The Nissan Zeod RC will be racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans later this year and when we last brought you an update on the car we didn’t know anything about its internal combustion engine. Well now we do—plus heaps more—as these videos show, featuring the slightly nerdy guy from Engineering Explained.
Following its DeltaWing project Nissan is coming back to Le Mans in 2014 with the Zeod RC. This time, though, Nissan is acting alone, and not with the cooperation of Don Panoz, who is pushing on with a DeltaWing Coupé project of his own.
Zeod stands for Zero Emissions On Demand and at its launch event at Fuji Raceway the car ran solely in electric mode. And not terribly far, either. But it’s early days in this innovative project.
For now details of the car’s internal combustion engine are under wraps. It’s planned that the petrol engine will first be tested in the Zeod RC early next year, with the goal of racing the car at next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Indeed, the Zeod RC represents a bigger aim of Nissan to race the Zeod, or a derivative thereof, in the LMP1 category in future years.
Nissan says the petrol engine should be good for 12 laps of the 13.6km Circuit de la Sarthe by which time the Zeod RC should have recharged its battery enough to allow for one complete lap at full race pace.
We’re currently in the genesis of an electric powered racing era, with Le Mans in Nissan’s sights and the FIA Formula E category due to start next year as well. We’re not sure how far electric-powered motorsport will take us, but it’ll be interesting finding out.
Porsche has released a highlights video from the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed showcasing its Le Mans heritage. It got us thinking, in Australia, the mainstream media just doesn’t seem to understand what a big deal it is that Mark Webber will be part of the iconic company’s return to LMP1 racing at Le Mans next year.
Of course, Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, we understand that. But Webber’s current employer Red Bull Racing, for all of the amazing thing it has achieved, is a minnow on the motorsport landscape when compared with Porsche.
Porsche is racing.
As the legendary Jacky Ickx, a six-time Le Mans winner himself (four with Porsche), says at the end of the video, “They make the soul of motor racing.”
Mark Webber will never be an F1 world champion, and that’s a shame for all Australian motorsport fans. And yet, by moving to Porsche, he has the chance to join the likes of genuine motor racing legends such as Derek Bell, Jacky Ickx, Hans Stuck and many more. All achieved so much with Porsche.
The best years of Webber’s career could still be ahead of him.
Earlier today we dropped into MotorSportRetro.com and noticed these very cool posters. They’re created by Adelaide-based graphic designer Sean Kane. There’s a series of five posters in total, three featuring Ayrton Senna (2 x Lotus, 1 x McLaren), one with the 1991 Le Mans winning Mazda 787B rotary and one with Juha Kankunnen’s 1986 Peugeot 205 T16 E2 Group B rally car.
They’re very cool. And you can buy them all for yourself if you want!
Porsche has released a short highlights package from their winning effort at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They’re a company that has achieved great things at La Sarthe.
There’s the 16 outright wins, of course, but by winning the GTE Pro and Am categories this year they racked up the 99th and 100th wins for Porsche at the famous race.
Not a bad way for the new 991-based 911 RSR to debut in its first Le Mans race. We wonder what their return to LMP1 will bring in 2014?
And, as the closing sequence shows of the highlights video, Porsche is also a company that has a lot of class.
It’s hard to believe, perhaps, but I’ve never found the time to watch the legendary Steve McQueen film Le Mans. With Mark Webber’s latest career move now confirmed this is something I need to put right. Jonathan Moore from Speedhunters has whet my appetite with his intro to the film:
…Le Mans was brutally raw. McQueen’s main driver, Michael Delaney, says little during the entire film and nothing at all until 36 minutes in. Dialogue in general is scarce. He lets the cars do the talking.
The start scene is a case in point, and still sends shivers down my spine. You see the main cars: Porsche 917s, Ferrari 512s. You see the drivers and their preparations. McQueen almost caressing his steering wheel, officials unfurling flags, visors coming down… But you hear nothing. No sound at all.
