Le
Mans Series 2007
Round 2. Valencia 1000 Kilometers. May 4th-6th 2007
Saturday
Report
The
highlight of the day was afternoon qualifying, when Thomas
Erdos strung together his best lap of the meeting so far
to claim second in LMP2, and a very impressive sixth overall,
but before all that there was a third session of Free Practice
to account for . . . .
Third
Free Practice
The
final hour-long period started just before ten, although
the MG was not among the first to go out. The conditions
were bright and sunny, but after a cold night, the track
had not yet absorbed much warmth. Even so, a day of extended
running on Friday had ripened the surface, and right from
the start times were quick. One of those early into his
stride was Robin Liddell in the #21 Radical, posting 1:28.606
on his third lap to move fastest in LMP2, fourth overall.
The first time to count from Tommy was a modest 1:29.534,
although that was still good enough for second. Liddell’s
reply was a 1:27.661, countered by a 1:28.395 from Erdos.
That took the MG to 7th overall, but still second to Liddell
– for the time being anyway.
Third
quickest in LMP2 at this early stage was the #44 Kruse Pescarolo
on 1:29.705, with the #24 Del Bello fourth, #27 Horag Lola
fifth and the Embassy Radical #45 sixth. None was typically
placed and suggested that the better times were yet to come.
After just a handful of laps, Erdos brought the MG back
down the pitlane to hand on to Mike Newton. At the same
time, Angel Burgeño was on a quick lap in the ASM
Lola, crossing the line to post 1:28.263 and thereby demote
Erdos to third in P2. He followed this with a 1:27.425 to
head P2 and claim fourth quickest overall. Warren Hughes
then clocked 1:28.333 to move the Embassy Radical into fourth,
just ahead of Tommy’s earlier time.
Mike
was mixing well with the field, and finding space through
the traffic. Typically his laps were in the low one-thirties,
but he also dipped into the 29s. Several of the quickest
LMP2 drivers were still on track, including Burgeño,
who posted what seemed at the time to be an impressive 1:26.401
to stand second overall. Pedro Lamy had put the #8 Peugeot
on top of LMP1 with a time of 1:26.360, and it was only
moments later that Nic Minassian joined him in the second
of the two Peugeots.
Thomas
Erdos came back out for the final few minutes, and managed
to improve on his earlier lap with a new best of 1:26.990
just before the session ended. That would be good enough
for third in class, behind Burgeño (1:26.401) and
an on-form Michael Vergers, fastest in class and third overall
on 1:26.169.
“The
car’s gone a little bit quicker once again,”
observed Adam Wiseberg, “but we still have a little
more work to do on the set-up.” Mike Newton was happier
with his own track-time. “It’s been a much better
day for traffic today,” he said “I actually
managed to engineer a clear lap! We’re still not quite
there with the balance, and the car’s a bit tail-happy,
but I feel very comfortable. Tommy is also a lot happier
too, and we’re all looking forward to qualifying.”
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Qualifying
The
twenty-minute prototype qualifying session started at twenty-five
past one, although it got off to a very quiet start. The
usual queue at the pit exit of drivers eager to get out
there and find some clear track was notably absent –
so much so that Phil Barker, watching things unfold from
the pit wall, radioed Tommy with fresh instructions. “Phil
realised that few of the other cars had gone out,”
said Tommy. “We thought we might as well take advantage
of the empty track.” Normally Phil holds him back
for half a lap or so, and then the MG joins in when the
bulk of cars have completed half of their out-lap. Not today.
As
a result, Tommy was the first to post a meaningful time
in LMP2, and while 1:27.247 wasn’t the kind of ultimate
pace the team was looking for, it was good enough to top
the LMP2 timesheet. Everyone was eagerly watching the timing
screen, and on his next lap, Tommy started with two green
markers, each signifying a new fastest sector. Sure enough,
he lashed across the line with an improvement, clocking
1:26.378 to post his fastest lap so far. The Binnie Lola,
Chris Buncombe at the wheel, moved into second with a 1:27.178,
while the #24 Courage with Jean-Mac Gounon driving, briefly
held fourth on 1:27.569.
