24 Heures du Mans 2015 ; « Au Mans, on se bat contre la course » / “At Le Mans, you fight the race”

Mark Webber va disputer ses deuxièmes 24 Heures du Mans avec Porsche et rêve d’une victoire dans la Sarthe. Nous l’avons rencontré lors des 6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps où il ne parlait… que du Mans !

« Au Mans, on ne se bat pas contre des adversaires, mais contre la course ». Voilà comment Mark Webber analyse et résume les 24 Heures du Mans. « Gagner Le Mans, c’est le rêve de tout pilote. Ceux qui vous disent le contraire sont des menteurs. »

« J’ai beaucoup appris de ma participation en 2014 », poursuit l’ancien pilote de F1, qui n’avait jamais pris le volant en course lors de ses deux participations passées, 1998 (moteur) et 1999 (double envol aux essais et warm-up). « Après dix années passées en F1, il a fallu réapprendre à partager une voiture de course avec des équipiers - à écouter et à faire confiance -, à piloter de nuit… Timo et Romain m’ont beaucoup aidé. »

« On aborde l’édition 2015 plus confiants que l’an passé, bien sûr. Nous avons beaucoup roulé en essais, mais c’est nécessaire pour préparer cette course unique. En 2014, pour le retour de Porsche au Mans, je pense que nous n’avons pas démérité. On a mené la course pendant deux heures. Après l’arrivée, quand on est passé devant le stand Audi, tout le monde a applaudi notre prestation. J’ai beaucoup apprécié. »

« L’Endurance est une série où tout le monde est très respectueux, et les pilotes le sont entre eux, ce qui n’est pas forcément le cas ailleurs. La discipline a bien changé. Aujourd’hui, on fait des relais de deux heures à fond où on se bat contre des types très rapides. Franchement, c’est très intense au volant. »

« Depuis mon arrêt de la F1, les 24 Heures du Mans sont mon objectif prioritaire. La page F1 est tournée, à 40 ans, un pilote n’a plus rien à faire dans ce championnat de 20 courses, qui a par ailleurs bien changé ces derniers temps. Aujourd’hui, je suis très heureux en Endurance, dans une équipe comme Porsche, et j’ai une énorme envie de gagner au Mans. »

Porsche’s Mark Webber is contesting the Le Mans 24 Hours for the second time this year and is dreaming of victory. We chatted with the Australian at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps where his thoughts were focused entirely on… Le Mans!

“At Le Mans, you don’t fight your rivals; you fight the race…” That’s how Mark Webber sums up the Le Mans 24 Hours. “Every driver dreams of winning Le Mans, and anyone who doesn’t admit that is lying,” says the ex-F1 star who failed to get a turn in his car during the French endurance race when he previously visited La Sarthe in 1998 (engine problem) and 1999 (car withdrawn after performing aerial loops!).

“I learned a great deal from my first participation in the Porsche in 2014. After 10 years in F1, I needed to re-learn how to share a car with team-mates, how to listen, to have confidence in others and how to drive at night. Timo [Bernhard] and Romain [Dumas] have been huge helps.

“We go into the 2015 race feeling more confident, of course. We’ve done a great deal of testing but that’s a necessary part of preparing for this unique race. I don’t think Porsche did a bad job for its return to Le Mans in 2014. We led for two hours and, after the finish, when we past in front of the Audi pits, they all applauded us. I appreciated that a lot.

“Everyone is very respectful of everybody else in endurance racing, including the drivers, which you don’t necessarily see in certain disciplines. It’s changed a great deal though. Today, you do two-hour stints flat out and the other drivers are very quick. When you’re in the car, it’s very intense.

“Since I stopped F1, Le Mans has been my number one priority. I’ve turned the page in F1. There’s no place for a 40-year old in a championship that has 20 races, and the championship itself has changed a great deal recently. I feel very happy in endurance racing, in a team like Porsche. And I have a tremendous desire to win Le Mans.”

