Porsche 911 head into WEC season well prepared

The Porsche teams are well equipped to tackle the season-opening of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC on 12 April in Silverstone. At the official prologue on the Paul Ricard Circuit on Friday and Saturday in Le Castellet, southern France, two Porsche 911 RSR of the Porsche Manthey team as well as both 911 RSR fielded by Dempsey Proton Racing and Abu Dhabi Proton Racing completed extensive tests without any problems. Turning 433 laps on the 5.971 kilometre circuit, the two nine-eleven of the Porsche Manthey squad covered the greatest distance of all GTE-Pro vehicles.

At the final test before the season kicks off on the storied British race track, on which Porsche clinched a double victory in the GTE-Pro class last year, all six factory pilots scheduled to tackle the WEC for Porsche Manthey took part. Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Richard Lietz (Austria) share driving duties in the #91 Porsche 911 RSR with Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) who will support them as the third driver at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Frenchmen Frédéric Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet contest the season in the 911 RSR with the starting number 92, with Wolf Henzler (Germany) as their third driver for Le Mans. Also at Le Castellet was Porsche Junior Sven Müller (Germany), who turned his first laps here with the 911 RSR. As last year’s best newcomer in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Müller will make his debut in the Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC at round two of the season in Spa-Francorchamps on 2 May.

Following tradition, the Circuit Paul Ricard was open for spectators on Saturday. Over 10,000 fans visited the track in beautiful spring weather to watch the WEC field during testing. Again on day two, the Porsche 911 RSR clocked up consistently fast lap times. The 470 hp winning racer from Weissach, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car and is characterised by a consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics, underwent modifications over the winter months. The revamped aerodynamics at the front and the adapted chassis kinematics ensure enhanced balance and improved control at its handling limits. Thanks to minor tweaks, the reliability of the drivetrain was further improved. Single point refuelling proved effective in Le Castellet. The refuelling system utilises one hose for both filling and venting, leaving only one refueller to work on the car. This contributes significantly to additional safety in the pit lane.

For the Dempsey Racing customer team who campaign the number 77 Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Am class, the test days in southern France were helpful to establish their position. Only Patrick Dempsey (USA), who contests his first full WEC season with Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) and Marco Seefried (Germany), was missing from the test day line-up. Because of filming commitments for another episode of the hit series “Grey’s Anatomy”, the Hollywood star and race driver was unable to travel to Le Castellet. “It’s a shame. I would have liked to have taken part in the tests,” he said. “But I’m sure that Patrick and Marco worked hard with the team and did all they could so that we can tackle the season opener at Silverstone with a perfectly prepared car.”

Taking part in the Le Castellet tests at the wheel of the 911 RSR run by Abu Dhabi Proton Racing, which also contests the GTE-Am class, were Christian Ried (Germany), Khaled Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi) and the former Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler (Austria).

Comments on the prologue

Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Porsche Head of Motorsport: “We completed all of our testing tasks. We could try out every configuration of our 911 RSR that we wanted to test and verify on the track as well as the work procedures within the team which we had changed over the winter months. The team is in an excellent condition. We’re ready for the season to start at Silverstone.”

Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Leader GT Works Motorsport: “These were two very good test days. We managed to tick off all the points on our list as planned. The team is already at a very high level. Our two 911 RSR have successful concluded the planned endurance programme. In doing this, we have gained valuable experience with the new parts on the car.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “That was an important test for me and a good chance to get to know the team and especially my pit stop crew. To contest the WEC against the best GT pilots in the world, particularly as part of such a successful team, is a challenge that I’m very much looking forward to.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “This test was a warm-up for Silverstone. Everything worked well. Thanks to the modifications, our 911 RSR has become more stable and hopefully consistently fast in the race over two stints. Our engineers have been working in the right direction.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “It was great getting together again after the winter break – drivers, mechanics, engineers. For the new season our 911 RSR has been modified in several areas and it was interesting to see the outcome of the changes on the track.”

Patrick Pilet (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “We’re heading into the new season better prepared than ever before. The improvements on the 911 RSR are positive. The car is consistently fast and handles well and the teamwork went smoothly. That’s one of the keys to success.”

Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “That was an allround positive test. The season can begin. I’m looking forward to supporting Richard and Michael at Le Mans. Le Mans is the most important race of the year and it’s always a very special experience.”

Wolf Henzler (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “The main thing for me is to get used to the team, the people and to familiarise myself with the procedures. That worked perfectly. Everyone was very motivated and I was well received. I’m looking forward to contesting Le Mans with this team.”

Sven Müller (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “That was a great weekend. Everything was new for me – the car, the track and the series. The WEC is a totally different world. I especially had to get used to so much traffic on the track. Everything ran well and I’m really excited for Spa.”

Patrick Long (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “These two days of testing proved very useful for us. We got closer as a team. Our 911 RSR proved very reliable. The whole package works and we’re ready for the start of the season. I’m looking forward to competing on such great race tracks as Silverstone, Spa and Nürburgring.”

2015 ARCH KRGT-1 – FIRST RIDE

By Brian Catterson Photographer :  Barry Hathaway, Simon Hammerson

Keanu Reeves doesn’t live in the same world as the rest of us. And no, I’m not talking about The Matrix—though the 50-year-old actor’s reality is arguably no less surreal. Guys like him, when they want a custom bike built, end up owning the company. Or starting one anyway. That happened to him once before (see ON THE RECORD: Keanu Reeves), and now it’s happening again. And this time it’s not just a shop; it’s a manufacturer.

“I had this Harley-Davidson Dyna that I was looking to customize, and what I was doing was horrible,” Reeves recalls at a press intro held at the new Arch Motorcycle Company headquarters southwest of Los Angeles. “I met Keith Oliver at Bill Walls, who was doing some custom seats, and [told him] I wanted a sissy bar. And he was like, ‘Yeah, this dude needs some help.’ He called Gard Hollinger, and we rode over later that day. Hollinger just looked at me and said, ‘You know, I don’t make sissy bars, but why don’t you come inside and see what we do here?’”

“This was sort of a departure for me because it was the first time I had done a custom bike for a person and not a manufacturer,” confirms Hollinger, who prior to co-founding Arch with Reeves ran L.A. County Choprods. One thing led to another, and over the next three years Reeves’ custom Dyna became the prototype for the production KRGT-1. You could call the venture “Keanu and Gard’s Excellent Adventure,” if it weren’t too painful a pun.

Excellent!

Keanu Reeves chose his motorcycle company’s name because an arch “provides strength, connection, and passage.” Many model names were also bandied about—Enemy, Nemesis, and Rival were obvious ones—before settling on the alphanumeric KRGT-1.

On paper, Arch’s first motorcycle looks like a throwback to the turn of the 21st century. Not only is the proprietary S&S-powered 124ci (2,032cc) Twin Cam V-twin a Harley-Davidson “clone” motor, but the styling is “sport-cruiser,” the likes of which haven’t been seen since Victory’s V92SC. In the flesh, however, the bike is quite impressive and becomes increasingly so the more you learn about it, as we did during our tour of the firm’s 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

That two-piece gas tank, for example, isn’t just a Harley-style Fat Bob; it’s machined from aluminum billet and houses a K&N air cleaner mated to a downdraft induction system. Likewise that roadrace-style solo tail is machined from billet and is weight-bearing. “We buy aluminum for $3 per pound and sell the scrap for 50 cents,” Hollinger quips. “We sell a lot of scrap.”

And then there are the little touches: the arched double-cradle steel frame that’s coupled to the billet swingarm with billet side plates. A billet oil tank that joins the engine and gearbox. A Bandit belt primary working with right-side chain final drive. An upswept Yoshimura exhaust with carbon-fiber end cap. A cove-style reflective LED taillight. Tidy bar-end mirrors. And the buyer’s choice of 2- or 3-inch bar risers, forward or mid-controls, and narrow or wide-mounted footpegs. All machined from billet, naturally, and created using sophisticated computer-aided design programs, not your usual custom-builder hairy-eyeball.

Remember, crazy not stupid.

The actor came along on our test ride and proved that he’s no slouch in the canyons. You’d think that a man who’s made all sorts of “World’s Best-Looking People” lists would wear a full-face helmet though!