Then as the clock ticks down you hear the staccato beat of a heart, increasing in tempo as 4pm approaches… Fingers flicker near starters, spectators crane forward for a better view… The heartbeat gets quicker, louder… And then the clock strikes 4pm, the flag drops and all hell is unleashed on track. It’s automotive perfection.
Watch this clip, then buy the film, sit back and revel in McQueen’s unbridled passion. It’s the kind of film that’s unlikely to ever be made again. Perhaps only Rush will come close?
So, I’m going to take his advice and address the flaws of my movie watching history. How about you, have you seen the film? Tell me about it in the comments section. And if you haven’t, join me in the quest to tick a box that should have been ticked many years ago!
Mark Webber: factory Porsche driver. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think.
Sure, it’s not the most surprising news—over a year since it was first mentioned—but it’s now official that Mark Webber has been signed to drive for Porsche in the World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, from 2014 on a multi-year deal.
Whether multi-year translates to the five-year deal mentioned in April, or a more circumspect two–three year deal is not certain at this stage.
Mark has been a Porsche enthusiast for many years and his expertise and setup skills developed in Formula 1 should be a great boost to Porsche as it prepares for its 2014 LMP1 program.
“It’s an honour for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team,” Mark said. “Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level.
“I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world.â€
Porsche will run a minimum of two cars for the WEC series, with three likely for Le Mans. Other drivers confirmed for Porsche are Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, and Neel Jani.
Now that Mark’s F1 future is known the race will be on to see who replaces him at Red Bull Racing. Will it be Kimi Raikkonen or one of the Toro Rosso drivers, Daniel Ricciardo or Jean-Eric Vergne?
In a drama filled race Audi stood atop the podium for the twelfth time after winning the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans on the weekend. The #2 R18 e-tron quattro (Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish) completed 348 laps, one more than the #8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Stéphane Sarrazin), with the #3 Audi (Lucas di Grassi, Marc Gené, Oliver Jarvis) claiming third place, just under two minutes behind the Toyota.
Of course, the 81st running of the classic endurance race will be remembered for the sad passing of Danish driver Allan Simonsen, who was killed after crashing his Aston Martin V8 Vantage on the fourth lap of the race.
Throughout the whole race inclement weather and accidents ensured the field spent more time behind the Safety Car than organisers and fans would like. Indeed, a record amount of time was spent under full course yellows—11 periods adding up to more than five hours.
Toyota put up a strong fight and had enviable reliability. While the winning #2 Audi ran faultlessly, too, concerns were raised in the Audi garage after the pole sitting #1 R18 suffered alternator problems and lost several laps while it was repaired. Around the same time the #3 car picked up a puncture following minor contact with a slower car. Unfortunately Oliver Jarvis, who was driving at the time, had to travel almost an entire lap on the damaged tyre and the lost time added up to a two-lap deficit.
Up to that point the three Audis were jostling for positions on the podium. The #1 R18 was never able to rejoin the fight for victory and finished fifth, 10 laps down. The #3 Audi fought back well from its earlier problems to put pressure on the #7 Toyota, which succumbed when Nicolas Lapierre slid off the track in slippery conditions with an hour to go.
A special note of acknowledgement for Tom Kristensen as well, who notched up a record ninth Le Mans victory. It was the third win for Allan McNish and the first for Loïc Duval.
The LMP2 category was won by the #35 Oak Racing Morgan-Nissan. While Porsche took out both the GTE Pro and Am classes. The factory-backed Manthey team 991 911 RSRs finished first and second in GTE Pro, with the customer IMSA Performance Matmut team winning the GTE Am category.
So, we move on to 2014, hopefully learning from the death of Allan Simonsen, where the closeness of the barrier to a large tree may have contributed to his death. And we look forward to increased competition for Audi when Toyota will be joined by Porsche in the chase for LMP1 glory.
