Relive the full broadcast of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2009 — a true battle of endurance, technology, and determination. Peugeot and Audi faced off in an intense 24-hour duel on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, pushing their prototypes and drivers to the absolute limit. Every lap brought drama, precision, and pure racing emotion as strategy and reliability shaped the outcome. Experience the triumph, the heartbreak, and the passion that defined one of the most iconic editions in Le Mans history.
#LeMans2009 #24HoursOfLeMans #FullRace #EnduranceRacing #Motorsport #AudiVsPeugeot #LegendaryRace #HistoricRace #EpicRacing #SpeedAndEndurance
#LeMans2009 #24HoursOfLeMans #FullRace #EnduranceRacing #Motorsport #AudiVsPeugeot #LegendaryRace #HistoricRace #EpicRacing #SpeedAndEndurance
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SportsTranscript
00:00I think this is going to make them very, very nervous.
00:03I mean, based on the way the qualifying was, I think Audi probably had high hopes.
00:07They were thinking, we've brought out a new car, it's going to be really quick,
00:10we can now really take the pace with Peugeot, but, you know, they just seem to be dropping off.
00:14They're now running a lap down from the Peugeot as well,
00:17which is definitely not good at this early stage in the race.
00:19This is going to have Wolfgang Ulrich very, very worried indeed,
00:23and they're going to have to find a way to pick the pace up.
00:25I mean, perhaps at night they might be able to find a bit of pace
00:28because we're seeing it's very hot out there.
00:30It's in the 30s, definitely, and maybe there's just a way that Peugeot's utilising their tyres a bit better.
00:36That was the sound of straws being clutched out there, ladies and gentlemen.
00:40Night is not long enough here to make a difference.
00:42It's not really even long enough at Daytona to make a difference.
00:45009 coming back out after another elongated pit stop,
00:49so maybe if we could just have a little look further than the top four,
00:53it might be interesting to go and find out what is happening down at Aston Martin.
00:56Maybe we can send Sebastian down there.
00:58009 leaves, as you see.
01:00007 and 008, the other two Lola chassis Aston Martins are in fifth and sixth position.
01:07Simon Pagino, seventh in the number 17 Pescarolo Peugeot.
01:10LMP2, still, it's the Porsche's battling.
01:13The Essex car is a minute ahead of the team go-car.
01:17GT1 is the preserve of Corvette.
01:20Corvette's running first, second, third, and fourth.
01:23But in GT, the gap now, Raman Narag, ahead of Seth Neiman in the Flying Lizards car.
01:29It's out to 40 seconds at the head of the GT2 class, Pierre Caffer.
01:3350 seconds behind Seth Neiman in third place in the best place, Ferrari.
01:37But I imagine that gap will be coming down.
01:39Looking at the gap here between Thomas Enger and Jos Verstappen.
01:433 minutes 34.1 to 3 minutes 33.8 between the two Aston Martins on the last lap.
01:50Lola Aston Martins.
01:51There is very little at all between those two Aston Martin racing entries as they go by Seth Neiman.
01:56That is Jos Verstappen flashing the headlights.
01:59Yeah, and looking further down now, we did follow some interest on Thursday night.
02:03The progress of the little Stracca, Ginetta Zaitek.
02:07Now, Danny Watts hasn't driven this car until now.
02:10He's got on board about half an hour ago.
02:12And he's just put in a series of fastest laps at 3.36, 3.35.
02:16And he's just, as we're talking, done at 3.34.
02:19And he's pulled that car from 18th to 16th.
02:21He's now knocking on the door of the two Porsche Spiders.
02:24He's on the same lap and he's about two minutes behind them.
02:26So, I expect to see that car haul itself past the LM2 leaders.
02:31Of course, the Ginetta Zaitek is a LMP1 car.
02:35Danny Watts on board.
02:37And it's all looking good there, Liz.
02:39Very strong performance.
02:41It is.
02:41And we were speaking with Danny Watts earlier before the race.
02:43And they're planning on doing quadruple stints at night.
02:46And it's also very interesting.
02:47They've got a different wheel for their night stints, which is a new one for me.
02:51But normally you'd have a dimmer switch on the wheel.
02:53But apparently they're changing driver and wheel at some point in the evening,
02:57which should be an interesting pit stop for them.
02:59So, we'll wait and see how that works out.
03:01But certainly I think he's a man on a mission and he's pushing hard.
03:04I think he's just done the fastest lap the car has done just in his last lap.
03:08Yeah, Peter Hartman started it.
03:11And then Nick Leventus took over.
03:13Nick, unfortunately, had an off in it.
03:14Not serious, but a spin.
03:16But Nick, I think, is going to learn a lot this weekend.
03:19It's a very steep learning curve at Le Mans.
03:20But he's going to come out of this a better driver.
03:22Oh, absolutely.
03:23I think as long as you can keep pushing on it, Le Mans, you know,
03:25you spend so much time in the car with so many different speed differentials
03:29and you've got the difference of the real circuit and the actual road to deal with.
03:32You come away much stronger, much more wisened driver, I think is the best way to put it.
03:37Anyway, we've got one of the icons of Le Mans joining us now.
03:40Not Jack Eakes, but Hugh Chamberlain, far more important.
03:44Hugh, who's never let me forget the time about 10 years ago.
03:47He's up in this cabin and I said, Sunday morning,
03:49Hugh, you're running in third in Group C, too.
03:52This must be your finest moment.
03:54And Hugh said, if you don't count the year we won, yes.
03:57We're just going to take a quick break and we'll be back with larger than life Hugh Chamberlain
04:00and find out why he's here.
04:09We're back live on Eurosport at the Le Mans.
04:1124 hours, we are now some 5 hours and 12 minutes.
04:175 hours and 12 minutes, did I say?
04:196 hours and 12 minutes.
04:20Well, that's your offer.
04:21No, we're 4 hours and 12 minutes into the race.
04:23Peugeot leading Sarrazan from David Brabham in the number 9 Peugeot.
04:29And we've just had a change of order for third place.
04:32Dindo Capello has just taken position off his teammate, Marco Verna,
04:36and just put the car's fastest lap of the race so far, 3.28.50.
04:41Alan McNish in that car, last year's winner with Dindo,
04:43and Tom Christensen couldn't get below 3.29.
04:45But Dindo, a 3.28.
04:47Great performance by the Italian.
04:49Now, we've joined, as we said, we promised before the break by Hugh Chamberlain.
04:52Hugh, of course, is Chamberlain's synergy,
04:55but also synonymous with Le Mans over the years.
04:58And Hugh, first time for years, you haven't actually been running a car here,
05:02or helping with running one.
05:03That's right.
05:04It's a very, very strange feeling,
05:06particularly when the sun's shining and things are happening.
05:09It's going to be wonderful when it, if it does pour with rain,
05:12I can actually go and do something else, which I couldn't do normally.
05:16But, yes, it's a very strange feeling.
05:19So you found all the crepes Suzette bars and the ice cream bars?
05:22No, I haven't actually.
05:23I've been extremely boring.
05:25I've been looking at motorcars,
05:26and you walk up and down the pit lane and think,
05:29I think I could do better than that.
05:31Which, of course, is absolute nonsense, but it's...
05:34Now, Hugh, you are, in fact, connected with the Gigawave programme at the moment,
05:37aren't you, the Nissan programme?
05:39Well, I don't know whether I'm connected with it,
05:41but I'm aware of it.
05:43Yeah.
05:43I know the guys there, yes.
05:45You know the guys there, yeah.
05:47Just tell us something about why they withdrew the Aston Martin.
05:49Uh, well, I'm not part of the wall that goes on there.
05:55Um, so I'm not 100% sure,
05:58but I believe that there was a...
05:59Basically, they had other things to do, and they came first.
06:03So...
06:03Right, yes.
06:03I don't know where the Nissan was in relation to the Aston, I don't know, but...
06:06Yeah.
06:07Anyway, what about your plans?
06:08What are you doing?
06:09What's your future?
06:10Well, I'm involved with a number of things,
06:12including for rather fun and games.
06:16I'm actually involved with a guy with a Lola T70,
06:20which is a bit different,
06:21but it's a lovely, lovely Meta car.
06:23So, yes, I'm involved with Aston Martin and, uh,
06:26with their GT4, some GT4 cars,
06:29and, uh, Bob's still around,
06:32and he's doing quite well in Group C with his various cars,
06:36and, uh, a Lola, and that's, uh...
06:39It's, I'm going...
06:40Unfortunately, I've been kept busy,
06:42which is not really what I wanted to do at all.
06:44So the GT4 car, what's the difference?
06:46What is the main difference between that and this car we're looking at now,
06:48the Paul Drayson's GT2?
06:51About 200 grand.
06:53Oh, that's nuts.
06:53Which way?
06:55Yeah.
06:56No, the Paul Drayson car is a GT2 car.