At lunchtime we were shuttled to Malibu, where we spent the afternoon looping around the twisty canyon roads of the Santa Monica Mountains. That’s pretty ballsy for a manufacturer introducing a cruiser because it invites all the usual criticisms about too much weight and not enough cornering clearance. In fact, the last cruiser intro I attended in these parts was for the Ducati Diavel, which is far from typical for the genre.

And yet, surprisingly, thanks to its muscular stance and 240/40-18 Michelin Commander rear tire, the KRGT-1 feels like nothing so much as a Diavel. True, with its high-tech, 160-hp desmo motor the Ducati would wax the Arch in a dragrace, but the latter’s 122 hp and matching 122 pound-feet of torque are nothing to be trifled with. The six-speed Baker gearbox helps immensely here, as compared to your typical five-speed it closes up the gaps between ratios, speeding acceleration. As with all rubber-mounted V-twins there’s debilitating vibration at idle, but once under way that largely disappears, resulting in the familiar Hand-of-God-pushing-you sensation. Or maybe it was Morpheus.

I thought it wasn’t real. Your mind makes it real.

Yes, you read that correctly: The two-piece gas tank and the solo tail are machined from aluminum billet, anodized whatever color the buyer wants. Strangely there is no brand name nor model designation anywhere on the bike except the dash, in the interest of subtlety.

As impressed as I was with the engine, however, it was the chassis that really blew my mind. Although the KRGT-1 is long (68-inch wheelbase) and heavy (approximately 613 pounds full of fuel), it’s solid, reminding me of when I raced an 883 Sportster in the old AMA Twin Sport series. Muscle the bars and the bike flicks from side to side with respectable composure, and the ISR brakes (with twin six-piston calipers up front) provide immense stopping power. Also, thanks to the rear suspension having more than a couple inches of travel, cornering clearance is exceptional for a cruiser. Just take care that you don’t ground the solid-mounted footpegs—or the pipes if you’ve got forward-mounted controls—too hard, or you risk levering the tires off the tarmac. One of the crew learned that lesson the hard way, though on a positive note the bike survived largely unscathed.

Whoa!

The billet (what else?) headlight shell pulls double duty as it also routes air to the filter box between the two tank halves. That in turn feeds a proprietary downdraft induction system that eliminates the knee-fouling, side-mounted air cleaner on most cruisers.

Criticisms are few: While the fuel-injected motor mostly runs well and pulls strong, the low-speed throttle response could be less abrupt. (There’s a joke about not letting it fall below 50 mph in there somewhere.) Also, although the fully adjustable Öhlins fork and Race Tech shock are high-quality pieces, the rear end tends to chatter in rippled corners. We’d put that down to too much unsprung weight due to the “overbuilt” billet swingarm and that phat rear tire; it assuredly isn’t because of the BST carbon-fiber wheels! Lastly, the MotoGadget instrumentation looks like a prop from a bad science-fiction movie (, maybe?). You’d expect something more high-tech (or completely analog?) on a machine like this. Aside from those few nitpicks, however, this is one fine ride.

But the question remains: Why choose an Arch over the many other custom V-twins on the market?

Choice. The problem is choice.

The prototype KRGT-1 was based on a customized Harley-Davidson Dyna that Reeves brought to Arch co-founder Gard Hollinger half-finished, with a passenger seat and sissy bar. You might call the finished product a café racer if it weren’t for the high, wide handlebar.

The answer, according to Reeves, has to do with the riding experience: “Gard asked what I wanted from a motorcycle, and I told him something that I could ride long distances but that also handled. A kind of hybrid, a V-twin that performed in a way I had never experienced before.”

That morning during our factory tour, as the list of parts made in-house (more than 200 in all) grew longer, I found myself wondering how much the KRGT-1 costs. That’s not a major concern for a boutique brand like Arch that only plans to sell 50 examples of this model. Nor even for a major manufacturer like Harley-Davidson, considering how many $30,000 CVOs it sells each year. Yet even so, I was stunned when I heard the price: $78,000.

You ever have that feeling where you’re not sure if you’re awake or still dreaming?

Nope, Keanu Reeves doesn’t live in the same world as the rest of us. Fortunately for him, he’s got neighbors.

via http://www.cycleworld.com

Moto GP ; Rossi triomphe devant les Ducati au Qatar / Rossi takes sensational win in Qatar

Le nonuple Champion du Monde a commencé la saison MotoGP™ 2015 avec une brillante victoire devant ses compatriotes Dovizioso et Iannone.

