carried in Sebring, but then it seems that Lotus have bigger questions on their minds just now.

For now Rebellion will fly the Toyota flag, and there are sure to be plenty of additional ‘technical advisors’ on hand – Here’s hoping that the team can deliver on the promise of the package, and if it rains they just might do better than that!

Oak Racing’s move to just a singleton LMP1 hasn’t taken any of the sting out of the team’s attack, the neat and tidy package around the only Dunlop tyred LMP1 plus a trio of fast and hungry drivers could be another one hoping for rain, Messrs Moreau, Kraihamer and Baguette have Audi scalps on their mind!

Finally there are the two HPDs in what might just emerge as the season goes on as a battle royal.

Sebring saw the very new JRM crew pull off a real shock, bad luck denying them what might have been a breakthrough finishing performance.  They should, if anything, be stronger still at Spa, a circuit the team, and their drivers, all know well.

They’ll be the target though for Strakka who emerged bruised from Florida and have been regrouping, testing and planning.  Jonny Kane’ cramping issues cost them time but they’ll be looking to solve more than that for the coming race in their newly reliveried ARX 03a - Expect both HPD teams to be in fine form in Belgium!