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Monday Review

First Session

The public viewing areas at Paul Ricard are restricted to the final five corners, from the Double Droite at Beausset through to the pit straight, and a small "crowd" of spectators had been allowed in to witness the year's first major Le Mans test. It was back to work on Monday, and the banking and grandstands were conspicuously empty. Out on track, however, it remained pretty hectic. Conditions had not improved overnight, and Monday's skies remained heavily overcast, with a bitingly chill wind cutting down between the mountains. It wasn't perfect for testing, by any means, but most teams persevered, including RML AD Group.

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

The day's first session got under way at nine, with a dozen cars eager to get out onto the cold, but dry track. The RML AD Group's Lola HPD would complete an impressive 65 untroubled laps during the next four hours, with all three drivers taking turns in the cockpit. Track temperatures remained close to freezing, and it was proving just as difficult to generate heat in the tyres as it had on Sunday. "The track conditions have been changing all day, and that’s made it subtly different for each of the drivers, and that in itself has added to the challenge," said Phil Barker.

Only the softer compounds were offering any realistic levels of grip, but even then it was proving a struggle for many drivers to stay on the black sections of tarmac. Thankfully, the multi-coloured run-off at Paul Ricard is very forgiving and few errors resulted in any serious embarrassment.

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

The trend established on Sunday was perpetuated in LMP2, with the same three front-runners battling it out for the quickest lap. In the end, it was Strakka Racing's ARX-01c (formerly Acura) chassis that topped the times, in the hands of Danny Watts, with Thomas Erdos claiming second place, ahead of the Quifel ASM Ginetta Zytek.

First Session LMP2 times

 

No.

T

Team

Drivers

Car

Session 1

1

42

M

Strakka Racing

Leventis, Watts, Kane

HPD ARX-01

1:46.174

2

25

D

RML

Erdos, Newton, Wallace

Lola HPD Coupé

1:47.808

3

40

D

Quifel-ASM Team

Amaral, Pla, Hughes

Ginetta-Zytek 09S-Zytek

1:48.790

4

35

D

Oak Racing

Lahaye, Moreau

Pescarolo-Judd

1:49.061

5

24

D

Oak Racing

Hein, Nicolet

Pescarolo-Judd

1:49.715

6

30

P

Racing Box

Pirri, Villarroel

Lola B09 Coupé-Judd

1:50.345

7

29

P

Racing Box

Perazzini, Cioci

Lola B09 Coupé-Judd

1:50.858

8

41

D

Team Bruichladdich

Oijeh, Greaves, Ebbesvik

Ginetta-Zytek 09S-Zytek

1:51.706

9

39

D

KSM

Pourtales, Hirschi, Lemeret

Lola B08/47-Judd

1:53.094

10

44

M

DAMS

Bermond, Pantiatici, Stirling

Formula Le Mans

1:54.432

11

49

M

Applewood Seven

Toulemonde,Capillaire, Bourgois

Formula Le Mans

1:56.009

12

48

M

Hope Polevision

Beche, Pillon

Formula Le Mans

1:56.030

13

47

M

Hope Polevision

Zacchia

Formula Le Mans

1:56.931

14

43

M

DAMS

Chalandon, Barlesi
Cicognani, Vanthoor

Formula Le Mans

1:57.011

15

46

M

JMB Racing

Kutemann, Basso

Formula Le Mans

2:00.250

-

45

M

Boutsen ER

Kraihamer, De Crem

Formula Le Mans

No Time

-

27

D

Race Performance

Frey, Meichtry

Radical SR9 -Judd

No Time

Fastest overall in Session 3 was again the #6 Oreca Matmut AIM, posting 1:43.310 to stand half a second clear of its team-mate, the #4 Team Oreca Peugeot. In GT1, the #70 Ford GT emerged fastest, while topping the timing screens in GT2 was the #75 Prospeed Competition Porsche.

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

Second Session

The day's afternoon session continued in much the vein, but with some subtle minor changes. Throughout most of the session the #42 Strakka Racing HPD held the edge (even assuming that times are significant this weekend) in LMP2, but Tommy moved the RML Lola to within a tenth of Danny Watt's best lap. The #40 Quifel ASM Ginetta Zytek stood third for almost the entire period, until the dying moments. In a determined push to top the charts, the grey and blue car emerged just before five o'clock, one assumes on a light fuel load and very soft compound tyres, to post the #40's best lap of the day by some margin. Warren Hughes - or was it Olivier Pla? - took the chequered flag in 1:46.584.

