FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps..
Jox Jottings also on
http://spawec2013.blogspot.co.uk/Free Practice..Your CA team is in place and free practice has passed reasonably quietly except for #24 Oak Racing Morgan Nissan. The culprit behind the wheel was David Heinemeier Hansson he went off at Pouhon. Fair enough.. it was a bit damp in places.
We have another cracking grid of 35 cars including of course the big banger LMP1 cars from Audi and Toyota. This is their last chance to scare off any gremlins that might be lurking about prior to Le Mans.
The new qualifying procedure is back despite its rather murky debut at Silverstone. It seems that the computer software didn’t cope particularly well and got in a huff and went home for an early bath but the chaps that know about these things have, we are told, got it all sorted out now. So once again we are looking forward with eager anticipation to the following:-
Driver One goes out and does at least four laps and the computer remembers the best two of them… then Driver Two goes out and also does at least four laps, and again the computers remember which were the fastest two. Now the clever bit.. these four times are averaged out to give a final time that gives the car its place on the grid. Get it? Simples!
Now a few ‘Michael Caine’ moments… did you know that:-
All the cars are fitted with three lights in a vertical row beside the number decal.. one light ‘on’ means the car is leader its class.. two lights second in class and three lights third in class. These are triggered by the transponders and time keepers. These were not working all that well either but we are assured that will be tickety-boo by Le Mans. If you are watching on TV the LMP1 Cars have Red numbers.. LM P2 have blue ones… LM GTE Pro are green and LM GTE Am are orange.
Nine drivers here today have taken part in F1 Grand Prix… Allan McNish, Alexander Wurz, Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Luca di Grassi, Marc Gené, Stéphane Sarrazin. Kazuki Nakajima and Nick Heidfeld.
Fuel tanks on petrol powered LMP1 and LMP2 cars are allowed 75 litres… the diesels get 60 litres.. LMPGTE Pro and Am also get 60 litres.
Just looking at the programme and noticed that it claims Marcel Fassler clocked a 1:01.851sec to claim the fastest lap in the 2012. A mere 205 Kph… in fact this would have been nearer 400kph which would be about 250 mph!! Maybe it should read 2:01.851secs!
My guru Tony tells me that the #7 Toyota is a new car and the #3 Audi has the ‘long tail’..remember the 917 Porsche ? Well this one is a massive few cms!
35 Cars…8 in LMP1..11 in LMP2…7 in LMGTE Pro and 9 in LMGTE Am
Back after practice and qualifying