Le Mans Series

LMS Paul Ricard Test Days – Times at 18:00

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat // McNish in the Audi R10 at Paul Ricard

The second session of the Paul Ricard HTTT test started at 13:00 and while several drivers were still enjoying their lunch others went out again to get more mileage. Unfortunately the Trading Performance did not rejoin. The damage sustained in the morning session, when Karim Ojjeh went off and hit the wall, was too much to be repaired at the track.

After five hours of testing and with the sun setting it was Audi Sport Team Joest that dominated the session. The Capello/McNish car was quickest, 1:39.705, while the second R10 of Premat/Rockenfeller was little over a second behind. Third fastest in LMP1 was the nr 5 Team Oreca Matmut car of Ortelli, Ayari and Groppi. They were however almost three seconds behind the fastest of the two Audi’s.

The Epsilon-Euskadi ee1 finally got out of its pit box far into the session. The run did not last long as the car came to a halt at the end of the Mistral straight. Later on in the session it did get in some laps, but no times were known yet.

In LMP2 it was again the Van Merksteijn Motorsport RS Spyder that clocked the fastest lap time. With a 1:44.246 they positioned themselves on top of the LMP2 class and ahead of several LMP1 teams. Team Essex was second quickest in LMP2, over a second behind the Dutch Porsche RS Spyder. Half a second behind the Spyders it was the Quifel ASM Team Lola in third.

Larbre Competition was on top of GT1, its Saleen S7R set a 1:52.486. The other GT1 cars were unable to match this time. The official Aston Martin Racing DBR9, in the Gulf livery, came closest but was still almost 2 seconds behind the Saleen. Third fastest was the nr 73 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6.R, just over a tenth of a second behind the Aston Martin.

Last but not least GT2. It was close at the top in this category, with the nr 76 IMSA Performance Matmut 997 GT3 RSR on top (1:58.249). Defending LM GT2 champion Virgo Motorsport were second with their Ferrari 430. Third fastest was the team Felbermayr-Proton team.

Times at 18:00 local time

1 Audi Sport Team Joest – 1:39.705
2 Audi Sport Team Joest – 1:40.777
5 Team Oreca Matmut – 1:42.631
14 Creation Autosportif – 1:43.285
10 Charouz Racing System – 1:43.598
16 Pescarolo Sport – 1:43.880
34 Van Merksteijn Motorsport – 1:44.246
12 Charouz Racing System-Cytosport – 1:44.556
6 Team Oreca Matmut – 1:45.000
31 Team Essex – 1:45.284
40 Quifel-ASM Team – 1:45.738
19 Chamberlain-Synergy – 1:46.168
18 Rollcentre Racing – 1:46.609
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
007 – Aston Martin Racing – 1:54.344
73 Luc Alphand Aventures – 1:54.490
72 Luc Alphand Aventures – 1:54.948
55 IPB Spartak Racing – 1:55.348
61 Strakka Racing – 1:56.780
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

Also take a look at the gallery where you can already find pictures shot by our photographers Frank Feentra and Gerlach Delissen!

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