Relive the thrilling 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, where endurance, speed, and strategy pushed drivers and machines to their limits. From intense battles on the Mulsanne Straight to dramatic moments that defined the race, this edition remains a legendary chapter in motorsport history. Experience the full action of one of the most iconic endurance races ever.
#LeMans2013
#24hLeMans
#EnduranceRacing
#MotorsportHistory
#RacingDrama
#LeMans
#LegendaryRace
#LeMans2013
#24hLeMans
#EnduranceRacing
#MotorsportHistory
#RacingDrama
#LeMans
#LegendaryRace
Categoria
🥇
EsportesTranscrição
00:00:00in a fairly elderly Ferrari, I believe.
00:00:04Yes, and of course, we mustn't forget that today
00:00:08we've also had a fatality here.
00:00:11We've just been taking a tour of those garages which are closed
00:00:14and the first of which was shuttered up was the 95 Aston Martin
00:00:18and sadly Alan Simonson today lost his life at this very event
00:00:24and our thoughts, of course, are with his family.
00:00:30They were, in fact, asked if they would like the Aston Martin team
00:00:37to suspend their race and they asked that they continue and race on
00:00:44and try and win it in Alan Simonson's memory.
00:00:48So let's just hope that comes to pass.
00:00:52It would be something.
00:00:531986 was the last time we lost a life at Bassas during Le Mans.
00:01:00We've had testing fatalities in the meantime, but just one, I think.
00:01:06Sebastian M. Euras, it was on test day on one of the WR Peugeots.
00:01:12It was subsequent to his injury that was fatal that they banned the one-piece puddies pod, I think,
00:01:20where the WR used to just lift it up rather like a canoe project.
00:01:23Seem to remember it happening later on, but maybe it was amended for safety reasons.
00:01:27But 1986 it was that we lost Joe Gartner, the Austrian, went into the trees at Malzahn.
00:01:34And today we've lost Alan Simonson.
00:01:36And we were chastened by that.
00:01:41And, in fact, just trying to enjoy the rest of this event,
00:01:45albeit with that shadow hanging over us.
00:01:47Yes, and we obviously hope that, you know, the rest of the race goes without incident.
00:01:56Quite right.
00:01:57We have had more incidents.
00:01:59I've got to tell you, some of them extraordinarily dramatic.
00:02:01But, thankfully, the last one, estimated time for barrier repairs, 30 to 40 minutes, we're now being told.
00:02:10So that is way up to 4 o'clock.
00:02:13So, chaps, to save you having to...
00:02:15I would say probably about another 20 minutes, half an hour.
00:02:20We have had some of that time go.
00:02:21We were going to talk a little about tyres.
00:02:24I know that we...
00:02:25I'm sorry, carry on.
00:02:26We're talking about tyres the other day during practice,
00:02:29and it was Martin, my colleague, who was explaining to those of you
00:02:33that, of course, there is a huge difference
00:02:36between the tyres that you and I have on our road cars
00:02:40and the tyres that are on the cars that are racing here.
00:02:43First and foremost, although this is, to some degree,
00:02:48made up of public road here at Le Mans,
00:02:50it is comparatively flat.
00:02:52In other words, there's very little camber.
00:02:54Now, this is for several reasons,
00:02:57but among them, of course, that currently racing tyres
00:03:01are very, very much fatter,
00:03:03very much wider than road car tyres.
00:03:07And no point in having a nice big, wide tyre.
00:03:09If you can't actually get that part of it down onto the road
00:03:12and if you have camber,
00:03:13then obviously you can't get it flat on the road
00:03:16where you want it to be.
00:03:17And we have not very much suspension movement,
00:03:20which common now in all forms of racing cars
00:03:23do not have a lot of suspension movement.
00:03:25That is one of the ways of getting the maximum amount of grip.
00:03:30We, of course, see treaded tyres normally on our road cars,
00:03:34but, of course, we have slicks here,
00:03:36which act literally what they sound like,
00:03:38which is a rubber sucker almost on the road.
00:03:41And the only thing is that when they do give,
00:03:44when they do slide,
00:03:45they do do very suddenly
00:03:46and they can catch you out very suddenly.
00:03:48And it's a rather different ball game.
00:03:51Gentlemen, Philip Pond says,
00:03:52what sort of tyres they run at night compared to day?
00:03:55There's no difference.
00:03:57There's a rather nice question which has come in.
00:03:59Have any of you actually done a lap of Le Sartre?
00:04:04I only as a passenger, I might add.
00:04:07Chaps, come on.
00:04:09Fess up.
00:04:10When did you do it?
00:04:12Oh, I did it going back now,
00:04:14about 20-odd years ago,
00:04:17when Audi were here, actually,
00:04:20with some road cars,
00:04:21and we had a competition,
00:04:23which I have to tell you,
00:04:25I did not win.
00:04:26I know who did win it,
00:04:29but I think I did get the movie prize,
00:04:32but that's another story.
00:04:33We won't go into it.
00:04:34To finish it off,
00:04:35the tyres are different.
00:04:37The tyres, for example,
00:04:39were what gave the Toyotas
00:04:42the advantage earlier on yesterday,
00:04:45as it is now.
00:04:46You haven't allowed Chris to talk about his lap.
00:04:49Well, he was going to say he moved it.
00:04:51He'll get that.
00:04:52Just leave it behind.
00:04:54They can be different,
00:04:55because they can be a different mix,
00:04:58and if it's cooler, as it has been,
00:05:00they can use a softer tyre,
00:05:02and if it's hot,
00:05:03they use a harder tyre.
00:05:05Now, you tell us about your lap.
00:05:09Before you do that,
00:05:10let's mention this, shall we?
00:05:12The 91 car,
00:05:13your Birdmeister, on board,
00:05:15has just been pushed into the garage,
00:05:17and it looks for proper fettling.
00:05:19It allows more of the team members
00:05:22to actually work on the vehicle.
00:05:24I'm not sure what changes
00:05:26are going to be required,
00:05:27but that looks like a full service.
00:05:29Changing brake discs.
00:05:31Yeah.
00:05:31It's a good opportunity,
00:05:33under the safety car,
00:05:34to push the car back,
00:05:36then you don't have the restrictions
00:05:37on the number of mechanics
00:05:39that can work on the car,
00:05:40and really give it the once-over,
00:05:42without losing as much time
00:05:44as you would do,
00:05:45under full racing conditions.
00:05:47So, that's what they do.
00:05:49Push it back,
00:05:50on they go.
00:05:51Fantastic.
00:05:52What about this lap?
00:05:53Right.
00:05:53I'm now desperate.
00:05:54Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.
00:05:57Many moons ago.
00:05:58Oh, there we go.
00:05:59First of us, Adam.
00:06:00Go on.
00:06:00Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:06:02Back in the 80s,
00:06:03I was taken round by the organisers
00:06:06just before the race started,
00:06:09and that was terrific.
00:06:10You know, about 20 minutes
00:06:11before the race started,
00:06:13by a racing driver in a Jaguar,
00:06:15and that was a terrific thing.
00:06:18It was great fun.
00:06:19But I must tell you,
00:06:21I was involved again back in the 80s.
00:06:25We persuaded the organisers
00:06:27to allow the teams
00:06:30to take journalists round
00:06:32at the break in qualifying,
00:06:35and they got the marshals
00:06:38to stay on post
00:06:39instead of going off
00:06:40for their supper,
00:06:41and some of the teams
00:06:43cooperated,
00:06:44Jaguar, Porsche,
00:06:45all sorts of people,
00:06:47and we put journalists
00:06:48in the cars,
00:06:49and my God,
00:06:50the look on some of their faces
00:06:52when they got out.
00:06:53Yeah, I was off to a ride
00:06:55in a DTM car,
00:06:56and it's a real shame
00:06:58because I just couldn't fit.
00:07:01There we are.
00:07:02The wings of the head protectors
00:07:04were actually between
00:07:05my shoulder blades,
00:07:06just far too big.
00:07:07I am 6'4",
00:07:07so that was the end of that.
00:07:09Incidentally,
00:07:10I've got to give him credit.
00:07:10It was Michael McCulloch
00:07:11that asked the question.
00:07:13He also wants to know
00:07:14if you can buy a bag of chips
00:07:15here at Le Mans.
00:07:16That is an easy thing
00:07:17to get hold of,
00:07:18to be honest.
00:07:19And, yes,
00:07:20they cater for the Brits
00:07:21and the Danes
00:07:22and the Germans
00:07:22and the Dutch
00:07:23and the Belgians
00:07:24very well indeed.
00:07:25All nations,
00:07:26all of those aforementioned nations,
00:07:28love their chips.
00:07:29Never, sorry.
00:07:30And we allow a few
00:07:31French people in as well.
00:07:32Quite a few.