Huitième sur la grille de départ et dixième à l'issue du premier tour, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a produit une incroyable performance au Grand Prix Commercial Bank du Qatar pour revenir sur un trio de tête composé de son coéquipier Jorge Lorenzo et des deux pilotes du team Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso, le détenteur de la pole, et Andrea Iannone.

‘The Doctor’ a mis du temps à revenir sur les trois leaders mais a finalement été le plus fort en fin de course, avec un pneu avant dur qu’il avait été le seul à choisir et qui lui a permis de s'imposer sur Dovizioso tandis que Iannone a devancé Lorenzo pour prendre la troisième place et compléter un podium 100% italien.

Sorti de piste dès le premier virage après avoir tiré tout droit, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) est remonté jusqu’à la cinquième place mais n’a pas pu rattraper les quatre prétendants à la victoire. 

Son coéquipier Dani Pedrosa, Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3) et Yonny Hernández (Pramac Racing) complétaient le Top 10 à l’arrivée.

Cliquez ici pour accéder aux résultats.

Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi claimed the first win of the 2015 MotoGP™ season in Qatar, after an awesome battle with Dovizioso.

Movistar Yamaha’s Rossi came out on top against the resurgent Ducati GP15’s of Dovizioso (2nd +0.174s) and Iannone (3rd +2.250s). Jorge Lorenzo was in 4th (+2.707s), with Marc Marquez (+7.036s) recovering to an incredible fifth position after running wide at turn 1 on the first lap, and having to work his way back through the field from last place.

Marquez’s Repsol Honda teammate Pedrosa finished in 6th (+10.755s), with Cal Crutchlow (+12.384s) the leading satellite bike on his CWM LCR Honda in 7th. Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing +33.625s) finished as the top Open class rider in 15th.

Click here for the full MotoGP™ race results.

The Race I TRD Pro I Toyota

More than 35 hours of the #TRDpro dominating the #Baja1000, this is the highlight reel. #ChallengeBaja.

A Way of Life. 90 Years of BMW Motorrad.

BMW Classic presents an emotional clip about three BMW Motorrad enthusiasts: Stacy drives a 1969 BMW R 60 US, Eric drives a 1962 BMW R60/2 and Arnd drives a 1939 BMW R 35.

GP Moto3 ; MASBOU WINNER !!!!!!

Congratulations to the ‪#‎Moto3‬ winner Alexis Masbou! That was a proper tough battle!
Catch up with full results here: http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics

FIA WEC ; Près de 1400 km bouclés par l’Alpine A450b au Prologue ;

Après deux titres européens acquis en deux saisons, Signatech-Alpine se fixe de nouveaux objectifs pour cette campagne 2015. L’Alpine A450b est engagée en Championnat du Monde d’Endurance avec, en point d’orgue, les 24 Heures du Mans, les 13 et 14 juin.

Afin de préparer ce tour de monde sur trois continents, toute l’équipe était en piste lors du Prologue 2015. Une trentaine de voitures tournait sur le Circuit Paul Ricard pour ces essais collectifs.

Successivement, Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin et, leur nouvel équipier, Vincent Capillaire étaient en mesure d’aligner les tours à bord de l’Alpine A450b.

Dix-sept heures d’essais, de jour et de nuit, permettaient d’établir une première hiérarchie à deux semaines de la première course de l’année. L’équipe Signatech-Alpine parcourait près de 1 400 kilomètres et se plaçait dans le trio de tête des LM P2, à moins de cinq dixièmes de seconde du temps de référence.

