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A look at Laguna Seca's qualifying times struck me as interesting in this light. Even with performance balancing the Creation and Zytek look genuinely quick, and remember, they weren't the fastest cars in the LMS this year either. A well driven LC70 (a fully new rules car - which I think is significant) was often clearly ahead in qualifying trim.
Sure, Laguna Seca's very different to Le Mans, but the principle that a well sorted petrol car is still - whisper it - just about out there.
So. Doom and gloom? As Malcolm says the 2006 Pescarolo is immeasurably different to the first C60s, but compare it to an R10, or even a B06/10 and it looks like it's from a different era. In itself it's clear proof that a well sorted and developed LMP900 hybrid can run a new regs diesel close, based on that, surely with more modern design principles applied surely there's a hope for petrol?
The only tocsin of caution that keeps sounding for me is the vision of the Audis shortly after a pace car on Sunday last year effortlessly pulling away from the Pescarolos out of one of the Mulsanne chicanes. I'm an optimist (or certainly have seemed to be the last couple of days) but that image keeps haunting me. Personally I just really hope Henri (and Martin, Mike, and Trevor and the rest) sets my mind to rest and shows that a new chassis, a new Judd, and a never ending commitment to beating the odds pulls it off and does a Joest.
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