Page 1 of 6

2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 18:23 pm
by erwin greven
First 42 Le Mans Entries Revealed: Full Season WEC & Auto Entries Confirmed

ACO opt to reduce number in first tranche - Ginetta LMP1s not selected thus far - IMSA GTLMs must wait

42 of the 60 entries for the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours have now been confirmed, the ACO revealing the list this year for the first time in a two-stage process.

The ACO initially announced last November that today’s batch would see 50 of the 60 entries confirmed with the balance, plus a 10 car reserve list set to be confirmed on 1 March, following the conclusion of the 2018/19 Asian Le Mans Series on 24 February at Sepang which will see a further 4 Auto entries decided.

Instead, today’s announcement encompasses only the full-season 2018/19 FIA WEC cars, plus the automatic entries from other races and series that have opted to take up that opportunity.

The 42 is composed of 34 full season WEC entries and eight further automatic entries. The ACO has revealed that 75 teams applied.

There are few surprises though the absence of both TRSM Ginetta LMP1 cars ranks as something of a shock for some, the Ginetta factory having recently regained control of the entries from their former customers and was known to have posted a pair of entries for the now AER powered cars.

Of the initial 11 auto entries awarded thus far, eight have opted to take up the opportunity: Toyota, Porsche and Signatech Alpine have not, all three awarded for their racing success at Le Mans last year.

There is no news yet of which of the full season IMSA GTLM cars will be added to the entry – a surprising move at this point from the ACO.

Amongst the confirmations is the first ever privately-entered Ford GT for Keating Motorsports, as revealed yesterday on DSC, Ben Keating telling DSC that “As a third generation Ford dealer with three Ford dealerships in Texas, I am excited to be the first ever GTE Am Ford GT entry. I have a life-long relationship with Ford so rolling out at Le Mans with a Ford GT is going to be a very special moment for me.”

Still to come therefore in the second tranche are the four Asian Le Mans Series Auto entries, plus any additional GTE Pro entrants from the IMSA entry, plus additional LMP2 and/ or GTE entries from the ELMS, Asian Le Mans Series and/ or IMSA – though the likelihood is that the balance will be dominated by full season 2018 ELMS LMP2 squads.

Here, for now, is the confirmed entry list with any notable changes mentioned (driver squads unchanged unless noted):

LMP1

#1 – Rebellion Racing – R-13 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#3 – Rebellion Racing – R-13 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#4 – ByKolles Racing Team – ENSO CLM P1/01 – Michelin – WEC – Only Tom Dillman named
#7 – Toyota Gazoo Racing – TS050 HYBRID – Michelin – WEC
#8 – Toyota Gazoo Racing – TS050 HYBRID – Michelin – WEC
#10 – DragonSpeed – BR1 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#11 – SMP Racing – BR1 AER – Michelin – WEC – Jenson Button confirmed as a returnee
#17 – SMP Racing – BR1 AER – Michelin – WEC

LMP2

#28 – TDS Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop – WEC
#29 – Racing Team Nederland – Dallara P217 – Michelin – WEC – De Vries confirmed for LM debut
#31 – DragonSpeed – ORECA 07 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#36 – Signatech Alpine – A470 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#37 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop – WEC – Only Heinemeier Hansson named
#38 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop – WEC
#50 – Larbre Competition – Ligier JS P217 – Michelin – WEC – Third seat alongside Creed and Ricci open
#43 RLR MSport/Tower Events – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop (Auto Entry ELMS LMP3 Champions) – Farano and Maini named
#26 – G-Drive Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop (Auto entry ELMS Champions) – Only Rusinov named

GTE Pro

#51 – AF Corse – Ferrari 488 GTE EVO – Michelin – WEC – Daniel Serra returns as third driver
#71 – AF Corse – Ferrari 488 GTE EVO – Michelin – WEC – Miguel Molina confirmed as third driver
#66 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK – Ford GT – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Mucke and Pla
#67 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK – Ford GT – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Priaulx and Tincknell
#81 – BMW Team MTEK – BMW M8 GTE – Michelin – WEC – Nicky Catsburg only confirmed driver
#82 – BMW Team MTEK – BMW M8 GTE – Michelin – WEC – Augusto Farfus only confirmed driver
#91 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#92 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#95 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage AMR – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Thiim and Sorensen
#97 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage AMR – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Martin and Lynn