06:58Full-on racer, yeah.
06:59Full-on racer, yeah.
07:00And our things are, um, really track-day cars in a way.
07:05I don't want to be unkind.
07:07They were built originally, I'm sure, as a track-day car.
07:09They're a road car with nothing inside other than a roll cage.
07:13So the basic package comes from ProDrive,
07:14and then you buy a new car,
07:17which is suitable for track days,
07:20and it's also suitable for going racing.
07:25We're just going down to the pit.
07:26Hold on a moment.
07:28Pedro, your car is quite far now,
07:31after the mistakes,
07:32but do you think it's still possible to do something?
07:35It's very difficult.
07:37We will push and try to do our best
07:40and see where we can arrive.
07:42But we are just keeping the same rhythm that the front car,
07:47so it's over seven laps behind.
07:50It's very difficult.
07:50It's a lot of race to go, but very difficult.
07:54For you, it's quite difficult.
07:56How do you pass over to get back in the car and still push?
08:01Well, it's very difficult for me,
08:03but I have to find motivation and enjoy on the track,
08:08try to enjoy,
08:08because it's a very nice track,
08:10very good car to drive,
08:11and I try to enjoy myself
08:14and do the best for the team.
08:15Thank you, Pedro.
08:16Thank you very much.
08:18So, Pedro's car at the moment
08:19in the hands of Christian Cleo,
08:20and they're in 20th place,
08:22and if you're just joining us
08:22for our non-stop-demand coverage,
08:25that's the car that had a collision
08:26in the pit lane
08:26with the sister Pescarolo Peugeot.
08:29I mean, how embarrassing was that?
08:31And poor Pedro had to go out
08:34and do a whole lap,
08:3712 kilometres with the tyre,
08:38shredding everything,
08:39including turbo suspension and intercoolers.
08:42And Hugh, if one of your cars
08:44had had that collision in the pit lane,
08:45would you have been in a position
08:46to stop him going out
08:47and call it and get the car rolled back?
08:50Well, I would sincerely hope
08:51that I wouldn't be stupid enough
08:52to let the car out in the first place.
08:54I mean, it's just extraordinary
08:56that an organisation like that
08:57should behave in that way.
08:59I mean, why would you employ somebody
09:01who lets a car out
09:02and takes another one
09:04of his sister cars,
09:05and it doesn't matter any car,
09:06but a sister car is even worse.
09:09So, that's the first thing.
09:11The second thing is,
09:12yes, he should have been stopped,
09:14because you can't have
09:15a collision like that
09:16and assume on a track like this
09:18that you're going to be okay
09:19for the next N kilometres.
09:22So, it's perfectly legal
09:23to stop him.
09:25He can't reverse back
09:26and do a three-point turn
09:28or park him.
09:29But you can stop him
09:30and they should have done,
09:31I think,
09:32but then I wasn't
09:34in the pit lane at the time.
09:35He's to the moment.
09:36I mean, you know,
09:36there's a possibility.
09:37As one of our colleagues suggested,
09:39he may not have even felt
09:40the collision
09:41and just continued.
09:42Well, he may not have done,
09:43but I would have thought
09:44the guy who let him out
09:45might have seen it,
09:46because he's lucky
09:46not to get run over.
09:47Well, he's probably
09:48not around anymore now.
09:49He's probably already
09:50on a train
09:50on his way back.
09:53It's always that possibility.
09:55Just to get back
09:56to your plans then,
09:57Aston Martin GT4 programme,
09:59what about,
09:59are we going to see you
10:00at Le Mans again?
10:00That's what we really
10:01want to know.
10:02Not until next year.
10:04Not until next year.
10:05I might be here
10:05tomorrow morning,
10:06but apart from that,
10:07I'm hoping to be back
10:08next year.
10:09Yeah, but with something.
10:10With something.
10:11Yes, yes, yes.
10:12I don't think I'm going
10:14to continue to come back
10:15to spectate.
10:16It's not the same.
10:17It wouldn't be the same
10:18without you.
10:18It's not so much fun,
10:20I can assure you.
10:21It's all right
10:21if you've never done it before,
10:22because I've been speaking
10:23to people in places
10:25that I haven't been for years,
10:27out in the car park and work,
10:29and they have a wonderful time.
10:33And it's great to do that,
10:34but if you've actually been inside,
10:37it's not quite so much fun.
10:38But people who've never
10:39been here before,
10:40they're beginning
10:40to get in the atmosphere.
10:41I actually spoke to Paul Grayson
10:43very quickly,
10:44in short-term time
10:46before he went out,
10:47and he's certainly
10:49not overruled by it,
10:51but he thinks it's
10:51a wonderful, wonderful race
10:53and occasion.
10:56And it's very nice
10:57to see guys
10:58who have come here
10:59for the first time
11:00who just don't think,
11:01oh, it's another motor race,
11:02because it sure as hell isn't.
11:03How could you ever
11:04consider Le Mans
11:06just another motor race?
11:07Well, people do.
11:08Anybody who thinks that
11:09should not be here.
11:10Absolutely.
11:11If I'm being honest.
11:13Yes, it's like, you know,
11:14you don't enjoy breathing,
11:15isn't it,
11:15if you don't enjoy Le Mans.
11:17Exactly, exactly.
11:17It's sort of the rest of life
11:19is just waiting, really,
11:20isn't it?
11:20So just to update you
11:21what's happening at the moment
11:22out on the track,
11:23we are still Peugeot 1-2,
11:24Stefan Sarrazan from David Bradman,
11:26third place,
11:27Dindo Capello,
11:28fourth place,
11:29Marco Werner.
11:30It's Peugeot, Peugeot,
11:31Audi, Audi,
11:32and then the two Lola Aston Martins
11:33of Thomas Enger
11:34and Jos Verstappen.
11:36Let's go back down to the pits
11:37where Justine is waiting for us.
11:39Well, you've just had a problem,
11:47Nicolas.
11:48Well, you've just had a problem, Nicolas.
11:48Yeah, well, I was getting on
11:59really well,
12:00going quickly,
12:00and then suddenly we...
12:03Towers are just getting
12:07better and better
12:07as the race goes on,
12:08going faster and faster.
12:12We've found the pace now,
12:14we've got no problem.
12:15We've got to keep going fast
12:18and not lose any time.
12:22The rest of the competition
12:23is quite a long way ahead.
12:27So the main thing is
12:27be safe because
12:31we've got less power.
12:34Yeah, we've got to go
12:35to the end of tomorrow.
12:36Let's see.
12:37Just as we saw that,
12:38up flashes the sign,
12:40Pierre Caffer in trouble.
12:43Yeah, it looks like
12:44he's not respecting
12:45the track limits,
12:46it appears,
12:46and I think what we're seeing
12:47there is a man on a mission
12:49because, you know,
12:50Seth Neiman at the moment
12:51is the one who's...
12:52He's a bit off the pace
12:53from what the others were.
12:54You know, that car
12:54was in the lead.
12:55It's moved down to third place
12:56now since he's been in.
12:57So I think Pierre is seeing
12:58his moment.
12:59He's moved the car up
13:00to second place,
13:02and I think he's a man
13:03on a mission
13:04trying to catch Raymond Narek
13:05who's just done
13:06his fastest lap.
13:08Well, not his fastest,
13:09the car's fastest lap.
13:10That's amazing.
13:11Stay with us now.
13:12We'll be back with you
13:13on Eurosport Live.
13:20Welcome back
13:21to the Le Mans 24 hours.
13:22You are live with us
13:23on Eurosport,
13:24and we're just watching
13:26this incredible race
13:27unfolding now.
13:28There's been so much action.
13:29It's all about Peugeot
13:30at the moment.
13:31They're out in front,
13:32got almost a lap
13:33over the Audis,
13:34and we're just noticing
13:35some lap times
13:36really start to fly.
13:38We've seen Dindo Capello
13:39do some of his fastest sectors
13:41so far,
13:42and also the real story
13:43there is Raymond Narek
13:45in the Porsche,
13:45leading that GT2 class
13:47at the moment,
13:47has just done some
13:48of his fastest sectors,
13:49his fastest lap,
13:50and in fact now
13:51has just done another
13:52fastest sector time.
13:54Now I think what we're
13:55seeing here is that
13:55the track is starting
13:56to rubber up a bit.
13:57We've had a different
13:58sort of week.
13:59They've not had quite
14:00as much running
14:00two weeks before
14:02to help the track
14:02rubber up,
14:03so we had a lot
14:04of rain on Wednesday,
14:05had really mixed
14:06conditions.
14:06Today is the first day
14:08of really warm running
14:09that we've had,
14:10proper warm weather,
14:11lots of cars
14:12on the circuit,
14:13and I think what
14:13we're seeing here
14:14is that the track's
14:14starting to rubber up,
14:15it's starting to come
14:16to these drivers,
14:17and now the times
14:17are starting to come.
