24 Hours of Le Mans
The Le Mans 24 Hours list - LMP1 analysis
© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat
It was worth waiting for the announcement of the 55 entries for this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. As the Automobile Club de l’Ouest received 84 applications this year the Selection Committee had a huge job selecting the 55 to race at the Circuit de la Sarthe in June.
After getting through all 84 applications the ACO came up with 55 cars; 21 LMP1s, 9 LMP2s, 8 GT1s and 17 GT2s. Next to those 55 cars 10 cars, 5 LMPs and 5 GTs were added to the reserve list.
Time to run down each class and see if there is quantity and quality, starting with LMP1.
In the LMP1 category it was no surprise that both Peugeot and Audi got three works entries each. Peugeot will have its fourth Peugeot 908 HDi FAP in the race as well as Oreca had both applications accepted, the Oreca 01 AIM also present. Immediately after the confirmation of the entries Audi announced that it would run Capello/Kristensen/McNish, Fässler/Lotterer/Treluyer and Bernhard/Dumas/Rockenfeller. Peugeot is yet to confirm its drivers, although last year’s winner David Brabham will not be part of its line-up.
More diesel power from Germany as Kolles also got its two Audi R10 TDIs accepted. Interesting to see is the confirmation of Christijan Albers in the #14 car as recently the ACO announced that the Audi R10 TDI would remain eligible for this season in its 2009 spec, as long as it had no driver who had been Audi factory drivers. Albers drove for the factory team at Laguna Seca in 2008. But not being a full time works Audi driver at any moment makes it possible for him to drive the car anyways it seems.
Fighting against the diesel armada will be three Lola Aston Martins. Two works cars entered by Aston Martin Racing will be joined by the Signature Plus #008. While Primat, Buncombe, Turner, Mücke and Fernandez were recently confirmed the sixth driver is yet to be announced. Tomas Enge will not be part of that line-up, nor will Jan Charouz.
More Lola’s are entered by Rebellion Racing, which saw both cars accepted (no surprise there) as well as the Drayson Racing Lola Judd and the Autocon Motorsports Lola AER. The American team returns to Le Mans after its 2008 debut with the Creation…this time with the former Chamberlain-Synergy car that already raced at Le Mans.
Nigel Mansell and his sons will also compete at Le Mans with the Beechdean Mansell Motorsport Ginetta-Zytek. Nigel’s debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours will probably bring more joy to many British fans.
The final three cars were sort of a surprise.
Not being announced on the Le Mans series entry list on Wednesday it was a pleasant surprise to see two Pescarolo Judd’s (one for Pescarolo Sport and one for SORA Racing) among the 21 LMP1s. And to make things even better it was also confirmed that the cars will be racing at Paul Ricard during the Le Mans Series race.
Dome Racing Team makes its return to Le Mans in 2010 with the Dome S102 Judd. After the fiasco with ECOSpeed back in 2009 the Japanese manufacturer has decided to run the car themselves which resulted in the beautiful car being accepted again by the ACO.
So who are we missing…
Japanese teams Kaneko Racing and Tokaï University YGK Power are both on the reserve list, but looking at the currently confirmed cars it seems unlikely that they will actually be racing. This is strange as Japanese teams racing at Le Mans could boost the popularity of the Asian Le Mans Series.
The Noël Del Bello Racing Lola that was announced as a full season Le Mans Series entry on Wednesday did not appear on the Le Mans 24 Hours list, putting a big question mark behind the 2010 plans of this team.
Having raced at Le Mans in recent years one could say that Creation is missing, but with the team focusing on getting its American program up and running it was known that they would not enter Le Mans this year.
As a result almost every available LMP1 car that is set to race in 2010 will be racing at Le Mans. The LMP1 category will therefore be one of quality as well as quantity and we almost can’t wait for the 78th Le Mans 24 Hours to get underway.
Discussion
19 comments for “The Le Mans 24 Hours list - LMP1 analysis”
Post a comment
Also visit
Categories
Recent Comments
- Chris on Bouchut, Tucker and Rodrigues join Kolles
- Bamba on Bouchut, Tucker and Rodrigues join Kolles
- Matty Embury on Creation Autosportif withdraws from Sebring
- james on Creation Autosportif withdraws from Sebring
- jake on Bouchut, Tucker and Rodrigues join Kolles
- Bamba on Creation Autosportif withdraws from Sebring
- TomE on Creation Autosportif withdraws from Sebring
- Chris on Creation Autosportif withdraws from Sebring
Awesome feild in LMP1 class this year ,how about you all enter the lemans Cup this year also.
CAN’T WAIT UNTIL LEMANS!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow……..am I glad I have already booked my seats.
A shame Noel Del Bello isn’t accepted. They have a brand new chassis and engine. The same as Drayson and Rebellion’s.
Tomas Enge and Jan Charouz did such a good job for Aston Martin last year. But then I figured that could be the problem. They might have wanted more money, especially that Aston could really be in the Diesel mix this year.
I think the 6th AMR seat can be taken by Anthony Davidson, Jos Verstappen or even Luiz Diaz.