GTE Am

#54 – Spirit of Race – Ferrari 488 GTE – Michelin – WEC
#56 – Team Project 1 – Porsche 91 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#61 – Clearwater Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE – Michelin – WEC – Griffin, Perez Companc and Cressoni continue
#70 – MR Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE – Michelin – WEC
#77 – Dempsey Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC – Only Matt Campbell named
#88 – Dempsey Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC – Hoshino returns alongside Roda and Carioli
#86 – Gulf Racing – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#90 – TF Sport – Aston Martin Vantage GTE – Michelin – WEC – Euan Hankey back in for Jonny Adam
#98 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage GTE – Michelin – WEC
#85 – Keating Motorsports – Ford GT (Ben Keating winner of Bob Akin Trophy in IMSA) – Bleekemolen, Keating and Fraga the named trio
#84 – JMW Motorsports – Ferrari 488 GTE (Auto Entry – 2nd in GTE class in ELMS) – Cocker only driver
#60 – Kessel Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE (Auto Entry – Winners of GT Class in Michelin Le Mans Cup) – First driver confirmed as Schiavoni
#78 – Proton Competition – Porsche 911 RSR (Auto Entry – Winners of GTE class in ELMS) – Chen only named driver
#99 – Dempsey Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR (Auto Entry – Winners of GTE Am at 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours) – Pat Long confirmed as first driver
#62 – WeatherTech Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE (IMSA Nominated Auto Entry) – Cooper MacNeil confirmed
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/02/1 ... irmed.html

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 20:31 pm
by erwin greven
Daniel Lloyd wrote:ACO Tweaks Le Mans Safety Car Procedure

ACO to revise its Le Mans safety car, FCY procedures after Porsche’s dominant 2018 win…


The Automobile Club de l’Ouest has revised its approach to safety cars ahead of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in response to Porsche’s dominant GTE-Pro victory in 2018.

Full Course Yellows will now be implemented where possible to control the field through incident areas, in a bid not to disrupt cars battling for position and maximize green-flag running.

Safety cars and Slow Zones will continue to be used, but ACO sporting director Vincent Beaumesnil confirmed that FCYs, which restrict the entire field to 80 km/h (50 mph), will become the preferred method of intervention.

Beaumesnil explained that the change of tactic was made to ensure no cars gain an unassailable advantage through a safety car, following consultation with teams about last year’s race.

At Le Mans, three separate safety cars are used because of the length of the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe, compared with other FIA World Endurance Championship tracks.

Last year, the Porsche 911 RSR of Kevin Estre, Michael Christensen and Laurens Vanthoor benefited from this measure to gain a huge early lead when it pitted shortly before a safety car period that its class rivals all pitted under.

The gap between the cars was exacerbated by the fact that the Porsche had been picked up by the first safety car whereas its competitors had emerged behind the second because they were held by a red light at pit exit.

After the race, multiple GTE-Pro team managers and drivers questioned the procedure that split up the class and ultimately paved the way for Porsche to win by over a lap.

“Among the topics raised, one concerned the GTE-Pro class and the consequences of the safety car intervening early in the race,” said Beaumesnil.

“We gave it a great deal of consideration and came up with some new features for the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans, like a Full Course Yellow.

“We will employ a Full Course Yellow with a different aim and mindset than for other WEC races where it is used in a greater number of instances.

“Le Mans has Slow Zone procedures that will still be frequently used. We studied the cases we have faced in recent years and concluded that a Full Course Yellow would have avoided the deployment of certain Safety Cars.”

Beaumesnil said that a FCY would be the most appropriate course of action for incidents that can be cleaned up “over a short period of time”.

Unlike shorter WEC races, cars that pit under FCY conditions at Le Mans can only accept five seconds of emergency fuel and must return for a second full service once racing resumes.

“Complex situations call for a safety car – a long and impactful process with three such cars – we will now be able to neutralize the track with a Full Course Yellow,” he said.

“This will potentially allow for a speedy resolution to the situation and the restarting of the race as quickly as possible without the complexities of the safety car.”

The ACO has also changed its Le Mans pit-exit procedure during safety car periods to ensure cars remain in the same group for when the race returns to green.

“What happened last year in GTE had a definite impact on the outcome of the race,” said Beaumesnil.

“They had no choice but to wait [in the pits]. The analysis conducted with the teams caused us to modify the beginning of the procedure: unlike in 2018, cars already in pit lane when the safety car is brought out will not be blocked at the exit of pit lane when trying to return to the track until after the passage of the second safety car.

“Once those cars are back out, the safety car rules return to normal and cars may only exit the pit lane behind a safety car and the cars trailing it.”
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/aco ... fety-cars/

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 13:37 pm
by erwin greven
2019 Le Mans 24 Hours Entry Complete After Final 14 Cars Announced
Lots of surprises, 10 reserves also now listed, full list at the bottom

1 March 2019, 1:04 PM

The field is now set for the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours, the ACO today announcing the final 14 entries in the second phase new-for-2019 system to release the entry list.

This comes after last weekend’s Asian Le Mans finale, where the final four automatic invitations to the race were handed out to United Autosports, Car Guy, Inter Europol and ARC Bratislava.

