Fernando Alonso got his first 24 Hours of Le Mans off to a great start by setting the fastest lap of the day at the official test day ahead of the race on the 16/17 June, round 2 of the WEC Super Season.
The Spaniard set a 3:19.066 lap around the 13.6km Circuit des 24 Heures in the No.8 Toyota TS050 HYBRID, finishing the day 0.6 seconds ahead of the nearest LMP1 rival.
Describing his first Le Mans test, Fernando Alonso said: “It was a good day for us, a great way to prepare for the big race in two weeks. The car was perfect from the outset. I familiarized myself with the circuit as I had only done it in a simulator, not in real life. This circuit is wonderful, especially for this type of car. It’s even better than Spa which reminded me of F1. This car was definitely designed for the Le Mans circuit.”
The two Toyotas were split by the No.3 Rebellion Racing R13-Gibson which finished second quickest, with Mathias Beche setting a 3:19.680, 0.328s ahead of the No.7 Toyota of Kamui Kobayashi.
In LMP2 it was the No.31 DragonSpeed ORECA which topped the timesheets with Nathanael Berthon who set the 3:55.970 lap to put the American team ahead of the 19 other class rivals on the grid. The second placed car, the No.48 IDEC Sport ORECA of Paul Loup Chatin, was just 0.024s behind, with the No.26 G-Drive Racing entry in third.
Another rookie in the LMP1 class, 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button, took the wheel of the #11 SMP and clocked the fifth fastest time. He explained: “The speed at which these cars can go into turns is impressive. You really need to have faith in your car. The problem is there is a considerable amount of traffic and it’s difficult to overtake in certains corners. I would have liked to do even more laps. You always want to drive as much as possible and be able to leave the pit with new tires to explore the potential of the car. But you have to stay focused on the agenda of the session. I can’t wait to move forward because we still have some improving to do.”
Also debuting at Le Mans, in the LMP2 class with United Autosports, Juan Pablo Montoya (24th fastest time) added: “I got here today at 8:00 a.m. and drove the car for the first time this afternoon. Here, the fast corners are fantastic. I’ve loved that my entire life, so I love the Porsche Curves. The marshals do excellent work, they’re just extraordinary.”
The LMGTE Pro category was hard fought with Ford leading the way at the end of the morning session. However it was Porsche who came out on top at the end of the day with Patrick Pilet posting a 3:52.551 just before the session prematurely due to a red flag less than two minutes before the chequered flag was due to be waved.
The pink No.93 Porsche 911 RSR of Pilet was just 0.096s ahead of the sister car, the No.91 911 of Gianmaria Bruni, which was the quickest of the cars racing in the WEC and fighting for the FIA world title. The four Ford GTs filled the next four slots on the time sheets with the No.67 Ford GT third quickest with Andy Priaulx setting a 3:53.008 lap.
The LMGTE Am category was also headed by a Porsche, with the No.77 Dempsey-Proton Racing 911 RSR posting a 3:55.970 lap with Julien Andlauer at the wheel, 0.299s ahead of the No.54 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GTE of Giancarlo Fisichella.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day is an opportunity for teams entered in the race to try out their set-ups, while rookies get to grips with the iconic circuit and the organiser makes sure that the various procedures run smoothly.
Eight hours of track time were scheduled for the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day today (Sunday 3 June) and there was no time to lose for the teams. They had all prepared a full schedule of tests to make the most of some valuable track time on this very special circuit, which includes sections of the public roads around Le Mans.
The sixty competitors had some a complex list of tasks to run through, such as checking their settings, simulating fuel consumption, testing their tyres and refuelling procedures, and rehearsing driver changes. Meanwhile, some of the rookies had ten mandatory laps to complete and they no doubt hoped to bank a few more to really get to grips with the iconic 13.626-km circuit and their cars.
The two test sessions were interrupted by the red flag several times. Some cars were damaged and the safety barriers had to be repaired. Fortunately none of the drivers were injured.
