The Great Races #2: Le Mans 2015
Now, maybe you think i'm being premature here but please bear with me. For the last few years Endurance racing has been on the up and at the heart of it has always been the Le Mans 24 Hour race, since the 80th running in 2012 when Toyota stepped up to the plate and ran Audi close endurance racing seemed to change, and change for the better as we now see drivers, teams, squads on it from the green light weather it be a 6 or 24 hour race with no quarter asked or given until the flag falls a minimum of a quarter of a day later.
Le Mans 2015, for me, was one of the greats in a line of great Le Mans events, mainly because many thought - me included that Audi would once again triumph as they have done 13 times previous this century. I like many other was wrong, I even shrugged off the Porsche's qualifying pace and, when Audi started setting quick times in Saturday morning warm up I was feeling quite smug. All credit to Porsche though, they have worked very, very hard over the winter not just to overcome the La Sarthe yardstick that is Audi but also the reigning champions in Toyota who, this time, seemed like an also ran.
This year though it was all about Stuttgart as the Porsche squad led from the off Bernhard taking the lead from pole sitter Jani inside the opening lap but you don't need me to tell you that, you watched it, probably, but their was action in all classes throughout, LMP2 saw multiple incidents throughout the 24, as did GTE Pro with Aston, Ferrari, Porsche and eventual class winners Corvette all battling close, fast and fair before eventually the 'Vette broke free Sunday morning (the only works Corvette following a huge shut in practice for the sister machine). The GTE Am category would eventually be taken by Ferrari following Aston Martin's last minuet (literally) demise. The Russian KCMG Oreca Nissan won the LMP2 class, leading almost the entire 24 hours while carnage in the class erupted behind as the Signatech Alpine, the Strakka Dome all ran into trouble while entries from Jota (2014 class winners) and G Drive battled hard for the second spot.
At the front though it was all about Porsche, returning to the top of an event they have dominated in the past, It could be said that Audi helped them out as an off for the number 8 car of Loic Duval had caused the team to loose (only) one lap in the pits to replace most of the body work after contact with the guardrail (Audi 1-guardrail 0) While Andre Lotterer earned himself a penalty for contact with Nick Tandy's (leading) Porsche dropping the number 7 down the order prior to setting some very fast laps as the race entered the final hours, but, it was the 3rd car entry of relative endurance newcomers Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy and Force India F1 ace Nico Hulkenberg who beat more established team mates to the flag finishing a lap ahead of the Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley machine, with the Audi of Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer finishing off the podium.
Lotterer, Fassler and Treluyer still lead the championship courtesy of victories at Silverstone and Spa but will/have Porsche caught up the Joest squad? The second half of the season cannot come soon enough and I for one cannot wait to find out.
Le Mans 2015, for me, was one of the greats in a line of great Le Mans events, mainly because many thought - me included that Audi would once again triumph as they have done 13 times previous this century. I like many other was wrong, I even shrugged off the Porsche's qualifying pace and, when Audi started setting quick times in Saturday morning warm up I was feeling quite smug. All credit to Porsche though, they have worked very, very hard over the winter not just to overcome the La Sarthe yardstick that is Audi but also the reigning champions in Toyota who, this time, seemed like an also ran.
This year though it was all about Stuttgart as the Porsche squad led from the off Bernhard taking the lead from pole sitter Jani inside the opening lap but you don't need me to tell you that, you watched it, probably, but their was action in all classes throughout, LMP2 saw multiple incidents throughout the 24, as did GTE Pro with Aston, Ferrari, Porsche and eventual class winners Corvette all battling close, fast and fair before eventually the 'Vette broke free Sunday morning (the only works Corvette following a huge shut in practice for the sister machine). The GTE Am category would eventually be taken by Ferrari following Aston Martin's last minuet (literally) demise. The Russian KCMG Oreca Nissan won the LMP2 class, leading almost the entire 24 hours while carnage in the class erupted behind as the Signatech Alpine, the Strakka Dome all ran into trouble while entries from Jota (2014 class winners) and G Drive battled hard for the second spot.
At the front though it was all about Porsche, returning to the top of an event they have dominated in the past, It could be said that Audi helped them out as an off for the number 8 car of Loic Duval had caused the team to loose (only) one lap in the pits to replace most of the body work after contact with the guardrail (Audi 1-guardrail 0) While Andre Lotterer earned himself a penalty for contact with Nick Tandy's (leading) Porsche dropping the number 7 down the order prior to setting some very fast laps as the race entered the final hours, but, it was the 3rd car entry of relative endurance newcomers Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy and Force India F1 ace Nico Hulkenberg who beat more established team mates to the flag finishing a lap ahead of the Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley machine, with the Audi of Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer finishing off the podium.
Lotterer, Fassler and Treluyer still lead the championship courtesy of victories at Silverstone and Spa but will/have Porsche caught up the Joest squad? The second half of the season cannot come soon enough and I for one cannot wait to find out.
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