Tommy
was still flying, and finding more from the MG. Another
green marker for the first sector was followed by a second
for the next, and . . . “will this be a 25?”
asked Mike Newton, peering at the telemetry. It was! The
first LMP2 runner to duck under twenty-six, Erdos had managed
a 1:25.946, not only confirming Mike’s prediction
from moments before, but his own from before the session
even started.
That
time moved Thomas Erdos through into third overall, but
Dutchman Michael Vergers was also gunning for the line in
the Barazi Zytek. When his time appeared on the screen it
was impressive; 1:25.606 moving the Gulf-liveried Zytek
through into a remarkable second overall. Ultimately he’d
be demoted to fourth by Hayanari Shimoda in the Arena Motorsport
LMP1 Zytek, and the two Peugeots one-two, but it also denied
RML its first pole of the year.
When
Bob Berridge beached the #19 Chamberlain Synergy Lola in
the gravel at Turn Seven, the yellow flags effectively ended
everyone’s chances of ending the session quickly,
and Tommy returned to the pitlane. The team quickly hauled
the car backwards into the garage (above) and the
Brazilian clambered out. Disciplined to the end, he kept
his helmet on until the chequered flag fell, following the
closing action on screen with Mike, Adam and the rest of
the team (below). Almost every other car followed
suit, and for the last few minutes the two Peugeots were
just about the only cars still circulating, although getting
nowhere near their earlier times. It was a overt demonstration
of their confidence and, when the session did end, Marc
Gene had taken pole for the #7, with team-mate Pedro Lamy
alongside to share the front row. The pole time was a second
clear of third-placed Shimoda’s best in the Zytek.
“I’m
very pleased with that,” grinned Adam Wiseberg. “We
prefer pole to second, of course, but to be ahead of so
many P1 cars on our first run with the new aero kit is very
encouraging indeed. I never cease to be impressed by the
way Tommy can always pull these stunning laps out of the
bag. It will be a nice start to the race to be up there
on the third row, surrounded by experienced, dependable
drivers. The big question is; what happens with Yoong, Fassler
and the other P1 drivers as they all head down into Turn
1!” These drivers, in their LMP1 cars, could indeed
be one of the main concerns when the race starts tomorrow
at half-past one. The main straight is the only length of
Valencia’s four-kilometre circuit where the LMP1 cars
can stretch their legs and show something of their outright
pace. “That will be a difficult moment,” conceded
Phil Barker. “I’d really not be too surprised
to see us eighth or ninth into Turn One.”
With
qualifying just over, Thomas Erdos had no such worries.
“I’m just very happy with the way the team has
dialled in the 07 aero pack so quickly,” he admitted.
“When you add a new element to the overall package
it’s sometimes possible to go the wrong way, but all
credit to the team and to Lola, everyone worked together
exceptionally well to find such a good balance, and so quickly
too. In the end, we extracted what we could out of the car
today, and with what we’re learning, we can only build
on that and get better.”
Team
Manager Phil Barker was equally delighted. “It’s
very pleasing to have achieved such a really good balance
with the car, and to have been able to come to terms with
the new aero kit so quickly. After the experience of Monza,
it’s good to feel that we’re in the ball-park
once again. It will still be difficult tomorrow, with so
many cars on the grid, but very pleasing to be so far towards
the front, in amongst the P1 cars. The truth is, Tommy pulled
out another very special lap for us today. He did predict
to me this morning that he could perhaps do a twenty-five,
so I’m delighted that we were able to prove him right.”
One
observation not lost on several members of the squad was
the fact that the RML MG had qualified as the quickest Lola
chassis on the grid, including those running in LMP1. “That’s
something for the team to be proud of,” said Erdos.
“It’s nice to be the first Lola on the grid!”
With two of the LMP1 Lola’s immediately behind him
on the grid, it will be interesting to see if he can maintain
that advantage when the race starts at half-one on Sunday.
A
brief press release about qualifying at Valencia can be
viewed here.
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