The teams now have one week before the 86th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway with Scrutineering in the centre of Le Mans on Sunday 10th and Monday 11th June. Track action begins on Wednesday 13th June with the race beginning at 15h00 on Saturday 16th June.
Le Mans test results
1 8 Toyota Gazoo Racing S. BUEMI / K. NAKAJIMA / F. ALONSO / J. LOPEZ Toyota TS050 – Hybrid LMP1 H M 3:19.066 56 106 – – 246.4
2 3 Rebellion Racing T. LAURENT / M. BECHE / G. MENEZES Rebellion R13 – Gibson LMP1 M 3:19.680 45 74 +0.614 +0.614 245.7 3:20.008 +0.942 +0.328 245.
3 M. CONWAY / K. KOBAYASHI / J. LOPEZ / F. ALONSO 3 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 – Hybrid LMP1 H M 45 96
4 1 Rebellion Racing A. LOTTERER / N. JANI / B. SENNA Rebellion R13 – Gibson LMP1 M 3:21.344 64 65 +2.278 +1.336 243.6
5 11 SMP Racing V. PETROV / M. ALESHIN / J. BUTTON BR Engineering BR1 – AER LMP1 M 3:21.603 41 47 +2.537 +0.259 243.3
6 17 SMP Racing S. SARRAZIN / E. ORUDZHEV / M. ISAAKYAN BR Engineering BR1 – AER LMP1 M 3:21.761 34 46 +2.695 +0.158 243.1
7 4 Bykolles Racing Team O. WEBB / D. KRAIHAMER / T. DILLMANN Enso CLM P1/01 – Nismo LMP1 M 3:23.644 47 54 +4.578 +1.883 240.9
8 10 Dragonspeed H. HEDMAN / B. HANLEY / R. VAN DER ZANDE BR Engineering BR1 – GibsonLMP1 M 3:26.951 19 23 +7.885 +3.307 237.0
9 31 Dragonspeed R. GONZALEZ / P. MALDONADO / N. BERTHON Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 M 3:27.228 53 72 +8.162 +0.277 236.7
10 48 IDEC Sport P. LAFARGUE / P. CHATIN / M. ROJAS Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 M 3:27.252 58 79 +8.186 +0.024 236.7
11 6 CEFC TRSM Racing O. ROWLAND / A. BRUNDLE / O. TURVEY Ginetta G60-LT-P1 – Mecachrome LMP2 M 3:27.748 52 53 +8.682 +0.496 236.1
12 5 CEFC TRSM Racing C. ROBERTSON / M. SIMPSON / L. ROUSSEL Ginetta G60-LT-P1 – Mecachrome LMP2 M 3:28.180 29 41 +9.114 +0.432 235.6
13 26 G-Drive Racing R. RUSINOV / A. PIZZITOLA / J. VERGNE / A. IMPERATORI Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 M 3:28.394 +9.328 +0.214 235.4
14 28 TDS Racing F. PERRODO / M. VAXIVIERE Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:28.795 65 73 +9.729 +0.401 234.9
15 36 Signatech Alpine Matmut N. LAPIERRE / A. NEGRÃO / P. THIRIET Alpine A470 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:29.205 46 82 +10.139 +0.410 234.5
16 22 United Autosports P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / W. BOYD Ligier JSP217 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:29.281 67 75 +10.215 +0.076 234.4
17 39 Graff-SO24 V. CAPILLAIRE / J. HIRSCHI / T. GOMMENDY / A. COUGNAUD Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:29.492 +10.426 +0.211 234.2
18 47 Cetilar Villorba Corse R. LACORTE / G. SERNAGIOTTO / F. NASR Dallara P217 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:29.968 73 79 +10.902 +0.476 233.6
19 40 G-Drive Racing J. ALLEN / J. GUTIERREZ / E. GUIBBERT Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:30.015 67 74 +10.949 +0.047 233.6