The 14 cars announced today and the 10 reserves are:
[I added the earlier confirmed entries too in this list. Marked in blue text]


LMP1

#1 – Rebellion Racing – R-13 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#3 – Rebellion Racing – R-13 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#4 – ByKolles Racing Team – ENSO CLM P1/01 – Michelin – WEC – Only Tom Dillman named
#7 – Toyota Gazoo Racing – TS050 HYBRID – Michelin – WEC
#8 – Toyota Gazoo Racing – TS050 HYBRID – Michelin – WEC
#10 – DragonSpeed – BR1 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#11 – SMP Racing – BR1 AER – Michelin – WEC – Jenson Button confirmed as a returnee
#17 – SMP Racing – BR1 AER – Michelin – WEC


LMP2
#28 – TDS Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop – WEC
#29 – Racing Team Nederland – Dallara P217 – Michelin – WEC – De Vries confirmed for LM debut
#31 – DragonSpeed – ORECA 07 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#36 – Signatech Alpine – A470 Gibson – Michelin – WEC
#37 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop – WEC – Only Heinemeier Hansson named
#38 – Jackie Chan DC Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop – WEC
#50 – Larbre Competition – Ligier JS P217 – Michelin – WEC – Third seat alongside Creed and Ricci open
#43 RLR MSport/Tower Events – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop (Auto Entry ELMS LMP3 Champions) – Farano and Maini named
#26 – G-Drive Racing – ORECA 07 Gibson – Dunlop (Auto entry ELMS Champions) – Only Rusinov named


Added:
#47 – Cetilar Racing Villorba Corse – Dallara P217 – ELMS 2018, WEC 2019/20 – Roberto Lacorte
#25 – Algarve Pro Racing – ORECA 07 – Dunlop – ELMS – Mark Patterson, Andrea Pizzitola, John Falb
#23 – Panis Barthez – Ligier JS P217 – Michelin – ELMS – Rene Binder
#39 – GRAFF – ORECA 07 – Dunlop – ELMS – Tristan Gommendy
#48 – IDEC Sport – ORECA 07 – Michelin – ELMS – P Lafargue


GTE Pro

#51 – AF Corse – Ferrari 488 GTE EVO – Michelin – WEC – Daniel Serra returns as third driver
#71 – AF Corse – Ferrari 488 GTE EVO – Michelin – WEC – Miguel Molina confirmed as third driver
#66 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK – Ford GT – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Mucke and Pla
#67 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK – Ford GT – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Priaulx and Tincknell
#81 – BMW Team MTEK – BMW M8 GTE – Michelin – WEC – Nicky Catsburg only confirmed driver
#82 – BMW Team MTEK – BMW M8 GTE – Michelin – WEC – Augusto Farfus only confirmed driver
#91 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#92 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#95 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage AMR – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Thiim and Sorensen
#97 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage AMR – Michelin – WEC – No third driver named alongside Martin and Lynn


Added:
#63 – Corvette Racing – Corvette C7.R – Michelin – IMSA – Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, Mike Rockenfeller
#64 – Corvette Racing – Corvette C7.R – Michelin – IMSA – Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, Marcel Fassler
#68 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA – Ford GT – Michelin – IMSA – Joey Hand, Dirk Muller, Sebastien Bourdais
#69 – Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA – Ford GT – Michelin – IMSA – Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook, Scott Dixon
#89 – Risi Competizione – Ferrari 488 GTE – Michelin – IMSA – Stephane Ortelli, Pierre Kaffer
#93 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – IMSA – Patrick Pilet, Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy
#95 – Porsche GT Team – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – IMSA – Sven Muller, Matthieu Jaminet, Dennis Olsen


GTE Am

#54 – Spirit of Race – Ferrari 488 GTE – Michelin – WEC
#56 – Team Project 1 – Porsche 91 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#61 – Clearwater Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE – Michelin – WEC – Griffin, Perez Companc and Cressoni continue
#70 – MR Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE – Michelin – WEC
#77 – Dempsey Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC – Only Matt Campbell named
#88 – Dempsey Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC – Hoshino returns alongside Roda and Carioli
#86 – Gulf Racing – Porsche 911 RSR – Michelin – WEC
#90 – TF Sport – Aston Martin Vantage GTE – Michelin – WEC – Euan Hankey back in for Jonny Adam
#98 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage GTE – Michelin – WEC
#85 – Keating Motorsports – Ford GT (Ben Keating winner of Bob Akin Trophy in IMSA) – Bleekemolen, Keating and Fraga the named trio
#84 – JMW Motorsports – Ferrari 488 GTE (Auto Entry – 2nd in GTE class in ELMS) – Cocker only driver
#60 – Kessel Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE (Auto Entry – Winners of GT Class in Michelin Le Mans Cup) – First driver confirmed as Schiavoni
#78 – Proton Competition – Porsche 911 RSR (Auto Entry – Winners of GTE class in ELMS) – Chen only named driver
#99 – Dempsey Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR (Auto Entry – Winners of GTE Am at 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours) – Pat Long confirmed as first driver
#62 – WeatherTech Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE (IMSA Nominated Auto Entry) – Cooper MacNeil confirmed