14:19That's you,
14:20I mean you've been
14:20in this position
14:21so many times,
14:22you get towards the evening
14:23and suddenly you find
14:24new cars are going
14:24faster and faster,
14:26even though you're
14:26telling your drivers
14:27just to keep it cool.
14:29Yeah, it is a problem,
14:30it depends,
14:31I mean many of the years
14:32I was here with
14:33gentlemen drivers,
14:36and it's slightly
14:37different with them
14:37because you want
14:39to make sure they
14:40realise there's
14:41an awfully long time
14:42to go,
14:42so you have to be
14:43very, very careful
14:44to make sure they
14:46are doing the right
14:47thing,
14:48and I'm not being rude
14:49about my drivers
14:50at this stage
14:51because this year
14:52I don't have any,
14:52but they do have
14:55a tendency to go
14:56quicker and quicker
14:57and then suddenly
14:57something bites them
14:58because it's here,
14:59it's Le Mans,
15:00and they're going
15:00far, far quicker
15:01than they have
15:03all year
15:03or for the
15:04previous year.
15:05So yes,
15:06you've got to be
15:06very careful,
15:07but with professional
15:07drivers it's very
15:08different,
15:09they know exactly
15:10what's going on
15:10and if they don't
15:11they shouldn't be
15:12here.
15:14So we're getting
15:16back to that
15:16thread again,
15:16back to that thread
15:17again aren't we?
15:18Yes, but yeah,
15:19the guys are
15:21perfectly aware
15:22of the track
15:23conditions,
15:24but you have to
15:25be aware of it
15:25in the pit lane
15:26and make sure
15:27that if you need
15:29to inform the
15:30drivers and if
15:31you don't then
15:32you make sure
15:32the driver that's
15:33going in is aware
15:34of what the
15:35position is and
15:36you just watch
15:36that drive and
15:37you have to know
15:38where your car is
15:40and where your
15:41drivers are in
15:41relation to the
15:42guys around you.
15:44If you're at the
15:45front, obviously
15:45it's a completely
15:45different kettle of
15:46fish than if
15:47you're down the
15:49lower part of your
15:50category because
15:51there you've got
15:52to finish.
15:53And that's the
15:54most important
15:55thing.
15:55These guys are
15:56assuming they will
15:56as long as they
15:57don't throw it at
15:58the wall.
15:58They're racing to
15:59win, aren't they?
15:59They're racing to
16:00win.
16:00Not to finish,
16:01they're racing to
16:01win.
16:01Absolutely.
16:02So that is a
16:03different situation.
16:05Good point.
16:05But for most of
16:07the guys, the
16:08majority of the
16:09drivers here are
16:10here to be around
16:12at three o'clock
16:12on Sunday afternoon
16:13and they thrash
16:15the cars now.
16:18And this is just
16:18looking at the
16:19times coming down
16:20and the team
16:21manager is thinking
16:21hang on a minute
16:22boys,
16:22we've got to be
16:23careful here
16:23because you're
16:25not worried now
16:26but at midday
16:28or one o'clock
16:28tomorrow, you're
16:30going to be
16:30thinking, I wish
16:32I hadn't gone
16:32quite, and is
16:33that funny noise
16:34going to be
16:34all right, and
16:35am I worried
16:35about this?
16:36There are all
16:37sorts of things
16:37that you wish
16:38to have and
16:39you'd thought
16:40about earlier
16:40when it comes
16:41to one o'clock
16:41tomorrow.
16:42Hindsight's a
16:43wonderful gift,
16:43isn't it?
16:44Exactly.
16:45But you have
16:45still got them
16:46three hours to
16:46go.
16:47Two hours to
16:47go.
16:48Now, in this
16:50race, we've
16:50got up to 30
16:51rookie drivers in
16:52this particular
16:52race, which is a
16:53huge number.
16:53It's a lot of
16:54people new to the
16:55track who haven't
16:56had a proper
16:57practice weekend
16:57like we normally
16:58do as well.
16:59I mean, in that
16:59situation, would you
17:00as the team owner
17:02say, would you set
17:04them a lap time
17:04that you'd want
17:05them to do if you
17:06had a car full of
17:07rookies, saying
17:07they're not in the
17:08lead, obviously,
17:09or would you say
17:10just do a time
17:11that you're
17:12comfortable at, that
17:13you think isn't
17:13pushing the realms,
17:14or how would you
17:15approach that
17:15situation?
17:16Well, the thing
17:16about Le Mans is
17:17you do have a long
17:18time to think about
17:19it and talk to
17:20drivers.
17:21The difficult bit
17:21that I've always
17:22found is getting
17:22the drivers back
17:23to listen to what
17:23you say.
17:24And even if they
17:25do listen, you
17:25then got to make
17:27sure that they
17:28actually do it.
17:29But, yeah, once
17:31you've got them
17:31under control, then
17:32you have a time
17:34to do.
17:35Right, we're
17:35going to go down
17:36here from Alex
17:37Wurtz.
17:37How does Alex
17:38Wurtz, that car,
17:39of course, running
17:40there in the top
17:41five at the
17:42moment.
17:43Alex, are you
17:44still running
17:44second?
17:45It's a very good
17:46start.
17:48It could be
17:48better, you
17:49know, because the
17:51safety car came
17:51very unfortunate
17:52for me.
17:53I was just five
17:54seconds behind
17:55Frank on a
17:57different strategy.
17:58I wanted to stay
17:59out longer than
17:59him, also with a
18:01different set of
18:01tires, so all
18:02looked very good
18:03for me to sneak
18:04the lead after
18:05the pit stops.
18:06But then the
18:07safety car, and
18:09these guys decided
18:10to take me out
18:11of the car, I
18:12didn't know why.
18:13But anyway, that's
18:13a team decision, so
18:15now it's Mark
18:16and David on P2, so
18:18it's still a long
18:18race to go.
18:19It's okay.
18:21Is it for you, are
18:23you allowed to push
18:24to get the first
18:24place with the
18:26team?
18:28I think we, ask
18:31these guys, I want
18:33to push, of course.
18:34But I think we now
18:35are switching to a
18:38safer strategy.
18:39Is it a little bit
18:42frustration?
18:43Nah, it's not
18:44frustration, nah.
18:45But I'm a race
18:45driver, I want to
18:46lead, I want to
18:47win, and right now
18:50we had someone put
18:52us one little stone
18:53in our way with a
18:54safety car, and we
18:55maybe catch up through
18:56the night, so of
18:56course number nine
18:57keeps pushing.
19:00A little bit of
19:01frustration, no.
19:02Oh, dear, oh, dear.
19:03Not only this voice,
19:05it's the body language,
19:06isn't it?
19:06You're not happy.
19:07And it's interesting,
19:07because we're not
19:08really that far into a
19:1024-hour race, let's be
19:11honest, you know, we're
19:11not three hours from the
19:12end or something like
19:13that, and already you can
19:15see the confidence in the
19:16Peugeot car, and I think
19:17that's what we're seeing
19:18here, is they're saying,
19:19no, no, no, you know,
19:20we can't do it.
19:21And we're this many
19:21hours off at showing
19:22how good they think
19:23those cars are, and
19:24that they're basically
19:25assuming that the lead
19:26car is going to carry on
19:26as it is, with no
19:27problems at all.
19:28Yeah, well, that's what
19:30I was saying earlier,
19:30that they have to assume
19:33that these cars are
19:33going to finish, and
19:34they probably will.
19:35Whether they manage to
19:36shoot themselves in the
19:37foot again is a
19:38different question
19:38altogether, of course.
19:40But interestingly,
19:41he just seen that,
19:41she asked him what
19:42you'd been saying, you
19:44know, will you be
19:45allowed to race for the
19:47win?
19:47Well, Peugeot's lead
19:48car is all French at
19:49the moment, and
19:50if you've got,
19:52hmm, your second
19:53car's got an
19:54Australian, an
19:54Austrian, and whatever
19:56else it is, and
19:57just mark, you know,
19:59a Spaniard on board,
20:00I mean, you know,
20:00which would you as
20:01Peugeot want to win?
20:03Well, I wouldn't
20:05dream of suggesting
20:06they would prefer to
20:06have their own
20:07countrymen win.
20:08I'm not going to,
20:08I'm leaving that to
20:09you.
20:10I wouldn't think of
20:10that.
20:11Anyway, Hugh, thank
20:11you very much for
20:12coming and joining us,
20:13and any messages for
20:14anyone at home?
20:15No, no, just that I'm
20:17still in one piece.
20:18Good, it's very kind of
20:19you, and the dogs are
20:20well.
20:21The dogs are well
20:21excellent.
20:22We have to ask you
20:24that every year, because
20:24he's going to phone
20:26home to me, he's
20:27just bringing his
20:27watch.
