Le Mans Series

LMS Paul Ricard Test Days - Evening report (until 21:45)

© Planetlemans - Gerlach Delissen // Van Merksteijn at sunset on the Paul Ricard circuit

Several teams have gone into the night to get more experience with driving in complete darkness. Seventeen teams were listed to do the night test, with two of them continuing all night during a 24 hours simulation. At 21:40 only around six cars were still testing out on the circuit, while other teams were working on their cars in the boxes to get them ready for a next stint (or for tomorrow).

After dominating the LMP2 class throughout the day the Van Merksteijn Motorsport team was one of the few teams that kept on going. At around 20:30 it was Verstappen who took over the wheel from Bleekemolen, but despite lacking experience in the night Verstappen was still really quick.

With a couple of LMP1 cars on the track the LMP2 Porsche was able to match the pace of the bigger cars and on more than one lap it was even quicker.

The lap times did not really change much from 18:00, but here are the times as they were at 21:40 when the safety car came out again (remember this is a 24 hours simulation, so no red flag). Times improved after 18:00 are found in bold.

1 Audi Sport Team Joest - 1:39.705
2 Audi Sport Team Joest - 1:40.777
14 Creation Autosportif - 1:42.174
5 Team Oreca Matmut - 1:42.631
16 Pescarolo Sport - 1:43.555
10 Charouz Racing System - 1:43.598
34 Van Merksteijn Motorsport - 1:44.246
12 Charouz Racing System-Cytosport - 1:44.556
6 Team Oreca Matmut - 1:45.000
19 Chamberlain-Synergy - 1:45.108
31 Team Essex - 1:45.284
40 Quifel-ASM Team - 1:45.738
18 Rollcentre Racing - 1:45.940
4 Saulnier Racing - 1:47.427
33 Speedy Racing Team Sebah - 1:49.035
26 Team Bruichladdich Radical - 1:49.053
25 RML - 1:50.750
50 Larbre Competition - 1:52.486
72 Luc Alphand Aventures - 1:53.023
007 - Aston Martin Racing - 1:54.344
73 Luc Alphand Aventures - 1:54.490
55 IPB Spartak Racing - 1:55.348
61 Strakka Racing - 1:56.780
20 Epsilon-Euskadi - 1:58.851
76 IMSA Performance Matmut - 1:58.249
96 Virgo Motorsport - 1:58.439
77 Team Felbermayr Proton - 1:59.232
93 Aston Martin Racing - 2:00.731
99 JMB Racing - 2:00.860
75 IMSA Performance Matmut - 2:01.618
94 Speedy Racing Team - 2:01.903

We will be back tomorrow morning… In the mean time check out our gallery where you can find pictures shot by our photographers Frank Feentra and Gerlach Delissen!

Find the full entry list for the Paul Ricard Test Days here.