1163 replies to this topic

[Victor_RO]

Title says it all. Biggest race of the year is almost upon us. Test Day is scheduled for this week.

 

All the data required in terms of schedule and entrants can be found on the Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia....ours_of_Le_Mans

 

Can't be bothered with a very long OP, so I'll just start with this: 

 

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/114156

 

Allan McNish to give the green flag for the warm-up lap, and the tricolore will be waved from the starter's stand at 3:00 pm CET on June 14 by none other than... one F. Alonso.

 

 

 

From my part, I'm setting off for France on the morning of June 8. Catching the whole race week from trackside, starting with scrutineering. If you're going too, SEE YOU THERE! If not, have fun chatting here about the event. 

[TomNokoe]

First ever Le Mans pilgrimage Feels like it's going to be properly epic!

[Victor_RO]

If you're going, please post where you'll be hanging around (campsite, grandstand, such stuff). I'll be camping down at Maison Blanche and have a seat in tribune 23 down at the Ford Chicane.

[Amin]

24 hours of Le Mans and the opening weekend of the World Cup, can't wait!

[Richard T]

The best place to watch at Le Mans is from the ferris wheel at dusk   Got some amazing pictures from last year, maybe I post them some day.

 

I will return next year, but this year I have a meet-up with some friends to watch the race on TV and having a barbecue 

[TomNokoe]

24 hours of Le Mans and the opening weekend of the World Cup, can't wait!

England vs Italy!!!! Need to find somewhere to watxh

[P0inters]

24 hours of Le Mans and the opening weekend of the World Cup, can't wait!

I'm sooo excited right now. 2 of my favourite events of all time starting in just over 2 weeks. What a weekend this will be.

[king_crud]

The best place to watch at Le Mans is from the ferris wheel at dusk   Got some amazing pictures from last year, 

 

Yeah I got some great ones in 2012, amazing scenes

[sportyskells]

hopefully everyone return same and well after last year sad race

[Anja]

the tricolore will be waved from the starter's stand at 3:00 pm CET on June 14 by none other than... one F. Alonso.

 

That's kinda pathetic in my opinion, he rather should be out there racing. Not that it's his fault of course, I'm sure Ferrari wouldn't let him. It's a shame that F1 drivers no longer participate in basically any other races.

Edited by Anja, 27 May 2014 - 14:08.

[Richard T]

Strakka-Dome is out of Le Mans after a testing crash at spa, sh*t!

Will be replaced by, guess what? A Krohn Ferrari....

[Victor_RO]

That's kinda pathetic in my opinion, he rather should be out there racing. Not that it's his fault of course, I'm sure Ferrari wouldn't let him. It's a shame that F1 drivers no longer participate in basically any other races.

 

Yes, that's true. However... got a strong suspicion that he'll be racing at this event about 6 months after he finishes his F1 career.

[Richard T]

Test day tomorrow and lookie like no rain!

Here's half a Porsche for you

http://d2uv4t0ox1pkn...nt/img_3026.jpg

[Exb]

The test day is being televised on the Le Mans internet channel.
Coverage details at the link below.
http://www.24h-leman...1746_15476.html

[Richard T]

The test day is being televised on the Le Mans internet channel.
Coverage details at the link below.
http://www.24h-leman...1746_15476.html

 

That is awesome news! 

[Risil]

Strakka-Dome is out of Le Mans after a testing crash at spa, sh*t!

Will be replaced by, guess what? A Krohn Ferrari....

 

Got my fingers crossed for the Japanese Lamborghini Owners' Club entry.

[jee]

If you're going, please post where you'll be hanging around (campsite, grandstand, such stuff). I'll be camping down at Maison Blanche and have a seat in tribune 23 down at the Ford Chicane.

I'll be at Maison Blanche aswell, seconds race for me after last year was my debut.

No ticket for grandstands though but last year I was able to get on any of them at night without any problem.

[jonpollak]

thanks for the test day feed.
Jp

[jonpollak]

Oh and the biggest race of the year was last Sunday.
Jp

[anbeck]

The test day is being televised on the Le Mans internet channel.
Coverage details at the link below.
http://www.24h-leman...1746_15476.html

 

CCTV footage, meh... but I guess, better than nothing.

[Victor_RO]

#3 Audi into the 3:23s right at the end of the morning session. I suspect Toyota and Porsche haven't shown their full hand yet. And a 3:23 already means that qualifying is going to be monster fast.  3:18-3:19 for pole? 

[Imateria]

What's the chance that Sarrezin's 3:18 pole lap from 09 will be beaten? The cars are looking very quick this year.

[Victor_RO]

Toyota finishes the day 1-2 and faster than the #3 Audi's time this morning.

[George Costanza]

What's the chance that Sarrezin's 3:18 pole lap from 09 will be beaten? The cars are looking very quick this year.

 

I got one better than 3:18.... 3:13 in the Porsche 917 of 1971?

 

That record is safe forever, I think.

[Victor_RO]

I got one better than 3:18.... 3:13 in the Porsche 917 of 1971?

 

That record is safe forever, I think.

 

There are separate records for each configuration of the track, so that record is safe but for different reasons. 3:18.513 (qualifying in 2009) and 3:19.074 (fastest race lap in 2010) are the track records for the current configuration.