20 38 Jackie Chan DC Racing H. TUNG / S. RICHELMI / G. AUBRY Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:30.475 29 69 +11.409 +0.460 233.1
21 37 Jackie Chan DC Racing J. JAAFAR / N. JEFFRI / W. TAN Oreca 07 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:31.034 37 68 +11.968 +0.559 232.4
22 35 SMP Racing V. SHAITAR / H. NEWEY / N. NATO / A. FJORDBACH Dallara P217 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:31.646 +12.580 +0.612 231.8
23 Panis Barthez Competition T. VAUTIER / J. CANAL / W. STEVENS / T. BURET Ligier JSP217 – Gibson LMP2 M 3:31.673 40 64 +12.607 +0.027 231.7
24 32 United Autosports Ligier H. DE SADELEER / W. OWEN / W. BOYD / J. MONTOYA Ligier JSP217 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:32.363 +13.297 +0.690 231.0
25 44 Eurasia Motorsport A. BERTOLINI / N. JÖNSSON / T. KROHN Ligier JSP217 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:32.532 73 78 +13.466 +0.169 230.8
26 29 Racing Team Nederland F. VAN EERD / G. VAN DER GARDE / J. LAMMERS Dallara P217 – Gibson LMP2 M 3:32.723 64 66 +13.657 +0.191 230.6
27 25 Algarve Pro Racing M. PATTERSON / A. DE JONG / T. KIM / R. CULLEN Ligier JSP217-Gibson LMP2 D 3:32.752 47 61 +13.686 +0.029 230.6
28 34 Jackie Chan DC Racing 3 R. TAYLOR / C. LEDOGAR / D. HEINEMEIER HANSSON Ligier JSP217 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:33.037 +13.971 +0.285 230.3
29 33 Jackie Chan DC Racing D. CHENG / N. BOULLE / P. NICOLET Ligier JSP217 – Gibson LMP2 D 3:38.657 68 86 +19.591 +5.620 224.3
30 50 Larbre Competition E. CREED / R. RICCI / T. DAGONEAU Ligier JSP217 – Gibson LMP2 M 3:40.926 51 58 +21.860 +2.269 222.0
31 93 Porsche GT Team P. PILET / N. TANDY / E. BAMBER / D. WERNER Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Pro M 3:52.551 67 68 +33.485+11.625 210.9
32 91 Porsche GT Team R. LIETZ / G. BRUNI / F. MAKOWIECKI Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Pro M 3:52.647 59 77 +33.581 +0.096 210.8
33 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK A. PRIAULX / H. TINCKNELL Ford GT LMGTE Pro M 3:53.008 18 76 +33.942 +0.361 210.5
34 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK S. MÜCKE / O. PLA / B. JOHNSON Ford GT LMGTE Pro M 3:53.052 75 80 +33.986 +0.044 210.5
35 68 Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA J. HAND / D. MÜLLER Ford GT LMGTE Pro M 3:53.064 55 60 +33.998 +0.012 210.5
36 69 Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA R. BRISCOE / R. WESTBROOK Ford GT LMGTE Pro M 3:53.476 59 66 +34.410 +0.412 210.1
37 92 Porsche GT Team M. CHRISTENSEN / K. ESTRE / L. VANTHOOR / D. WERNER Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Pro M 3:53.877 +34.811 +0.401 209.7
38 81 BMW Team MTEK M. TOMCZYK / N. CATSBURG BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 3:53.946 73 83 +34.880 +0.069 209.7
39 71 AF Corse D. RIGON / S. BIRD / M. MOLINA Ferrari 488 GTE EVO LMGTE Pro M 3:54.137 47 70 +35.071 +0.191 209.5
40 64 Corvette Racing – GM O. GAVIN / T. MILNER / M. FÄSSLER Chevrolet Corvette C7.R LMGTE Pro M 3:54.179 60 66 +35.113 +0.042 209.5