Philippe Sinault (Team Principal Signatech-Alpine) : « Ce Prologue était primordial pour lancer notre saison. Il nous a servi de répétition générale. Pour 2015, notre Alpine A450b n’a évolué que sur de petits détails. Nous connaissons cette voiture par cœur. À l’heure d’entamer une nouvelle aventure en Championnat du Monde, c’est un réel atout. L’équipe a bien travaillé ces derniers mois. Nous sommes prêts à relever ce défi. Nous avons bien progressé durant ces deux jours. L’intégration de Vincent Capillaire, aux côtés de Nelson Panciatici et Paul-Loup Chatin, est l’un des nombreux sujets de satisfaction de cette séance d’essais. Nous serons dans le coup à Silverstone ! »

Nelson Panciatici : « Nous avons beaucoup travaillé sur l’endurance des pneumatiques. En WEC, il est nécessaire de ne pas dégrader les gommes pour tenir des doubles relais. Je me suis senti à l’aise et je pense que nous avons réalisé un temps correct en termes de performances. C’est prometteur face à de nouvelles voitures. Nous verrons si cela se vérifie à Silverstone. »

Paul-Loup Chatin : « Nous nous sommes concentrés sur les essais de pneumatiques et d’endurance. Il y a un gain en motricité et les doubles relais ne devraient pas poser de problème. Je me suis bien senti dans l’Alpine A450b. Je pense que nous serons performants à Silverstone. Nous allons nous battre pour faire un résultat ! »

Vincent Capillaire : « Ces deux journées ont été très positives. Je sais qu’il reste du travail. Pour être très honnête, je ne suis pas encore à 100 %. Je dois parfaire ma position dans l’Alpine A450b et m’adapter aux réglages de l’équipe. Je découvre aussi les pneumatiques Dunlop. Les écarts sont très faibles en LM P2 et je suis convaincu que nous avons un gros potentiel. Nous serons compétitifs à Silverstone avec un package éprouvé que nous connaissons parfaitement. »

Rendez-vous le 10 avril au Royaume-Uni pour les essais libres des 6 Heures de Silverstone. La première course de la saison débutera le dimanche 12 avril à partir de 12h00.

 

 

Philippe Sinault (Signatech-Alpine) : “J’ai vite senti que l’Endurance était en pleine mutation”

par Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info.com)

La victoire n’est jamais le résultat d’une démarche individuelle et anonyme, elle est toujours le fruit du travail acharné d’une équipe et d’une communication efficace ». La phrase prononcée par Philippe Sinault colle comme un gant à son équipe Signature, rebaptisée Signatech pour le programme Endurance. En 2014, pas moins de 16 pilotes participant aux 24 Heures du Mans sont passés par les rangs de l’écurie berrichonne. Après deux titres européens, Signatech-Alpine passe à l’échelon supérieur cette année en alignant l’Alpine A450b en FIA WEC avec un équipage à surveiller de près. Nelson Panciatici et Paul-Loup Chatin poursuivent l’aventure avec les « Bleus ». Fort d’un titre en VdeV Endurance Series et vainqueur de l’ultime manche de la saison 2014, Vincent Capillaire rejoint le duo pour un tour du monde. Le Prologue FIA WEC permet à Signatech-Alpine de se jauger face à une forte concurrence en LM P2. Philippe Sinault fait le point sur la campagne mondiale à venir…

Toyota Hi-Lux 6x6 Arctic Truck

THE GREASY HANDS PREACHERS

This film explores the revival of manual work through the passion of motorcycle enthusiasts who have found their way to a happy life.

Shot on Super 16, Greasy Hands takes viewers all over the world, with stopovers in France, the USA, Scotland, Spain and Indonesia. The cast is a roll call of big name builders: from American-based heavyweights Roland Sands and Shinya Kimura to controversial Europeans El Solitario and Blitz Motorcycles.

THE GREASY HANDS PREACHERS - Trailer from Arthur & Clement on Vimeo.

The coolest cars of the Bonhams Goodwood Members' Meeting auction

Almost 70 racing and sports cars make up the inaugural Bonhams auction at the 73rd Goodwood Members' Meeting. Due to the event’s eccentric nature, the British auction house has put together a very unusual offering…

Bonhams is hosting a pilot auction on 21 March at the annual Members’ Meeting, with a wide variety of exceptional cars looking for new owners – including a whole range of exciting Feltham-era Aston Martin ‘projects’.

Other cars of interest include the ex-Kitty Maurice Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupé from 1955 (estimate: £600,000 to £700,000), which has appeared at many Revival meetings. The car was raced at the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours, entered by John Dashwood and Bill Wilks, but was stranded after three hours at the tight Arnage corner on a sand bank. Another racing car is also decorated with the name of the long distance classic, this Lotus Eleven Series 2 Le Mans sports racer from 1958, estimated at £90,000 to £110,000 – and even better, the car is fully road legal. The history of the associated chassis is somewhat complicated, but documented carefully in the auction catalogue.