Oreca AIM, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMCIn LMP1, the #6 Team Oreca AIM (right) retained the top slot that the plain black (unpainted) car has occupied all weekend, but second and third fell to the two Rebellion Lolas, with the Signature Plus Aston fourth.

In GT1 it was all-change again, with the #61Matech Ford GT quickest this time, while GT2 fell to the #91 CRS Racing Ferrari.

Throughout this two-day test, conditions on the track have been far from ideal, and with each team running to its own agenda, little should really be read into laptimes. The true test of whether this has been a meaningful exercise will come in a month's time, when most of the teams present this weekend will return to Le Castellet for the opening round of the 2010 Le Mans Series. Only then will lap times really make a difference, and only then will we know just how tight this year's championship is going to be.

For RML, this has been the team's first run on Dunlop tyres, and with the new HPD LM-V8 engine. In that light, to be consistently second or third, and within touching distance of last year's champions, has to be a very encouraging start to their campaign. The test has allowed the team to learn a vast amount about the new car, and the confidence generated by the original shakedown test a fortnight ago appears to have been fully justified. Mike Newton, Thomas Erdos and Andy Wallace can certainly look forward to the Paul Ricard 8 Hours with some optimism.

For a roundup of the weekend, including views and comments from drivers and team personnel, please see the Weekend Review.

Second Session LMP2 times

 

No.

T

Team

Drivers

Car

Session 2

1

40

D

Quifel-ASM Team

Amaral, Pla, Hughes

Ginetta-Zytek 09S-Zytek

1:46.584

1

42

M

Strakka Racing

Leventis, Watts, Kane

HPD ARX-01

1:47.239

2

25

D

RML

Erdos, Newton, Wallace

Lola HPD Coupé

1:47.313

4

30

P

Racing Box

Pirri, Villarroel

Lola B09 Coupé-Judd

1:49.063

5

29

P

Racing Box

Perazzini, Cioci

Lola B09 Coupé-Judd

1:49.335

4

35

D

Oak Racing

Lahaye, Moreau

Pescarolo-Judd

1:49.769

5

24

D

Oak Racing

Hein, Nicolet

Pescarolo-Judd

1:50.233

8

41

D

Team Bruichladdich

Oijeh, Greaves, Ebbesvik

Ginetta-Zytek 09S-Zytek

1:50.403

9

39

D

KSM

Pourtales, Hirschi, Lemeret

Lola B08/47-Judd

1:52.198

10

48

M

Hope Polevision

Beche, Pillon

Formula Le Mans

1:54.253

11

44

M

DAMS

Bermond, Pantiatici, Stirling

Formula Le Mans

1:55.085

12

49

M

Applewood Seven

Toulemonde,Capillaire, Bourgois

Formula Le Mans

1:55.643

13

43

M

DAMS

Chalandon, Barlesi
Cicognani, Vanthoor

Formula Le Mans

1:56.075

14

46

M

JMB Racing

Kutemann, Basso

Formula Le Mans

1:56.578

15

47

M

Hope Polevision

Zacchia

Formula Le Mans

1:57.243

-

45

M

Boutsen ER

Kraihamer, De Crem

Formula Le Mans

No Time

-

27

D

Race Performance

Frey, Meichtry

Radical SR9 -Judd

No Time

Conclusions

Strakka Racing ARX, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMCWhether it was Olivier Pla or Warren Hughes who completed that qualifying run in the dying moments of the final session is largely of academic interest. Like all the times from the two-day test, that last-gasp run, impressive as it was, may prove to have little bearing on what happens when the teams return to Ricard in a month's time. Even so, it was still not the overall best for the class. That honour fell to Danny Watts (see table below) and, having set fastest time in three out of the five sessions, it looks as though Strakka Racing will be one of the front runners this season.

Aiming to match them will be Tommy, Mike and Andy in the RML Lola HPD, with Wellingborough's finest claiming the "blue riband" for establishing the highest straight-line speed along the Mistral. The sleek coupé set a best of 291 kph for LMP2, equivalent to just over 180 miles an hour, and was the only LMP2 runner to break the 190 mark.

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

KSM Lola Judd, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMCIf there are any surprises to draw from the weekend, it is the gap that appears to exist between the top three and the rest, although several of these others are in the throes of incorporating updates and changes that may have curtailed their running. The Bruichladdich Ginetta Zytek (far right) is one that might have been expected to be further up the chart, but only recently took delivery of the package that will update the car from 07 to 09 specification. Similarly, KSM (right) carried out only one brief run at an airfield with their Lola Judd before arriving at Paul Ricard, but can be expected to increase their pace once they've developed a closer understanding of the revised chassis-engine combination.