20:28Well, thank you very
20:28much, and we hope to
20:29see you back with the
20:30team next year.
20:31That's very kind of
20:32you.
20:32I'll certainly try.
20:33Thank you, Hugh.
20:34Lovely to see you.
20:35So, the situation as we have
20:38completed 74 laps now.
20:39We are four and a half
20:41hours into the 24 hours.
20:43Sarrazan from Brabham, both
20:44for Peugeot, Capello and
20:45Werner, both for Audi.
20:47And Capello, Liz is just
20:48pointing out, just done his
20:49car's fastest first sector
20:51of the race, and that's from
20:52the start line down to
20:54Tetra Rouge.
20:55The two Lola Aston Martins.
20:56Haven't seen much of them,
20:57have we, while we've been
20:58on air?
20:59Thomas Enger, Thomas the
21:00Tank Enger, and Jos Verstappen.
21:03Those two.
21:03Very neat, isn't it, at the
21:05moment?
21:05You've got the two Peugeots,
21:06the two Audis, and the two
21:07Lola Aston Martin.
21:08Those six factory cars still
21:10dominating it, and behind
21:11them, Peugeot, Audi, Audi,
21:13Audi, Audi, Audi.
21:14And then Pescarolo in 11th.
21:17Juan Barbosa, the best of the
21:19petrol cars in the Pescarolo
21:22there.
21:23Well, he's the best of the
21:25open top petrol cars.
21:27Yeah, sorry, the open
21:27petrol cars.
21:28Yeah, but...
21:29Cape has done it again.
21:30He's done it again, and
21:31this time he's gotten a
21:32stop-and-go.
21:33Before it was a warning,
21:34this time it's a proper
21:35stop-and-go.
21:35They will not at all be
21:37happy about that, because
21:38he's actually closing the
21:39gap a bit between him and
21:41Raymond Narak, so that's
21:42not going to make that
21:43team happy, especially
21:44after the warning, which
21:45no doubt the team has
21:46definitely radioed through
21:47to him and said, look,
21:48you have to respect it.
21:49I'm guessing that's down at
21:50the Ford chicane.
21:51I'm not sure that's my
21:52estimation, as he's
21:53jumping straight over the
21:54top of that, which
21:55frankly ends up being
21:57very hard on a car in
21:58this race as well.
21:59If you continuously jump
22:00the big curbs in a car
22:01over and over again,
22:02sometimes it catches up
22:03with you.
22:04David Bradman into the pits.
22:06He's coming in for what
22:06will be his sixth, seventh
22:08stop.
22:09He's had six stops already
22:10in that car.
22:11And the team just checking
22:12everything out, refueling,
22:14just checking the driver's
22:15stuff there.
22:16They're doing the bottom.
22:16Oh, and we've got the
22:17number one in as well at the
22:18same time.
22:19That's not number one, the
22:20number eight, the race
22:22leader, bringing Sarrazan and
22:23Bradman at the same time.
22:24Is that always a good thing?
22:26Well, I would have
22:27thought that generally
22:27Peugeot would try and split
22:28them apart, to be honest, to
22:30try and keep it easier for
22:31them.
22:31But, you know, we don't know
22:32really what's going on.
22:33Maybe they've inadvertently
22:34come onto the same lap or
22:35maybe they needed to.
22:36You know, it's hard to
22:36determine what's going on
22:37down there.
22:38But you would have thought
22:39ideally they'd want to
22:40stagger them at least a
22:40lap apart so that they've
22:41got room should they need
22:43it.
22:43Well, particularly after
22:44what happened earlier with
22:45two of the Peugeots run by
22:48separate teams, yes.
22:49Certainly they did do it
22:50right where the lead car
22:51who's in the pits, the lead
22:52car in the pits came in
22:53first so that at least he
22:54was able to go away easily
22:55and the second car could
22:56push off.
22:57If they'd done it the other
22:58way around, then it would
22:59have been really difficult.
22:59Yep, absolutely right.
23:01So just to update you as
23:02well, the Essex Porsche
23:04Spider, Christian Polson, the
23:06world touring car driver
23:07on board that at the
23:08moment.
23:09And then the other car, the
23:11Navi Go Porsche in the
23:13hands of Kunimoto-san.
23:15That's looking very, very
23:17good for them, isn't it?
23:18Kisuke Kunimoto, the man
23:20who won the Macau Grand
23:21Prix last year and has
23:22been a real star in Japan
23:23in Super GT and in
23:25Formula Nippon.
23:26Just having a look further
23:27down, see who's still
23:28leading GT1.
23:29It's García in the 63
23:31Corvette and Raymond
23:33Lurac, as we said, he's
23:34going to start putting away
23:35a bit as Pia Kappa takes
23:36a penalty.
23:37We're going to take a
23:38penalty, quick break, we'll
23:39be back.
23:43Well, we're talking
23:43earlier about Hankook and
23:45their first appearance at
23:46Le Mans.
23:46They were lying third in
23:47class at that time, but
23:48this at the moment is
23:50Hankook's effort.
23:51Alan Simonson, the man
23:52who almost won the Le Mans
23:54series with Rob Bell last
23:56year, but then had to go
23:57off and do a race in
23:58Australia.
23:58Lost the title.
23:59Rob got it.
24:00But this car's got a
24:01puncture and they are going
24:03around the track there.
24:04And look, problem here.
24:05Is that the track breaking
24:06up, Liz?
24:06It is.
24:07It's breaking up on the
24:08outside of Mungsan.
24:10This is going to be a
24:11major problem, isn't it?
24:11That is not good.
24:12I mean, definitely you
24:13wouldn't want to be
24:14running over that.
24:14And judging from the
24:15tyre wear that we're
24:16seeing over that paint,
24:17you can see how much
24:18tyre has been put down
24:19there.
24:19That's a spot where cars
24:20are going over the top.
24:22So that could potentially
24:23cause some problems,
24:23maybe some punctures.
24:25Certainly could be bad.
24:26Look at the lumps there.
24:27Might already be
24:28causing punctures.
24:28Someone throws one of
24:29those up, could go for
24:30a windscreen.
24:31Oh, no, that's big.
24:33Is this...
24:33And right in the
24:35middle of pit entrance.
24:36This is one of the
24:37Eureka cars again,
24:38isn't it?
24:39Who's out in the Eureka
24:40cars at the moment?
24:40That's going to be
24:41finished.
24:41Is it Eureka?
24:41That'll be finished,
24:42I reckon.
24:43Nothing left, is it?
24:45It's not Eureka, is it?
24:46It's not Eureka, no.
24:47What have we got here?
24:48Oh, crazy.
24:49Oh, dear.
24:49Oh, dear.
24:50It is.
24:51Isn't it?
24:54No, it's...
24:55That's the radical.
24:57It's the radical.
24:57That's the radical.
24:58The Brookladdy car
24:58on Dunlop tyres, yeah.
25:00That shouldn't have
25:01happened, should it?
25:01Now, what happened here?
25:02The Lola just didn't
25:03give him any space, did it?
25:04That's really not nice.
25:06Who's in the 009 car?
25:08That was a 009 car,
25:09wasn't it?
25:09Yeah, that's Stuart Hall
25:11on board that car.
25:13That was a big mistake.
25:15Well, that's...
25:16Are we going to be
25:17in a safety car situation?
25:18I think that's on
25:19the back of Aston,
25:20I'm afraid, I think.
25:21That was Tim Greaves
25:22in the car.
25:24Tim making his return
25:25to Levant.
25:27I suppose it was
25:28Tim aiming to come
25:28into pit lane.
25:29He looked very slow.
25:30You know, normally
25:31you would push hard
25:32right up to the
25:33entrance of pit lane.
25:34Oh, that's fantastic
25:35if he's moving.
25:35Well, look at that.
25:37Give me a pushback, lad.
25:38Go on, Tim.
25:40So, Tim was just...
25:41He's behind the Corvette.
25:42There's not much
25:42he could do, is there?
25:43And Aston just gave him
25:44no space.
25:45Maybe Stuart thought
25:47he was going in the pits
25:48and when he got there
25:48he was still there.
25:50I don't know.
25:50That or he was trying
25:51to not let the Audi
25:52come by.
25:53Did you see it?
25:53It looked like the Audi
25:54was trying to come past.
25:55Perhaps he was trying
25:56to keep him from doing that.
25:57I don't know if he just
25:57missed him entirely.
25:59Well, I think Stuart's
26:00going to be in trouble
26:00with the powers that be
26:02for that.
26:02Yeah, I think they will
26:03get some sort of penalty
26:04for that, I would have thought.
26:05I mean, unfortunately
26:07for Aston, it's the car
26:08that's had all the trouble
26:08and it's down in 38th place.
26:10So, it's not going to
26:11affect their ballgame.
26:12So, the safety car
26:13out, as we said,
26:14and they're going to
26:14have to clear that up.