It’s with a heavy heart that we emerge from our week away to mention the death of Allan Simonsen at the 24 Hours of Le Mans over the weekend.
Allan raced in GT endurance events all over the world, notably V8 Supercars, Le Mans and at the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race. Simonsen also attracted attention in Australia when he piloted a Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 to a then outright Bathurst lap record during the 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour.
Fellow Dane Tom Kristensen dedicated his ninth Le Mans victory to Simonsen last night during a sombre post-race ceremony.
Simonsen was driving a V8 Vantage for Aston Martin Racing in the GTE Am category and crashed on the fourth lap. His car left the road at the Tetre Rouge corner, hitting an armco barrier. He was extracted from the car and rushed to the trackside medical centre, where he died shortly after. It’s the first in competition fatality at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since Jo Gartner in 1986.
An official statement on Simonsen’s passing from race organisers can be read here.
At the request of Simonsen’s family Aston Martin Racing continued to participate in the race, who had strong representation in the GTE Pro and Am categories.
Selected comments from Allan’s team and fellow competitors are listed below:
“It’s been an emotional weekend. No one could have ever thought it would start as it did. Our thoughts are with Allan, his family and all the mates he made around the world during his racing career.â€
Darren Turner, Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE #97
“The tragedy in the opening hours of the race overshadowed the great performance of the Aston Martin Racing team. I am proud of everybody for demonstrating great speed, professionalism and competitiveness right up to the end of 24th hour. This achievement is a truly fitting tribute to Allan Simonsen.â€
Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO
“He [Allan] was a very modest and nice person. That’s why I’m experiencing highs and lows this time. With respect to my ninth victory: I’m driving with determination and the ambition my father inspired in me. He died in March. Before his death, he told me that I’d win Le Mans this year with my team-mates. I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to celebrate another victory with Loïc and Allan that I can dedicate to my father. Because this Le Mans success I’m dedicating to Allan Simonsen.”
Tom Kristensen, Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2
“Our joy, however, is also mixed with sadness and shock at the death of Allan Simonsen. We have not only lost a passionate racer, but also a good friend of the Porsche motorsport family. He contested his first Le Mans 24 Hours in 2007 with a Porsche. With our works driver Marc Lieb in 2005, he contested two races of the Le Mans Endurance Series in a Porsche as well. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family as well as the Aston Martin squad and his teammates at this difficult time.”
Dr Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Porsche AG
Simonsen was 34-years-old and leaves behind a wife and young daughter.
Andy Blackmore with the assistance of Nismo has released Version 1 of the 2013 Le Mans spotter guide. Also included is this handy reference to guide you through all the information crammed alongside each car. A revised version of the guide will be coming in a few days after scrutineering for the race has been completed.
On the day Sebastian Vettel extended his deal with the Red Bull F1 team it is quite fitting that the first official photos of Mark Webber’s new car have been published by Porsche today.
Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard was at the wheel for the first test session in the 2014 Porsche LMP1, which took place at the company’s Weissach test facility. Although the timing of the run, so close to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is coincidental Porsche says.
“We are well on schedule,†says Fritz Enzinger, who heads up the LMP1 program for Porsche. “Our newly formed team has worked with utmost concentration on getting this highly complex vehicle on the track as soon as possible. This allows us a few additional weeks for more testing and further development. From 2014, the regulations are primarily based on efficiency. This makes the competition amongst engineers more interesting and presents us with completely new challenges.â€
Highlighting its commitment to the chase for outright success at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship, Porsche says it has assembled a team of 200 employees to help achieve its goals.
“I’m very proud that I was the one to take our baby through its first paces today,” said Bernhard. “Already now the car feels great. I look forward to testing the vehicle in the coming weeks and months with my friend and colleague Romain Dumas.â€
Once again Andy Blackmore has been hard at work making your Le Mans viewing experience better by producing his renowned spotter guide for the 2012 race. Download your own copy now, featuring the full 56 car field and in the resolution of your choice, from the Simraceway Blog.