Enge is still a Aston Martin works driver, Money has nothing to do with it, he is driving for AMR Young Driver in GT1 instead.
Almost no Mazda engines? RML to Honda, Oak to judd.
THE IDOTS JLOC LAMBO?? After last years shameless effort. GT1 is well a bit shabby.
GT2 looks like an absolut cracker!
LMP/GT split in reserve? is that a first?
But I would have wanted Enge and Charouz in an Aston P1. They were in P1 the past 2 years. They know the car very well. The mazda engine made well grounded teams look like amateurs. Dyson, and RML.
If Oak can buy pescarolo’s manufacturing business they can pretty much afford any chassis they want, so why settle for an underperforming engine? Mazda needs to pay AER to tweak it for the current fuel specs.
the BIG surprise : DOME is back…really awsome, the car was flying in 2008, with few developement and unknown drivers !
Bamba
I think I read a few weeks ago in Autosport that Jan Charouz was going back to single seaters and racing in the Renault 3.5 championship, as for Tomas Enge I agree with you it’s a realy supries that the LMP1 Le Mans Series champion is not driving in LMP1 at Le Mans but I guess Aston Martin have there reasons for the desition.
as for the rest of LMP1 what a line up!!
great to see the Dome back, I was lucky enough to be at Le Mans in 2008 and in the early stages it went very well and also great to see Pescarolo enter with 2 cars
should be a good one to watch
ROLL ON JUNE!!
I really hope Pescarolo signs on Christophe Bouchut. he is one of the best drivers in the world!!!! even if Pesca doesnt sign him, than i hope someone good does. however, he is really Pescarolo’s only chance of a good finish…
Pesca has Jan charouz, he’s faster than Bouchut. Bouchut is good but there are faster drivers out there. He wont make or break pescarolo. Even in terms of just french drivers you have pageneaud, collard and Alexandre premat available. All of them have more recent prototype experience.
As far as any nationality there’s Joao barbosa, Luhr, James Rossiter, Klaus graf…plenty of guys.
I even heard Dario Franchitti from IRL fame wants a crack at the 24h.
Simon is not c
Pageneaud might not race at the 24h with Highcroft. I think he’s keeping his options open hoping for a possible Peugeot ride.
Here’s hoping Duncan Dayton doesn’t decide to saddle in with Marino and Brabs. As tempting as it is for him.
@bamba
he is faster than Joao Barbosa, however i do like him too. He is also faster than Rossiter, Luhr, and Charouz, im not sure about Graf although because i havent seen them run together. But i agree, there are other options too, and it would be best if they could get like Barbosa, Bouchut, and Graf/Luhr! that would be a team. but if they still had Jean-Chritsophe…
He’s even faster than Bourdais and Rockenfeller! but ya, there are other options if they cant sign him… i just think they should try… Look at the Rolex 24, he ran faster than anyone else out there, including Luhr, rockinfeller, Lamy, Angellely, Pruett, Massan,and i can go on and on…
Sorry but daytona prototypes don’t count. The faster the car the more the drivers experiences/skills are negated and his reflexes enhanced. The slower the car the more the driver’s experience comes into play and his reflexes negated.
DP’s being not quite as fast, a driver with loads of experience can use his knowledge to get an advantage.
That’s why bouchut, or scott pruett can be very competitive in a DP but if you were to put them in a P1 car or IRL car their reflexes are not fast enough to keep up.
That’s why some drivers who didn’t quite make it in F1 (mcnish, brabham…) can me dominant sports car drivers. Their reflexes weren’t fast enough for F1, but just right for sports cars.
And drivers like Justin wilson, rockenfeller, bourdais will drive at the same pace as pruett, bouchut in a DP because their extra fast reflexes aren’t as needed. If lewis hamilton jumped in a Dp he would be no faster than pruett because his super fast reflexes are not needed to drive the car.
Bamba
If Jan charouz has signed for pescarolo does that that the Charouz family have had a “falling out” with Aston Martin??
For the record. Jan Charouz has indeed signed with Pescarolo for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Keyword in this is Genii Capital. They got Renault F1, put Charouz in the Renault RF1 Driver Programme and started a cooperation with Charouz in AutoGP (running the old A1GP cars) as Charouz-Gravity Racing…then they signed a partnership with Pescarolo to get their RF1 drivers into the Pescarolo car. And that is why Tung and Charouz are there.
@Bamba,
I agree fully. i was not saying that he is “the best driver in the world” or whatever, i was just saying that he is very good and if I were Henri Pescarolo i would look into him, seeing as how fast he is. But you are right, if i could get Brabs or McNish or Luhr or Pagenaud i would certainly look into that action too. what i was saying, is that he will be a cheaper option, who is pretty reliable too.
I’d be happy to see Bouchut at Le Mans for Pescarolo. I’ll admit he probably isn’t as quick as most of the drivers we’ll see in the factory Peugeots, Audis, or Astons, but he’s quick and experienced enough for a smaller budget independent team. After all, Henri isn’t going to hire TK away from Audi anytime soon.
exactly! thats what i mean!!! He isnt the fastest but he gets the job done and he wont wreck the car!