24h Le Mans
All 62 cars entered for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans, round 4 of the FIA WEC, are on track today in preparation for next weekend’s race. Teams have six hours of testing time, split into two sessions.
At 10:00 on the dot the light at the top of the pit lane turned green, indicating that cars may enter the track. The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 of BMW M Team WRT Hypercar was first in line with Raffaele Marciello at the wheel. Les pilotes ont d’abord effectué un premier tour de reconnaissance du circuit afin de s’assurer que leur monture fonctionne bien, avant de regagner leur stand pour d’éventuelles modifications. Drivers completed a reconnaissance lap first, to make sure their car was running smoothly, and returned to the pits to rectify if necessary. Then each team began their test drills, ticking the boxes on their checklist for the day. Weatherwise, conditions are ideal. Sun is forecast all day, with a comfortable high of 22 °C.
Test Day is crucial for teams, especially at Le Mans, where the particularities of the circuit require specific settings. Today’s sessions are an opportunity for a real-life test of the car’s performance and reliability in race conditions. Engineers and drivers combine their knowledge and experience to fine-tune every aspect of their strategy: aerodynamics, tyre management, chassis settings and fuel consumption. “At Le Mans, you get the impression that with four free practice sessions there’s plenty of time, but in fact it’s not as much as you think, because it’s shared between three drivers,” explains Will Stevens, driver of the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA #12 Cadillac V-Series.R. “Test Day is important to give us an understanding of what the Cadillac does and doesn’t like about the circuit. We’ve got a good idea, based on Cadillac’s previous experience here. We’re just aiming to get to know the car as quickly as we can and make progress before race week really begins. After that, there’s only one session before qualifying. I think the team has been on good form since Spa and we’re going to build on that with a good Test Day.”
In the Porsche Penske Motorsport camp, there are three cars to be tested. “We have different settings and parts to test. This afternoon, we’ll be looking for speed”, says Mathieu Jaminet, driver of the #4 Porsche 963.
It’s not all about the cars. Race regulations state that drivers who have not taken part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the last five years must complete at least ten laps, at least five of them timed.
Loyal fans will know that the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the fourth round in this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship and are no doubt keen to track their favourite team’s performance. If that’s you, then the living timing is your best friend for the next six hours! Test Day gives the first clues of performance in the race to come.
At last year’s test day, the #6 Porsche 963 entered by Porsche Penske Motorsport recorded the fastest lap – 03:26.907.
In LMP2, the United Autosports #22 Oreca 07-Gibson set the quickest time – 03:34.704. And in LMGT3, the TF Sport #82 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R topped the time sheet.
Which team will show the most speed today? Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Peugeot, Porsche or Toyota?
Read our reviews of each class to help you make your predictions: Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3.
Watch all the action from the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, live or on demand with the FIA WEC TV official app! Ne manquez rien ! Don’t miss a thing! Check out the app for further information.