26:15Second safety car
26:16of the race
26:17and that's being called
26:18at four hours
26:20and 38 minutes
26:21on lap.
26:23Lap, lap, lap.
26:24Just looking for it.
26:25Well, this is really
26:26good effort
26:27on all this part here.
26:29Luckily, that's happened
26:30to him right
26:31in front of pit lane.
26:32So, if you're going
26:33to have an accident
26:33like that,
26:34pit lane is where
26:35you want it to happen.
26:35Yeah, and he's got
26:36the car back.
26:37Good lad.
26:39On almost two wheels,
26:40it looks like.
26:41Yeah, that car
26:42was running
26:44in the LMP2 class
26:46looking down
26:4835th place.
26:49So, yellow is all
26:54around the circuit.
26:58So, we're going to,
26:59having mistaken that car
27:01for the Raker car
27:02at first with the
27:02red and yellow colors,
27:03we are, I believe,
27:04going to go
27:04to Bruno's 7 minutes.
27:07So, we're looking
27:07at the 009 car,
27:09which is the car
27:10which perhaps
27:11unwittingly calls that.
27:12Let's go down.
27:13Bruno Sanders
27:13in the pits
27:14waiting to talk
27:15to Justine.
27:16Bruno, it was hard
27:18to go after Stefan.
27:19We had a little
27:20bit of a problem.
27:21So, how was your stand?
27:22It was alright.
27:23The car was fine.
27:24There was no
27:25after a match
27:27after Stefan's crash.
27:28But, I mean,
27:30I think the circuit
27:31is getting better
27:32for us.
27:33And the car
27:33is quite consistent.
27:34So, it's a long race.
27:36It happens to us.
27:37It can happen
27:37to anyone else.
27:38So, we just keep on
27:39racing and do the
27:40best we can.
27:41Was it okay?
27:42You didn't have
27:42too much pressure
27:43after Stefan going?
27:44No, of course not.
27:45I was trying to
27:47save as much fuel
27:47as I could.
27:48It was actually
27:49a good technique
27:50because we could
27:51do one more lap
27:52than normally
27:53in each stint.
27:54And this can count
27:55to one or two pit stops
27:57less towards the end
27:58of the race.
27:58So, it's good.
28:00So, your first two stints
28:01of Les 24 heures du Mans
28:03was good?
28:03Yeah, it was good.
28:05Obviously, it's better
28:06if you're overtaking
28:07everybody rather than
28:08being overtaken
28:08a few times.
28:09But, nothing's perfect.
28:11Thank you, Bruno.
28:12So, Stuart Hall
28:13then, with the car
28:15again.
28:15What it actually
28:16looked like seeing
28:17another replay
28:18was that he saw
28:18the Audi character
28:19behind him
28:19thought, I'll get
28:20out of his way
28:21and just didn't
28:21take account
28:22of the fact
28:23that Tim Greaves
28:24who, of course,
28:24is boss of Radical
28:26that he was heading
28:27he thought he was
28:28heading for the pit lane
28:29perhaps
28:29and thought,
28:29will he be gone
28:29when I get there?
28:30I think somehow
28:31he's just misjudged
28:32where Tim actually was
28:33and it's all gone
28:34a bit horribly wrong
28:35Knowing Stuart
28:36he is going to be
28:37so mortified
28:38this has happened
28:39because, you know,
28:40it's the last thing
28:40Stuart wants
28:41he knows Tim.
28:42I mean, you know,
28:42they've raced together
28:44over the years
28:45and you just don't
28:46want that
28:46to, you know,
28:47whether he's a friend
28:48or not
28:48it's awful.
28:50So, the first thing
28:51I was thinking
28:51is Stuart will be
28:52so conscious of that
28:53and he's such a
28:54strong driver in himself
28:55and thoroughly
28:56deserves the drive
28:57he's got in that Aston
28:57so, you know,
28:58I'm hoping that he'll
28:59just pull himself together
29:00and keep pushing hard
29:01and, you know,
29:02I suppose these things
29:03happen but it is a shame.
29:04So, this is a general
29:05signal call for everyone
29:06to come in
29:07just like in NASCAR racing
29:08as soon as you've got
29:08a yellow
29:09just take advantage.
29:10Chris Parsons
29:11Chris, you did the
29:12Legends race this morning
29:14you've been wandering
29:15around since then
29:16and looking nice
29:17and suntanned
29:17and so, what have you
29:20seen today?
29:21Oh, the people
29:22who've not been to
29:23Le Mans
29:24they don't realise
29:24how many people
29:25attend this race.
29:26I think last year
29:28it was somewhere
29:28like 270,000 people
29:30and the number
29:32of people
29:32in the campsites
29:34just enjoying
29:35themselves
29:35buying ice creams
29:37buying a lot
29:38of beer
29:38some very red people
29:40they reckon
29:41that there are
29:4275,000 British here
29:44most of them
29:45camping
29:45and the amusing
29:46part is
29:47there are meant
29:48to be 45,000
29:49Danes
29:5025,000
29:51Danes
29:52and they come
29:53in buses
29:54and they bring
29:55their tents
29:56and they have
29:57a party
29:58in fact
29:59Tom Christensen
30:00was asked
30:00the other day
30:01at the Audi
30:02press conference
30:03had he said
30:04that he'd been
30:05invited to
30:06the Danish
30:06campsite
30:07where there
30:07was 7,000
30:08Danes camping
30:09and he said
30:10no, I didn't
30:11dare go there
30:12it's too dangerous
30:13too wild
30:14of course
30:15in years past
30:17after Tom Christensen
30:18has won
30:18I've been driving
30:19back to Calais
30:20and I've come
30:21across campers
30:21with signs
30:22in the back
30:22saying
30:23Christ is risen
30:23I love that
30:24it's great
30:25but it's all
30:27very good natured
30:29lovely on the Friday
30:30because as everybody
30:32knows
30:32qualifying
30:33it was on Thursday
30:35testing on Wednesday
30:36Friday's a free day
30:38people enjoy themselves
30:39teams are working
30:40on the cars
30:41sponsors are having
30:42their dues
30:44and the spectators
30:46enjoy themselves
30:47and good fun
30:48and a lot of beer
30:50is consumed
30:51now Chris
30:52you've got family
30:52in the city
30:53and just watching
30:54Tim's very nasty
30:56moment again
30:57but he's got the car
30:58back to the pits
30:58but you've got family
30:59in the city
31:00and they have said
31:00though that
31:01because there was
31:02no test day this year
31:03the race lost a lot
31:04of publicity
31:05and they were worried
31:06that perhaps the
31:07French attendance
31:08would be down a bit
31:09at the race
31:09I don't know
31:11there was certainly
31:12on Thursday
31:13now there were a lot
31:14of French people
31:15seemed to be
31:15the paddock seemed
31:16to be absolutely
31:17jam-packed with people
31:19looking at the stalls
31:21and everything else
31:22we'll see when the figures
31:24are actually released
31:25but certainly the area
31:28will have lost quite a lot
31:29of income
31:29because of course
31:30if the teams are here
31:31for two and a half
31:32three weeks
31:33which they were
31:34with the test weekend
31:35they had to stay
31:36in hotels
31:37they spent money
31:38in the restaurants
31:39they spend money
31:40everywhere
31:41and that money
31:42will now only be spent
31:44in one week
31:44not in three
31:45what you're seeing here
31:46you're seeing the second
31:47safety car train
31:48now coming into the pits
31:49two safety cars
31:50called out here
31:51at Le Mans
31:52they've got to rebuild
31:53that tire wall
31:53that's a
31:54driver safety
31:55has to become
31:56before anything else
31:57yeah I mean
31:58that'll hold the safety car
31:59above anything else
32:00really
32:00they won't restart
32:01this race
32:01until they're
32:02absolutely confident
32:03that the safety wall
32:04is back as best
32:05as it can be
32:05especially there
32:06right on the entrance
32:07to pit lane
32:07it's somewhere
32:08where you never know
32:09if that sort of thing
32:09can happen
32:10it's where so many cars
32:11go through
32:12and in and out
32:12you can't risk that
32:13so Antonio Garcia
32:15just coming into the pits
32:16here
32:16just a normal stop
32:18so uh
32:23yep
32:25everyone getting fettled
32:26then Chris
32:26just to continue
32:27the thread for a moment
32:27if people haven't been
32:28to Le Mans before
32:29the big change
32:30over the last two years
32:31is the trams
32:32aren't they
32:32it's making
32:33life so much easier
32:34from the city centre
32:36the stations
32:36out to the circuit
32:37yes
32:38you could
32:39you could come
32:39to Le Mans
32:40quite easily
32:41by train now
32:42because the TGV
32:43the Eurostar
32:45to Paris
32:45then the TGV
32:47down from Paris
32:48it takes about
32:49six hours in all
32:49which is quicker
32:50than by car
32:51and you can then
32:53get the tram
32:54out to the circuit
32:54but of course
32:55the problem is
32:56where do you stay
32:57all the hotels
32:58and guest houses
33:00are booked
33:00from here to Paris
33:01so that's the
33:03difficult part
33:03about it
33:04which is why
33:04so many people
33:05bring their tents
33:06or if they're not
33:06booked of course
33:07they want seven
33:08nights of money
33:09if you're only
33:09staying for three
33:10so anyway
33:11we'll come back
33:13to that theme
33:13in a little while
33:14just having a look
33:16here at the 82
33:16car being fettled
33:17and we're going
33:18down to the pits
33:18there's more violent
33:30than the usual sort of crash
33:31I'm completely shocked, there's Tim.
