[LM24] Le Mans Test Day 2012 - Sunday 3rd June

[Victor_RO]

http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/...-mans-2012.pdf

Entry list for the test day, 3 cars are FLM cars with no teams or drivers named. The other cars over the entry list - a second Lotus Lola, a second Level 5 HPD, Loeb's team and the Pro IMSA Porsche. No GreenGT on the list...

EDIT: Some notes on the driver front: David Heinemeier Hansson in the second OAK car, Marc Lieb and Wolf Henzler in the #80 Lizards and Patrick Long and Marco Holzer in the #79, no Waltrip in the 61 Ferrari.

[Simmi]

Yep definitely worthy of a thread. As Victor says some interesting moves on the driver front.

To be honest I wouldn't put it past that second Lotus to sneak onto the grid so it makes sense that they will be there.

[Victor_RO]

I wonder how many of the current Test Day line-ups are actually final, the driver shuffles in the Porsche teams are a bit peculiar. However... it's only the Test Day, so drivers can actually drive and be entered in more than one car.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

I wonder how many of the current Test Day line-ups are actually final, the driver shuffles in the Porsche teams are a bit peculiar. However... it's only the Test Day, so drivers can actually drive and be entered in more than one car.

Yeah I was just thinking the same thing about the Porsches. Looks like Lizards took two guys out of the Felbermayr car. Always good to have experienced guys in each car to help set it up.

I don't know a great deal about Marco Cioci but he looks to have jumped up into the 2nd Pro 458 for AF Corse. ProSpeed aren't there as it is too much of an ask to have a team in place with the Blancpain round at Silverstone the day before.

Will be a lot of drivers making the trip across from that. Seems like Matt Griffin is confirmed in the #81 which is cool to see. Still quite a few seats up for grabs in the lower classes.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Yeah I was just thinking the same thing about the Porsches. Looks like Lizards took two guys out of the Felbermayr car. Always good to have experienced guys in each car to help set it up.

I don't know a great deal about Marco Cioci but he looks to have jumped up into the 2nd Pro 458 for AF Corse. .

As you say, there seems to have been a bit of a driver shuffle going on with the Porsche factory driver allocations for the test.

IIRC Cioci was third driver in the Beretta/Bertolini #71 Ferrari at Sebring as well, so maybe he's pulling 'double-duty' with AF Corse, doing the WEC rounds in that car, and the ELMS with Perazzini and Griffin in the 'Am' car?

I think AF's regular WEC 'Am' car is the Waltrip car, and the Perazzini car usually an ELMS entry? Having said that, I think he's in the Perazzini car on the Spa entry list...

If he was to swap back to the Perazzini car for Le Mans, it would be interesting to see who AF might put in with Beretta and Bertolini?

I don't know much about him either, other than his name seems to have been around various GT series for quite a while now- Italian GT, GT3, GT Open, LMS etc, usually (but not exclusively) in Ferraris
http://www.marcocioci.it/en/carriera/

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

I wonder how many of the current Test Day line-ups are actually final, the driver shuffles in the Porsche teams are a bit peculiar. However... it's only the Test Day, so drivers can actually drive and be entered in more than one car.

Agreed that the Porsche line-ups are very..unusual. It looks to me that the Lizard's car might have what ever "Le Mans" updates the 911's will have for the race, and so my theory is that it might be the "lead" test car for the day. (the fact the Lieb has been moved to this car can be an indication of this).
They may be comparing it with the others without updates.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

Agreed that the Porsche line-ups are very..unusual. It looks to me that the Lizard's car might have what ever "Le Mans" updates the 911's will have for the race, and so my theory is that it might be the "lead" test car for the day. (the fact the Lieb has been moved to this car can be an indication of this).
They may be comparing it with the others without updates.

And as has been discussed, there is nothing to stop Porsche swapping out the drivers to run them across both cars. The entry list is not really always an indication of who will run in what.

[Simmi]

So after bringing it up on twitter it seems that drivers have to apply to be on the ACO list, and this is obviously a good indication that Liuzzi is looking for a drive. Hopefully he's got something lined up. I think he'd be a great addition to the endurance world.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by Simmi

So after bringing it up on twitter it seems that drivers have to apply to be on the ACO list, and this is obviously a good indication that Liuzzi is looking for a drive. Hopefully he's got something lined up. I think he'd be a great addition to the endurance world.

http://endurance-info.com/version2/a...nce-10909.html confirms that Liuzzi will be at the test day for Lotus LMP2.