00:07:33I just thought
00:07:34while we were talking
00:07:35about trips around circuits,
00:07:36I was one to take
00:07:37around the Nürburgring
00:07:39by Joachim Maas.
00:07:40I will not forget
00:07:41that in a hurry.
00:07:44And you still haven't paid
00:07:45the laundry bill,
00:07:46I understand.
00:07:48We will take
00:07:49a brief break
00:07:50as the 91 car
00:07:52prepares to leave
00:07:54after a full service.
00:07:55Very well fettled,
00:07:56it is as well.
00:07:58Reported rain
00:07:59on part of the circuit.
00:08:01And, in fact,
00:08:01I'm seeing a few spits
00:08:03and spots
00:08:05on the window
00:08:05here,
00:08:06underneath the lights
00:08:07of the carousel.
00:08:09Yeah,
00:08:10Herman the German
00:08:11was quite something.
00:08:13So,
00:08:15we've had
00:08:15this sort of
00:08:17half an hour,
00:08:1940 minutes break.
00:08:20I can't think
00:08:21it's going to be too long
00:08:23before we're back
00:08:24into action again,
00:08:25but it's going
00:08:25to be interesting
00:08:26because we were
00:08:27talking about
00:08:28this question
00:08:29of what happened
00:08:31this afternoon,
00:08:32or rather yesterday
00:08:32afternoon,
00:08:33when the race started.
00:08:34And it was because
00:08:36the tyre advantage
00:08:37using these
00:08:37very soft tyres
00:08:38that the Toyotas
00:08:41were actually quicker
00:08:42at that time
00:08:44than the Audis.
00:08:45Now,
00:08:46I don't think
00:08:46those conditions
00:08:47prevailed at the moment,
00:08:48but it would seem
00:08:49that there is
00:08:51something of an
00:08:52advantage for them
00:08:53in sort of
00:08:54conditions
00:08:55which might occur.
00:08:57The other thing
00:08:57being that they
00:08:59have this slight
00:08:59fuel advantage,
00:09:00so it isn't over
00:09:02yet.
00:09:03Yes,
00:09:04we can see
00:09:04that the
00:09:05McNish Audi
00:09:07has stopped
00:09:0817 times,
00:09:10and the Davidson
00:09:11Toyota
00:09:13only 15,
00:09:14and the LaPierre
00:09:15car only 14 times,
00:09:17so yes,
00:09:18there is an
00:09:18advantage there.
00:09:20And if it's
00:09:21going to be
00:09:22wet overnight
00:09:23and in the morning,
00:09:24which is quite
00:09:26regular around here,
00:09:28the Toyotas
00:09:30are superior
00:09:32to the Audis.
00:09:33We'll take a break.
00:09:34We'll be back
00:09:35with you live
00:09:36at the Monde
00:09:37and hopefully
00:09:37with some action
00:09:38for you fairly shortly
00:09:39in just a few moments.
00:09:40minutes.
00:09:40I'm going to move on to
00:09:45the Mahone
00:09:46and I'll be back
00:09:46to the Roo
00:09:47and I'll be back
00:09:47on to the
00:09:48Mahone
00:09:48and I'll be back
00:09:48with you.
00:09:49I'll be back
00:09:50for you.
00:09:50I'll be back
00:09:51with you.
00:09:52I'll be back
00:09:52with you.
00:09:52I'll be back
00:09:53with you.
00:09:54Here we go.
00:10:24welcome back flagman busy and uh yes uh maybe he's still got echoing in his mind
00:10:53uh earth wind and fire who uh performed earlier on this evening uh but it's a merry old dance
00:10:58he's leading with that flag as we speak it looks like the barrier looks pretty decent chaps i think
00:11:05we may well be close to being back in action here but i tell you what is back in action i can see
00:11:11the rain coming down it's actually falling quite heavily i'll tell you what if you could see it go
00:11:17up it'll be fantastic uh incidentally we are back as we were cars one through to eight uh all the uh
00:11:26lmp1 cars are together lotterer managed to ease his way past the morgan now in the hands of uh
00:11:33brundle and uh we're going to be back and underway the safety car still with the lights illuminated
00:11:38however the barrier looks complete uh i suspect they've got to have a chap in a brown coat with
00:11:44a pencil and a clipboard to come and inspect it and once he gives it the okay then we'll be racing
00:11:51well we can see that it's raining up by the uh dunlop bridge it's raining here and we're at the uh on the
00:11:58pit in road and uh reported rain in area of marshall's post 89 which is uh down at our
00:12:08lunge i think yeah so it is raining it is raining and it is a challenge and uh we haven't of course
00:12:16had the driving rain that we had one stage of uh practice on uh wednesday uh but that's the one thing
00:12:23we don't want to see a little bit of damp like this okay we can cope with it but if it does actually
00:12:27start to really throw it down then of course you get a situation then where everybody's got to stop
00:12:33change tires and then we get this wonderful situation which goes on when you're not quite
00:12:37sure whether you should be on slicks or on the intermediate it's on full wets and
00:12:42so it goes on sorry it's um it's it's uh it seems wrong that toyota are quicker in the wet than audi because
00:12:52audi have got the four-wheel drive there you are wow the rain illuminated by the uh it's kind of
00:12:58coming down as heavy drizzle at the moment uh almost like a mist uh but believe me that is going
00:13:04to have a really negative impact on the surface here uh this surface is going to get very very
00:13:10skittery with that dowsing because we haven't had rain for around about nine hours and that sounds a
00:13:16bit of a shock to you guys but uh yeah it's been relatively dry and this is the first little uh bit
00:13:22we've had and uh it's going to make the surface a little bit unstable and there'll be a lot of oil
00:13:28and rubber on the circuit so it will become very very treacherous uh it will i'm just gonna take it
00:13:35safely a lot of rain it will be okay but it would just a drizzle like this is when it can bad it's almost
00:13:42worse yeah exactly but the one thing it will probably stop is any fog in the morning when when dawn comes
00:13:49uh at le mans there's often fog on the mulsanne straight which can be very very difficult for
00:13:55the drivers but uh the rain will will stop that and there is a wind from the southwest which usually
00:14:02brings rain but but uh takes the fog away 32 car about to get underway oh hello well it is if you can
00:14:10start it yes you can and finally they've had all kinds of problems uh not least uh uh loads of course
00:14:17uh with a uh a court case kind of hanging over them where um uh they uh they they lost unfortunately
00:14:23uh the 31 car uh i think was the worst affected that went out very very early incidentally
00:14:29um uh but yes uh components were the issue and uh a court order was issued and those components
00:14:38were stripped from the vehicle uh which wasn't great and so it's kind of hampered uh hampered lotus's
00:14:44uh efforts uh here uh matthew david said sir what's the top speed of cars on average around the entire
00:14:51circuit uh top speed um actually gun today i think we nudged 300 kilometers now which is uh
00:14:59almost uh around 200 miles per hour 325 kilometers per hour today uh what's the average speed that we've
00:15:06we've been carrying around the entire track it's about 140 miles an hour 240 miles an hour 241 kilometers
00:15:15per hour there you have three is five to 150 there we are uh there's done the math uh there you are
00:15:22uh matthew david asking a question uh thanks uh for all your tweets by the way you've been uh extraordinarily
00:15:27lively and um the safety car is still out however uh you can see that the activity in the pits means that
00:15:34uh that period may well be coming to a close fairly shortly and nobody wants to get caught out well
00:15:40here you can see uh the aston martin is also having uh it's got carved carved six there i think they'd
00:15:49like to refer to them perhaps as intermediates treaded six and it looks to me as if they're having a pad
00:15:55change as well incidentally uh jan cheroos and the lotus are running in 18th place and i'm slightly
00:16:01shocked by that they're on the outlap at the moment they've uh really come through the field
00:16:05although it is a diminishing one yeah well yeah you say diminishing uh carlton but we've only lost
00:16:12six cars in in still you're right 50 remain uh one suspects that with the surface as it is as uh chris
00:16:21was quite rightly pointing out a lot of um uh fluids um rubber all kinds of uh mess essentially
00:16:30uh being thrown off these vehicles and uh not least just uh the exhaust output well after we've
00:16:38been going around for nine hours with no rain just to have light drizzle it's worse than full-on rain
00:16:42as never was saying or no rain at all so um yes i'm expecting this to get a bit skittery but when we
00:16:49get back and underway still with the safety car uh 21 car just coming into the pits right now as well
00:16:55uh it's uh starting to get busy as everyone realizes that this period is about to end uh danny
00:17:01wants it is on the hpd a 21 machine that is coming in and on to his marks right now nice looking vehicle
00:17:08this yeah and being very well driven uh it is surprising actually that you without question the uh p1 cars
00:17:18uh have been beautifully driven throughout this that they've had a a fairly close battle in fact even
00:17:25now you know the the p1 cars are they're all in a little row and then nobody has lost a huge huge
00:17:32distance except obviously car number one which was spending an awful lot of time uh when they were
00:17:38rebuilding uh part of the electronics of the car but now he's with fastest lap uh to his credit
00:17:47uh uh he is up to eighth place and um i reckon he could probably get in the top five and i think he
00:17:56will yes just fuel on on on the number one car no other no other changes i think he'll get in the top
00:18:04five that's interesting they didn't they didn't change the tire so they don't think it's going to get that
00:18:10that slippery well it is as we have said uh for those of you who uh probably might have missed this if you
00:18:17did sorry if we said it and you did hear it when we're boring you uh le mans because it is a long
00:18:23circuit when you think about grand prix circuits which are should we say three three and a half miles
00:18:28in length this is an eight mile roughly circuit so you can really have uh at le mans just as you
00:18:35have as a spa and places like that where it's raining in one place and dry in another and it doesn't help
00:18:41much yeah and the uh the rain no longer seems to be falling on our our windows here so uh uh
00:18:49gentlemen we've had we've had a request that the safety car speed up now the last time we had this
00:18:54uh that was uh so they would pace up uh lights who go out they're still uh flashing as we see them uh
00:19:01three safety cars incidentally so they have caught the field uh in various parts of the track that's uh partially because
00:19:07uh as never was saying this is more than eight miles around and if you had a short safety car
00:19:14you wouldn't manage to get everyone in order or indeed uh in line for the restart so uh three get sent
00:19:20out has its own negative well we have a notification that car number 55 is at marshall's post 35.
