Le Mans 2009 Roll Call
Posted by Peat
Its that time of year again! Which GPG'ers are making the pilgrimage this year?
Pack your water-proofs!
Pack your water-proofs!
Great race. It's what should have happened last year tbh.
About the Audi, must be very disapointing to be so unable to take the fight to the Pugs.
Audi had put all their effort into lemans (budget reasons?) and it has hurt them imo. The car is not yet fully understood and against a 3 year old, well engineered 908 it stood no chance.
One thing, the R8, R10's were all very sleek and you could visually see they would be good straight line cars.
imo, based on the limited amount of aerodynamics iam learning, have learnt the R15 looks like a much more high downforce machine, but perhaps more importantly, to me a more inherently draggy machine as opposed to the R10 and 908. The amount of openings exit and inlets was quite amazing, also the size. I think even the Aston had better straightline speed than the R15.
To me, from the go the R15 always looked like an lmp built for the series rather than the that single track. But what do I know? I base my opinion on the looks, and the speed trap, I do not have any data to read and assess but how many would disagree that the 908 and even the R10 look more so orientated to low-drag whilst the R15 looks more so orientated towards downforce? Then again next year I will most probably be proven wrong. Its an obvious improvment in all areas over the R10 (track data and windtunnel data would have proved a long time ago!), and like anything as complicated it will take time to work together properly.
Anyway, great race. Was going for the #008 Aston, but struck badluck. Good race for them overal imo. Good race for the Oreca of Panis etc, shame about Sennas car, didnt quite catch what happened to them though. He seemed to have driven well which is good
!
Lap after lap, the more it was shown the more I fell in love with the Aston. Best looking car this year, only because the dome wasnt there though
!
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
About the Audi, must be very disapointing to be so unable to take the fight to the Pugs.
Audi had put all their effort into lemans (budget reasons?) and it has hurt them imo. The car is not yet fully understood and against a 3 year old, well engineered 908 it stood no chance.
One thing, the R8, R10's were all very sleek and you could visually see they would be good straight line cars.
imo, based on the limited amount of aerodynamics iam learning, have learnt the R15 looks like a much more high downforce machine, but perhaps more importantly, to me a more inherently draggy machine as opposed to the R10 and 908. The amount of openings exit and inlets was quite amazing, also the size. I think even the Aston had better straightline speed than the R15.
To me, from the go the R15 always looked like an lmp built for the series rather than the that single track. But what do I know? I base my opinion on the looks, and the speed trap, I do not have any data to read and assess but how many would disagree that the 908 and even the R10 look more so orientated to low-drag whilst the R15 looks more so orientated towards downforce? Then again next year I will most probably be proven wrong. Its an obvious improvment in all areas over the R10 (track data and windtunnel data would have proved a long time ago!), and like anything as complicated it will take time to work together properly.
Anyway, great race. Was going for the #008 Aston, but struck badluck. Good race for them overal imo. Good race for the Oreca of Panis etc, shame about Sennas car, didnt quite catch what happened to them though. He seemed to have driven well which is good
!Lap after lap, the more it was shown the more I fell in love with the Aston. Best looking car this year, only because the dome wasnt there though
!"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
Aston Martin was running with very low downforce; to keep up with the diesels on the straight, but they where blown away in the Porsche curves and other bends.
The Audi R15 does has a little less power then the Peugeot, but in theory it should have more downforce, though, Audi drivers where complaining about understeer, which caused the tyres to go faster.
Also the front end design looked like it caused the Audi to scoop up dirt and debry's, which blocked the radiators after a while, that's the reason they needed to clear the radiator's once in a while and losing time in the pits.
Peugeot seemed to have learned from their mistakes, their car seems to be quite bullet proof now, the problems of number 7 and 8 where caused by driver mistakes/lollipop man mistakes, while the number 9 was slower all race, I can't seem to remember it being in the pitbox for something else then tyres/fuel/driver change, so very well done to the number 9 car, finally another winner then Audi hehe :P
Looking at how the Audi R15 goes, I think with some development the 908 can do another year, with in 2011 Peug using their new hybrid challenger.
Also well done to the Aston 007, the Oreca in fifth, the Essex RS Spyder, Risi Competizione in GT2 and also the Spyker team did a good solid run, finally finishing the 24 hour in fifth place, in front of all the Porsches and the Aston Martin, who seem to have problem after problem..
The Audi R15 does has a little less power then the Peugeot, but in theory it should have more downforce, though, Audi drivers where complaining about understeer, which caused the tyres to go faster.
Also the front end design looked like it caused the Audi to scoop up dirt and debry's, which blocked the radiators after a while, that's the reason they needed to clear the radiator's once in a while and losing time in the pits.