Added:
#55 – Spirit of Race – Ferrari 488 GTE – ELMS – Duncan Cameron, Aaron Scott
#83 – Kessel Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE – ELMS – Manuela Gostner, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting


Reserves

1. #30 – Duquiene Engineering – ORECA 07 – Michelin – ELMS
2. #20 – High Class Racing – ORECA 07 – Dunlop – ELMS
3. #32 – United Autosports – Ligier JS P217 – Michelin – ELMS
4. #33 – Eurasia – Ligier JS P217 – Asian Le Mans
5. #24 – Panis Barthez – Ligier JS P217 – Michelin – ELMS
6. #27 – IDEC Sport – Ligier JS P217 – Michelin – ELMS
7. #80 – Ebimotors – Porsche 911 RSR – ELMS
8. #58 – Project 1 – Porsche 911 RSR – ELMS
9. #44 – Meyer Shank Racing – ORECA 07
10. #79 – TF Sport/Red River Sport – Aston Martin Vantage AMR
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/03/0 ... unced.html

FULL ENTRY LIST

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 16:46 pm
by Everso Biggyballies
Thanks @erwin greven for the updates. Happy to see JB returning. Hopefully it will be better than last year.

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2019 22:42 pm
by erwin greven
Le Mans entry loses a Ferrari GT, adds a P2

The Le Mans list features one key omission — the Swiss-flagged No. 55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GTE being withdrawn from the GTE Am class. Last year the car was driven in the ELMS by Aaron Scott, Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin, Cameron and came close to winning the title.

With the Ferrari taken off the list, Duqueine Engineering’s ORECA 07 Gibson — which was first reserve — has been given the green light to compete, bringing the LMP2 class total to 18 cars.

The grid now breaks down as follows:

8 LMP1s
18 LMP2s (instead of 17)
17 LMGTE Pros
17 LMGTE Ams (instead of 18)
https://racer.com/2019/03/21/le-mans-en ... adds-a-p2/

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2019 06:41 am
by Cheeveer
The fewer AM cars the better

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 08:16 am
by Everso Biggyballies
Jenson Button withdraws from LM24.

Jenson Button has decided to put family interests ahead of running the LM24 this year... his fiancée is pregnant at the moment and he does not want to take time away from home.
Button said: "I really enjoyed driving for SMP Racing and was happy to be on the podium with this team, but I decided that now I need to spend more time at home with my fiancée during her pregnancy rather than two weeks at Le Mans.

"The decision has been made easier for me as I feel that the Toyota is currently unbeatable
Stoffel Vandoorne will replace him at SMP. He will also be running at Spa in the car, replacing Brendon Hartley who is vacating the seat for Vandoorne to have some pre LM seat time.

https://au.motorsport.com/wec/news/butt ... g/4373249/

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 21:50 pm
by erwin greven

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:31 pm
by erwin greven
Le Mans Saturday Notebook

Daniel Lloyd’s notebook on the eve of the annual pre-24 Hours of Le Mans test…

Image

***Several drivers are factoring in multi-series commitments this weekend, with the Le Mans Test Day taking place a day after both the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup round at Paul Ricard and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race in Detroit.

***A total of 18 Le Mans drivers are in today’s Paul Ricard 1000km. It’s understood that Vincent Abril, Jules Gounon, Rob Smith, Felipe Fraga and senior personnel from Panis-Barthez Competition will share the same early Sunday morning flight from the south of France.

***While not driving this weekend in Detroit, Patrick Lindsey will again be serving as “pilot in command” for nearly a dozen IMSA drivers and support staff heading to Le Mans directly after the race. Lindsey, a pilot and owner of Mira Vista Aviation, will charter Patrick Long, Renger van der Zande, Pipo Derani, Oliver Jarvis, Harry Tincknell, Jonathan Bomarito, Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Multimatic’s Larry Holt to France.

***Ford Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Scott Dixon and Sebastien Bourdais will not take part in the Test Day because of their commitments in the IndyCar Chevrolet Detroit GP double-header. Both drivers have been granted exemption from this weekend’s on-track running at Le Mans due to their prior experience and Platinum driver ratings.

***All 62 cars are expected to run at the Test Day, while some teams have included supplementary drivers for the annual prep event. The list of extras includes Ross Gunn in both Aston Martin Racing GTE-Pro cars, BMW works driver Nick Yelloly in the Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR and James French in the Algarve Pro Racing Oreca 07 Gibson.

***The full grid lined up for the annual pre-event photo on Saturday afternoon (pictured above).

***Brendon Hartley is set for his first laps of Le Mans in the Toyota TS050 Hybrid. The two-time WEC champion with Porsche sampled the Japanese LMP1 car for the first time in a recent test at Spa-Francorchamps, completing around 20 laps, and is expected to contribute to the set up of the car tomorrow morning.