[Richard T]

However it is almost a new final corner this year with the new baguettes on the inside of the kerbs.

Must cost a second or so.

[P0inters]

Not really enough to call it a brand new track configuration though , is it ?

[CHIUNDA]

www.lemans-tv.com FOM should borrow a leaf

[Richard T]

Not really enough to call it a brand new track configuration though , is it ?

Not at all, the layout is still the same.
Here is a video to compare for yourself

http://m.youtube.com...h?v=oeuLteXrQjY

[EvilPhil II]

So for those of us travelling to this event from the UK (presumably from a London airport). 

 

Which French airport is it best to land at? What trains can one get to travel to Le Mans? Places to stay etc?

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

You'd be surprised actually (or maybe not) to know that thousands drive down in their (very flash) cars. Ok I don't have a flash car but whenever I went, it was always in the car via the ferry. Everyone while waiting to get on generally just looks around the port to see what sort of fantastic cars they can spot.

[JHSingo]

Can't wait for the battle in LMP1, but feel the entry list beyond the top class this year is rather...underwhelming. There has been far too many withdrawals for my liking (no Vipers, no!) and GTE is rather lacking in diversity.

 

Still, Le Mans is always one of my highlights of the racing calendar. Just hope this year we'll have a safe race, and no repeat of what happened in 2013...

[Richard T]

There might be a slight issue with the new baguettes

 

 

AND:

 

(Big) https://scontent-b-f...845805988_o.jpg

Edited by Richard T, 02 June 2014 - 13:14.

[Imateria]

I don't think they'll be cutting that chicane again!

[Andrew Hope]

That Porsche was halfway to the Nurburgring before it started coming back down to earth.

[Victor_RO]

Flight 991 from Weissach to Le Mans, you are cleared for take-off from runway Ford 33.

[chunder27]

Fascinating that on Autosport this race generates abotu as much interest as other series.

 

Whereas on other forums it has practically taken over to the detriment of other areas.

 

I take a passing interest in Le Mans, but dont subscribe to the biggest race theory.

As a driver it must be awesome, but as a spectacle it is beat by mny other races.

 

However, as something to visit and not really be that interested in the racing, it must be good fun, but I can go camping any time! lol

[Imateria]

^I'm pretty certain the 250 000+ fans that attend the race every year will disagree with you.

[Richard T]

I've been to 7 F1 races and 1 Le Mans 24h. The "spectacle" is much more present at Le Mans

[chunder27]

It is the race that polarises opinion more than any other in my eyes. I would never go to F1 races either, far to overpriced.

 

I have utterly no interest in going there, but for those that do it is the only thing that matters every year.

 

A very odd event as a motorsport event as for most the racing is secondary.

[Risil]

You're going to see a lot more of this in the future. I'm feeling pretty confident that barring disasters Le Mans is going to return to the prestige and profile it had during the Group C days. F1 rose superbly (and a bit sneakily) to fend off that challenge in the 80s and early 90s but I'm not so sure about now.

 

A very odd event as a motorsport event as for most the racing is secondary.

 

That's true of many big racing events. Never did the Indy 500 any harm.

Edited by Risil, 03 June 2014 - 16:58.

[AlexLangheck]

It's a massive event - but like most non F1 Motorsport, struggles to get mainstream coverage. There was a time when Radio 5Live had regular hourly updates; sadly no longer.
The WEC doesnt even have terrestrial highlights, as both MotoGP and WRC do.

With the addition of more Manufacturers to LMP1, hopefully the series will grow and become the 2nd series after F1.

[chunder27]

It is after all only one race

 

So I guess all the people invovled in PR and marketing have a very easy job to promote it and put as much into it.

 

Just not for me sadly. 

 

Although I have tried!!  But I will no doubt keep up with it on the telly!!

[king_crud]

Le Mans was top of my bucket list for most of my life, when I finally got to it at age 35 it exceeded all of my expectations

[Doughnut King]

It's a massive event - but like most non F1 Motorsport, struggles to get mainstream coverage. There was a time when Radio 5Live had regular hourly updates; sadly no longer.
The WEC doesnt even have terrestrial highlights, as both MotoGP and WRC do.

With the addition of more Manufacturers to LMP1, hopefully the series will grow and become the 2nd series after F1.

 

Didn't Channe; 4 used to have patchy coverage of it in the early 2000s when Bentley was entered.

[Anja]

For me Le Mans has much more connection to its history and tradition than F1 (and that's without standing in one place in terms of technology etc). I just always feel that it's still the same race as in the past - more a case of "pure racing" than modern show-oriented F1, more real atmosphere compared to hollow F1 spectacle.

[Imateria]

Didn't Channe; 4 used to have patchy coverage of it in the early 2000s when Bentley was entered.

Yes, but they focused at least as much on MG.

Edited by Imateria, 04 June 2014 - 11:35.

[pacificquay]

Have any changes been made to the spot where Allan Simonsen crashed?

[TheMidnight]

Have any changes been made to the spot where Allan Simonsen crashed?

 

New metallic guardrail, plus two layers of tires now, length of the circuit is unchanged. 

[Victor_RO]

New metallic guardrail, plus two layers of tires now, length of the circuit is unchanged.

Also the armco barrier is now about 2 m away from the trees instead of quite close to them, so there is more room for deformation.