LMS Rnd 1: Monza 13-15 April 2007

[Speed-King]

Me too, me too. That's why I asked...

[The Real DMN]

Hmm, get home from night shift at 6am. Get up at 11:30, watch whole race. Go to work at 6:30pm.

[rdjones]

Just looking at the offical results at http://www.lmes.net/results/monza/lmsent.pdf and from that it looks like ASM have lost there times....

[FIRE]

Peugeot used soft compound, Charouz harder compound:

Antonin Charouz, team principal: “Our conquerors used soft qualifying tyres and I think that it is one of the reasons why they are ahead. We decided to go the other way. We run the harder compound like in the free practices. We want to gain from our strategy in the race which is to run one set of tyres as long as possible and save precious time. I would like to say big thanks to the whole team and especially to Stefan for his performance.”

Source: www.dailysportscar.net

[JAG]

Diesel power obviously has an advantage, the question is by how much.

As mentioned above, the Charouz Lola was on harder compound tyres, yet itself was 1.2 seconds than the next quickest petrol car.

That suggests to me Pescarolo, and possibly some others, did not push in qualifying.

I'd also expect Creation and certainly Zytek to qualify quicker than the Lola.

Any advantage is also exaserbated by the fast Monza circuit and the coupe form. In fact, I wonder if the Peugeots perfromance is the final confirmation Lola etc. needed to push ahead with coupe customer cars?

One things for sure, the season will get ever more exciting as the Creation, Zytek and Swiss Spirit cars enter the fray.

[Purist]

Are there trap speeds available, or just lap and sector times; it's interesting to see the comparison between who's fastest in a straight line and who has the fastest overall lap.

[dj choc ice]

trap speeds should for the LMP1 cars be roughly around 300kmph, i would think the peugeots are fast in a straight line but not the fastest but are quick through the corners.

i would think that the RFH dome HS101.5 is the quickest car in a straight line or the pescarolo's, however i think when we reach a track like silverstone, nurburgring and spa the arena zytek, charouz lola judd and pescarolo's are definetely going to be on a even footing with the pug's.

also i think a bit of audi intervention for some of the races this year may make things interesting as well, i look forward to LM but by the looks of it in qualyfying many teams have sandbagged.

and if charouz are running hard tyres for qualy and are only 1.2 seconds slower than the pug how quick will they be on soft tyres?, my feeling is charouz are definetely going to be the team to beat in terms of speed.

but how reliable is the new judd 5.5 going to be?, and more importantly will the peugeot's be reliable during the race despite their huge speed in qualyfying.

[Tom908V12]

I can't wait for tomorrow !!!

[chewymonster]

Again, we have yet to see what a factory P1 gasoline powered race car can do.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by dj choc ice

trap speeds should for the LMP1 cars be roughly around 300kmph, i would think the peugeots are fast in a straight line but not the fastest but are quick through the corners.

DSC were reporting yesterday that various well informed sources were saying the top LMP1 cars were hitting top speeds of 325kph. Thats what, 218mph roughly?

[jaysalv]

anyone know why the lmp2 pole sitter was disquaified?

[Rich R]

Googling a converter for kms to miles gave the answer as 325kmh=201.9mph

[JAG]

It does seem most of the quick petrol teams did just enough to up at the fromt of the grid.

[dj choc ice]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

DSC were reporting yesterday that various well informed sources were saying the top LMP1 cars were hitting top speeds of 325kph. Thats what, 218mph roughly?

320kmph is 200mph, so top speeds must be roughly 200-205mph

[SALEEN S7R]

Interesting, and those top speeds were in the practise sessions. Since then the cars have continued to lap faster, so maybe in qualifying the Peugoets were touching 210mph in places. Just looking WSR and GP2 qualifying times and it seems that a top LMP1 is faster than a top WSR car but a bit slower than a back marker GP2 car.

[dj choc ice]

doubt it, i would think the peugeots would be quick over the entire lap, quick through the corners and good on the brakes and quick in a straight line, i would think peugeot are doing 310-315kmph but get up to speed very quickly and have great handling.

i have a feeling the RFH dome is the quickest car in a straight line, am i right?

[cmk]

Originally Posted by JAG

Diesel power obviously has an advantage, the question is by how much.

As mentioned above, the Charouz Lola was on harder compound tyres, yet itself was 1.2 seconds than the next quickest petrol car.

That suggests to me Pescarolo, and possibly some others, did not push in qualifying.

I'd also expect Creation and certainly Zytek to qualify quicker than the Lola.

Any advantage is also exaserbated by the fast Monza circuit and the coupe form. In fact, I wonder if the Peugeots perfromance is the final confirmation Lola etc. needed to push ahead with coupe customer cars?