00:19:29now yes it doesn't tell us what he's doing there or who with but um well that it's one of the gtm ferraris
00:19:39yeah that's what i thought exactly well probably just stopped for now it just disappeared yes exactly
00:19:44having a cup of tea carlton back and underway yes chinese restaurant yeah yeah it'd be nice actually
00:19:50yeah there we are um and uh that looks like shiny new barrier and uh they look reasonably happy and it
00:19:57looks like the uh the uh lifting device has now uh re-hooked up his bucket and uh yeah uh take your
00:20:05rest when you can get it i think that's the uh watchword well they've done a fantastic job actually
00:20:10to replace an armcar in that time and um it is an important part of it now there's a chap having a
00:20:18back rub isn't he lucky uh you know um one of the things about uh lemoy is it's very much a family
00:20:24affair uh if you bring your little kids if they really are little uh ear protectors please uh a lot
00:20:30of them here and in fact uh the stewards will guide you towards ear protector vendors uh if your child's
00:20:36ears are unprotected and there's some very loud noises in this uh in this business and the last thing you
00:20:42want his little ears to get damaged uh anthony wood is watching with his son alex who's 13 uh presumably a
00:20:48a bit of a motorhead as well no sleep yeah he says uh so much the better uh so much better than
00:20:53formula one keep up the great work you respond thanks guys this is nice to know that we've got
00:20:58we've got the young with us at this time of the night exactly there is car number 70 those of you
00:21:04who've been with us all night it seems like all night doesn't it uh may remember that this car uh went
00:21:11off it then got as far as the pit road then the lights went out and then there was a definite um
00:21:20smoke-filled cabin and it was pushed into the garage where it's been pushed again and the driver got out
00:21:29rather quickly and they started taking bits and pieces of it and they've put it all back together
00:21:36again and they put more fuel in it and now it's bad just put it back in the garage exactly uh jail ward
00:21:45says um has a kit car ever raced at le mans i think we can probably count wr as a kit car come here yes
00:21:52and also wr uh i think of the fastest car at le mans ever down the most exactly right they they've
00:22:00topped 400 kilometers when uh before the the chicanes were introduced that's right um and they
00:22:08used to they used to come here with it it never stopped it couldn't stop at the end of mulsanne it
00:22:14used the escape road numbers uh last seen disappearing towards the village of mulsanne uh wr stands for
00:22:21verna racing internet if you want to look it up um and uh they used to build their own weird cars in
00:22:26in fact if uh i actually started at once upon a time a collection of wr cars uh the little tiny
00:22:33models of course uh because they all look so completely different just as aston martin always
00:22:38looks like an aston martin a wr car never looked like a previous wr car it was a bit of a canoe project
00:22:45because um it was a one-piece body uh that was that had to go into the garage it was always garage 56
00:22:51and uh basically they they used to lift it up work on the car put the body back on and then go out
00:22:56racing again uh they they sealed up all of the air intakes uh they put extra skinny tires on it uh for
00:23:03this run that chris is talking about uh went over 400 kilometers per hour unbelievably unsafe as well
00:23:10and uh the organizer said you know what i think some chicanes might be in order because tire technology is
00:23:15just not keeping up with these speeds and that is why we have two chicanes on the mulzan straight
00:23:22we're going to take ourselves a commercial break in just a few moments time uh this safety car looks
00:23:27like it is going to be uh extinguished uh the lights on it that is uh all three of them that are out on the
00:23:34circuit at the moment hence so much work that's going on right now because they want to be well fettled
00:23:39by the time those lights do go out and we're back on track it's five to four in the morning local time
00:23:47and there are just over 11 hours of racing still to be had here in le mans
00:23:56so we'll take that break and we're back uh with a chat to a few more of you in just a few moments stay with us
00:24:09so
00:24:21so
00:24:23so
00:24:39I don't know.
00:25:09I don't know.
00:25:39It's going down here.
00:25:41Welcome back.
00:25:42We've got, well, how can I put it?
00:25:46Heavy drizzle, I think.
00:25:47It's not actually full-on stair rods as we speak.
00:25:51Safety car is coming in this lap,
00:25:53but caution at the restart due to wet conditions.
00:25:56It's also being called, advised to everybody.
00:25:59In comes the eight car.
00:26:00Swift one for Anthony Davidson.
00:26:02It's a driver change, by the looks of things, as well, out of the car.
00:26:06He goes.
00:26:07It doesn't look as if they're going to change.
00:26:12Yes, they are.
00:26:12Yes, they are.
00:26:13They are going to change the tyres on that car.
00:26:15I wonder if they're going to put the intermediates on them.
00:26:18We think.
00:26:18Yes, they are.
00:26:19There are slimmer, boys.
00:26:21Untreaded intermediates.
00:26:23Well, this is a very late call, and it's probably a very wise one.
00:26:26Now, if they time this absolutely right, they'll get a full service.
00:26:29They'll head down their pit lane, and as the safety car gets pulled in,
00:26:34they'll just be able to continue.
00:26:36I don't know whether they've timed it that accurately,
00:26:37but they're going for intermediates here, boys.
00:26:39Yes, and that could be a very...
00:26:42It is now pouring the rain.
00:26:45The organisers are cautioning the teams due to wet conditions,
00:26:51and at the restart, it's going to be quite exciting.
00:26:55Do you know what, Chris?
00:26:55I still can't see pouring, but I can.
00:26:57There's a little bit of damage on the front of that car.
00:26:59There is, and I'm wondering whether that's going to be required
00:27:01to be fixed before they can leave.
00:27:03I think they intend to fix it before it leaves,
00:27:05but that probably gives us an idea who did what,
00:27:09who did what, who did what, who did what, who did what.
00:27:09Because we did see a little bit earlier on an incident
00:27:13where somebody, and it was Patrick, actor, please help me.
00:27:19The name has gone from my poor title, my Dempsey,
00:27:21who got clipped into a spin, and we never found out who did it.
00:27:27Well, this is a man who's having to work very, very hard
00:27:30with his star-shaped IQ right now.
00:27:33They want to get that car, yes.
00:27:34That was tidily done. Good boy.
00:27:37And the safety car's not come along yet,
00:27:39so he can get out without losing any more time.
00:27:42Right. Look at the way this drizzle is just hanging around
00:27:45on the lens here.
00:27:46It's not sort of sheeting down, so we're not getting stair rods.
00:27:50It's not heavy rain. It's worse than that.
00:27:52But it's as if somebody has delayed a light mist.
00:27:54Oh, now we've got proper rain by the looks of things.
00:27:57Goodness me.
00:27:58And if that's being picked up, I can...
00:27:59Oh, look at this.
00:28:01Well, that's definitely proper rain.
00:28:03It's definitely proper rain.
00:28:04Let's have a look.
00:28:05As we go in on it, do you know what?
00:28:07I still think it's kind of like foggy, misty rain,
00:28:09but like a sea mist almost.
00:28:12But this is the worst possible rain we could have had, Nev.
00:28:15Yes, it's pretty horrible rain.
00:28:19And on the one hand, I have to say that if it stays like this,
00:28:26at least it's going to be universally wet,
00:28:28and it will wash away some of the rubbish that's on the track.
