F1technical.net

Anyone going this year?

If you're that lucky one, don't forget to share as much pics, vids, comments, timmings as possible! We're waiting...

I'm currently following the first practice session through ALMS' live timming here (comes to an end now, next session in a few hours), and first impressions are, WOW, that new Audi is quick As expected 2009 times are already reaching 2008 ones, despite all the losses in power and downforce.

Note that the Acura seems of the pace for this session, but as they recorded times in the 1'44 at the Wheels down Winter Test, I'm confident they will be there...

First pics from the paddock are available from EI (the new version), and here for the GT (see the M3 in full livery).

It's gonna be one of the greatest race of the year!

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/gallery/ ... &width=844


Some lovely shots of under the R15 engine cover.....just not much of the engine....You can see the nature of the 2 "ducts" that takes the air from the side of the car to fill the wake of the car, and all the aero sleeves used to cover the suspension bits which is exposed to the flow inside the ducts...Also seen the a pretty interesting looking Ohlins 3rd damper, as well as 2 ride dampers and torsion bar packaging....interesting update from the R10 being that the ride damper on the R10 are pull damper, where as this had convention push dampers....

Also pics of Audi's front "wing" hidden under that nose...

Also interesting, no more outboard brake disc carbon cover.....which means you can see glowing discs again...

http://www.planetlemans.com/
Not a single RS-Spyder!

And it's a shame the vettes are gonna be lonely for 12 hours

Thank you Mod for the entry list/spotters guide, I should have begun by that, you made up for my omission. Thank for the pics 'Maniac, the more I look at the R15, the more it grows on me... It's a terrific design. Not beautifull and elegant as the Aston, but so futuristic! It's definitly a new generation of racing prototype.

Kristensen did a 1.43.595 yesterday evening! That's only 3 tenth down the unofficial pole time from last year from the 908 (unofficial because last year qualy session was cancelled because of an accident of the Lola-Mazda P2). It means Audi ingineers have already canceled all the losses of reduced power and downforce through a very efficient aero package, an optimal weight balance and improved mechanical grip.

I reckon they will be unbeatable this year, if they are reliable enough, and if the R15 is as tough as the R10 was in case of contacts, which remains to prove.
Hopefully Acura will be a match for Peugeot, so that will be a big battle even if Audi fly to the win.

Yes, there are no RS Spyder this time, as Penske went to GrandAm and Dyson signed with Lola and Mazda. The Lola B06/80 with mazda engine is a pure beauty though, with an adaptation of the BP paintscheme inspired from last year's BK Racing team.
As a consolation there will be three RS at Le Mans, and team Essex is even making the full LMS season.

Corvettes all alone also (does it make that much difference from last year?...), it's true that the ALMS is living one of it's worst year in terms of entries (as predictable with that damned crisis), but I think all in all it's not that bad, the Biggest events (Sebring, Petit, Laguna) will still be memorable, thanks to the manufacturers battle in P1.

Also, the GT2 grid is very good! The LMS only has one Spyker to fight an army of F430s and a few 997 GT3, whilst the ALMS have a lot more diversity! look, there's a Viper, a Panoz, a Ford GT, a Corvette, an Aston V8 vantage, and the M3s as well! That's a great grid IMO.

Nice report on the R15 by Marshall Pruett of SpeedTV: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ ... -audi-r15/

My initial trap speed data taken one car length past start/finish had the R15 2.6mph faster than Peugeot's best, and a telling 6mph over Acura's best. On a 'power' circuit like Sebring, Acura will have their work cut out for them come Saturday.

Either Audi's new 10-cylinder is very powerful, or the R15 isn't as draggy as one would believe, with its wide front tyres and downforce-generating solutions at the front of the car. This data could mean Audi back as the top performing car for Le Mans, also (but, then again, it's such a specific circuit you never know).

I'll be hoping for some streaming of the race on Saturday, there's no other way to see Sebring in Portugal...

vyselegend wrote:Not beautifull and elegant as the Aston

This tells how taste is personal. The additional parts that AMR added to their Lolas look horribly stitched together to me...

I'm gonna make a wild guess here and say the GT1 series will be won by a corvette.

anyway, do you think anybody will break Audi's lock this time around?

dumrick wrote:Nice report on the R15 by Marshall Pruett of SpeedTV: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ ... -audi-r15/

My initial trap speed data taken one car length past start/finish had the R15 2.6mph faster than Peugeot's best, and a telling 6mph over Acura's best. On a 'power' circuit like Sebring, Acura will have their work cut out for them come Saturday.

Either Audi's new 10-cylinder is very powerful, or the R15 isn't as draggy as one would believe, with its wide front tyres and downforce-generating solutions at the front of the car. This data could mean Audi back as the top performing car for Le Mans, also (but, then again, it's such a specific circuit you never know).