[Simmi]

Bit more info on the test day here:

http://www.lemans.org/en/news/stars-...uit-_6793.html

Couple of interesting bits. That article basically confirms what we all thought and that Sebastien Loeb Racing will enter the race next year.

It also appears that the Green GT WILL be there, albeit just doing some 'show' laps in between the two sessions. Looks like they are still targeting the 56th spot next season. Fair play to them for even planning to turn up.

[Victor_RO]

Also, interesting tidbit concerning the race itself: driver line-ups must be confirmed to the ACO by May 9th.

[The Badger]

Whose this Gates dude in the Murphy Proto chassis ?

Was there ever an Irish team entered at Le Mans before ? Now we got 2 of em .

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Whose this Gates dude in the Murphy Proto chassis ?

Was there ever an Irish team entered at Le Mans before ? Now we got 2 of em .

Think these will be the first and second ever Irish-registered squads yes.

He's been with the team in their previous iteration since 2010. Everything you wanted to know here:

http://www.rlrmotorsport.com/our-tea...r-barry-gates/

Can't believe he doesn't have a favourite film though!

[terence]

In case anyone is interested,the Nissan 'Delta' was at Snetterton today,looking very different but also very good,very quick for a 1600!

[GT6]

it what way different

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by GT6

it what way different

I might be wrong but I think Terence means the concept looks different to your average sportscar.

Saying that I'm sure we probably will see a few significant tweaks when it turns up at test day.

[Simmi]

This is the part where the optimist in me puts two and two together and sees Tonio Liuzzi land somewhere at AF Corse.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Simmi

This is the part where the optimist in me puts two and two together and sees Tonio Liuzzi land somewhere at AF Corse.

Car 81 can go for a Cioci-Perazzini-Griffin line-up (Gold-Silver-Silver in terms of driver classifications), and that leaves two slots at AF Corse. With no Mikey W in the 61 the driver line-up in terms of metals is Silver-Bronze-TBA, so if AF Corse got Liuzzi to drive for them, he can land either in cars 61 or 71.

A noteworthy (old) addition to the driver classification list... Alain Ferté. JMB? Also Brendon Hartley... a run with Boutsen in LMP2?

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Car 81 can go for a Cioci-Perazzini-Griffin line-up (Gold-Silver-Silver in terms of driver classifications), and that leaves two slots at AF Corse. With no Mikey W in the 61 the driver line-up in terms of metals is Silver-Bronze-TBA, so if AF Corse got Liuzzi to drive for them, he can land either in cars 61 or 71.

Cioci is listed in the 71 for the test and since he drove it at Sebring that suggests to me he is promoted to the pro car for LM too.

Don't the driver classification additions just come from their appearances at sanctioned ACO races or tests, Ferte at the Paul Ricard event and Hartley at the Paul Ricard test?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by cmk

Cioci is listed in the 71 for the test and since he drove it at Sebring that suggests to me he is promoted to the pro car for LM too.

I said "can", not "will".

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

I said "can", not "will".

Touche! One wonders whether the AM car would not be a better place to bed in a 'new' pro anyway, be it a Tonio Liuzzi or someone else, which in turn nearly mandates Cioci in 71. A strange world when Ferrari doesn't have 6 factory drivers to fill their factory seats at LM. Still a few 'connected' drivers out there; someone needs to convince Mika to come back?

[The Badger]

Salo ..... glad he is gone . We dont need drivers who publicaly admit taking someone out on the radio .

He is a ****** ..... simple .

[Spyderman]

Agreed - Its just strange to have "registered " them under one car.

[Acid09]

Does anybody know if spectators are allowed in pits on Saturday to watch scrutineering?

I remember it was allowed for the past few years and even last year, despite reports beforehand that there was no access for spectators on Saturday?

[bernard b]

Originally Posted by Acid09

Does anybody know if spectators are allowed in pits on Saturday to watch scrutineering?

I remember it was allowed for the past few years and even last year, despite reports beforehand that there was no access for spectators on Saturday?

my ticket confirmation says it's valid from friday june 1st
so it seems that as previously, friday and saturday can be accessed
but with ACO, you never know

anyway, I'll be there from 9am on friday