Although some Abarths from the Maranello Rosso Collection were sold last year, there are more still available: a red 1970 Abarth 1000 SE-018 'Cuneo (meaning ‘wedge’) Biposto Corsa' sports-racing prototype (£90,000 to £120,000) is set to cross the block at Goodwood. Nicknamed ‘Millino’, a similar Abarth model campaigned by Ruspa/Pelegrin recorded an international class victory in the 1970 Targa Florio.

Two treats from the era that put Audi on the motorsport map

In typical Goodwood style, it’s not only track cars that are on the menu, but rally legends, too. Two Audi Quattros from the legendary group B era are an offer: the factory A1 Quattro driven in period by Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz (estimate: £240,000 – £280,000), and a 1985 SWB Sport Quattro with fewer than 25,000 miles on the odometer (£220,000 – £280,000). Also on offer is the ex-Pentti Airikkala 1975 Ford Escort RS1800 (£100,000 – £120,000), which was also piloted by the likes of Stig Blomqvist and Björn Waldegård in the 1970s – during which time it also wore both Rothmans and Marlboro liveries.

Bumbling around

Finally, those looking to compete at Goodwood might want to consider ‘Bumble’, a characterful 1956 MG Magnette ZA Competition Saloon estimated to fetch between £19,000 and £24,000. Despite its relatively modest value, it was invited to take part in the Goodwood Revival on several occasions, the most recent being last year’s event. The car has already been registered for the 2015 HRDC ‘Touring Greats’ series, so you could add to Bumble’s long racing history yourself.

Photos: Bonhams

All cars from the Bonhams auction at the 73rd Goodwood Members' Meeting can be found in the Classic Driver Market.

FIA WEC ;Porsche passe en 8 MJ / 8MJ for Porsche /

Pour sa seconde saison en championnat FIA WEC, Porsche a profondément modifié ses 919 Hybrid qui passent en catégorie 8 MJ, et alignera trois exemplaires (noir, blanc, rouge) aux 24 Heures du Mans.

Après Toyota Racing ce matin, Porsche Team a organisé sa conférence de presse cet après-midi, suivie de la présentation de la nouvelle 919 Hybrid/Michelin au pied du paddock du circuit Paul Ricard.

« Pour notre retour en Prototypes, la campagne 2014 fut positive » a entamé Wolfgang Hatz, membre du Board de Porsche. « On espérait quelques podiums, ce que nous avons réussi, dont une victoire à Sao Paulo. Nous avons été les meilleurs performers en qualifications et avons mené les 24 Heures du Mans. On souhaite poursuivre dans cette voie et récolter les fruits de notre important travail à Weissach où tout est internalisé. »

La Porsche 919 Hybrid a énormément évolué par rapport à 2014. « Tout a été optimisé, comme par exemple la position des commandes sur le volant, le ventilateur dans le cockpit… Tout a été revu », nous a confié Romain Dumas.

Le châssis est nouveau et plus rigide. L’aérodynamique a été améliorée, tout comme la chaîne cinématique, le refroidissement moteur, la boîte de vitesses, et le poids avec une trentaine de kilogrammes gagnés. Mais la plus importante évolution est peut-être le changement de catégorie, de 6 à 8 MJ.

« Nous avons pris la décision de passer en 8 MJ il y a trois semaines environ, mais on avait fait ce choix en février après les essais de Bahreïn. Il fallait donner la réponse à l’ACO le 15 mars », a déclaré Alex Hitzinger, le Directeur technique du team. « En fait, on était prêts pour cette catégorie depuis le début, et notre double système hybride (freinage/échappement) et le stockage d’énergie par batterie nous le permet. Le plus gros avantage sera au Mans, car il est plus difficile de récupérer 8 MJ sur les autres circuits. »

Porsche Team a mené une séance longue d’endurance en début de semaine au Castellet. Lors de ce Prologue, l’objectif est d’accumuler encore des kilomètres avec deux 919 Hybrid, de se situer par rapport à la concurrence, mais sans trop se dévoiler…

En attendant, c’est au pied du paddock que les pilotes ont dévoilé les trois 919 Hybrid qui se cachaient sous les bâches. Deux prototypes de couleur blanche seront engagés sur l’ensemble de la saison, mais au Mans, la N°17 sera de couleur rouge (en mémoire à la 917 victorieuse en 1970), la N°18 de couleur noire (symbole de la 918 Spyder noire ayant établi un record sur la Nordschleife en 2013), et la N°19 de couleur blanche, la livrée du retour de Porsche en Prototype l’an passé.

