Porsche joins the ranks of producers for Lifestyles of the rich and famous. In its episode they bring Patrick Dempsey to life so he can wax lyrical about his fighting spirit. He tells us: “They know what you do for a living, but not what you live for.”
No, we’re not jealous of Patrick at all. Honest, we’re not!
Mark Webber’s return to Le Mans is getting close now. In the latest episode of Red Bull’s feature we see Mark talk about his WEC debut at Silverstone and the follow-up race shortly after at Spa. That’s only 12 hours combined, but he says he’s ready for his first attempt at Le Mans since 1999. Or as he puts it, a full F1 season in one race!
My name is Liam and I like it when companies involved in top level motorsport fund video productions to bring us closer to the action. But sometimes, with respect, these companies totally balls it up. Watch this opening episode from Michelin, titled We are racers, and see what you think.
It would appear Audi is very happy to have Porsche back chasing outright success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To illustrate that fact they sent an Audi R18 e-tron quattro on a drive from Ingolstadt to Stuttgart to deliver a special message. It’s pretty cool.
With 27 race wins between them they are the most successful marques in the race’s long and proud history. And yet, we reckon it’s Toyota both need to be watching ahead of next weekend’s race.
We’re now up to Part 3 of the Mark Webber: Return to Le Mans series and, finally, we see him at the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid. This episode takes us behind the scenes for Mark’s first test at Portimao in December last year.
With the 24 Hours of Le Mans less than two weeks away here’s an onboard video filmed from Jon Lancaster‘s LMP2 Oreca-Judd giving us a driver’s eye view of the famous Circuit de la Sarthe.
The footage was captured during last weekend’s test sessions and we’re lucky enough to see a full lap of the 13.6km track without any other cars, ensuring Lancaster had the best cornering lines for the whole lap.
Official scrutineering for the 82nd running of Le Mans begins on Sunday and finishes on Monday, ahead of the first qualifying session on Wednesday 11 June.
The Toyota TS040 Hybrid has firmed as the car to beat at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two wins in the opening rounds of the WEC season had already set up Toyota as the 2014 front runners and the TS040’s abilities at the Circuit de la Sarthe were confirmed after last weekend’s official test session, when the two Toyotas topped the lap charts.
Two weeks out from the event this is the only opportunity for the teams get to run the full Le Mans layout. After the two day session the fastest time around the 13.6km circuit was set by the #8 Toyota (3:23:014).
Audi set the early pace with its R18 e-tron quattro, but in the end the defending champions had to make do with the third and fourth best times. Audi is the only of the LMP1 teams to run three cars and the remaining R18 split the two Porsche 919 Hybrids. The #14 Porsche was fifth and Mark Webber’s #20 919 the seventh and slowest of the factory-backed LMP1 runners.
Full statements from the three teams can be read after the break. The 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place on 14–15 June with Australian television coverage available on Foxtel’s Speed TV channel.
Fernando Alonso is going to start the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours. No, he hasn’t been released to compete in the race itself, rather he will be the ceremonial flag waver to indicate the start of the endurance classic.
Automobile Club de l’Ouest invited Fernando along in recognition of Ferrari’s past history at Le Mans and perhaps to increase interest of a return to the main LMP1 class from Maranello.
“I am very happy to have been chosen to start this race, because it is one of a handful of races that has defined the history of motor sport,” Alonso explained.
“I’m keen to check out the details on this type of car. In Formula 1, we have also entered the hybrid era and I am curious to find out more about the working methods and technology involved in this series.”
In the second part of the Mark Webber: Return to Le Mans feature we get a behind the scenes look at Mark’s final race, the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.
This is all very good, but while recognising Red Bull is signing the cheques for this video series, there must be so much to the Le Mans preparations that we reckon there’s going to be a lot of quality material left on the cutting room floor.
Formula 1 is in the past for Mark, we want to see and hear his thoughts on the Porsche 919 Hybrid; the podium debut at Silverstone and the disappointment of Spa.
Mark Webber may no longer drive for the Red Bull Formula 1 team, but he’s still a Red Bull athlete. Our Mark, as we like to call him, is being featured in a short series of videos produced by Red Bull media in the build up to Le Mans, which is now less than a month away.
You can watch the video after the break, which backs the truck up a little to his second last F1 race at the United States Grand Prix. If you follow the source link below you’ll also get to read a short interview with Mark. We like this response to a question about his physical preparation for LMP1.
…I still want to stay light. It’s in my best interests. I was very, very light for the last six years of my Formula One career—everyone said I looked unwell—but that’s just how it had to be in F1 if I wanted to stay competitive. I was still 9kg overweight, but I couldn’t lose any more.
[Source: Red Bull Motorsports]
Toyota has set itself up as the favourite for Le Mans after taking victory in the 6 Hours of Spa on the weekend. The #8 TS040 backed up its success at Silverstone with another win, while the #7 sister car came home third.
Splitting the two Toyotas was the #1 Audi R18, with all three cars completeing 171 laps of the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
The #14 Porsche 919, which started from pole position, started well and established a lead of over 10 seconds in the first stint before a few minor issues with the hybrid system required attention. In the end Porsche had to be satisfied with fourth place, one lap behind the leaders.
A pair of Audi R18s filled positions five and six, with the #3 car running in low downforce Le Mans trim—the only of the three LMP1 teams to do so. Audi will be heading to the Circuit de la Sarthe with a lot more work to do than it is used to. The challenge from Toyota appears very real this year.
The #20 Porsche 919 of Mark Webber, had problems throughout the race. First with the rear dampers and later with the front drive shaft. They were able to finish the race but were 23 laps behinf the winning Toyota.
Porsche has given the WEC a bit of a shake by claiming pole position for tonight’s 6 Hours of Spa. The #14 919, qualified by Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, came up trumps as the track began to dry at a typically wet Spa circuit.
The #8 Toyota TS040 has backed up its win at Silverstone well and will share the front row with Porsche. The first of three Audi R18s will start from the second row, joined by the #7 Toyota. Mark Webber and his mates will start their #20 Porsche from from P5, followed by the remaining R18s.
Qualifying in the WEC is a combined effort with the results from two drivers averaged out. As the weather improved an otherwise relaxed Marc Lieb was almost caught out.
“This pole position means a lot to me,” Lieb said. “It has been hard work for a long time for many people. Taking pole position today came as a total surprise. On my first run the track wasn’t dry enough for slicks and then Neel got into the car.
“I was having a coffee in the back of the garage and watching him. Then I was suddenly told get your helmet back on and improve your earlier lap time. It was tough time management to get these two laps and I’m a very happy man. Now I hope for a good race.”