33:41There is more violent than the usual sort of crash.
33:49I hope they're going to be penalized for that.
33:51It's just incredible what they did.
33:53It's true that it's always a little bit dangerous when there are differences like that at the level,
33:57but it's true that we see the head cars that sometimes take inconsiderate risks, especially in the face of the police.
34:02It's really dangerous, the different levels of cars.
34:04It's dangerous because the faster cars should always have more respect for the slower cars.
34:09It's just the driver who usually thinks about stability, he should keep his line
34:12to be able to ensure all the safety of the road.
34:14And when you're overtaking, the onus is on you to be careful, that's the rule here.
34:19I don't know how to explain this gesture.
34:22So the driver obviously wasn't paying enough attention.
34:29Thank you and good course.
34:32Thank you very much.
34:33The car's pretty wrecked, but we're going to go back out, go faster and finish the race.
34:37Well, in comes the 009 car.
34:39I don't know if we haven't seen a penalty yet, Chris, coming up for that, but I'm sure he will be.
34:43They've got to. You can't just ignore that.
34:45Yes, unfortunately, he caught him just on the front corner.
34:49I know it was probably his fault, but he only just caught the car and it just pitched him straight into the barriers, which was very unfortunate.
34:59And it looked a very fast accident.
35:02Yeah, here it is again then.
35:04Stuart Hall just quite unaware of the radicals there and bang, knocks him into the wall.
35:09I'm sure it's just trying to get out of the way of the Audi that's coming up behind him.
35:13I think he was completely focused on the Audi and just misjudged how close the radical was and that he actually wasn't past him.
35:19I think that's part of it is he maybe thought he was past him and just misjudged it really.
35:23I think it was just a mistake.
35:24So Mark Rostan just just saying to us that, you know, they've got to penalize the Aston, you know, the onus has to be on the faster car.
35:32I have to be honest in it.
35:33I mean, I love Stuart and I think he's a super driver, but I have to be honest.
35:36I do agree. I think he deserves, you know, some sort of penalty there for that because I mean, it was a mistake and it caused a massive amount of damage to a car that was completely just out of any sync with them at all.
35:47He was just doing his own thing. He wasn't doing anything wrong. So I think I think there has to be a penalty there.
35:51We're under safety car still then at the moment.
35:53And just looking down for the field is to see where the number 25 car is, the the RML car.
36:03Having a good run this afternoon today, aren't there? Here we are. Chris Dyson on board that car at the moment in 22nd place.
36:08And that car is running fourth at the moment in LMP2.
36:13And just coincidentally, as we're talking about Chris Dyson, who should come upstairs, but Mr. Imse himself, Rob Dyson.
36:19Rob, good evening and great to have you here on Eurosport.
36:22Here we are. Gosh, it's here we are at Le Mans. What a phenomenal event.
36:27I did this race in 86 before they altered the track and put the chicanes in Mulsanne and the changes in the Dunlop.
36:37The Dunlop curve was literally a curve and not a not a it didn't have quite the switchback that it has now.
36:43And you went down through the historic S's and came out onto the straightaway.
36:48And it was it was one of the most one of the most interesting experiences I've ever had in my life.
36:55And so I've been I've been back twice, twice since once when Chris did it in 2004 and then this year.
37:01And of course, Rob, you're the perfect person to ask the difference between the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 hours at Le Mans.
37:08I think I will tell you, I'm really unimpressed with the way people are handling their pit work in this track.
37:17I would say that this the 24 hour Daytona is a harder race.
37:25It's got more traffic and it's a lot tighter here.
37:28Here you there's enough places to air out.
37:30And the only thing you have to do here is just be a little more patient, which doesn't seem to be what anybody's doing.
37:37But, you know, that you drive your own race.
37:40But I will tell you, I was I'm so impressed with the pace that these guys run positively in one respect, but negatively in another.
37:48It seems that there's no sense of restraint.
37:50The first 45 minutes, you know, we saw cars getting all over the place.
37:56Then the accident with the two Peugeots in the pits.
37:59I mean, that was just inexcusable.
38:01I just couldn't believe it.
38:02And it shows all the planning you do and all the practice.
38:05You just cannot allow for a little mistake like that, can you?
38:09No.
38:10I mean, look how much that's basically ruined their Le Mans.
38:12Let's be honest.
38:13And something so silly is that where they were just let out at the wrong time.
38:17And unfortunately, it is it is on the back of the guy who leads you out.
38:20As Rob would know, you know, that's your job.
38:22As a driver, you're looking at your crew chief to take you out.
38:25You're not expecting to need to look in your mirrors.
38:27You're expecting to be safe.
38:28And it wasn't a mystery.
38:30I think we're going back to action, huh?
38:32Yep.
38:33We're going green.
38:34It wasn't a mystery that the car that was coming in was one of the team cars.
38:38So it's kind of like let him pull in and then let the other guy go out.
38:41Exactly.
38:42It was just I agree with Liz.
38:44You you when you're a driver, you do exactly what you're told.
38:47And in this case, Pedro did exactly what he was told.
38:51And unfortunately, it took him out of took him really out of contention.
38:55But we're just going to get on to the pits and hear from someone from the Aston Martin 009 car.
39:01We asked Carol Primat about the problem with the other car.
39:10We just wanted to see what happened.
39:12I wasn't in the car.
39:13But I saw that there was an Audi or a Peugeot that arrived behind Stuart.
39:18And he was passing an LMP2.
39:21I think that the LMP2...
39:24Well, he's already overtaken an LMP2 car.
39:26And I think he saw the Audi from behind.
39:28He said Peugeot, he meant the Audi, which was coming up fast behind.
39:35So he tried to stay on that side, but...
39:40Hit the LMP2 car.
39:44It's just one of those race problems.
39:45Somebody moved and...
39:51We asked...
39:54Have they had any other problems apart from that?
39:56They said the first ship system wasn't too bad.
40:01They managed to start climbing the rankings again after alternator problems.
40:05We were on the alternator, which didn't work apparently.
40:08So they wanted to change that.
40:09We had something to break.
40:10And then we had something else.
40:12Yeah, we didn't...
40:15Things didn't work out for me as I quite wanted.
40:17And then it's been a hard race for us.
40:19The other two Aston's very, very fast.
40:24We tried to keep all three cars together, but it's...
40:29Trying to keep the rhythm since the start of the race.
40:31Still a long, long way to go.
40:32We've got a job to do.
40:33I don't think we're going to see a podium at the end.
40:36That's a bit of understatement, Rob.
40:37I think, isn't it?
40:38That car is, at the moment, way, way down the order.
40:39They're running in 37th place.
40:40I haven't got a hope, have they?
40:41It's a bit ambitious, though.
40:42But, you know, I love Harold's optimism.
40:43I have to give him credit for that.
40:44So, way to look on the bright side of that.
40:45That's the way you have to be in racing.
40:46Yeah.
40:47If you're not going to be in racing,
40:48if you're not going to be in racing,
40:49you're going to be in racing.
40:50Yeah.
40:51So, we've got a long, long way to go.
40:52We've got a job to do.
40:53That's a long, long way to go.
40:54We've got a job to do.
40:55I don't think we're going to see a podium at the end.
40:56That's a bit of understatement, Rob, I think, isn't it?
40:57That car is, at the moment, way, way down the order.
40:58They're running in 37th place.
41:00They haven't got a hope, have they?
41:01It's a bit ambitious, though.
41:02But, you know, I love Harold's optimism.
41:05I have to give him credit for that.
41:07So, way to look on the bright side of that.
41:10That's the way you have to be in racing.
41:12Yeah.
41:13If you're not, if you don't think you can win the race
41:15until the checkered flag drops, then you're in the wrong line of work.
41:18It's a remarkable, it's just a remarkable discipline that you have to have,
41:24that it's got to be you're ready to go, and you're going to participate,
41:27and by golly, nobody's won the race yet.
41:30And you give it as hard a go as you can.
41:33And that's the way we've always done it.
41:35And it pays off often enough that you always keep coming back.
41:39That's the key.
41:40Well, it's brought you enough success, hasn't it?
41:42I think that attitude has definitely proved itself to be the right one for your team.