00:28:32Nick Howerfield's just come in in the 12 car.
00:28:34He's decided it's so too dangerous to go out there,
00:28:36that he wants Intermediates as well.
00:28:38I think everyone is going to go for this.
00:28:39We're saying it's been dry so far.
00:28:41It's anything but now.
00:28:42Safety car lights are out,
00:28:44and we're going to be racing in just a few moments' time.
00:28:46Yeah, there's a big queue coming into the pits,
00:28:48and there's one of the Audis.
00:28:51Big train of cars also.
00:28:52This is an insurance stop here for Audi.
00:28:54Having seen Toyota take on Intermediates,
00:28:56they're going to do it themselves.
00:28:58Nobody's going to take the chance.
00:28:59There we go.
00:28:59Safety car has been reinstated.
00:29:01Lights are back on because they want everyone to get properly booted.
00:29:05Yeah, I think that's a very wise move on the part of the clock of the course,
00:29:09get them booted and suited before you go out in this skating rink.
00:29:13I don't think that's right.
00:29:15No, I know.
00:29:16I don't think that's right.
00:29:19If you can have a motor race, let them motor race.
00:29:21If the circuit is...
00:29:23And if Toyota were clever enough,
00:29:24then don't allow everyone else to copy this.
00:29:26That's exactly what endurance racing's all about.
00:29:30But if you can outthink your opponents, you should gain.
00:29:34There we are.
00:29:35Chris Parsons starts with the pointy finger.
00:29:37And he makes business.
00:29:39And if you can outthink the Yost team,
00:29:41you are doing well.
00:29:43I actually...
00:29:43Be right on Yost.
00:29:45He's the master.
00:29:46Begin to think, actually.
00:29:47I've got a graduated respect for it.
00:29:49I think you are probably right.
00:29:50Tell you what, as we're under the safety car,
00:29:52I'll take this as an opportune moment
00:29:53to hand over to Martin Haven.
00:29:54And he can take the restart.
00:29:57And it will be testy
00:29:58due to the horribly damp conditions
00:30:01that we have right here.
00:30:03So I'll bid you a fond farewell.
00:30:04And I'll see you later on this morning.
00:30:08Oh, there we are.
00:30:10Well, here comes Mr Haven to join us.
00:30:12And here we're not.
00:30:15Mr Haven, good morrow to you.
00:30:18Did you sleep well?
00:30:20Uh, no.
00:30:22Well, that serves you right anyway.
00:30:23I've been asked to say
00:30:24the track watching cars go by.
00:30:26Hmm.
00:30:26Well, so that you were with us,
00:30:28a few things have happened.
00:30:29Yes, they have, haven't they?
00:30:31Yeah.
00:30:32Um, we have...
00:30:33I have to say, I'm afraid
00:30:34I do rather strongly disagree with Chris,
00:30:36especially after the happenings earlier on today.
00:30:39Well, I do believe he has a point.
00:30:41But I can understand where he's coming from.
00:30:44It's one that we could probably debate at some time.
00:30:47Well, I agree.
00:30:47If the track was green,
00:30:49he wouldn't have thrown a safety car for rain.
00:30:51Since the safety car was already out,
00:30:53I don't think it's, uh,
00:30:54germane in the current situation
00:30:56to not allow teams to be
00:30:58in as safe a position as possible, so...
00:31:01I mean, I feel that that's their decision.
00:31:04Um, and the, uh, with the drivers,
00:31:06they can come in.
00:31:08But, uh, I don't think that the safety car should...
00:31:13Unless the conditions deteriorate so far
00:31:16that you have to put the safety car out
00:31:18to make the conditions safe,
00:31:22uh, I should, I think they should go racing.
00:31:24Well, again, uh, of course,
00:31:25that is always the, uh, decision of the race director.
00:31:27And the race director has decided
00:31:29that those are the conditions.
00:31:32Since the entire...
00:31:33Since the entire field is already motoring around
00:31:35at 100km an hour on cold tyres,
00:31:37and it's now greasy.
00:31:39So they're not hot slicks,
00:31:40which might give them a chance of grip,
00:31:42they're cold slicks,
00:31:42which wouldn't give them a chance of grip.
00:31:44Uh, I think we, uh, we have to, uh, disagree there.
00:31:48Well, no, I think we have to bow
00:31:49to the decision of the race director,
00:31:51as does everybody here at Le Mans.
00:31:52So, uh, whatever we think, unfortunately,
00:31:55as with the safety car situations normally,
00:31:57um, it is just what we think,
00:32:00and not, unfortunately, what becomes law.
00:32:02Or, perhaps in some cases,
00:32:03probably fortunately, not what becomes law.
00:32:05So, yes, it's been a rather...
00:32:07..disjointed race so far.
00:32:11We're told eight safety car.
00:32:14Well, seven...
00:32:15It's true.
00:32:15Seven was a record,
00:32:17and so now we are on safety car number eight,
00:32:19and rainy period number three,
00:32:21and still no closer to knowing
00:32:23who's going to end up winning this race,
00:32:25and indeed, you know, who's going to be close.
00:32:28Now, I think this is really a...
00:32:29the $64,000 question.
00:32:32We concerned initially
00:32:35because we were in a situation where we could see,
00:32:38well, the Toyotas were quicker
00:32:40when it was slippery.
00:32:43Now, we found out that there was a good reason for this.
00:32:46Yeah.
00:32:46They were on very soft rubber,
00:32:47which was working very well for them,
00:32:49and they were, at that time,
00:32:51undoubtedly able to stay with the Audis.
00:32:55The second thing is, of course,
00:32:56they have this slight advantage
00:32:57insofar as they don't have to make quite so many stops.
00:33:00They have this fuel advantage,
00:33:02and so, therefore, they were playing, if you like,
00:33:05on a slightly more even field
00:33:07than the practice times would have suggested.
00:33:09Yeah.
00:33:10Looking at what has happened, however,
00:33:13we now have a situation where the rain is back.
00:33:16We have a situation where two Audis
00:33:18got themselves into problems.
00:33:21Not only were they making,
00:33:22it was just one of those things,
00:33:24and a racing is back like that.
00:33:26And so, at the end of the day,
00:33:27it's still a wide-open block, isn't it?
00:33:29Like everybody else, the leader is on pit road,
00:33:32and so is the number one car.
00:33:33Leader has left Loic Duval.
00:33:35He's joined back onto the safety car queue.
00:33:38Nicolas Lapierre in second place,
00:33:40and Sébastien Mbouymi in third has just left.
00:33:43Lapierre, in his Toyota, is on pit road,
00:33:46and so too is Oli Jarvis.
00:33:50And the number one car,
00:33:52which is now, in fact,
00:33:55separated from the rest of the P1 field
00:33:56by Martin Plam and the LMP2 leader,
00:33:59who is in eighth place,
00:34:02which is where Andre Lotto was.
00:34:03All the P1 cars were together
00:34:05before the safety car stayed out a little longer,
00:34:07and, of course, then everybody went for a slew of pit stops.
00:34:11See, they're stopping in herringbone formation
00:34:13because that's the way they've decided they will do it
00:34:15because the cars are now too long at Audi
00:34:18to have all three of them lined up nose to tail.
00:34:21So, having decided that's the way they're going to do it,
00:34:24that is the way they're going to do it
00:34:25whether there's anyone else in or not
00:34:26because, Chris, they're not the leaders,
00:34:29and you never know when the leader might suddenly rush in.
00:34:32Yes, you have to make sure that he's looked after,
00:34:36and Audi have staggered that for the whole race, haven't they?
00:34:39They brought McNish in early in the first stint,
00:34:43and they've made sure that they always
00:34:46can only ever have two cars in at one time.
00:34:51But even then, they had a problem
00:34:52because the car didn't come in straight,
00:34:55and there they are all waiting to go out.
00:34:57A bunch of cars, yeah, exactly.
00:34:58Safety car will come in this lap,
00:35:00which doesn't necessarily mean that the safety car we see first
00:35:03at the Ford chicane will peel off at the Ford chicane.
00:35:06But at some stage, in various points of the track,
00:35:08the safety cars will peel off.
00:35:11Just going back to the very beginning of the race,
00:35:13the reason I think that Toyota looked a little more racey
00:35:17than, in fact, has been the case
00:35:19is because, as you say, Neville,
00:35:20they went on to a soft nighttime rubber,
00:35:23which is what they'll be using,
00:35:25or would be using now if it was dry,
00:35:27and Audi didn't.
00:35:28They stayed on the daytime tyre.
00:35:30Our Michelin representative confirmed us that earlier.
00:35:33What we suspected was there was a tyre differential.
