[LM24 Race] How did Peugeot win, or how did Audi lose?

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

Looking at the numbers, it looks like the #8 Peugeot should've won.

Strange. If you look at the average on track lap time computed at http://www.mulsannescorner.com/RCELeMans2009.html, you can see that the #7 Peugeot was the fastest car on the track. So you could conclude that it would have won, if it would not have had the pitlane accident.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Strange. If you look at the average on track lap time computed at http://www.mulsannescorner.com/RCELeMans2009.html, you can see that the #7 Peugeot was the fastest car on the track. So you could conclude that it would have won, if it would not have had the pitlane accident.

I wasn't counting them in that statement because of the number of laps down they were. The #8 though is far more reasonable as they were less than a lap down for most of the last few hours. Plus the #7 for a lot of the race I was watching were in full rabbit mode because what else were they going to do?

[gwyllion]

The #8 Peugeot was also pushing, until they got the team orders. Additionally, the #9 Peugeot was not driving on the limit, because they had a significant advantage. They toke a conservative approach, because this pays of during 24 hours. The other (faster) Peugeots had to replace their nose because of contact with slower cars and the high curbs.

In the end all these assessment are purely hypothetical.

[gwyllion]

BTW I think that the #8 Peugeot could not have cought the #9 without team orders.

This is how the gap evolved in the last hours of the race:

• 17 hours: 1:30.536
• 18 hours: 1:35.480
• 19 hours: 1:49.256
• 20 hours: 1:48.720
• 21 hours: 1:53.448
• 22 hours: 1:36.376
• 23 hours: 2:40.832
• 24 hours: 1 lap

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by Dani Filth

Pug triple and even quadrupling the tyres would affect lap times but gain overall with less time in the pits so by excluding pit times would "favour" Audi...

BTW I just checked and Minisian was the only Peugeot driver to do 4 stints without changing the tyre and he only did this once.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

BTW I think that the #8 Peugeot could not have cought the #9 without team orders.


This is how the gap evolved in the last hours of the race:

• 17 hours: 1:30.536
• 18 hours: 1:35.480
• 19 hours: 1:49.256
• 20 hours: 1:48.720
• 21 hours: 1:53.448
• 22 hours: 1:36.376
• 23 hours: 2:40.832
• 24 hours: 1 lap

A quick spin can do wonders. As can a caution.

Also, if you look at the hours preceding, you'd see they'd gained a few minutes on the #8 from hour 9 or 10 to hour 17, which I don't think was ever helped by a caution.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

Also, if you look at the hours preceding, you'd see they'd gained a few minutes on the #8 from hour 9 or 10 to hour 17, which I don't think was ever helped by a caution.

Then you must have missed something.

04:02:00 B. TRELUYER 17 HIT THE WALL
04:02:00 SAFETY CARS OUT
04:46:00 SAFETY CARS IN

As a result the gap between #8 and #9 went from 3:33.920 (at 4 am) to 1:32.456 (at 5 am). Conclusion: #8 gained about 2 min because of caution.