41 63 Corvette Racing – GM J. MAGNUSSEN / A. GARCIA Chevrolet Corvette C7.R LMGTE Pro M 3:54.217 51 68 +35.151 +0.038 209.4
42 52 AF Corse T. VILANDER / A. GIOVINAZZI / L. DERANI Ferrari 488 GTE EVO LMGTE Pro M 3:54.278 73 81 +35.212 +0.061 209.4
43 51 AF Corse A. PIER GUIDI / J. CALADO / D. SERRA Ferrari 488 GTE EVO LMGTE Pro M 3:54.672 57 61 +35.606 +0.394 209.0
44 94 Porsche GT Team R. DUMAS / T. BERNHARD / S. MÜLLER Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Pro M 3:54.782 60 66 +35.716 +0.110 208.9
45 82 BMW Team MTEK A. FELIX DA COSTA / A. SIMS BMW M8 GTE LMGTE Pro M 3:55.910 59 69 +36.844 +1.128 207.9
46 77 Dempsey – Proton Racing M. CAMPBELL / C. RIED / J. ANDLAUER Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Am M 3:55.970 78 80 +36.904 +0.060 207.9
47 54 Spirit of Race T. FLOHR / F. CASTELLACCI / G. FISICHELLA Ferrari F488 GTE LMGTE Am M 3:56.269 41 82 +37.203 +0.299 207.6
48 61 Clearwater Racing W. MOK / M. GRIFFIN / K. SAWA Ferrari F488 GTE LMGTE Am M 3:56.672 58 76 +37.606 +0.403 207.3
49 88 Dempsey – Proton Racing M. CAIROLI / K. AL QUBAISI / G. RODA Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Am M 3:56.946 60 68 +37.880 +0.274 207.0
50 97 Aston Martin Racing A. LYNN / M. MARTIN / J. ADAM Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGTE Pro M 3:57.488 64 67 +38.422 +0.542 206.6
51 99 Proton Competition P. LONG / T. PAPPAS / S. PUMPELLY Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Am M 3:57.515 57 58 +38.449 +0.027 206.5
52 85 Keating Motorsports B. KEATING / J. BLEEKEMOLEN / L. STOLZ Ferrari F488 GTE LMGTE Am M 3:57.572 50 69 +38.506 +0.057 206.5
53 84 JMW Motorsport L. GRIFFIN / C. MACNEIL / J. SEGAL Ferrari F488 GTE LMGTE Am M 3:57.781 33 68 +38.715 +0.209 206.3
54 86 Gulf Racing UK M. WAINWRIGHT / B. BARKER / A. DAVISON Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Am M 3:58.904 35 65 +39.838 +1.123 205.3
55 70 MR Racing M. ISHIKAWA / O. BERETTA / E. CHEEVER Ferrari F488 GTE LMGTE Am M 3:58.925 45 62 +39.859 +0.021 205.3 3:59.233 +40.167 +0.308 205.0
56 56 Team Project 1 J. BERGMEISTER / P. LINDSEY / E. PERFETTI / N. YELLOLY Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Am M 3:59.233 +40.167 +0.308 205.0
57 90 TF Sport S. YOLUC / E. HANKEY / C. EASTWOOD Aston Martin Vantage LMGTE Am M 3:59.566 39 59 +40.500 +0.333 204.8
58 95 Aston Martin Racing M. SØRENSEN / N. THIIM / D. TURNER Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGTE Pro M 3:59.614 32 32 +40.548 +0.048 204.7
59 80 Ebimotors F. BABINI / C. NIELSEN / E. MARIS Porsche 911 RSR LMGTE Am M 4:00.673 13 25 +41.607 +1.059 203.8
60 98 Aston Martin Racing P. DALLA LANA / P. LAMY / M. LAUDA Aston Martin Vantage LMGTE Am M 4:01.224 20 27 +42.158 +0.551 203.4
Fastest Lap
Lap 56 Fernando ALONSO 3:19.066 246.4 Kph
Best Laps by Class
LMP1 Fernando ALONSO 03/06/2018 3:19.066 246.4 Kph
LMP2 Nathanaël BERTHON 03/06/2018 3:27.228 236.7 Kph
LMGTE Pro Patrick PILET 03/06/2018 3:52.551 210.9 Kph
LMGTE Am Julien ANDLAUER 03/06/2018 3:55.970 207.9 Kph By Melissa Warren