00:35:36And thinking about it, actually,
00:35:37the reason that Audi did not twitch and react to the weather
00:35:40is that from the drop of the tricolor
00:35:44from the beginning of the race,
00:35:45they were going for a forced stint on their tyres
00:35:47and with their driver,
00:35:49and they were not going to change that
00:35:50for a little bit of drizzle
00:35:51unless they were forced onto wets.
00:35:54And so they stuck with their guns.
00:35:56Toyota got in amongst them,
00:35:58but then as the weather changed again
00:35:59and it started to dry out,
00:36:01Audi's long-term plan started to come back to them,
00:36:04and Toyota's softer rubber
00:36:06started to wilt a little under the pace,
00:36:08which is when we saw the Toyotas then dropping back
00:36:11and the Audis returning to the front of the field.
00:36:13And so, as so often,
00:36:17they went with plan A and didn't flinch.
00:36:20And in this case, it suited them well
00:36:22and then it paid them back well.
00:36:24And they've got strength in depth, haven't they?
00:36:26That's the very thing about Audi.
00:36:27This is...
00:36:28What Martin has just outlined is endurance racing.
00:36:31Yeah.
00:36:32This is playing chess at 200 miles an hour.
00:36:36It's very complex.
00:36:37Yeah, absolutely right.
00:36:39And the good doctor has had a lot of practice at it.
00:36:42Oh, yes.
00:36:44I also think it's interesting that, once again,
00:36:49it's a two-car battle against a three-car battle.
00:36:55I would have felt more comfortable
00:36:57if I was Toyota in having a third car.
00:37:01Well, yes, but again,
00:37:03I was thinking earlier of a couple of years ago
00:37:06when there was two Peugeots and three Audis,
00:37:09and suddenly, in almost the blink of an eye,
00:37:12there was just one Audi left out front
00:37:14being harassed by two Peugeots
00:37:16with, what, 18 hours of the race or something together?
00:37:19And they held on and they held on
00:37:22and, damn it, they won the race.
00:37:24And they were the rookie team.
00:37:25That was the number one crew's first win in 2011.
00:37:28And I did just, I did think earlier on
00:37:31as we headed into darkness
00:37:32and then there was one,
00:37:34is this history repeating itself all over again?
00:37:36Single Audi being chased by two blue and white cars,
00:37:39nominally faster.
00:37:40In this case, not so.
00:37:42It's normally the Audi that's faster,
00:37:44but the balance of power is by no means certain.
00:37:47And the way this race is going,
00:37:50nothing is by no means, by any means certain.
00:37:52So, yeah, we have one healthy Audi out front
00:37:56and, luckily for them,
00:37:58it was two different problems
00:38:00that hampered their teammates.
00:38:03So, they're not particularly waiting
00:38:04for the sort of Damocles to fall on them.
00:38:07I think I was most impressed, actually,
00:38:09by Audi and the car this year from the word go.
00:38:14They looked at what happened to them last year.
00:38:16They looked at, as far as they were concerned,
00:38:18they don't like losing and they were losing.
00:38:20And they got it right and back they came.
00:38:24They really had things going extremely well.
00:38:27They're back racing.
00:38:28They are, indeed.
00:38:29Green lights, green flags.
00:38:31Do you know, I don't know whether Marshall,
00:38:33yes, they do actually still wave the flags
00:38:35out of force of habit.
00:38:35Yeah, that's a yellow flag he's waving,
00:38:37not a green flag, though.
00:38:37Well, no, it's a green flag.
00:38:39Are you sure?
00:38:40Yeah.
00:38:41Looks green to me.
00:38:42Well, I'll believe you if you say so.
00:38:44It looks yellow to me,
00:38:44but who would buy to me to argue?
00:38:46So, Loic Duval, the race leader in Audi No. 2,
00:38:51Sebastian Buemi in Toyota No. 8
00:38:55and Nico Lapierre in Toyota No. 7,
00:38:58who's just come out of the pit,
00:38:59so he'll be in a queue behind the safety car.
00:39:01Very, very gisty driver, young Mr. Buemi,
00:39:05who I didn't think had perhaps the best of opportunities
00:39:08in his hands,
00:39:10and perhaps this is going to give him a chance
00:39:13to show some of his real ability here,
00:39:16because I think he has actually a lot going for him.
00:39:19Well, also being particularly impressed by Oli Jarvis,
00:39:21who's a relative newcomer to this sports car racing
00:39:24through the day, through the night,
00:39:26and through most of the next day nonsense,
00:39:27and has acquitted himself very admirably indeed at Audi.
00:39:30A relative newcomer to a very good car.
00:39:35If Oli Jarvis had had the opportunity
00:39:37to have a car like this before,
00:39:39it's nice to see that at least he is being recognised
00:39:42for that ability.
00:39:44Absolutely.
00:39:45Yeah, but he's got tremendous experience.
00:39:47Oh, yes.
00:39:47He's been in DTM for a long time.
00:39:50Yeah.
00:39:50But, you know, it really has been very well.
00:39:55Porsche 911, the 92 car,
00:39:57that is currently in the lead of the GTE Pro class,
00:40:03having taken over from Fred Makoviki
00:40:05and the early race leader, the 97 Aston Martin,
00:40:09now with Stefan Mooker at the wheel.
00:40:11So, somehow, Porsche,
00:40:12which was pretty much out of the running in qualifying,
00:40:16ooh, gee, look,
00:40:17they have shuffled their way to the front of the field.
00:40:20Now, they have taken 12 pit stops
00:40:25to 13 of the two Aston Martins.
00:40:28So, they're a stop ahead now.
00:40:31The redoubtable Mark Leib.
00:40:32Do they owe us a stop?
00:40:33Yeah.
00:40:33Well, they've just come out of the pit,
00:40:35so I'm suggesting, no,
00:40:36they don't owe us a stop at all
00:40:38because the top three in GTE Pro
00:40:40all just left the pit lane.
00:40:43Redoubtable Mark Leib.
00:40:45Yeah.
00:40:45Very, very...
00:40:46Been driving for Porsche now.
00:40:48He was a very young man.
00:40:51Yeah, he retired as well.
00:40:52Retired as a Porsche factory driver,
00:40:54went off to university for two years,
00:40:56did an engineering degree
00:40:57and came back to Porsche as a factory driver.
00:41:00However, he's now got his second career firmly lined up
00:41:03because when he decides, or they decide,
00:41:05or between them, they mutually decide,
00:41:07he's too old to cut the mustard anymore.
00:41:08Find him a job in the factory.
00:41:09He can just move over to the engineering side very nicely.
00:41:13Very, very smart cookie, Anders.
00:41:15Oh, yeah.
00:41:15Unassuming as you like.
00:41:17Also unassuming and moving rather quietly up the order
00:41:20is that number 51 Ferrari.
00:41:22Now, don't forget, that is two-thirds of the team
00:41:24that won last year.
00:41:29Fisichella leading and Jimmy Bruni...
00:41:32Fisichella behind the wheel now.
00:41:34And Jimmy Bruni, they won the race last year.
00:41:38The 51 car at midnight
00:41:41looked like it was going to play really no part
00:41:43in any proceedings.
00:41:43It was 7th, 8th, 9th or whatever in the GTE Pro class.
00:41:46But they have just hammered away
00:41:49and now they have crept themselves up the order.
00:41:51They are now in 5th position ahead of the 71 Ferrari,
00:41:56which is the best-placed AF Corsa car a few hours ago.
00:41:59Olivier Beretta with that slightly nosed, deranged car
00:42:02is now in 6th position.
00:42:04The Chevy Corvettes, 7th and 8th in the class
00:42:06and still really struggling to get on terms
00:42:11with anybody else, I'm afraid, in the GTE presence.
00:42:14For them, the new C7 Corvette can't come soon enough.
00:42:19I wish I could just hear the engine note
00:42:21of that Toyota once more.
00:42:24You will, I expect.
00:42:25Yeah, I just had a feeling, I don't know,
00:42:27that things weren't quite as I would have them be.
00:42:30But I'm probably imagining it, and I hope so.
00:42:33Well, things aren't...
00:42:33I just thought it came out of gear.
00:42:35Things aren't quite as they should be,
00:42:36perhaps, for Christian Reid in the Proton Porsche.
00:42:40See, grooved tyres there, ready to go on.
00:42:43That's one thing I was going to bring up.
00:42:46There, they've decided it is wet enough
00:42:48to put grooved tyres on.
00:42:50Now, the Toyotas went on to ungrooved intermediates.
00:42:55I thought it was a groove slicks, I thought.
00:42:57Slick-imediates.
00:42:58Groove slicks, yeah.
00:42:59Ooh, now they're going full wet.
00:43:01Yes, they are going full wet,
00:43:02but the Toyotas know they were going on groove slicks.