41:45Well, you've got to have it with the guys, too.
41:47The guys all have to have a never give up, a never quit kind of attitude.
41:53And if something gets untoward, you've got to repair it and get back out there.
41:57And that's how we've won several championships, because every race is part of a continuum.
42:02Although this event is clearly a head and shoulders above all of them.
42:07I mean, it's just a remarkable, you know, there are two or three great races on the calendar,
42:12and this is clearly one of them.
42:15I think what took us by surprise a little bit, Rob, is that Chris is only his second Le Mans.
42:21It feels like he's been coming for years.
42:23Yeah, I think what was interesting is he did a couple of races in Europe.
42:27He came over and did a race at Silverstone.
42:30I think he did one at Spa as well.
42:32And did fairly well, actually.
42:34And I don't know why he...
42:38This was a deal that he's doing.
42:42Chris is doing the deal with Mazda.
42:44He brought him over on this, as part of our continuum of our Mazda project.
42:48So he was able, they selected him to come on over and race with Ray,
42:52who's a terrific competitor and a great car owner with a great team.
42:56And so that created the opportunity for Chris to come back.
43:00But I was surprised that in 2004 he did a great job with the Ann Lammers.
43:05Finished seventh highest finishing American.
43:08And there aren't very many Americans here.
43:10I was really surprised.
43:11I looked down the entry list.
43:13And there weren't as many Yanks as I think there normally is.
43:17I was kind of surprised.
43:19But the key to it is that he does a very disciplined job here and doesn't get caught up in it.
43:26And that's the key to this race.
43:28Wouldn't you say, Liz?
43:29Oh, absolutely.
43:30I think you just have to keep your head around it.
43:32And, you know, it's patience.
43:34You have to be patient here and realize that if you're going to lose a couple seconds,
43:37you know, to wait that minute longer to pass the slower car on the straight where it's safe,
43:42if you're not sure if they've seen you, then that's better than spending 45 minutes in the pits.
43:46When I did the race in 86 with Richard Lloyd, and it was a terrific experience,
43:54Reinhold Jost came up to me and I met him on a couple of occasions.
43:59And Reinhold Jost came up to me and I said, look, you've done this race a lot of times.
44:03What's the biggest hint you can give me?
44:05And he said, stay one foot away from the curbs.
44:10Stay one foot away from the curbs.
44:13Here we go.
44:14Audi in the garage.
44:15This is not going to be good for them.
44:17Which number is it?
44:18Number three car.
44:19Number three.
44:20Graham Goodwin from dailysportscar.com has just popped in.
44:22And thank you very much, Graham, for that information.
44:25And as we've told you so many times before, get all the race information,
44:28latest news on DSC.com.
44:30And it's a great site.
44:32They've not had the easiest race this number three car.
44:34They've had a couple of problems already.
44:36Graham just added they've had a slow lap, slow in lap.
44:38So this is the number three car, which is, again, it's the one that's had the bad luck, isn't it?
44:42So far, it's like the Aston Martins.
44:46That last lap was five minutes zero six.
44:49And, yeah, it's not looking good, is it?
44:51Again, Rob, what we picked up tonight a lot is that this new design of the Audi,
44:56the front nose seems to be collecting any rubbish that's around the circuit.
44:59Yeah, I will admit it's a terribly unique kind of front end treatment.
45:05It reminded me of the Panos a little bit.
45:07And I will tell you that when they raced at Sebring, the car was very impressive.
45:14But they did apparently have a little some problems with refuse and things getting in the front end.
45:20So it's something that I guess they figured either wasn't going to be a problem
45:24or that they could get around it somehow.
45:26And, of course, the more rubbish you get in, the more cooling problems you're going to have.
45:28And we're also hearing that they have got cooling problems.
45:31Absolutely.
45:32And they are running as everybody is.
45:34They're running these engines and these cars so hard
45:38that any slight variation in the operating temperatures could cause some real problems,
45:44one of which can be that you lose power.
45:46But the other thing is that you lose reliability as well.
45:49Right. Well, just as we're talking there, we've just seen for the first time in this race
45:52a change in the LMP2 lead and it's Kunimoto-san has just gone cast Christian Poulsen.
45:57How about that?
45:58And that is after 80 laps of racing, that first change.
46:04Yeah, they've just changed. Here they are.
46:06Yep. So the Japanese car in front at the moment.
46:09So, Rob, you were racing these cars last year, the Dyson Porsches.
46:15You've made the change to Lola Mazda. Why?
46:19Well, there are several reasons.
46:24Several reasons.
46:27They came to us and offered...
46:30Just look at the replay.
46:31I think we're just going to go to the pits quickly with an interview with Alexander Prima.
46:36Oh, there you go.
46:37Alex, you had a little problem at the beginning of the relay.
46:41What happened exactly?
46:43Alex, problems with the car, the front end.
46:47He said, yeah, I'm fighting with the Aston Martin.
46:52I had big problems with vibrations coming from the front.
46:56And I had problems with the steering as well.
47:00I tried to take the curb earlier. I wasn't fighting hard enough.
47:08The car was too powerful and...
47:14So I just went straight on.
47:20Now we've got turbocharger problems.
47:27The car wasn't pushing very hard.
47:29It wasn't fast enough.
47:37I've hurt my neck a little bit, but it's...
47:41It's fine now, though.
47:44Thank you, Alex.
47:45Yeah, it's the front vibration. That's why we're in.
47:48So, turbocharger problems, vibration problems.
47:50We heard earlier after we went off to Indianapolis from Roman Dumas
47:54and we have been reporting some power steering problems.
47:57And Liz, with all sorts of conjecture about that,
47:59Audi said there's nothing wrong with the car at all.
48:02Well, I think it basically is what we originally thought it was in saying that, you know,
48:06his power steering had just gone that bit more.
48:08So when he tried to take the curb, I mean, it's an extremely fast corner, that right-hand turn,
48:13and huge G-force in these cars.
48:14It would be very hard to hold without power steering.
48:16So I think it is as we assume, at least from what he's saying, is that it just basically was that bit too much.
48:22The other thing is, is that I noticed that on the TV that they were looking underneath the front end of the car
48:29to make sure if there wasn't any body work, the front floor might have been fluttering a little.
48:33That could cause some real vibration problems.
48:36Well, please stay with us, and we'll come back to your IMSA program in a minute.
48:41We're just going to take a short quick break and get back after these messages.
48:44You're back live on Eurosport.
48:50Welcome back.
48:51Long 24 hours.
48:52Just come up to the 5-hour mark, 20-100, 8 o'clock in the evening here in West France.
48:59A beautiful evening, very high cloud, a very light breeze, been warm all day.
49:02This is absolutely perfect racing conditions, and hopefully that cloud signals there should not be any rain tonight,
49:08although the meteo from Peugeot and from Audi has been calling for rain at perhaps 1 o'clock.
49:13or 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, but that could be a moveable feast.
49:17We've got Rob Dyson with us this holiday, myself, Mark Cole.
49:20And Rob, just before the break we were starting to ask you about your ALMS program
49:24and why you changed from Porsche to Lola Mazda.
49:28Well, Lola Mazda was an opportunity that came to us.
49:32They contacted Chris early on in the season, last season, and said we've got a program here,
49:39and we're just wondering if Dyson Racing would want to participate with us.
49:44And one conversation led to another, and it led to another.
49:47And the association with Mazda, going back, working with Lola again has always been good.
49:52We've had many, many good years working with Lola and with BP.
49:58And the association of the three has been just absolutely terrific, and it's been a...
50:02And we've got the Michelin tires, and working with the AER chaps, and we're, you know, it's a great package,
50:11and we're learning how to run it, and the car is good, they look great.
50:15And the sponsors are happy, and they're happy, so we're happy.
50:19And it's been a great experience.
50:21Mazda folks, it's top to bottom commitment, from Japan all the way down to the individual dealers.
50:29They're remarkably switched on car company, and they are pure racers.
50:34They just love it.
50:35Great to hear that, because we had John Doonan in on Thursday night singing your praises,
50:39saying what a great team you were to work with.
50:41So it's a mutual admiration.
50:43Win-win deal.
50:44Well, we found that, you know, they wanted a team that took it seriously and could execute,
50:52and we wanted some people that were committed and wanted to see us execute,
50:56and that's the way it worked out.
50:57The word was that the Porsche Spyder was a very complex, very difficult car to set up.
51:01Was that your experience?
51:03Among others, yes.
51:08We're very happy with the Dyson Racing Mazda Lola BP combination.
51:14It's been a great experience.
51:17And, of course, Mazda is the only Japanese mark to have ever won the Le Mans 24 hours,
51:22so I think it's a really big thing for them to be here with such an influence this year.
51:26It's the biggest influence Mazda's had for many, many years, I believe, with so many Mazda Lolas involved.