24H du Mans : La semaine mancelle est lancée/ the start of race week

La semaine des 24 Heures du Mans 2015 a démarré cet après-midi avec la première partie du Pesage, Place de la République du Mans, qui s’est déroulée sous le soleil. Les prototypes LM P1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro et Nissan GT-R LM Nismo ont été déclarés aptes à prendre le départ de la 83e édition.

Une semaine après la Journée Test et à sept jours de l’arrivée des 24 Heures du Mans 2015, les vérifications techniques et administratives ont débuté aujourd’hui (dimanche) au centre-ville du Mans. De nombreux badauds et passionnés étaient massés sous le soleil de la Place de la République pour assister au défilé des premiers concurrents.

Les 56 véhicules invités à la 83^e édition des 24 Heures du Mans seront examinés un à un dans trois ateliers : d’abord mesures des dimensions par laser et pesée, puis vérifications du dessous (diffuseurs…) et enfin vérifications des éléments de sécurité et de carrosserie. Il faut compter près d’une heure par voiture.

Pendant ce temps, les 168 pilotes se présentent aux vérifications administratives en combinaison où ils sont pesés et leurs documents vérifiés. Ils sont ensuite photographiés un à un, puis avec leur team devant les voitures, avant de signer quelques autographes et de répondre aux questions des médias, toujours nombreux au Pesage.

La Dome-Nissan N°42 a ouvert ce Pesage 2015 en début d’après-midi. Absente l’an passé, l’équipe Strakka Racing avait hâte de présenter son nouveau LM P2. KCMG en a fait de même un peu plus tard avec la nouvelle Oreca05-Nissan. Vainqueur LM P2 en 2014, la Gibson-Nissan N°38 Jota Sport est elle aussi passée aux vérifications, de même que les Ligier JS P2 G-Drive Racing.

Puis l’ambiance est montée d’un cran avec l’arrivée des trois Audi R18 e-tron quattro Place de la République. Le public a chaleureusement accueilli le trio Lotterer/Fässler/Tréluyer vainqueur l’an passé, et les applaudissements se sont prolongés avec l’apparition de Patrick Dempsey. L’acteur américain a fait la tournée des grands médias nationaux à Paris cette semaine, où il a impeccablement promotionné les 24 Heures du Mans, Porsche et Michelin.

Les nouvelles Nissan GT-R LM Nismo ont été chaleureusement applaudies également, de même que l’équipe Larbre Compétition qui fête sa 20^e participation au Mans cette année. Cette première demi-journée du Pesage s’est conclue avec les nouvelles Rebellion R-One-AER et la Morgan-Nissan Sard Morand à la superbe déco.

Demain, le Pesage reprendra à 10h00 avec les Taïwanais de AAI Motorsports, suivis des Ligier OAK Racing. Les Porsche 919 Hybrid sont attendues en début d’après-midi et les Toyota sur le coup des 15h00.

This year’s Le Mans week kicked off today with the first public ‘Pesage’ session (scrutineering) in the centre of the city (Place de la République). The LM P1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro and Nissan GT-R LM Nismo prototypes were both given the green light to take part in the 83rd edition of the great French race.

A week after the official Test Day and one week before the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours comes to a close on Sunday, June 14, scrutineering got underway this afternoon in the centre of Le Mans. A big crowd turned out in the sunshine to see the teams, cars and drivers that attended this afternoon’s pre-race administrative and technical formalities.

The latter begin with measurements of the cars by laser beam. They are then weighed before their underbody and diffusers are checked. Last of all, their bodywork and safety equipment is inspected. The process takes about an hour per car.

Meanwhile, the drivers – in their race suits - attend documentation checks before they are photographed, first individually, then with their respective teams and cars. They finish by taking time to sign autographs and answer the questions from the media who traditionally turn up at the ‘Pesage’ in numbers.

