Le
Mans Series 2009
Round 3. Autodromo do Algarve 1000 Kilometres. August 1st
2009
Weekend Preview
Heading
towards the sunshine
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . for a night race !
After
seven weeks of thumb-twiddling, and almost twice as long
since the previous round of the Le Mans Series at Spa in
early May, the series leaps back into action with a "first"
in the Algarve - the first race at the brand new and exciting
Autodromo do Algarve near Portimão, and
a first-ever "night race" for the ACO's flagship
series.
The
timing has thrown up a number of unexpected challenges for
teams, media and, to a lesser extent, spectators alike.
Scheduling the event for the first weekend in August must
have looked like a very appealing prospect when the organisers
stuck their pin in the calendar last year, but the reality
has shown in ample form that staging a major motor race
in the Algarve at the height of the holiday season is no
easy solution. The beaches and resorts may be teeming with
holidaymakers, many from the UK, who might be looking for
entertainment on a Saturday evening, but shipping in thirty-five
racecars and the associated entourage of several thousand
mechanics, engineers, support staff and corporate guests
has put a considerable strain on the local infrastructure,
not to mention the pockets of the teams concerned.
The
sport is currently enduring a period of economic and financial
constraint, with diminishing sponsorship revenues and increasing
costs, and the ACO did well to anticipate this before the
start of the season. Various regulation changes were aimed
at cutting costs, and the official test day at Le Mans was
cancelled on the same pretext. Now, mid-way through the
season, the teams arrive in Portugal to discover that hotel
rooms that were a mere 50€ a night in March, when some
came to test at the new circuit, are now five times as much.
That's even assuming a spare room can even be found.
The
cost of flights too have risen significantly, to coincide
with the peak holiday period, and the latest news comes
through that car hire companies in the Faro and Portimão
area have run out of spare vehicles for the weekend of the
race. There now seems little doubt that Round 3 of the 2009
Le Mans Series will be the most costly race of the year,
but will it be worth it?
On
two counts - both mentioned in the opening paragraph - the
sincere hope is 'yes!'. Most of the top teams have now had
the opportunity to test at the new Autodromo do Algarve,
and there's been universal praise for the circuit.
From
the drivers' point of view, it is undoubtedly one of the
most challenging, and satisfying, racetracks in motorsport.
Taking full advantage of the surrounding hills, the track
sweeps and turns through a succession of tantalising bends,
punctuated by a handful of snappy straights and one very
long high-speed "straightaway". The result is
a circuit that tests the drivers' skills to the utmost,
but rewards a good lap with a supreme sense of achievement.
It also presents the engineers with the task of creating
a set-up that meets the "perfect compromise" between
downforce and mechanical grip. Not such an easy task, but
one that experienced teams will relish. If you'd like to
find out more about the track, see the link at the foot
of this page.
The
topography that has resulted in dips, dives and blind crests
for the drivers also lends itself perfectly to creating
a natural amphitheatre from which to view the track. The
circuit is surrounded on three sides by banked grandstands
capable of seating tens of thousands of spectators, while
a massive tiered "tribune" towers over the main
straight to complete the encirclement. Chosen carefully,
a vantage point here will permit almost every twist and
turn to be seen without having to move once . . . although
with six hours of night racing to savour, that might be
a shame.
And
that's the second count - a night race. Given that the circuit
will be suitably illuminated, the appeal of a race through
the balmy darkness of a Portuguese evening has got to be
a definite plus. With headlights skywards one moment, and
diving down into the depths of a hollow the next, or sweeping
through from one sinuous curve to the next, this should
be a fabulous spectacle. Let's just hope it doesn't rain.
On
the Track - through the classes
LMP1:
With the Le Mans 24 Hours consigned to the history books
there are some significant absentees from the entry list
for the Algarve. In LMP1, the race-winning Peugeots are
giving Portugal a miss. So too the Audi R15, which had a
troubled Le Mans debut.
That
leaves just ten cars to contest LMP1, with the two Aston
Martin Lolas perhaps favourites now to take another win,
although the similarly powered Speedy Sebah Lola may run
them close. The two Orecas and a single Pescarolo cannot
be dismissed either, but the dark horse in LMP1, in ever
sense, may be the Strakka Racing Ginetta Zytek GZ09S. The
black car surprised everyone by taking pole in Barcelona
in the hands of former Formula Renault Champion and A1GP
winner Danny Watts. Since then the team has managed a creditable
finish in the Le Mans 24 Hours, and also consolidated its
driver line-up to just two; Danny and Strakka regular Nick
Leventis.
Perhaps
it would be unwise to overlook the two Kolles Audi R10s.
The ex-works diesels were almost an embarrassment in Barcelona,
but had found added pace by the time they reached Spa, although
were never likely to earn a tilt at the podium. At Le Mans
they made further improvements, and started to look worthy
of the Audi mantle, despite making the strange decision
of dropping their most consistent driver. Andy Meyrick is
back for Portimão, but it will be interesting to
see if the rest of the squad can match his efforts.