00:43:05Well, bearing in mind,
00:43:06Toyota have hired six of the very best drivers
00:43:09on the planet of sports cars,
00:43:11whereas this AM car has got one silver,
00:43:16well, gold or platinum driver,
00:43:18and two gentleman drivers.
00:43:20So it's a very different kettle of fish.
00:43:24Christian Reid, Gianluca Roda are the gentlemen.
00:43:26Paolo Roberti is a gold standard driver,
00:43:28so he is a professional.
00:43:30And Christian Reid, you know,
00:43:33he's one of the owners of Proton
00:43:36and has been with them for many years in GT racing,
00:43:39always in Porsches,
00:43:41but clearly he is of a mind that a wet-weather tyre,
00:43:44thank you very much,
00:43:45is going to be much more the sort of thing
00:43:46that will help him get the car to the end of the race.
00:43:50Yep.
00:43:50It's interesting looking at the lap times.
00:43:52We're just getting a sort of a little bit of a look here.
00:43:564.11 as opposed to 3.
00:43:57And hello.
00:43:59Yes, and Martin Stratton,
00:44:00Mr Fisichella,
00:44:02has been through the gravel trap.
00:44:04Yeah, Marshall's post 42.
00:44:06He got all the way to the first chicane
00:44:07before going straight on,
00:44:09on his outlap.
00:44:10So there I was,
00:44:11just picking up their progress,
00:44:13and he's rather under the radar,
00:44:15slipped through the gravel without letting us know.
00:44:17It was interesting.
00:44:18Who else have you came to?
00:44:19Yeah, I know.
00:44:20Seeing the praises on party.
00:44:21It's not even a quarter of a lap
00:44:22for the curse of the commentator,
00:44:24but my fulsome praise.
00:44:25Ooh, this will be on board, will it?
00:44:27No, this is the Toyota, I think.
00:44:31Ah.
00:44:31That's the Toyota.
00:44:33Yes.
00:44:33I'm not sure who we're on board with there.
00:44:35However,
00:44:36we will leave them to their own devices
00:44:38and return to you in just a moment.
00:44:40Stay by your beds.
00:44:41Stay by your beds.
00:45:11Stay by your beds.
00:45:41Stay by your beds.
00:45:47Having bigged up Giancarlo Fisichella
00:45:49in the progress,
00:45:50the number 51,
00:45:51hey, of course,
00:45:52a Ferrari was making
00:45:53and then seeing him skate off
00:45:55into the gravel traps
00:45:55not just two minutes ago.
00:45:57It's nice saying that
00:45:58it was up to Christian Reid
00:46:00to decide what tyres he would like,
00:46:02best to get him round,
00:46:04and if Wets were fine
00:46:05for the team boss,
00:46:06then Wets were fine.
00:46:07He's gone straight on
00:46:08at the first chicane as well
00:46:09on his choice of groove tyre.
00:46:12I think I may leave
00:46:13before I mention somebody else
00:46:15and curse them to...
00:46:16I think that's one of the Toyotas.
00:46:18Oh, that's not the first chicane.
00:46:20That's not me.
00:46:21I haven't mentioned any of them.
00:46:23That's you or Gord or Neville.
00:46:25I thought about it.
00:46:26I thought about it.
00:46:26Martin Havel never...
00:46:28Martin Havel?
00:46:29Martin Havel, yes.
00:46:30See, now I should have started
00:46:31at the other end.
00:46:32Chris Parsons,
00:46:33Neville Hay, Martin Havel.
00:46:34I can say that.
00:46:35I can't go the other way
00:46:36down the table.
00:46:37And Eurosport's live coverage
00:46:39of the Le Mans 24 hours.
00:46:4010.43, not at night.
00:46:42It must be 10.43 somewhere,
00:46:44is it?
00:46:44No, it can't be
00:46:45because that would be
00:46:45we're subtracting.
00:46:4610 hours, 43 minutes to go.
00:46:49Record eight safety cars
00:46:50already in the race
00:46:52and we still have
00:46:5310 of our 24 hours to go.
00:46:55It hasn't even got to light
00:46:56and we may well,
00:46:58with the weather the way it is,
00:46:59raining again at Circuit
00:47:00Permanent de la Sarte,
00:47:01or Circuit de la Sarte,
00:47:03may well have a cause
00:47:04for another safety car
00:47:05because, as you can plainly see,
00:47:07cars are whistling by
00:47:08all over the place.
00:47:08Number three, Audi being passed by
00:47:10number one?
00:47:13Yes.
00:47:13Who do we think is close
00:47:14to him on the road?
00:47:15It can't be number one
00:47:15on lapping himself, can it?
00:47:16Well, he could be.
00:47:18You know, I mean,
00:47:18he could be taking himself
00:47:20from 10 laps to 9 laps with that.
00:47:23I think it's going to work
00:47:23a lot better
00:47:24if we lose the microphone closer.
00:47:26Number one has been
00:47:27lapping very quickly.
00:47:29and Andre Lotterer
00:47:31set the fastest lap
00:47:33in the dark
00:47:35about an hour ago.
00:47:36So, yeah,
00:47:37number one really is
00:47:38stepping on it.
00:47:40Talk amongst yourselves.
00:47:42I know that won't be
00:47:43too much of a chore.
00:47:44I have a page to find.
00:47:45We'll let him find the page.
00:47:47Well, meanwhile,
00:47:49we'll watch the race.
00:47:50We'll watch the race.
00:47:51Yeah, I can see that
00:47:52the rain is still coming down
00:47:54outside our commentary position.
00:47:56So, although,
00:47:59looking at that
00:47:59over the far side
00:48:00of the circuit,
00:48:01it does seem to be
00:48:02drier over there.
00:48:03Yes, it's certainly not
00:48:05around the entire circuit.
00:48:07Yeah, there's no spray
00:48:09coming off that car
00:48:10in front at all.
00:48:11Sir, please, sir,
00:48:12are we just coming down
00:48:13to the second chicane?
00:48:14Er, I would have said
00:48:17we were coming down
00:48:18to the Porsche curbs.
00:48:20Oh, OK.
00:48:20Yeah.
00:48:21Oh, I'm trying to...
00:48:22We also, um...
00:48:23I found a lovely page
00:48:24on my timing screen
00:48:25which shows the position
00:48:26of every car.
00:48:27But because it's
00:48:28on a very small screen
00:48:29and it's a very long track,
00:48:31they're necessarily truncated.
00:48:32And so, basically,
00:48:33it shows about 20 numbers
00:48:35with blobs of numbers
00:48:36underneath them.
00:48:37So, until the wretched out is...
00:48:38Oh, it is one and three.
00:48:39Yeah.
00:48:40One has just gone by three
00:48:41as they came...
00:48:42Er, came when I can see
00:48:44them now separating
00:48:45their now and the 4GK.
00:48:46So, it is number one.
00:48:47Has unlapped himself.
00:48:48Not from the Leesa, though,
00:48:49but from Oli Jarvis
00:48:50in car number three
00:48:51which is why Oli
00:48:52let him go so easily.
00:48:53I think he was probably
00:48:54asked rather nicely
00:48:55would you just let him go by?
00:48:56But he's still 11 laps behind.
00:48:59Yes.
00:49:00So, he's got a lot
00:49:01of lapping to do.
00:49:03Yeah, he has.
00:49:04But, you know, I mean,
00:49:05these guys in the number one car,
00:49:07they won it last year.
00:49:08They won it the year before.
00:49:09And so, they know
00:49:10you can't always win it.
00:49:12And Oli Jarvis gets himself
00:49:13caught out in traffic
00:49:15and almost runs up
00:49:17the back of the 8-star
00:49:18the orange Ferrari.
00:49:22And, you know what?
00:49:23I mean, these conditions
00:49:25are vile enough
00:49:26and that's a very,
00:49:27very demanding corner.
00:49:28170 mile an hour turn in.
00:49:30Tight uphill blind right-hander.
00:49:32And as the car's really leaning hard
00:49:34on his left-hand tyres,
00:49:36you want the right-hand tyres
00:49:37to grip as you brake
00:49:38and then try and turn to the left.
00:49:39You're trying to roll the car
00:49:40from your left shoulder
00:49:41to your right shoulder.
00:49:43And, of course, it's greasy
00:49:44and they don't like to do that.
00:49:45I was watching up there earlier on
00:49:47for about 20 minutes
00:49:48and I'd say about a third
00:49:50of all cars in all classes
00:49:52got in too deep
00:49:54into the Dunlop curve
00:49:55and tried right out to the outside
00:49:57and just fringes
00:49:58of the gravel trap.
00:49:59So easy to do.
00:50:01The only corner perhaps
00:50:02that's easier to get wrong
00:50:03is Arnage.
00:50:05I love that marshal there
00:50:06just under the bridge.