This afternoon’s first car was Strakka Racing’s N°42 Dome-Nissan prototype. After its absence from Le Mans in 2014, the British team was keen to complete the process. KCMG was next with its new Oreca05-Nissan. Other LM P2 cars today included the 2014 class-winning N°38 Gibson-Nissan (Jota Sport) and G-Drive Racing’s Ligier JS P2.

There was a buzz when the Audi R18 e-tron quattros showed and last year’s winners Lotterer/Fässler/Tréluyer were warmly applauded. There was more clapping when the American actor Patrick Dempsey appeared. He spent much of last week visiting doing the media rounds in Paris where he served as an impeccable ambassador for Le Mans, Porsche and Michelin.

There was applause, too, for the new Nissan GT-R LM Nismos, as well for Larbre Compétition which is celebrating its 20^th participation in the Le Mans 24 Hours this year. The day concluded with the new Rebellion R-One-AERs and Sard Morand’s superbly-liveried Morgan-Nissan.

Scrutineering will continue on Monday from 10am with the Taiwanese AAI Motorsports team, followed by OAK Racing’s Ligiers. The Porsche 919 Hybrids are scheduled to appear at the beginning of the afternoon and the Toyotas at 3pm local time.

GEAR GUIDE #58

In this week’s Gear Guide, a stunning Wheels & Waves helmet by our friends at Davida, some terrific protective selvedge denim from Resurgence Gear, a fix for you denim addicts from Dumluck, a great goggle solution for full face lids from Baruffaldi, and bespoke ear plugs to stop you going deaf.

PRODUCT REVIEW RESURGENCE GEAR CAFE RACER PROTECTIVE JEANS

Resurgence Gear are a technical motorcycling company that pride themselves in creating top quality protective gear for the motorcyclist. In response to the burgeoning new wave custom scene and it’s prevailing style markers, they have released the Cafe Racer jean.

The Cafe Racer is made from shuttle loomed Selvedge denim, and is a relaxed cut to allow movement on the bike. It’s 60% lined with Pekev, and comes with adjustable flexiform CE EN1621-1 knee and hip armour from Knox.

Pekev is a fabric developed by Resurgence, “…the tensile strength of the overall fabric is unsurpassed among all contemporary protection layers. It has the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made, it’s highly resistant to corrosive chemicals (with exception of oxidizing acids), has extremely low moisture absorption, a very low coefficient of friction, is self-lubricating and is highly resistant to abrasion – in some forms being 15 times more resistant to abrasion than carbon steel. It is highly resistant to water, moisture, most chemicals, UV radiation, and micro-organisms.”

In short Pekev is the stuff to protect you in the unfortunate event of a slide up the road on the tarmac.

“With a world beating abrasion resistance of 10.83 seconds, the results of our CE EN13595-1 level 2 testing, you are wearing the results of ten years of research every time you ride out.”

It has an inner comfort mesh lining to wick heat and moisture away from the skin, which gives the rider added comfort in hotter temperatures.

With a five pocket design, these are most like a Levi 501 fit. They are developing a slimmer version more in keeping with a Levi 511 fit. They come in raw and washed denim.

I’ve had my pair for a few weeks now and they’re bedding in really nicely. The denim (and I’m a denim geek) is very good quality and a lovely deep indigo colour. The mesh lining is comfortable against the skin from the outset and the fit is comfortable particularly in the knee and hip area. I’m looking forward to the skinnier fit as I like my jeans narrow. Having said that these are a great looking pair of jeans that work well on and off the bike.

http://www.motolegends.com/trousers/jeans/resurgence-cafe-racer-jeans-raw.html

PRODUCT REVIEW BARUFFULDI EASY RIDER GOGGLES

The problem with most of the retro styled full-face lids is that the aperture is too tight to fit goggles through. For those lids without visors, the only other option is sunglasses. Sunglasses are great at low speed, but a nightmare when you open it up –  the wind circulates, your eyes stream and you can’t see a damn thing. Hardly ideal.