In common with KSM, the two Oak Pescarolos (right) have swapped Mazda AER power for Judd V8 this season (although still carry Mazda branding) and barely a whisker separates the French #24 and #35 entries from the similarly engined Racing Box Lolas from Italy. All four ran strongly for most of the weekend, which cannot, unfortunately, be said of the Race Performance Radical SR9 (lower right). After technical problems arose, the black and orange car did not take part in any of Monday's sessions.

Boutsen Energy Racing FLM, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMCThe experiment of running the Formula Le Mans cars within LMP2 came off better than expected. There is little doubt that, given a talented and race-aware driver, these stock Oreca-built machines offer a very competitive, cost-effective platform for teams to become involved in Le Mans style racing. They certainly look the part - almost too much so (right) according to some of the Series' regular competitors - but there did appear to be a broad spectrum of capabilities on display from some of the drivers.

The first real test will come in the States later this month, when five of these cars are entered for the Sebring 12 Hours within the new Le Mans Prototype Challenge class, or LMPC. While many of the FLM drivers taking part in the Paul Ricard test were young and relatively inexperienced, there are some well-known names participating in LMPC at Sebring, including Christophe Bouchut, Gunnar Jeanette, Elton Julian and a certain Andy Wallace. The race takes place on March 20th.

Best LMP2 times from all five sessions

The table below provides a compilation of the best times set in any of the five Paul Ricard test sessions, from Sunday 1 (morning), 2 (afternoon) or 3 (night), through to Monday 1 (morning) or 2 (afternoon).

 

No.

T

Team

Drivers

Car

Best

Session

1

42

M

Strakka Racing

Leventis, Watts, Kane

HPD ARX-01

1:46.174

Monday 1

2

40

D

Quifel-ASM Team

Amaral, Pla, Hughes

Ginetta-Zytek 09S-Zytek

1:46.584

Monday 2

3

25

D

RML

Erdos, Newton, Wallace

Lola HPD Coupé

1:47.313

Monday 2

4

35

D

Oak Racing

Lahaye, Moreau

Pescarolo-Judd

1:49.061

Monday 1

5

30

P

Racing Box

Piccini, Piccini, Villarroel, Geri

Lola B09 Coupé-Judd

1:49.063

Monday 2

6

29

P

Racing Box

Perazzini, Cioci, Pirri

Lola B09 Coupé-Judd

1:49.335

Monday 2

7

24

D

Oak Racing

Hein, Nicolet

Pescarolo-Judd

1:49.715

Monday 2

8

41

D

Team Bruichladdich

Oijeh, Greaves, Ebbesvik

Ginetta-Zytek 09S-Zytek

1:50.063

Sunday 2

9

39

D

KSM

Pourtales, Hirschi, Lemeret, Noda, Hummel

Lola B08/47-Judd

1:52.198

Monday 2

10

27

D

Race Performance

Frey, Meichtry

Radical SR9 -Judd

1:53.798

Sunday 2

11

48

M

Hope Polevision

Beche, Pillon

Formula Le Mans

1:54.253

Monday 2

12

45

M

Boutsen ER

Kraihamer, De Crem, Lenzenverger, Leclerc

Formula Le Mans

1:54.352

Sunday 1

13

44

M

DAMS

Bermond, Pantiatici, Stirling

Formula Le Mans

1:54.432

Monday 1

14

43

M

DAMS

Chalandon, Barlesi
Cicognani, Vanthoor

Formula Le Mans

1:55.092

Sunday 2

15

49

M

Applewood Seven

Toulemonde,Capillaire, Bourgois

Formula Le Mans

1:55.643

Monday 2

16

46

M

JMB Racing

Kutemann, Basso, Hartshorne, Rosier, Quiniou

Formula Le Mans

1:56.578

Monday 2

17

47

M

Hope Polevision

Zacchia, Tinguely, Lombard, Collier

Formula Le Mans

1:56.931

Monday 1

For high resolution images from the two day test, please visit the gallery

Le Mans Series 2010

ACO Official Test
March 8th 2010

Monday Test

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

RML AD Group at Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

Strakka Racing ARX, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

Rebellion Lola, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

Beechdean Mansell, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

 

 

 

“The RML Lola sounds,
feels and handles like
a highly developed piece
of technical engineering.
It’s just a lovely car
to drive.”

Andy Wallace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quifel ASM GZ09, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

 

 

 

"This is our first full test
on Dunlop’s slick tyres,
and to be as competitive as this is simply excellent."

Tommy Erdos

 

 

Bruichladdich GZ09, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

Oak Racing, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race Performance SR9, Paul Ricard ACO Test 2010 - Photo: Marcus Potts / CMC

 

 

 

 

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