I'll be hoping for some streaming of the race on Saturday, there's no other way to see Sebring in Portugal...

vyselegend wrote:Not beautifull and elegant as the Aston

This tells how taste is personal. The additional parts that AMR added to their Lolas look horribly stitched together to me...

Audi doesn't have the Acura-style rear tire upfront. They couldn't get enough weight forward to warrant that. I think they spent a lot of time trying to manage their drag by making full use of whatever airflow around the car, which lead up to the internal coke-bottle ducting that is basically a fully executed solution that Lola have used many times.(not with all the intricate ducting and stuff).

I think R15 is a beautiful machine in details, a bit less sleek as a whole. But just look at some of the small stuff(one of the radiator tab that you can see through the side-pod "gills", with its 7 "speed holes" drilled into that simple tab). Audi is always in the business of out-doing themselves, and this time is no different...

RacingManiac wrote:Audi doesn't have the Acura-style rear tire upfront. They couldn't get enough weight forward to warrant that.

The front tyres seem anyway wider than they use to be. And you just have to look at the radiator placement to see that they've done their best to offset the big diesel mass resting behind the driver. One thing leads to the other.
As for drag generation, it's true it's clear that the flux design is aimed at filling the rear, but I'm surprised that their big front surface isn't more penalising (apparently). Look at the previous concepts of Le Mans-stlyle fronts (Dome S102, Courage LC70...) versus the others that were designed to perform well in a large number of circuits (Courage-Oreca, Lola, Peugeot...). Until now, even the raised nose was avoided by some, because of its drag impact. Audi comes with a very high and large duck bill, including internal flow for downforce generation (or, at least, to lower the pressure behind the diffuser) and they still manage to be faster in a straight line than the Pugs? That has surprised me, as much as reading that their apex speed isn't measurably different from the Peugeot. Their concept looks to me as aimed at downforce generation (usually at the expense of some drag), but maybe it isn't quite the case...

RacingManiac wrote:Audi doesn't have the Acura-style rear tire upfront. They couldn't get enough weight forward to warrant that. I think they spent a lot of time trying to manage their drag by making full use of whatever airflow around the car, which lead up to the internal coke-bottle ducting that is basically a fully executed solution that Lola have used many times.(not with all the intricate ducting and stuff).

I didn't know that at all! Seems like I missed the train somewhere. Thanks for the information! But I'm surprised Audi could switch from the radical aproach intended to a more classical one without changing their design. Obviously the "4 rear tyres mount" isn't easy to use.

I believe Acura are still learning how to make that front tyres working properly, as I suspect by now the advantages of higher available mechanical grip (+7% if we believe Mr Wirth) is cancelled by the loss in aero efficiency, although Sebring should favorise mechanical grip IMO.
I also think the hydrolic powersteering problems described earlier, combined with a compromised driving position (driver's knee nearly touch the steering wheel, or at least the board) are making life uneasy for the Acura drivers...

Last breaking news, after that Bourdais crashed (not too badly) the #8 car yesterday, it's now #7 that is enclosed in the pits since a crack has been discovered in the monocoque (possible manufacturing fault). A new tub is on it's way to the States, but it seems the #7 might miss qualy. Would that mean a DSQ for the race? I believe not but I'm not sure.

Today's afternoon session is running right now, as a reminder here is the link for the live timing

they'll probably let it start from the back....a cracked tub is not what you want at Sebring at all...lol

I think Acura will suffer from getting the front up to temp until Michelin has some sort of revised compound or construction. I am sure the original design for the rear tire(which was driven largely with the diesel development from R10 I believe) was probably taking into account of managing the engine torque. With the front being a non-driven axle, the tire probably aren't able to be utilized properly....

RacingManiac wrote:they'll probably let it start from the back....a cracked tub is not what you want at Sebring at all...lol

I think Acura will suffer from getting the front up to temp until Michelin has some sort of revised compound or construction. I am sure the original design for the rear tire(which was driven largely with the diesel development from R10 I believe) was probably taking into account of managing the engine torque. With the front being a non-driven axle, the tire probably aren't able to be utilized properly....

Sebring is one place that could crack a tub or three.

I dont live too far away, hopefully I can get up there for the weekend, depends if any friend want to come along... I'll try to get some nice pics.

Qualyfying undergoing right now! live streaming:

http://almsmichelin.globalmediaservices.tv/

vyselegend wrote:Qualyfying undergoing right now! live streaming:

http://almsmichelin.globalmediaservices.tv/

"Comming soon". Am I late?

Acura Pole, Audi 2nd, Peugeot 3rd.....
http://www.americanlemans.com/events/cu ... ebring.pdf

RacingManiac wrote:Acura Pole, Audi 2nd, Peugeot 3rd.....
http://www.americanlemans.com/events/cu ... ebring.pdf

Lol. I'm late again

The page cannot be found

Here's a valid link though.
http://www.americanlemans.com/events/cu ... ebring.pdf