***Toyota has yet to decide on the exact composition of its 2019-20 driver lineup, although team director Rob Leupen hinted that Hartley will slot into the No. 8 car alongside Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima.

“We will announce later at the end of the season or the beginning of next season. It’s likely that it will be as we have normally done with a replacement. We will make a decision a bit later,” Leupen told Sportscar365.

***Several teams are introducing new liveries this weekend. ByKolles Racing, Racing Team Nederland and TDS Racing’s cars have each received makeovers, while Ford and Porsche’s commemorative designs are making their public debuts.

***Both the Jackie Chan DC Racing cars have different liveries to the team’s primary design that it has used for most of the 2018-19 ‘Super Season’. The No. 38 Oreca is now sporting a Konica Minolta paint job, while its No. 37 sister car is continuing with the black and yellow scheme it competed in at Spa.

***Kessel Racing and JMW Motorsport have also launched special liveries for their GTE-Am class Ferrari 488 GTEs. The Andy Blackmore-penned JMW design includes the team’s own section from Blackmore’s Le Mans spotters’ guide.

***The first hot running of this year’s event took place on Wednesday, when Graff’s No. 39 Oreca took to the streets of Le Mans city centre for a demo with Vincent Capillaire at the wheel.

***Charlie Martin, who is bidding to become the first transgender racer to compete at the Circuit de la Sarthe, has set up a fundraising campaign for her Road to Le Mans entry. The British driver is aiming to raise £50,000 ($63,000) to secure her spot on the support race grid.

***Both Aston Martin and Ferrari are celebrating Le Mans victory anniversaries this year. The 2019 race marks 60 years since Aston Martin’s first and only overall win with a Carroll Shelby/Roy Salvador-driven DBR1, and 70 years since Ferrari’s maiden victory.

***Pierre Fillon made a trip to Indianapolis last weekend to attend the Indy 500. The ACO president took the opportunity to meet Matt Damon and Christian Bale, the two lead actors in the upcoming Ford vs. Ferrari motion picture, who were also Grand Marshals for the triple crown race.

***The worldwide trailer debut for Ford vs. Ferrari will take place during Game 2 of the NBA playoff finals tomorrow night on ABC.

***Team Project 1 will expand its WEC presence next season, according to team principal Axel Funke. The German squad unveiled a one-off Le Mans art car livery today, designed by American photo-realist Richard Phillips.

***Sportscar365 understands that Porsche’s next-generation GTE contender, which was recently spotted testing at Monza, is set to be formally announced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

***While the ACO remains quiet on the future of its top class regulations, it’s understood that there has been attendance in recent meetings by a Volkswagen Group manufacturer not currently in WEC competition.

***Track action gets underway tomorrow at 9 a.m. and will continue until the lunch break at 1 p.m. A further four hours of running will then take place in the afternoon, between 2-6 p.m. Live audio coverage will be provided by Radio Show Limited.
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/le- ... otebook-5/

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 17:47 pm
by Everso Biggyballies
2 weeks time and it will be over. Really looking forward to the race. Our local Eurosport is advertising they will be covering the race here in full again. :thumbsup: :smiley:

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 18:40 pm
by erwin greven
Same here! :thumbsup:

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:35 am
by erwin greven

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:53 pm
by Everso Biggyballies
Always a must have part of my LM24 race weekend. Thanks for posting. :thumbsup:

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 14:51 pm
by erwin greven
Le Mans 24 Hours Preview: Part 1, GTE Am

17 cars, championships and trophies up for grabs, Aston vs Ferrari vs Porsche vs Ford!

GTE Am fields a high-quality 17-car entry in 2019 at Le Mans with no shortage of storylines to savour, with four marques represented, including a world first as Ben Keating enters the first current generation Ford GT in private hands against the massed ranks of Ferraris (8 x 488 GTE), Porsches (6 x 911 RSR) and the pair of last generation Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE’s.

More than any of the other classes GTE AM is truly a gathering of the clans, FIA WEC, ELMS, IMSA and Asian Le Mans Series entrants gather uniquely in this class!

Look out too for an array of Le Mans-specific special liveries with Team Project 1, Kessel Racing, JMW Motorsport and the Keating Ford all confirmed with eye-catching colours for the great race in 2019.


Spirit of Race

#54 | Ferrari 488 GTE | WEC | Francesco Castellacci, Giancarlo Fisichella & Thomas Flohr | Test Day time: 3:56.935 (3rd GTE Am)

Image

It’s been a pleasant surprise to see the WEC Spirit of Race crew emerge as a contender during this season. Since the Dempsey Proton crew was docked all its points last year, Castellacci, Fisichella and Flohr have represented the biggest threat to Project 1 taking the title.