The Baruffaldi Easy riders are perfect, a kind of goggle/glasses hybrid. The arms fit inside the helmet and fit behind the ears like a normal pair of shades, but the eye pieces curve around the contours of the face and are padded, creating a comfortable seal against the elements, keeping the wind and grit at bay. They offer a wide field of vision, and are adjustable for a near perfect fit.

The frames are finished in chrome and the pads in leather. They have an adjustable nose bridge and an elastic strap. They are beautifully made by hand from the very best materials and the lenses are true optical quality.

Baruffaldi is one of the oldest and most prestigious makers of goggles and protective glasses in the world. The company opened its doors in 1932 and created goggles for racing drivers.

These are thoughtfully designed and extremely well made, and work equally well with open face lids.

http://www.motolegends.com/accessories/protective-eyewear/baruffaldi-easy-rider-goggle-black.html

PRODUCT REVIEW – DUMLUC DENIM JACKET

Dumluck are a small specialist Dutch denim company that recently launched on Kickstarter. Kenley Chittick, the founder of the brand, is the craftsman of every single garment. He make limited runs of extremely high quality denim wear. The attention to detail is impeccable, with small little twists that differentiate their gear from other manufacturers in an increasingly crowded market. He choses unusual stand-out denims, using distinctive colours and weaves. For denim geeks like me his stuff is top drawer.

“While mass production is taking over the world, we prefer to make smaller quantities for a smaller group of denim enthusiasts. Simple, raw and as pure as it gets.”

This jacket is made from a rare grey selvedge denim, and draws it’s influence from old Levi trucker jackets, bit given a modern contemporary slant. It’s cut slim, which I like, and it works well to be worn underneath a leather jacket or wax jacket for that extra layer of warmth.

One detail I really like is that even when done up at the top button, there’s ample room for a scarf. Little details that make the difference between a comfortable warm blast and a draughty trawl home. It’s also long without being too long, so when on the bike it doesn’t ride up.

This jacket works really well off the bike, and is slim enough cut to worn either as a jacket or over-shirt. As with all denim, this will just get better with age.

Kenley’s just launched his latest collection with a 40% discount on early bird orders. Check out his jeans, they’re terrific.

www.dumluck.nl

PROGUARD CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE EARPLUGS

Tinnitus is the bane of the motorcyclist, whether you’re a tattooed up death metal fan riding your Harley rat chopper flat out with open pipes, or a middle aged ad exec commuting on a BMW 1200S. It may just manifest itself as a faint murmur in the still dark of night deep in the silent countryside, or like a constant diesel generator ringing inside your skull obtrusive even on a busy city street. Either way, it’s only going to get worse if you don’t do something about it. I’ve even known friends giving up riding bikes because of it, half deaf from years of loud pipes and noisy lids.

ProGuard Custom Motorcycle Earplugs are an effective personalised solution for the noise damage caused by riding a motorcycle, they’re designed to be low profile, and to discretely fit neatly into your ear canal making them simple and easy to insert and remove. ProGuards will fit comfortably under most lids even the tightest fitting. They’re made from non-allergenic medical grade soft silicon and are durable, extremely hard wearing and comfortable to wear for long riding periods without causing any undue discomfort. They come in a choice of colours.

They’re designed to protect from high levels of wind noise without totally blocking your ears, and are supplied with a choice of two simple to fit acoustic filters – 24 and 33dB. They offer a VIP impressions service, where for a premium they will visit your home, office or any place of your choice and take impressions of your ears for use with their custom fit products. They then provide a guaranteed 5 day turn around of finished product once we receive the impressions in their lab. Alternatively, you can attend any number of their practitioners to have the impressions created.

This would be arguable the best £160 you’ll ever spend on motorcycling gear.

https://www.proguarduk.co.uk

DAVIDA WHEELS AND WAVES COLLABORATION HELMET

It’s two weeks away, yippie!!!! Much fun and frolics in the Basque sunshine. The hordes will be descending upon the lovely seaside town of Biarritz for the forth year of Wheels & Waves.