51:31So I think this is a road that they're hoping to go down again and hopefully work their way up to the top and have another win.
51:38But let's just go back to the AAR engines, the AAR built Mazda engines, fuel problems at the first two Le Mans series races.
51:47We've talked to AAR, and they've said they believe they've managed to get over them for Le Mans.
51:51We've had no engine failures yet, haven't we? So hopefully that's going to be behind us.
51:56Well, I can't reflect on the European races. All I can tell you is that we had a couple of electrical problems at Sebring
52:03that hit both cars within about 15 minutes that we just couldn't correct.
52:07But after that, all of our racing has been rock solid with the AAR, with the AAR Mazda engines,
52:14with no fuel pressure problems or even any power problems.
52:17Our deal has just been making sure that we get the chassis and the engine combination working correctly.
52:21Yeah, your fuel spec is different, of course, isn't it?
52:23It's very different, and our restrictor size is a little bit different.
52:27But either one of them shouldn't cause any problems.
52:30But I will tell you that the fuel that they use here in Europe, other than the diesel cars,
52:36is not as good as what we have in the US.
52:39And I don't know why they don't. I mean, it just seems to me that it's all science.
52:43I mean, you get the same fuel worldwide. It just strikes me that they should do that, if or nothing else.
52:49But you have engine builders who work on both sides of it.
52:52And I know with Dyson Racing, when we run, we should be running, for instance,
52:57if we were to come over here and run this race, to have to adjust to a different octane rating
53:01or some kind of different chemistry in the fuel puts us at a disadvantage
53:05where the diesel cars are using the same fuel at every race wherever they go.
53:10It just strikes me that it's a disconnect that I think that they shouldn't have.
53:19There becomes a huge compromise that a team has to do when they go even from Europe to America.
53:25I know last year I raced with Creation at Petit Le Mans Laguna Seca,
53:29and there was a lot of changes they had to make to accommodate the completely different fuel that goes on in America.
53:34And they were able to do that, but it did take quite a while.
53:36So I think that is something that I completely agree with you.
53:39I think they need to have, you know, a continuance across both sectors.
53:43It can't just be diesel. It has to work for everybody.
53:46So that it's more appealing to come across.
53:49Well, I think it makes it just a complication you don't need.
53:51Yeah, we're just going back down to the pits to Justine.
53:55Olivier Canal, Motorsport Director of Peugeot.
53:58After five hours of course, you always have your two cars on top, which are largely on top.
54:02Largement, no. One, yes, on top of course.
54:04Well, Justine asked him after five hours, he's still got two cars out front.
54:08Yeah, it's fine.
54:12But the two Audi's came back on us after the safety car.
54:17It's the third car that's had the problems, and that's supposed to be the hair.
54:30And for the moment, everything's fine at the moment.
54:37So we're going to have two cars everywhere.
54:39And the Peugeot Pescarola is having problems with car number three, so...
54:44And the Peugeot Pescarola is coming back as well, so anything's possible.
54:49Are you confident about reliability?
54:55Yeah, we made some rate simulations.
55:02But that's Le Mans.
55:05That's race, that's car racing.
55:08But we're ready.
55:09Well, very, very bold words.
55:11Ah, dear, oh, dear.
55:12Just as we're saying that, the IMSA Performance Matmut car comes in.
55:15Is that the lead car?
55:16Was the lead car?
55:18Raymond Merak doing such a good job this afternoon.
55:22Just checking quickly to see...
55:23I don't, but it can't be, because he's just done one of his fastest sectors again.
55:26Yeah, it's the other car, isn't it?
55:28I don't think it's him, I think it's you.
55:29The other one just being pushed into the pits there.
55:31Well, Rob Dyson, thank you very much for joining us tonight.
55:33Is there anything else you want to raise up, Rob?
55:35No, but I'm honoured to be here, and thanks for the invite to come up.
55:39And I will tell you that this is an amazing event.
55:44It's one of these things that if anybody is in sports cars or has any interest in sports cars, you have to see this race.
55:50You have to come and experience it.
55:52And then in addition to that, if you're a participant in sports car racing, do whatever you can to actually do this race at least once.
56:00Well, I was with you when you won at Daytona.
56:02I remember you never went to bed.
56:03You just stayed up the whole time.
56:04That's exactly right.
56:05You're doing that tonight?
56:06I don't...
56:07Well, I might.
56:08Depends on how my boy is doing.
56:10Thank you, everybody.
56:11Excellent.
56:12Thanks a lot, Rob.
56:13Well, and while Rob's talking, we have mentioned Graham Goodwin from Daily Sports Car a couple of times.
56:19Graham's going to come and give us his take on how the racer is going, the great race.
56:23And so, Rob going back for the long, long night.
56:29Shorter night than Daytona, of course.
56:30That's one of the good things.
56:31It's about five hours here if the weather's fine, but it's full 12 hours in Daytona.
56:36Graham, good to have you with us.
56:38And you are really the, you know, the world's leading authority.
56:41Your website, dailysportscar.com on sports car racing.
56:44Thank you for all the work you've done over the last few weeks.
56:47You've made our job that much easier with your really, really impressive previews.
56:51You and Mark Housen doing a great, great job.
56:54But just first, tell us, how's Graham Cratton and our friend Graham?
56:57Malcolm will be listening.
56:58That's Graham.
56:59Malcolm is just back from studying himself in New York.
57:03He'll be listening in, I'm sure.
57:05And lots of good wishes for Malc.
57:07Yeah.
57:08He's not missed many of these in the last, what probably seems like 60 or 70 years.
57:12Yeah.
57:13But this is what he's missed.
57:14But you've been listening in and watching in.
57:16What a fabulous race we're having.
57:17It's quite amazing.
57:18You know, you will get people that tell you that endurance racing is dull and you can't
57:22actually promote endurance racing.
57:23Well, I think there's been a quarter of a million people out there in the sunshine that
57:26would disagree with them.
57:27Fabulous race.
57:28Barely believe it's been what, nearly, is it what, how many hours are we in there?
57:32Almost six, I think.
57:33Good grief.
57:34Coming on that.
57:35It's amazing.
57:36It's, yeah, five hours and 12 minutes.
57:38But what we have noticed, Graham, Peugeot are four stinting and they're running just
57:42almost as fast on their fourth stint on the same set of tyres as on their first stint.
57:47It's a pretty incredible display, isn't it?
57:49And what we've got to wait and see is whether or not they're going to solve the problems
57:54they've had in previous years here.
57:56Reliability is one of them.
57:57And let's be blunt, it's not been great in the pits either.
58:00It's better on both those counts, with the disarrubble exception of what this was talking
58:05about earlier, the incident between the 7 and the 17 car.
58:08I'm watching at the moment, a bit of an incident there with the 25 car.
58:12Yeah, Rob, Chris Dyson on board that car.
58:14Chris getting a bit nerfed by the Hancock-tyred Ferrari there.
58:20I thought he got a bit sandwiched in there by two GT cars.
58:23Rob just put his head in his hands at that point.
58:25Rob's looking a bit nervous here, yeah.
58:26Well, I think they've all gone away with that.
58:28It's been a fantastic race.
58:29What we're waiting to find out as well is, will some of those kind of, well, let's call
58:33them new car problems, if it was a new car for two years if it was a new car problem,
58:36whether or not Audi are now going to inherit some of those without the benefit of having
58:41the longer race program before Le Mans that Audi have traditionally had.
58:45This is a brand new car.
58:46It's a completely different car.
58:47More or less everything else on the grid in P1 and P2 is an evolution of something we've
58:51seen before.
58:52This isn't.
58:53The R15 is a revolutionary car and they've got problems.
58:57It's certainly got problems, mostly seeming to be about the front end of the car.
59:01But it's like a Hoover.
59:02It seems to be sucking everything in.
59:03I think that's part of it.
59:05And, you know, I think we were hearing earlier in your commentary that there's rumours of
59:09issues with turbos.
59:10It's not the first time I've heard that this weekend.
59:12Audi clearly are not going to be terrifically kind of open about telling exactly what's
59:16wrong with the cars, but the three cars had a bit of a torrid time.
59:19What we are getting at the moment is a wonderful four car battle with those two Aston Martins
59:25hanging on in there just in case we get other problems ahead, which we undoubtedly will
59:30because that's Le Mans.
59:31Yeah.
59:32It's six factory cars have been out front.
59:35Well, it's seven now because the Pagano Peugeot, if we call it factory car, can we
59:40be the Pescola Peugeot?
59:41I think we probably know that.
59:42Factory blessed.
59:43Factory blessed, yeah.
59:44Funnily enough, I was saying earlier, I went up to Henri before the race and said, Henri,
59:48you know, I hope you can beat the Peugeot.
59:49He said, we are Peugeot.
59:51I mean, how's that for the company, man?
59:53I think Henri would be amazed if he realized actually how much support.
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