They’ve done it without winning races, instead, with consistency, with two-second place finishes and a pair of fourths to lay the foundations for a title challenge. Heading into race week at Le Mans, they sit 23 points off the lead. Project 1 would have to have a poor run for this to swing Spirit of Race’s way, and that’s why we like endurance racing because the unexpected does happen more often than in most forms of motorsport.

At the Test Day, the crew were fast too and will head to race week confident. Can they pull off something special here? If Flohr stays out of trouble and Fisichella and Castellacci are as quick as ever, then it’s certainly possible!


Team Project 1

#56 | Porsche 911 RSR | WEC | Jorg Bergmeister, Patrick Lindsey & Egidio Perfetti | Test Day time: 3:59.418 (15th GTE Am)

Image

It really has been quite a debut season for Team Project 1. The German Porsche one-make specialist is now firmly a part of the endurance family, sits atop the points standings with just one race to go in GTE Am.

The team received help in the title race from the Dempsey Proton penalty last year, but its run has nevertheless been impressive. Consistency has been the key for Project 1, with five straight top-three finishes (including a win at Fuji) during the middle portion of the season to put it in the driving seat for the championship.

Patrick Lindsey, Egidio Perfetti and Jorg Bergmeister’s 23-point lead is comfortable, but by no means insurmountable if poor luck strikes. Should the team have a clean run here though, expect it to be in the running not just for the GTE Am title, but the class win too, as this is one of the better-balanced driver line-ups in the class. The Test Day saw the team end up at the tail end of Am in the times, but that’s no reason for concern at this stage.

Also of note, the team’s Porsche 911 RSR won’t be in its usual yellow and black paint scheme. But, it shouldn’t be hard to spot, as it’s running a striking new livery for the ‘Super Finale’ (above).


Car Guy Racing

#57 | Ferrari 488 GTE | Asian Le Mans | Kei Cozzolino, Takeshi Kimura & Come Ledogar | Test Day time: 3:57.335 (4th GTE Am)

Image

Car Guy’s debut at Le Mans could turn into one of the feel-good storylines at the race. The Japanese team, based at the Fuji Speedway, heads to France having dominated the Asian Le Mans Series field over the winter. Racing in the GT3 class, Car Guy won all four races during the 2018/19 season and as a result, stormed to the title and earned an invite to the race.

At Le Mans, Kei Cozzolino and Takeshi Kimura continue racing as a pair for the team, without their partner in crime James Calado, who is on AF Corse GTE Pro duty. Instead, they’ll rely on another talented GT driver, who also took part in the Asian Le Mans Series over the winter (albeit in LMP2), Frenchman Come Ledogar. The former McLaren factory driver should prove to be a worthy stand-in for Calado in what will be his second Le Mans start.

As for Cozzolino and Kimura, they’re both new to Le Mans and racing the GTE-spec 488 (run by AF Corse). But if their performance over the winter is any sort of indication, they still have the chance to spring a surprise in their first attempt.


Kessel Racing

#60 | Ferrari 488 GTE | ELMS | Claudio Schiavoni, Sergio Pianezzola & Andrea Piccini | Test Day time: 3:57.733 (5th GTE Am)
#83 | Ferrari 488 GTE | ELMS | Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting & Manuela Gostner | Test Day time: 3:58.626 (9th GTE Am)

Image

A two-car effort from Le Mans debutants Kessel Racing in their first year of GTE competition has ruffled a few feathers. The Swiss team has been to Le Mans before, and with success, they were the technical force behind Scuderia Corsa’s first class victory some years ago.

Now though there is a different plan. The #60 Ferrari comes courtesy of title-winning success in the 2018 Michelin Le Mans Cup, whilst the all-female-crewed #83 arrives via a hook-up between the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission and the ACO.

Both Ferraris are full-season ELMS entrants and both feature new for Le Mans colour schemes as Kessel wait to see whether their requests for at least one FIA WEC entry for 2019/20 has been confirmed!

In competitive terms, the #83 scored a well-fought podium in their first GTE outing at Paul Ricard whilst the #60 has had a less pacey road to Le Mans, interrupted a couple of weeks ago with a big accident in testing at Monza.

Andrea Piccini is the paceman here and watch for Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting in the #83.


Clearwater Racing

#61 | Ferrari 488 GTE | WEC | Luis Perez Companc, Matteo Cressoni & Matt Griffin | Test Day time: 3:56.928 (2nd GTE Am)

Image

It’s been a strange season for Clearwater Racing, which has thus far failed to find the top step of the podium in its second (and likely final) WEC campaign.

This year’s Le Mans 24 Hours sees the team race with a different driver line-up, as only Matt Griffin has seen out the season. Weng Sun Mok decided to call it a day after the Asian rounds last year, and as a result, his driving partner Keita Sawa’s season came to a premature end too.