As Vincent Pratt, the organiser of Wheels & Waves has been protecting his brain matter with a Davida for 20 years, it was perhaps inevitable that Davida would one day collaborate on a special helmet design for the event. That day has arrived and Davida have creates a truly classic design for Wheels and Waves, using all the traditional time honoured handcrafting skills Davida are so well known for.

Now in its fourth year, The Southsiders MC Wheels & Waves has grown massively, and has become arguably the premier date in the New Wave Custom scene. Davida have been involved in Wheels & Waves event pretty much from its inception, “…a real grass roots enterprise to bring like-minded souls together to ride has been something Davida has always clicked with.”

‘The Year of The Japanese‘ is the theme of the 2015 Wheels and Waves event and fittingly all the events artwork, including the logo for the special edition Davida helmet have been designed by Japanese Artist, Naoto Hinai of Nuts Artworks.

All Davida helmets are hand-painted in the UK using a fibreglass shell, lined with fully quilted leather and finished with a satin crown. Davida helmets have a unique ergonomically design to prevent lift and speed and give an exceptionally quiet ride.

You can purchase it in person at Wheels & Waves or at the Southsiders store from June 17th.

http://www.southsiders-mc.com/Vide_2.html

 via The Bike Shed

Road to Le Mans : Audi Sport Team Joest

Aux 24 Heures du Mans 2015, Michelin est partenaire de 20 teams que nous vous avons présenté jusqu’au début de la semaine mancelle. Nous terminons cette série avec Audi Sport Team Joest, vainqueur des cinq dernières éditions.

En seulement 16 années de participation, Audi Sport a remporté 14 victoires (15 avec celle d’une Audi déguisée en Bentley en 2003) et signé 5 triplés au Mans. Encore deux succès et le constructeur allemand égalera un autre constructeur allemand au palmarès.

Après une belle épopée en Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA couronnée par deux titres Constructeurs et deux Pilotes, puis un passage en Super Tourisme et Trans-Am dans les années 1990, Audi s’est orienté vers l’Endurance.

Deux ans après avoir lancé son projet, le constructeur d’Ingolstadt a débuté aux 24 Heures du Mans en 1999 avec quatre prototypes et deux modèles différents : deux Audi R8R (proto ouvert) en catégorie LMP et deux Audi R8C (proto fermé) en catégorie LMGTP. Le châssis R8R, conçu par Dallara, et le châssis R8C, confié à RTN, étaient propulsés par un même moteur V8 bi-turbo de 3600 cm³.

Les Audi R8R ont pris les 3^e et 4^e places finales, tandis que les R8C ont abandonné après 198 et 55 tours. C’est donc logiquement la R8R qui a servi de base à la conception de l’Audi R8, restée pratiquement invaincue dans la Sarthe jusqu’en 2006. La R8C a été améliorée pour aboutir à la Bentley Speed 8 victorieuse en 2003.

En 2006, Audi et Michelin ont imposé pour la première fois la technologie diesel au Mans. Six ans plus tard, c’est la technologie hybride que les deux partenaires ont imposé aux 24 Heures du Mans.

Ce mélange d’innovation technologique, d’équipages homogènes et d’expérience des courses d’Endurance a permis à Audi de remporter 14 victoires en seulement 16 années de présence au Mans, sans oublier de nombreux succès et titres en championnat American Le Mans Series et deux titres mondiaux d’Endurance.

Cette année encore, les Audi R18 e-tron quattro, plus en forme que jamais, seront les machines à battre.

We have been counting down the days to the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours by presenting each of Michelin’s partner teams at this year’s race. We round off the series with Audi Sport Team Joest, winner of the least five races.

From 16 attempts, Audi Sport has taken 14 victories (15 if you include the car disguised as a Bentley in 2003), including three one-two-three finishes at Le Mans. Another two wins and it will equal the record of another famous German make!