For its second FIA WEC campaign, Porsche has made significant changes to the 919 Hybrid which will now run in the 8MJ category. There will be three cars – black, white and red – at Le Mans.

This afternoon (Thursday), it was Porsche Team’s turn to organise a press conference at Le Castellet, France, followed by a presentation of the new 919 Hybrid/Michelin in the paddock.

“Our return to prototype racing last year was positive,” says Porsche Board Member Wolfgang Hatz. “We had been hoping for some podium finishes, but we actually ended up winning at Sao Paulo. We also obtained the best overall results in qualifying and led the Le Mans 24 Hours. We want to continue working in the same direction and reap the benefits of the work carried out in Weissach where everything is handled in-house.”

The Porsche 919 Hybrid has changed significantly compared with 2014. “Everything has been optimised, including the location of the steering wheel-mounted controls and the cockpit fan,” commented driver Romain Dumas.

The chassis is new and more rigid, while the aerodynamics have been improved, as have the drive train, engine cooling and gearbox. Some 30kg have also been shaved off the car’s weight.

The biggest single change, however, is the switch from the 6MJ category to the 8MJ class. “We took this decision about three weeks ago following our test in Bahrain in February. We had to let the ACO know by March 15,” explained Technical Director Alex Hitzinger. “In fact, we were ready for this category from the start and our double hybrid system [braking and exhaust energy recovery], plus battery storage of the recovered energy allows this choice. The biggest advantage will be at Le Mans because it’s hard to recover 8MJ at the other venues.”

Porsche Team ran a long test at Le Castellet earlier this week and its aim during the Prologue is to clock up the kilometres with its two 919 Hybrids and compare their performance with the other cars, without revealing too much about its own potential!

After the press conference, the drivers lifted the wraps off the three 919 Hybrids in the paddock. Two cars (white) will contest the entire FIA World Endurance Championship. At Le Mans, though, the N°17 car will be red (in honour of the 1970-winning Porsche 917), the N°18 car will be black (the colour of the 918 Spyder that established a new lap record for the Nordschleife in 2013) and the N°19 car will be white, the colour chosen for the make’s return to the discipline in 2014.

MotoGP ; Di Meglio se qualifie deuxième pilote Open

Le pilote du team Avintia Racing sera seizième sur la grille du Grand Prix Commercial Bank du Qatar.

Aujourd’hui, pour la dernière séance libre, le pilote français a préparé la course de demain. Durant la séance qualificative, une légère perte de temps sur un secteur du circuit l’a privé de la tête du classement Open. Néanmoins, Mike reste satisfait de cette première qualification et se projette déjà sur le course de demain.

La première course de la saison MotoGP™ 2015 aura lieu demain à 20h (heure de Paris).

Mike Di Meglio : 
« Durant la FP4, j’ai réalisé une petite simulation de course. Je l’ai fait sans forcer afin de voir si le pneu allait durer. La simulation s’est mieux passée que durant le test et je sais que je suis en mesure de forcer beaucoup plus sans les abimer. Durant la qualification, nous avons réglé la Ducati de telle sorte qu’elle soit beaucoup plus rapide sur un tour. Malheureusement, sur un secteur, je perdais un peu plus de temps que sur les autres. C’est dommage car je termine à seulement à un dixième de mon coéquipier. Nous savons que nous aurions pu terminer premier Open, ce qui très bien pour cette première sortie avec la Ducati. »

« Demain, ce sera la première course de la saison et nous avons bien travaillé jusque là. Elle sera longue et les pneus s’usent beaucoup ici. Il faudra être intelligent afin de rester au contact tout en les conservant au maximum. Nous allons essayer d’aller chercher les points. »

Scooter ..........