Latest news with #Hyperpole1
Observer
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Observer
Al Harthy to start 24H of Le Mans from Third on LMGT3 Grid
Oman's Ahmad al Harthy and team-mates Kelvin van der Linde and Valentino Rossi combined to deliver a superb performance throughout qualifying for the weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the trio's No 46 BMW M4 LMGT3 set to line-up third on the grid for the biggest race of the year. Al Harthy got things off to an outstanding start in the main qualifying session on Wednesday, June 11, where he emerged quickest of all in the LMGT3 class to comfortably progress the Team WRT entry into the first of two Hyperpole shoot-out sessions on Thursday, June 12. South African driver van der Linde picked up the baton perfectly and continued in the same vein as Al Harthy, lapping fastest in Hyperpole 1 to ensure the BMW would start a minimum of eighth on the grid for the twice-round-the-clock race — round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Rossi got behind the wheel for the decisive Hyperpole 2, straight after the first of the shoot-outs and the Italian's initial true flying lap was ultimately his best of the session as he concluded the run third in LMGT3. Oman's Ahmad al Harthy With red flag stoppages impacting qualifying and the first Hyperpole, drivers needed to maintain steely focus and determination to conquer the immense 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe and OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman supported racer Al Harthy — and the entire team — certainly did that. Brilliant showing from Team WRT trio confirms Le Mans potential Opening qualifying on Wednesday produced a sparkling performance from Al Harthy, who was in outstanding form. Initially topping the times on his first proper lap, the Omani was second with just under 10 minutes of the half hour session elapsed and he held fifth midway through when red flags were flown. Determined to piece together a great lap after the resumption and challenge for the fastest time, he steered the No 46 BMW M4 to a lap of 3m 56.875 seconds which placed him on top by four tenths of a second to smoothly progress to Hyperpole as the fastest of the lead 12 contenders. In Hyperpole 1 van der Linde posted a time of 3m 55.855 seconds just moments before red flags were shown. After the resumption he improved to 3m 54.530 seconds, topping LMGT3 and on his final lap he shaved another two tenths off to conclude the session quickest with 3m 54.345 seconds. Rossi climbed into the driving seat for the 15-minute Hyperpole 2 and his first competitive lap was a time of 3m 54.966 seconds, placing him third. Ultimately this was the Italian's best of the session as he secured a terrific third on the grid for, arguably, the biggest event in four-wheeled motorsport. There is a day away from track action now at the Circuit de la Sarthe ahead of the start of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans on Saturday, June 14. Warm-up will take place at 12:00 local time before the race itself starts at 16:00.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alpine 'struggling to understand' its issues after Le Mans practice
After a very promising test day, Wednesday turned out to be a mixed bag for Alpine. Reliability is no longer a concern at the French outfit and both A424s secured their spots in the Hyperpole 1 session after the first round of qualifying. However, behind the scenes, some head-scratching is going on. When the LMDh prototype hit the track again early Wednesday afternoon, both driver crews were surprised not to find the same performance level they had shown just three days earlier. Advertisement "It wasn't smooth," Frédéric Makowiecki, teammate to Mick Schumacher and Jules Gounon in the #36, told "There are a few things we're struggling to understand. Is it the temperature? Is it the evolution of the track? We're not where we thought – and should – be. It's up to us to analyse the situation, but time is short." Alpine did make "some changes" to the car's setup, but the team clearly expected a different outcome from those adjustments. Alpine can't afford any mistakes if it hopes for a good result at Le Mans Alpine can't afford any mistakes if it hopes for a good result at Le Mans "We weren't too happy with some behaviours, especially when it came to bumps," Makowiecki added. Advertisement "We tried to improve that, and strangely, it's not giving us the results we expected, even though it's something that had worked previously in different contexts. We need to dive into the data, dig deeper, and figure out if maybe the conditions have thrown us off in how we're interpreting things." This second appearance at Le Mans with the A424 is a crucial one for the French team, which is led in endurance by Philippe Sinault. While Alpine now has a far better understanding of its car, it's clear the prototype hasn't yet revealed all its secrets in such specific conditions. Asked by what the team had learned over the past year, Sinault listed several layers of progress: "It's everything — the setup, tyre knowledge, software management, all the sensors, the traction control... 'We've done a lot of simulations and adapted the baseline package with the data we had.' No room for error #36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher, Frederic Makowiecki, Jules Gounon #36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher, Frederic Makowiecki, Jules Gounon Between free practice and the evolved Hyperpole format, there's little to be learned outside of raw single-lap pace until race day. During test day, Alpine had made a strong impression on long runs - but doubt began to creep in again on Wednesday. Advertisement "It's been tricky because from the start of the week, a lot of teams have been focused on qualifying, which now carries a bit more weight,' Makowiecki said when asked about the expected hierarchy. 'So, it's hard to judge. "We clearly had strong long runs during Test Day, and now we don't. Overall, we're missing a bit of performance, so we need to get back to what we know we can do." With Thursday marking the final opportunity to refine their setup, the focus now turns fully to race preparation – and the team already knows what will make the difference. "It'll be the team that makes the fewest mistakes that comes out on top," said Sinault. Advertisement Read Also: Le Mans 24 Hours: Toyota tops second practice after Kubica Ferrari loses best time Le Mans 24 Hours: Cadillac sets blistering pace in opening practice to head Ferrari "There are so many chances to slip up — even more so these past two years with the level of competition and the gaps involved. The smallest mistake, a penalty, and it can completely change the course of the race. 'We can't afford errors — and above all, we must stay on the lead lap." To read more articles visit our website.