In their place since have been Luis Perez Companc and Matteo Cressoni. So far they’ve had a forgettable trip to Sebring, the car terminally damaged before the race, but a more encouraging run in the weather chaos at Spa, finishing third in class.

What’s the outlook for Le Mans? Potentially a darkhorse candidate should Griffin be on form and Cressoni and Perez Companc run fast and error free. A top-five finish in this company would be a worth swansong performance from the Singaporean team, which has been a model member of the paddock since stepping up to the WEC back in 2017.


WeatherTech Racing

#62 | Ferrari 488 GTE | IMSA | Cooper MacNeil, Rob Smith & Toni Vilander | Test Day time: 3:56.862 (1st GTE Am)

Image

WeatherTech Racing’s effort this year is an intriguing one. Cooper MacNeil, back for a fifth shot at Le Mans glory, brings with him 2017 class winner Rob Smith and two-time GTE Pro Le Mans winner Toni Vilander. This crew could be a dark horse at Le Mans this year, as all three drivers have plenty of experience at La Sarthe and know the 488 well.

The trio, who had to make journeys from Detroit (in the case of MacNeil and Vilander) and Paul Ricard to make it in time for the track action, ended up topping the class in the times. The ultimate pace was around a second off last year’s test day, so very little should be read into it.

However, seeing the #62 at the head of the times came as a reminder that the winner of this year’s race may not come from the ELMS or WEC ranks, as there’s an interesting selection of cars from outside the two most densely populated GTE grids in the world on the entry.

WeatherTech Racing’s Ferrari is a brand new chassis and is being prepared by 2016 GTE Am winner Scuderia Corsa. Watch out for this one!


MR Racing

#70 | Ferrari 488 GTE | WEC | Olivier Beretta, Eddie Cheever III & Motoaki Ishikawa | Test Day time: 3:58.048 (8th GTE Am)

Image

A full season FIA WEC entry but in truth, this is one that is unlikely to trouble the podium.

Gentleman driver Ishikawa has struggled thus far to find the necessary pace and whilst Cheever (son of ex F1 driver Eddie) is finding the pace, and the team (supported by AF Corse) has the services of the most experienced Le Mans racer on the grid, Olivier Beretta. This looks like a mountain to climb! A run for a finish looks the best option here.

Beretta meanwhile will make his 23rd consecutive appearance at Le Mans, a record that includes six class wins and a further five class podium finishes.


Dempsey-Proton Racing / Proton Competition

#77 | Porsche 911 RSR | WEC | Julien Andlauer, Matt Campbell & Christian Ried | Test Day time: 3:57.781 (7th GTE Am)
#78 | Porsche 911 RSR | ELMS | Vicent Abril, Louis Prette & Philippe Prette | Test Day time: 3:58.524 (11th GTE Am)
#88 | Porsche 911 RSR | WEC | Matteo Cairoli, Satoshi Hoshino & Gianluca Roda | Test Day time: 3:58.866 (14th GTE Am)
#99 | Porsche 911 RSR | ELMS | Niclas Jonsson, Tracy Krohn & Patrick Long | Test Day time: 3:59.774 (17th GTE Am)

Image

Dempsey Proton Racing’s WEC season has been nothing short of a roller-coaster. It’s been littered with race wins and triumph but was let down by the hammer blow from the officials, who docked the team all its points after Fuji for data tampering.

Since visiting Japan, the #77’s form has continued, and remarkably, with wins at Shanghai, Sebring and Spa, they can still win the title at the finale if things go their way.

The points gap to Project 1 is a near-insurmountable at 30 points, but after winning five of the seven races this year, can you rule Campbell, Andlauer and Ried out? No. They’re the favourites and they keep finding a way to win. So could this turn into a real showdown?

There’s far more to the Proton team than just its #77 though, as it is fielding four cars in the race, more than any other team in Am. The #88, which is the team’s other WEC entry, hasn’t found quite the same form with a rotation of drivers through the season. But Matteo Cairoli is still one to watch for, as one of the fastest youngsters on the grid.

The other two cars from ELMS berths, and are a mixed bag. The #78 could be one to watch, with an all-Monegasque trio of former Bentley boy Vincent Abril and the father-son combo of Louis and Phillippe Prette. All three are new to the race and the 911 RSR, but they could come on strong if they adapt fast.

Then there’s the #99, which is this year’s ‘Krohn green machine’. Tracy Krohn and long-standing partner Nic Jonsson return for a 14th straight Le Mans 24 Hours, joined by Porsche factory driver Patrick Long. Expect little from this one, as Krohn and Jonsson are new to the 911 RSR, and outright speed won’t be there. A clean run to the end would be an achievement to these servants of the race’s privateer ranks.


JMW Motorsport

#84 | Ferrari 488 GTE | ELMS | Rodrigo Baptista, Wei Lu & Jeff Segal | Test Day time: 3:58.855 (13th GTE Am)

Image

JMW won GTE Am as recently as 2017, and are as prepared as ever for another attack on Le Mans this year, with a yellow camo livery, which upon close inspection, includes some stunning detail.