After a successful spell in the FIA World Rally Championship which reaped two Manufacturers’ and two Drivers’ crowns, plus periods in touring cars and Trans-Am in the 1990s, Audi turned its attention to endurance racing.

Two months after the project’s start, the Ingolstadt firm made its Le Mans debut in 1999 with four prototypes and two different models: two open-cockpit R8Rs (LMP) and two closed R8Cs (LMGTP). Both the Dallara-designed R8R chassis and the R8C chassis, in the hands of RTN, were powered by the same 3.6-litre twin-turbo V8.

The Audi R8Rs came third and fourth overall, but the R8Cs retired on Laps 198 and 55. It was consequently the R8R that served as basis for the new R8 which went practically unbeaten at Le Mans until 2006. The R8C was improved and resulted in the Bentley Speed 8 which won the French classic in 2003.

The 2006 race saw a Michelin-equipped Audi claim the first victory with diesel power at Le Mans. Six years later, the two partners took hybrid technology to the top step of the race’s podium.

In total, a blend of innovative technology, well-matched crews and experience has taken Audi to 14 wins in 16 years, not to mention its numerous successes and titles in the American Le Mans Series and two WEC crowns.

This year again, the Audi R18 e-tron quattros will be hard to beat…

Voitures engagées aux 24 Heures du Mans 2015

Audi R18 e-tron quattro N°7 – LM P1 : Marcel Fässler / André Lotterer / Benoît Tréluyer

Audi R18 e-tron quattro N°8 – LM P1 : Lucas Di Grassi / Loïc Duval / Oliver Jarvis

Audi R18 e-tron quattro N°9 – LM P1 : Filipe Albuquerque / Marco Bonanomi / René Rast

Palmarès aux 24 Heures du Mans

1999 : 3^e et 4^e LMP – Audi R8R (Biela/Theys/Pirro) et (Alboreto/Capello/Aîello)

2000 : 1^er, 2^e et 3^e LMP900 – Audi R8 (Biela/Kristensen/Pirro), (Aïello/McNish/Ortelli) et (Abt/Alboreto/Capello)

2001 : 1^er & 2^e LMP900 – Audi 8 (Biela/Pirro/Kristensen) et (Aïello/Capello/Pescatori)

2002 : 1^er, 2^e & 3^e LMP900 – Audi R8 (Biela/Kristensen/Pirro), (Herbert/Pescaroti/Capello) et (Werner/Krumm/Peter)

2004 : 1^er, 2^e & 3^e LMP1 – Audi R8 (Ara/Capello/Kristensen), (Davies/Herbert/Smith) & (Lehto/Werner/Pirro)

2005 : 1^er LMP1 – Audi R8 (Kristensen/Lehto/Werner)

2006 : 1^er & 3^e LMP1 – Audi R10 TDI (Biela/Werner/Pirro) et (Capello/Kristensen/McNish)

2007 : 1^er LMP1 – Audi R10 TDI (Werner/Pirro/Biela)

2008 : 1^er LMP1 – Audi R10 TDI (McNish/Capello/Kristensen)

2010 : 1^er, 2^e & 3^e LMP1 – Audi R15 TDI (Rockenfeller/Dumas/Bernhard), (Lotterer/Tréluyer/Fässler) et (Kristensen/Capello/McNish)

2011 : 1^er LMP1 – Audi R18 TDI (Fässler/Tréluyer/Lotterer)

2012 : 1^er, 2^e & 3^e LMP1 – Audi R18 e-tron quattro et Audi R18 ultra (Lotterer/Fässler/Tréluyer), (McNish/Kristensen/Capello) et (Jarvis/Bonanomi/Rockenfeller)

2013 : 1^er LMP1 – Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Kristensen/McNish/Duval)

2014 : 1^er & 2^e LMP1 – Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Lotterer/Fässler/Tréluyer) et (Kristensen/Gené/Di Grassi)