LMP2:
Those high-profile drop-outs from LMP1 leave LMP2 as the
dominant category in the race, numerically at least. Twelve
cars are listed from the second prototype category (see
below), but there are also some names missing from
here too.
Barazi
Epsilon, the team that has so often challenged RML in the
past with their Zytek chassis (left, at Le Mans),
will not be taking part, and neither will Kruse Schiller
Motorsport (KSM). The popular German squad has had a tough
time this season, having fallen foul to a fraudtser pre-season,
and then endured a very difficult Le Mans 24 Hours that
eventually saw the team's Lola B07/96 consumed by fire in
the pitlane. Sadly, the team has been unable to make good
the necessary repairs in time for Round 3 and, with regret,
has had to withdraw from the Portimão race.
Of
the two other non-starters, Pegasus Racing may not be significantly
missed (although the team's Avon-shod Oreca was nicely turned
out at Spa and certainly didn't disgrace itself) but the
fact that not one single Porsche RS Spyder will be competing
opens the class up totally. Team Essex might have been expected
to race, but the re-liveried Le Mans winner (right)
is not listed for the Algarve. That leaves seven, or perhaps
eight, of the twelve LMP2 starters with a fair-to-good chance
of a podium.
Aside
from Mike Newton and Tommy Erdos in the RML Lola Mazda Coupé,
who must now be one of the favourites for the class, there
are three other Lola coupés with excellent prospects.
The Racing Box Lolas ran well at Barcelona and Spa, although
fell short of several hurdles at Le Mans, but must be ranking
high with the bookies. Likewise, the Speedy Sebah LMP2 Lola
has shown good form, and the Swiss team has the benefit
of having worked with the new chassis longer than anyone
else.
The
ASM Quifel Ginetta-Zytek will be tough to beat, especially
with the added advantage of playing from home. The Portuguese
team has always been ultra-competitive, whether running
the GZ09 or their previous Lola chassis, and will be keen
to make a mark in front of the local crowd.
Likewise
the two Oak Racing Pescarolos. After a lacklustre season
in 2008, when the cars ran as Saulnier Racing and earned
a reputation as tuggers, the new name and striking livery
(left) has revolutionised the French team. They've
come back in 2009 and been transformed from also-rans into
serious contenders.
Another
car to have shown significant improvement in recent races
is the WR Salini, with its gutsy Zytek engine. Upping their
ante for the Algarve, the team has brought in the services
of Frenchman Bruce Jouanny - eminently capable of a quick
lap and sure to raise the stakes again. Finally, there's
one more LMP2 entry looking to shine in the sun, although
it may be an uphill challenge. The Spanish Q8 Oils Hache
Team brings in an all-new all-Spanish driver line-up for
Round 3.
GT1:
There are only two GT1 entries for the Algarve, adding strength
to the belief that this is the last year for what was once
the pinnacle of GT racing. Perhaps last weekend's Spa 24
Hours will have been the swan-song for this one pre-eminent
category? A sad loss, if so, but when it can be cheaper
for a team to compete in LMP1 than GT1, perhaps inevitable.
Up
against the solo Larbre Saleen in the race is a singleton
Corvette from Luc Alphand's adventurous stable, like the
#73 seen here (right) at Le Mans. We are pleased
to report that Luc is making a steady recovery from a serious
back injury, sustained when he came off his bike during
the Rand'Auvergne 400km rally raid event at the end of June.
A major operation on his spine went well and "Lucho"
is now back at home in Serre Chevalier convalescing A class
win for the one-car entry from his eponymous team might
be just the tonic he needs.
GT2:
The final 11 entries for GT2 bring the total
grid for the Algarve to a respectable 35
Media
Coverage
TV:
It seems you'll have to travel to the Czech Republic to
get full coverage of the Algarve 1000 Kilometres, as that's
the only country broadcasting full live coverage of the
event. What they've done to deserve such comprehensive coverage
isn't clear, but the rest of Europe will have to make do
with the same patchy service that has been a characteristic
of this year's Le Mans Series.
In
the UK, coverage is restricted to done to a few live snippets
at the start of the race, and then edited highlights later
in the day. Check out listings for Eurosport and Eurosport
2, where further details will be posted on the schedules
in the days leading up to the race.
Best
terrestrial coverage is in Italy. To find out more, visit
the Le Mans Series website, where a roundup of anticipated
coverage is included here.
Radio
& On-line: The news on the radio front continues
to be good, however, with confirmation that Radio Le Mans
will be again be offering full coverage of the Le Mans Series
from Portugal. Their schedule includes detailed analysis
and blow-by-blow reporting on every aspect of the weekend's
events, starting with final practice and qualifying on Friday.
Articles and features about the Le Mans Series, including
highlights and post-race assessment following the last round
at Spa, are already available as podcasts from the RLM website,
including contributions from RML's own Thomas Erdos, and
Graham Goodwin of Dailysportscar. Click the link below for
access the new website.
More
information?
If
you're looking for more information about the new Autodromo
do Algarve, then check out our comprehensive circuit review
and get a sneak preview of our new website at the same time.
The site is still under construction, so you may find buttons
that don't do what you expect, but let us know what you
think anyway. Follow this link.