Le Mans Series

Team Jota Free Practice two

The second free practice session will start a few minutes late at as a result of the extended first session following the TVR fire. They have checked everything and changed back to the tried and tested splitter, they think it’s an aero problem from the new splitter.

1150 Sam Hignett is in the car ready to go out, in a few minutes they will know if they have solved the problems, engine fires and he leaves on an exploratory lap its tense as the team await his return from an exploratory lap.

1155 One out lap is enough to show the problem is solved, Sam sits in the car while the roll bars are reconnected, it was the new splitter which was causing the imbalance. They will need a test session to sort it out. Relieved faces all round; if that had not been the cause the next thing would have been to take the gearbox apart

1200 out again for another couple of laps and at last they have troubled the timers, but its going to be short spells to chase set up and try to catch the time lost in the first hour.

1206 In the pits, rear wing is adjusted to give less down force; one strip of tape is removed from the front brake ducts after temperature checking.

1215 Sam has done two flying laps the first brings them up to eleventh the second a 1.43.859 puts them ninth, brake temps are checked and the remaining front tape comes off. Engine data is downloaded onto the laptop, Dunlop’s technician checks tyre temperatures; the front roll bar is stiffened.

1219 leaves pit, Creation with 1.38.189 is fastest followed by the works Zytek so there is still some catching up to do, Haruki will be next in the car and at 1225 hrs Sam improves to 1.42.690 beating the new Lister’s time but is still ninth.

1227 Sam comes in and Haruki takes over, a further rear wing adjustment and the rear ride height is reduced, an Irish screwdriver has appeared to aid starting! More tape over rear brake ducts and one strip back on front.

1229 Haruki leaves, at 1236 he sets a 1.41.917 to go eighth, they are steadily moving in the right direction.

1237 Haruki is in they put on a little more rear wing and make other small adjustments and five minutes later he is back out. Haruki was complaining of understeer, Sam found oversteer, different driving styles? Pescarolo now fastest with 137.874 and Haruki further improves to 1.41.726 but down in ninth separated from the nearest LMP1 the works Courage 1.39.572 by the LMP2 RML Binnie and Chamberlain Lolas.

The Session ends and the tyres are removed to be checked by the Dunlop technician, he passes on some suggestions on his observations, more work during the break before session three.