One things for sure, the season will get ever more exciting as the Creation, Zytek and Swiss Spirit cars enter the fray.

It's hard to know whether Pesca have been loafing in practice like the Pugs were, and whether they continued to do so in the qualifying session. There's no doubt Charouz weren't hiding their hand during practice - but credit where it's due, they've been bloody impressive. I'd not be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Charouz and their Lola-Judd package have the pace advantage on the Pesca and Courage chassis though.

I'm also not certain where your faith in the superiority of the Creation and Zytek chassis that we've not yet seen run comes from. Sure, we've seen an LMP2 Zytek chassis, but it, while being short on development, doesn't run over the ASM Lola like it's not moving or anything. I would expect the Zytek to qualify around or slightly ahead of 07 Pesca pace based on prior form for those 2 chassis. Same with Creation, honestly. Maybe the Lola-Judd package really is the best of the petrol cars this year. Is that so hard to believe?

When they figure out how to make the car run the distance and perform well on hard tyres, I reckon the Pugs will be unstoppable. Welcome to P1 a la ALMS.

[Purist]

Someone commented about there being no factory, petrol LMP1s. The one thing that I always come back to is Porsche. That they are NOT willing to build a car for that class with the rules as they are is VERY telling. Heck, theyre the masters of innovation and finding loopholes. If they don't think that is going to be enough to beat the diesels, then I would expect to see VERY FEW, if any, factory, petrol LMP1s. So, if you want to see them, it seems clear that the diesels need to be reined in, or the petrol cars unmuzzled some.

[cmk]

Porsche is almost without question the best manufacturer in the world at playing the sportscar politics game, and has been for a very very long time. They're playing their cards the way they are because they want something, but that doesn't mean that what they want is parity, per se.

You're right in saying that they're the best at finding loopholes. With their LMP2 car right now, they're exploiting one in the ALMS, you might say.

I'm not saying the diesels don't have the advantage...but that doesn't mean that Porsche won't play because of that. They may not play because petrol doesn't have that same advantage...

[Félix]

I'd be interested to see original Porsche statement about not competing in P1 because of unfair diesel rules. I think it has never been said that clearly, just like everybody assumed Porsche would be coming back to prototype racing from 1999 to 2005...

The rules still need to be changed, but sadly a manufacturer with a mega team and budget will always beat the smallish squads running P1 cars, even if the rules are a bit more equal...

[Aerodynamic]

Originally Posted by cmk

I'm also not certain where your faith in the superiority of the Creation and Zytek chassis that we've not yet seen run comes from. Sure, we've seen an LMP2 Zytek chassis, but it, while being short on development, doesn't run over the ASM Lola like it's not moving or anything. I would expect the Zytek to qualify around or slightly ahead of 07 Pesca pace based on prior form for those 2 chassis.

.

hmm, yes and no. Put Minassian/Shimoda or some other rocket qualifyer behind the wheel of the Barazi car and you'll probs see another second in it. As for the LMP1 Zytek.....I should think 3-3.5 seconds faster than the LMP2 around Monza would be a fair estimation...given that the LMP1 Pesca is 6 secs faster than the LMP2 equivalent. By my maths thats a low 1.35 with someone quick. No way near Pug at a fast open track but as someone pointed out....around the tighter tracks its a completely different story, or at least lets hope it will be. Arena are testing the car at Paul Ricard at the end of this month, perhaps with Pug present too...might drop some hints as to the pace of the car.

PS. Why did the ASM car get removed from the timing? Foul play on their behalf or a blip on the timing sheets. If foul play than Barazi have a 8 tenth margin...not bad for a first outing.

[Truckosaurus]

Any news on the Rollcentre car? DSC mentioned it had an off and it doesn't seem to have set a time during the qualy session.

[SebringMG]

According to DSC ASM have been sent to the back of the grid for a ride height infringment!!

[rdjones]

I see from DSC that Phil Keen has withdrawn from the Rollcentre Pescarolo, as he finding himself uncomfortable in the car and taking the decision “in the best interests of the team this weekend.”

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by rdjones

I see from DSC that Phil Keen has withdrawn from the Rollcentre Pescarolo, as he finding himself uncomfortable in the car and taking the decision “in the best interests of the team this weekend.”

Yesterday at DSC:

...
The session was brought to a slightly premature end as Phil Keen went off in the Rollcentre Pescarolo in the Parabolica, the car continuing through the gravel and seeming to make reasonably gentle contact with the tyre wall. Driver and car seem fine (until driver gets back for a ‘chat’ with Shorty that is!).