00:50:08He's found himself
00:50:08in the best position
00:50:10that any marshal
00:50:11could desire
00:50:12because he can stay
00:50:14out of the rain.
00:50:15Yes.
00:50:16And he's loved every second of it.
00:50:17I've been watching him
00:50:18all evening.
00:50:19Years ago,
00:50:20the Dunlop bridge
00:50:21used to be some rickety old thing
00:50:22was basically just an advert.
00:50:23Now it's a massive structure.
00:50:25It's a proper, proper...
00:50:26It is the pedestrian bridge
00:50:28over the track.
00:50:29So it's a very substantial
00:50:30bit of shelter as well.
00:50:31It might actually protect him
00:50:32from a bit of breeze.
00:50:33And it's one of the images
00:50:34of Le Mans
00:50:35along with those poplar trees
00:50:37on the outside of Tertrourouge.
00:50:39Popular?
00:50:39Are they...
00:50:40Poplar.
00:50:40They're very poplier.
00:50:42They're popular, poplier.
00:50:43They are very poplier
00:50:44in this thing of the woods,
00:50:46young Christopher.
00:50:47They're pretty dear.
00:50:49KCMG.
00:50:49Oh, yes,
00:50:50the car has returned.
00:50:51This is a classic
00:50:52Hugh Chamberlain car,
00:50:53isn't it?
00:50:53With no disrespect to Hugh,
00:50:55Hugh always seemed
00:50:56to find himself
00:50:58associated with a car
00:50:59that just would not
00:51:01stay out of the garage.
00:51:02And KCMG, I'm afraid,
00:51:04appear to have found
00:51:05one of those
00:51:06for themselves.
00:51:07Quite sorry today.
00:51:08It's threatening to come back.
00:51:09Oh, he is.
00:51:10He's gone to Mr. Bed
00:51:11for a snooze.
00:51:12You can see the rather
00:51:13attractive lights
00:51:14in the roll hoop.
00:51:15A lot of people
00:51:15were asking
00:51:16during the course
00:51:17of the evening,
00:51:18especially as the night
00:51:19came down,
00:51:19what are all the flashy
00:51:20lights for,
00:51:21and yada, yada, yada.
00:51:22To identify your car
00:51:23when it's coming
00:51:24towards you in the dark,
00:51:25either up the pit lane
00:51:26or across the start-finish line,
00:51:29these guys hanging over
00:51:30knowing it's about you
00:51:31will be looking for
00:51:32two little blue arches
00:51:33as opposed to two little
00:51:35golden arches.
00:51:35And the organisers
00:51:37and the cars,
00:51:38the regulations
00:51:39may say the cars
00:51:40have to have
00:51:41illuminated numbers.
00:51:42Yes.
00:51:43And there's been
00:51:43quite an issue
00:51:44this evening
00:51:44because the illuminated
00:51:46numbers are failing.
00:51:48Yes.
00:51:48And the organisers
00:51:50are having to
00:51:51hang them out
00:51:52the orange
00:51:53and black flag,
00:51:55which means
00:51:56they don't have
00:51:57to come in
00:51:58immediately.
00:51:58they can wait
00:52:00until their next pit stop.
00:52:02With the next pit stop,
00:52:04they have to
00:52:04rectify the car.
00:52:06I suppose the guys
00:52:06at Murphy
00:52:07two or so hours ago
00:52:09and they lost
00:52:11a couple of laps
00:52:11because they had
00:52:12to rectify theirs.
00:52:13But he said,
00:52:13in fairness,
00:52:14we have been bluffing it
00:52:16for three hours.
00:52:17We knew it was coming.
00:52:18It was on the left-hand side
00:52:20so not facing race control.
00:52:22We got away with that
00:52:22for a while
00:52:23and then eventually
00:52:24we knew it was coming.
00:52:25So it got ripped off
00:52:26in a bit of contact
00:52:27so all the wiring
00:52:28was still there
00:52:29so they just
00:52:29got their last one,
00:52:32plugged it in,
00:52:33taped it on.
00:52:34They're there
00:52:34sort of adhesive,
00:52:35self-adhesive panels
00:52:36with a very fine filament
00:52:38that illuminates
00:52:39behind the number.
00:52:41But he said,
00:52:42yeah,
00:52:42that one's got to stay on
00:52:43because otherwise,
00:52:44you know,
00:52:45you don't want to be
00:52:45too retired from a race
00:52:47because of lack of numbers.
00:52:48Here we have
00:52:49Toyota on Toyota.
00:52:52Got a Toyota
00:52:52on Toyota action
00:52:53for second place.
00:52:54The gap,
00:52:550.0.
00:52:56Guys,
00:52:57grey stuff.
00:52:58That's the legal bit.
00:52:59Here we go.
00:53:00But number eight
00:53:02is definitely
00:53:02quicker than seven there.
00:53:03Well,
00:53:04I think it's
00:53:05a sort of
00:53:05a desire
00:53:06to...
00:53:09They're both
00:53:10lapping in roughly
00:53:11the same time
00:53:11but there are still
00:53:12a couple of seconds
00:53:13down on Duval,
00:53:14aren't they?
00:53:15And he did
00:53:17sort of hurl it
00:53:18across the kerbs
00:53:19rather substantially.
00:53:21He'd sort of
00:53:22treated the Ford
00:53:23chicane
00:53:23as if it was
00:53:24basically just a straight
00:53:25and went
00:53:26zooming over
00:53:26the chicane.
00:53:27Loic Duval
00:53:28is two seconds
00:53:30a lap quicker
00:53:31than Nicolas Lapierre
00:53:33in the Toyota
00:53:34behind him.
00:53:35Well,
00:53:35he's about three quarters
00:53:36of a lap
00:53:37in front as well.
00:53:38Loic Duval
00:53:38and our screen
00:53:39just turning
00:53:39into the Porsche
00:53:40curves.
00:53:42Now,
00:53:42as they turn
00:53:43on to
00:53:43Terture Rouge
00:53:44which is
00:53:45four and a half,
00:53:48five miles,
00:53:48five miles
00:53:49probably separation.
00:53:50Of course,
00:53:51pick up a puncture
00:53:52on somebody's debris,
00:53:53get tagged
00:53:54into a spin,
00:53:55boing,
00:53:55gone.
00:53:55It's not even a lap.
00:53:58Actually,
00:53:59and here we are
00:54:01ten hours and a half,
00:54:03ten and a half hours
00:54:04to go.
00:54:04We've got,
00:54:05what's the lead gap?
00:54:06Two minutes
00:54:0627.8 seconds,
00:54:08not two thirds
00:54:09of a lap.
00:54:11So,
00:54:12there's a lot
00:54:13of racing
00:54:14to happen.
00:54:15A lot of racing
00:54:16and the pit stop
00:54:18situation
00:54:18is going to
00:54:19help a little bit
00:54:21but it's going to
00:54:21help a little bit more
00:54:22if I look at the
00:54:23timings and everything
00:54:24else as well.
00:54:25I still think
00:54:26that the Audi
00:54:26can hold on there
00:54:27even with the
00:54:28extra advantage
00:54:29of one pit stop
00:54:31there perhaps.
00:54:32Was that just me
00:54:33or when we were
00:54:33on board there,
00:54:34did you hear
00:54:35Hollywood style
00:54:35tyre squeal
00:54:36as he was going
00:54:37through the SS?
00:54:38I know.
00:54:39And that's
00:54:39wet weather tyres
00:54:40in the rain
00:54:41or inters
00:54:42or something or other
00:54:43so they're obviously
00:54:44starting to give
00:54:45so much grip
00:54:46that they are actually
00:54:47getting squeal now.
00:54:48Yeah.
00:54:49That's ridiculously insane.
00:54:51I think there's
00:54:53an element there
00:54:54also of the
00:54:55harvesting of the
00:54:56energy.
00:54:59It's not a harvesting
00:55:00place in the SS.
00:55:02The next one is at
00:55:03Terre-Tour-Rouge
00:55:04then the two
00:55:04chicanes
00:55:05then Mulsanne Corner.
00:55:06You can hear it
00:55:09again then
00:55:10and right-hander.
00:55:11Well the Audi
00:55:12because there's
00:55:12when you're trackside
00:55:13because there's
00:55:14basically no
00:55:15engine noise
00:55:16whatsoever.
00:55:17All you can hear
00:55:17is the
00:55:18tyre
00:55:19yeah tyre squeal
00:55:21or tyre chirrup
00:55:22or whatever
00:55:22and the whistle
00:55:24of a low-flying missile.
00:55:25It's just the most
00:55:26bizarre racing sound.
00:55:27It's as close
00:55:28to an electric
00:55:29racing car noise
00:55:30as you can get.