Peugeot seemed to have learned from their mistakes, their car seems to be quite bullet proof now, the problems of number 7 and 8 where caused by driver mistakes/lollipop man mistakes, while the number 9 was slower all race, I can't seem to remember it being in the pitbox for something else then tyres/fuel/driver change, so very well done to the number 9 car, finally another winner then Audi hehe :P
Looking at how the Audi R15 goes, I think with some development the 908 can do another year, with in 2011 Peug using their new hybrid challenger.
Also well done to the Aston 007, the Oreca in fifth, the Essex RS Spyder, Risi Competizione in GT2 and also the Spyker team did a good solid run, finally finishing the 24 hour in fifth place, in front of all the Porsches and the Aston Martin, who seem to have problem after problem..
Cars scooping up debris is nothing new at Le Mans. The Peugeots have been plagued with it for a while, so this year they installed easily-replaceable radiators which could be switched out in a couple of minutes. Doesn't really solve the problem but it's a useful workaround.
Peugeot have had the faster car over the last few years but had this awful French habit of Peugeoting it and managing to lose the race to the way-better-organised Germans. This year, however, with a new team manager and a couple of new drivers, the 908 finally delivered. Shame about the 7 car; it was running 4-5 seconds a lap faster than anyone else for most of the race - showing that even the leading cars had more to give - but had it not been for the incident with the Pescarolo, it could well have been a Peugeot 1-2-3.
Peugeot have had the faster car over the last few years but had this awful French habit of Peugeoting it and managing to lose the race to the way-better-organised Germans. This year, however, with a new team manager and a couple of new drivers, the 908 finally delivered. Shame about the 7 car; it was running 4-5 seconds a lap faster than anyone else for most of the race - showing that even the leading cars had more to give - but had it not been for the incident with the Pescarolo, it could well have been a Peugeot 1-2-3.
What was the problem with changing the noses all the time for Audi?
Were they just hunting for more/less front grip?
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
Were they just hunting for more/less front grip?
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
Someone had suggested that each nose was designed with a specific temperature in mind, so when it got cooler at night they'd strap on a different nose for the optimum amount of downforce. Whether that's true or not, I'm not sure. Either way, that car just didn't have the speed of the Peugeot.
They had understeer in the beginning Chet, that's why they changed nose all the time to get a better balance.
After the Number 3 Audi was effectivly out of the running, they used that to test different setups and changes, and any apparent improvement was put onto the Number 1 car.
Credit to Peugeot, they had Audi panicked this year, and well beaten.
Credit to Peugeot, they had Audi panicked this year, and well beaten.
Petit Le mans this weekend!
Quick Nic on pole!!
Its both the 908's ahead of both the R15's, then the Acura, then the heavily updated Oreca which is a stunning car!
I expected the R15's to totally dominate! I dont know why because the 908 has proved an effective circuit racer aswell as Le man winner. Has looked pretty close though.
Once again doesnt really look asif Acura will do anything to challenge the top. But qualifying is pretty pointless anyway!
If Peugeot win, I reckon could be good reason for Audi to start racign their R15 in the ALMS and LMS. There was talk I think!!!! Obviously the 908 is in its prime whereas the R15 is still very new!!
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
Quick Nic on pole!!
Its both the 908's ahead of both the R15's, then the Acura, then the heavily updated Oreca which is a stunning car!
I expected the R15's to totally dominate! I dont know why because the 908 has proved an effective circuit racer aswell as Le man winner. Has looked pretty close though.
Once again doesnt really look asif Acura will do anything to challenge the top. But qualifying is pretty pointless anyway!
If Peugeot win, I reckon could be good reason for Audi to start racign their R15 in the ALMS and LMS. There was talk I think!!!! Obviously the 908 is in its prime whereas the R15 is still very new!!
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
One very broken Acura.....
!!!!!Seen the pictures but thanks for that vid!!
What caused the accident? I heard he touched another car? going up the crest, looked abit airbourne...
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
I was hoping to see BMW snatching victory in GT2, but Risi made a right call on tyres right at the end 
oh well. About Peug, bad start, but after that they made up alot of ground, so I wouldn't say undeserved.
oh well. About Peug, bad start, but after that they made up alot of ground, so I wouldn't say undeserved.Maybe, but in the end of the day you need luck anyway to win, maybe Audi deserved it more, but in the end didn't. In my eyes it would only be undeserving if Peugeot punted the Audi off, but they didn't. But I can see your point.
Dave, as an elder-statesman of the community, why are you acting like some kind of Audi fanboy? Yes, they were infinitly better than Pug, but the Pug's won. Its hardly like it's the first time the slower guy won a race. I thought you of all people would be the first to acknowledge that?
I tell you what, you know your stuff. I didn't know about the percentage completed thing. So, Petit isn't a stand-alone event? ALMS guys scored champ points to they?
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