By Carlo Platella
After tests, free practice and qualifying at Le Mans, the most awaited moment has finally arrived: the race. Never before has the French marathon appeared like this year open to any outcome, with an incredibly close starting field and many potential variables, above all the weather. The rain itself could reward tire management even more, which however is not the only quality to take into consideration in view of the upcoming 24 hours.
Alpine missile, Ferrari holds
As per tradition, competitiveness on the straight is one of the keys to understanding Le Mans, on one of the fastest circuits in the world. Drawing up an exact hierarchy in this regard is difficult, considering how the best speed readings collected between free practice and qualifying are inevitably spoiled by trails. However, the picture that emerges is clear Alpine among the best ever on the straightwhere it is confirmed also Ferrari. Even Toyota and Peugeot don’t disappoint, while surprisingly Porsche and Cadillac appear to be in more trouble, paying about 5 km/h of delay in normal conditions.
Confirmation comes from the second best times in the second sector, the one from Tertre Rouge to Mulsanne passing through the Hunaudieres straights, excluding the absolute best references to cushion the effect of the wakes. Once again Alpine confirms itself as the best, followed at 1 tenth by Ferrari, 2 tenths by Toyota and 3 tenths by Cadillac. On the other hand, Peugeot and Porsche suffer by as much as 6 tenths of a delay, suggesting poor braking effectiveness and low top speeds, characteristics that certainly don’t help in the lapping phase. Overall, the impression is that the new BoP, which provides a power correction above 250 km/h, has not completely flattened the maximum speeds, with the possibility for teams to influence forehand performance by playing for example with downforce levels, which could change ahead of the race.
LMDh strong in mixed
The micro-sector of Porsche corners is the best indicator of the competitiveness of the cars in medium-high speed corners. Qualifying the best was Porsche, with the fastest of the Cadillacs lagging behind by 3 tenths in the same stretch. The result is not surprising if you consider that from BoP the LMDh are the lightest cars, therefore enjoying a little help in driving. Ferrari is not far away, 4 tenths behind the best of the Porsches, but with around 1 tenth of an advantage over Toyota, which still appeared closer at the same point compared to last edition’s qualifying. The speed of the Porsche and Cadillac in fast corners will facilitate the management of the front tires, but the management of the rear axle when exiting the many chicanes and slow corners should not be overlooked either.
The variables
However interesting they may be, we must be careful to give the right weight to the results of the qualifications. In fact, the first qualifying session on Wednesday was a lottery with a lot of traffic on the track, without forgetting how the red flags, also displayed in Hyperpole, prevented some riders from improving their times when the tire was reaching its maximum performance. The statements released by Peugeot are emblematic, optimistic in view of the race despite the 1.7 second delay in qualifying, stating that in the past Those with a greater gap also won.
What will decide the 24 hours will be rather the race pace, which is yet to be discovered by the different crews. Furthermore, there is a strong belief in the environment that the balance of power will change several times during the match. In this regard, one of the keys will be guess the most appropriate rubber compound based on the track conditions at that moment, a choice that can have great repercussions, both positive and negative. In fact, the latest simulations predict that the soft tire will be used for a longer race window than initially expected.
Watch out for the warm-up
The soft compound is also the most difficult to get to temperature, another crucial aspect in a 24 hour race where heaters are prohibited for the first time. Also for this reason being able to manage the tires well and extend their life, completing three or more consecutive stints, it could make a difference. In this way, in addition to reducing replacements and saving time in the pits, time would also be saved from warming up the tire on the outgoing lap.
However, the advantages of good tire management do not end here. AND in fact, the arrival of rain is highly probable during the race, as unpredictable as it is treacherous. In fact, given the extension of the track, there are frequent cases in which only half of the track gets wet, complicating the wall’s decisions. In certain conditions, continuing on slick tires is possible, as long as they are already up to temperature. Also for this reason, extending the life of the tires allows greater flexibility towards the weather, reducing the risk and need to fit cold tires when the rain arrives. There is certainly no shortage of variables, promising a 24 hours of great entertainment to follow from the first to the last minute.
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