00:55:31And actually
00:55:31what will be interesting
00:55:33is when Nissan
00:55:34bring
00:55:34son of Delta Leaf
00:55:36or whatever
00:55:38we're going to end up
00:55:38nicknaming it back
00:55:39next year
00:55:40their Garage 56
00:55:41project which is
00:55:42predominantly electric
00:55:44although not totally
00:55:45I don't think it can be
00:55:46how totally electric
00:55:48is going to sound
00:55:49compared to the
00:55:49Audi diesel.
00:55:50Now of course
00:55:52we may not be able
00:55:52to back-to-back it
00:55:53with the current
00:55:53silent whispering diesel
00:55:55but let's see
00:55:56KCMG going out
00:55:57on grooved tyres
00:55:59and actually
00:56:00do you know what
00:56:00it's not really
00:56:02stopped here
00:56:02it's still
00:56:03drizzling enough
00:56:04to make it
00:56:05consistently wet
00:56:06and you can see
00:56:07in the pictures
00:56:08there
00:56:08the pit lane
00:56:09the track
00:56:09nice sheen
00:56:10of water
00:56:11on
00:56:11the perfect
00:56:12conditions
00:56:13for having
00:56:13the accident
00:56:14nobody wants
00:56:15to have.
00:56:21So he comes
00:56:21over the blend
00:56:22line
00:56:22up into the Dunlop
00:56:23curve
00:56:24and everybody
00:56:24else has to
00:56:25go round
00:56:25a pedestrian
00:56:27speed car
00:56:28tucks in behind
00:56:31the rest of the
00:56:32queue
00:56:32what are we
00:56:32seeing here
00:56:33we were
00:56:33seeing what
00:56:33the poor
00:56:34spectators are
00:56:34doing which
00:56:35is trying to
00:56:36stay awake
00:56:36and or snooze
00:56:37in the drizzle
00:56:38all been there
00:56:39my first race
00:56:40I slept in a
00:56:41field and I
00:56:41woke up to find
00:56:42it was raining
00:56:42on my face
00:56:43so I rolled
00:56:44under a nearby
00:56:45car and went
00:56:46back to sleep
00:56:47just as well
00:56:48the car didn't
00:56:49move off
00:56:49Martin
00:56:49yes I'm not
00:56:51sure I was
00:56:51awake enough
00:56:52to check that
00:56:53however had it
00:56:54started I might
00:56:55have moved a
00:56:56little quickly
00:56:56was this your
00:56:57first visit to
00:56:58Le Mans
00:56:58it was
00:56:591983
00:56:59have you seen
00:57:00the pictures
00:57:00I'll show you
00:57:01in a short while
00:57:01you did show me
00:57:01the pictures
00:57:02because I came
00:57:03by the
00:57:04only once
00:57:05I was sent
00:57:07by a company
00:57:07who sent me
00:57:09and that's what
00:57:10they could afford
00:57:11to do
00:57:12third in GTE
00:57:13Pro as you can
00:57:14see from the
00:57:14three lights on
00:57:15the side the
00:57:16indicator lights
00:57:17down the side
00:57:17of each car
00:57:18one or two
00:57:19or three
00:57:20illuminated for
00:57:21first second
00:57:21or third in
00:57:22class and in
00:57:23this case the
00:57:24green lights
00:57:24as with the
00:57:25green on our
00:57:26timing screens
00:57:27tells us it's
00:57:28GTE Pro
00:57:29orange lights
00:57:30for GTE Am
00:57:31red lights
00:57:32for LMP1
00:57:33blue lights
00:57:33for LMP2
00:57:34makes it very
00:57:35easy when you're
00:57:36at trackside
00:57:36you're just
00:57:37watching cars
00:57:37go by
00:57:38enjoying the
00:57:39kind of
00:57:39different sights
00:57:40and sounds
00:57:40oh there's
00:57:41the LMP2
00:57:41leader
00:57:42wow he's
00:57:43looking quick
00:57:44or in this
00:57:44case as he'll
00:57:45come up the
00:57:46hill the lights
00:57:47go off
00:57:47because that
00:57:48stop lost him
00:57:49third place
00:57:50in the
00:57:51GTE Pro
00:57:52class and
00:57:52that has
00:57:53now been
00:57:53taken by
00:57:53the Porsche
00:57:54Patrick
00:57:54Pille
00:57:55at the line
00:57:58but the
00:57:58Aston got out
00:57:59in front but
00:58:00it's wagging
00:58:00its tail
00:58:01Pille has got
00:58:02tyres that
00:58:03are up to
00:58:04temperature
00:58:04the Astons
00:58:05have just
00:58:05come out of
00:58:06the tyre
00:58:06warmers
00:58:07no he didn't
00:58:08take tyres
00:58:09did he
00:58:09so they should
00:58:10be hot enough
00:58:10but Stefan
00:58:11Mucca out
00:58:12fumbled there
00:58:12by Patrick
00:58:13Pille who
00:58:14is coming up
00:58:14with a head
00:58:14of steam
00:58:15and a degree
00:58:16of determination
00:58:17I would suggest
00:58:18I bet his
00:58:19engineer was
00:58:20saying he'll
00:58:20be coming out
00:58:21right in front
00:58:22of you
00:58:23get him
00:58:24and of course
00:58:25the Porsche
00:58:26with the rear
00:58:27engine
00:58:27has the better
00:58:28traction
00:58:29which we did
00:58:30see there
00:58:31yeah
00:58:31the Aston
00:58:33trying to get
00:58:34all its
00:58:34horsepower
00:58:34onto the
00:58:35road
00:58:35however
00:58:36the Porsche
00:58:37on the
00:58:38straight
00:58:38is now
00:58:38giving away
00:58:39a nice
00:58:39tow
00:58:40and the
00:58:41Aston
00:58:41will pick
00:58:42up its
00:58:42skirts
00:58:42and pony
00:58:43on right
00:58:44up behind
00:58:44it
00:58:45using all
00:58:46of that
00:58:46gorgeous
00:58:46muscle power
00:58:47so don't
00:58:49be surprised
00:58:50to see the
00:58:50Aston
00:58:51having a
00:58:51little lunge
00:58:52in the
00:58:52first or
00:58:53second
00:58:53chicane
00:58:54he doesn't
00:58:54get close
00:58:55enough
00:58:55I love
00:58:56the gravel
00:58:56track cam
00:58:57we don't
00:58:58have gopher
00:58:59cam here
00:58:59but that's
00:58:59good enough
00:59:00for me
00:59:01it's a
00:59:02great view
00:59:03across the
00:59:03gravel
00:59:03again with
00:59:07the Porsche
00:59:07you saw
00:59:08how close
00:59:09the Aston
00:59:09was
00:59:10the gap
00:59:10can't be
00:59:11more than
00:59:12half a
00:59:12second
00:59:12between them
00:59:13and the
00:59:13Aston
00:59:14again
00:59:14sitting in
00:59:15the slip
00:59:15stream
00:59:15looking for
00:59:17a way
00:59:17to get
00:59:17by
00:59:18just
00:59:18taking it
00:59:19easy
00:59:19on the
00:59:20first
00:59:20lap
00:59:20out
00:59:21I'm
00:59:21looking at
00:59:21the
00:59:22fringes
00:59:22the
00:59:22dark
00:59:23bits
00:59:23of the
00:59:23track
00:59:23to see
00:59:24if
00:59:24any
00:59:24of
00:59:24them
00:59:24suddenly
00:59:25illuminate
00:59:25look
00:59:26how much
00:59:27closer
00:59:28the
00:59:28Aston
00:59:28is
00:59:28right up
00:59:30behind him
00:59:30this time
00:59:31and now you
00:59:33get on to the
00:59:33longest part of the
00:59:34Mulsanne straight
00:59:35the third element
00:59:36after the second
00:59:37chicane
00:59:38or the faster part
00:59:39rather
00:59:40down to Mulsanne
00:59:41corner
00:59:41Patrick Pille
00:59:42flashing the
00:59:43headlights at
00:59:44who is in front
00:59:45of him
00:59:46to them
00:59:46whoever
00:59:46it is
00:59:47he wants
00:59:47past
00:59:47him
00:59:47in fact
00:59:50they're coming
00:59:51up on a group
00:59:52of three
00:59:52cars
00:59:5371
00:59:54is Olivier
00:59:55Beretta's
00:59:55Ferrari
00:59:56but it's
00:59:5797
00:59:58no it's not
01:00:00it's the
01:00:0050
Recomendado
1:00:00
|
A Seguir
1:00:00
1:00:00
1:00:00
1:00:00
1:00:00
1:00:00
1:00:00
1:52
59:57
1:00:01
1:00:00
1:00:00
1:00:00
59:59
59:59
1:00:00
1:00:02
1:00:00
Seja a primeira pessoa a comentar