This is, like last year, more a commercial effort for Jim McWhirter, so there isn’t as much expectation surrounding it. But, all three drivers have plenty of GT experience under their belts. All three drivers have been competing (and taken wins) recently in the increasingly slim World Challenge America field, Baptista with K-PAX and Lu and Segal paired up in a TR3 Ferrari.

The question is, just how will success in World Challenge translate to Le Mans? Segal, for instance, is the only driver of the three with a Le Mans start under his belt. With a clean, consistent run, JMW could challenge towards the front-end of the field, as it always runs its cars well. But in truth, there are a lot of unknowns surrounding this one.


Keating Motorsports

#85 | Ford GT | IMSA | Felipe Fraga, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Ben Keating | Test Day time: 3:59.725 (16th GTE Am)

Image

Keating Motorsports’ Wynn’s liveried Ford GT is likely to attract the most attention in the class this year and for good reason. It’s the first customer Ford GT to be raced, and it’s colour scheme is one of the finest in the field.

Le Mans will be the team’s first with the GT, but it is a car that has a real pedigree, as it’s the chassis that scored the GT’s first ever win back in 2016. The team has had limited testing time heading into race week, but once up to speed, Bleekemolen and Keating should be one of the strongest one-two punches in the class. Add into that Fraga, who is quick but new to Le Mans, and you have the potential for this effort to challenge for a podium or win.

At the Test Day, the outright speed wasn’t there, but Bleekemolen didn’t spend much time in the car, instead, it was a day for Fraga and Keating to get acclimatised. By race time, if BoP permits, all three should be ready; and let’s not forget, if this car scores a big result it could lead to more races for the GT in the aftermath of the factory’s exit from IMSA and the WEC.


Gulf Racing

#86 | Porsche 911 RSR | WEC | Ben Barker, Thomas Preining & Michael Wainwright | Test Day time: 3:57.749 (6th GTE Am)

Image

2018/19 has brought with it another challenging season for Gulf Racing, its new Porsche unable to find the podium at any of the races thus far. As usual, the team’s chances hinge on Mike Wainright’s performance. One of the more experienced Ams in the field, on a good day he can put them into a position to score a podium (they have two fourth-place finishes this year), but when he’s not having a good weekend there’s little Barker and Preining can do to pick up the slack.

Qualifying is the team’s time to shine here, with both Barker and Preining capable of producing good times. Porsche junior Preining has had a quiet, but strong first year in the WEC and this experience of Le Mans for a second time with the team should bode well for his future. Barker, on the other hand, is a known quantity, and at times one of the fastest men in a Porsche anywhere in the world.

The question is, can the team have a clean race and end the season on a high?


TF Sport

#90 | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | WEC | Charlie Eastwood, Euan Hankey & Salih Yoluc | Test Day time: 3:58.843 (12th GTE Am)

Image


TF Sport, in its first season of WEC competition, racing the oldest car in the field, heads to Le Mans with a shot at both the GTE Am win and the title. With a 26-point deficit to overcome, it’s going to take a lot for Eastwood and Yoluc to claim the title. But a win and some poor luck striking the other contenders could turn the title race on its head at the finale.

The Vantage GTE, in what looks to be its final race in WEC competition, is still capable of scoring big results, though it hasn’t taken a win since Spa last year. TF is also still searching for its first win in WEC competition, after coming achingly close four times this term (with second place finishes). Will this be the time? Yoluc, Eastwood and Hankey (who hasn’t completed the full season) would like to think so.

Tom Ferrier’s team always operate at a high level, and in this case, will be eager to give the old girl a good send off before it switches to the new model for next season.


Aston Martin Racing

#98 | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | WEC | Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy & Mathias Lauda | Test Day time: 3:58.292 (10th GTE Am)

Image

The 2018 6 Hours of Spa, the last time the #98 crew won a race, seems like a long time ago, because it was… It’s been a challenging season for GTE Am’s perennial title contenders, but this time around its chances of a title have faded before the final round, and as a result, the 2017 class champions will have to give up their title.

They will hope that they can bookend the ‘Super Season’ with another win though, as thus far a victory at La Sarthe has eluded Dalla Lana and co, after coming achingly close on multiple occasions in recent years.

As a trio, on their day they can still beat anyone, but consistency hasn’t been there this season; you don’t know what you’re going to get from this effort one weekend to the next. If the stars align though, they can challenge, and like TF will hope to end the old Vantage’s service in style.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2019/06/0 ... -am-2.html

Re: 2019 ACO Le Mans 24 hours

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 19:29 pm
by DoubleFart
What does Alonso have to do to win the title? I know it's essentially just turn up and keep it moving, but specifically what is the requirement?