Le Mans Sunday Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***Sunday kicked off the official start of Le Mans week, with 22 of the 60 cars going through scrutineering in Place de République in the city center. It included heavy hitters such as Porsche LMP Team and Aston Martin Racing, with the majority of the GTE-Pro teams, as well as Toyota Gazoo Racing set for the administrative checks tomorrow.

***The ACO has established fixed slow zones for the first time this year. The defined segments were  communicated to teams earlier this year and used in action for the first time at the Test Day. Previously, the length of the slow zones were determined on the exact location of the incident.

***Officials have penalized the Porsche LMP1 team with a 5,000 Euro fine for obstructing the front of its garage at the test day, marking the German manufacturer’s second infraction for this issue this season. The No. 2 Porsche 919 Hybrid will receive a stop-and-hold penalty of 1 minute in a race if it occurs again before the end of the WEC season.

***Di Grassi, meanwhile, is nursing an injury to his right foot, sustained while playing soccer. Keating Motorsports team owner/driver Ben Keating took part in the test day with a swollen right wrist, after his accident in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Detroit one day earlier.

***Alex Brundle says the chemistry between his co-drivers and Jota Sport-run Jackie Chan DC Racing team has been strong. The drivers are coming off a team-building exercise near the Pyrenees in France last month run by the team’s physio. Both Brundle and team co-owner/driver David Cheng, meanwhile, have spent a lot of time together in London in recent weeks. “We’re a group of guys that I really look forward to hanging out with,” Brundle told Sportscar365. 

***Romain Dumas has a busy month of June, as the reigning Le Mans winner headed straight from last weekend’s test day to Pikes Peak to take part in a final test in his Norma MXX RD Limited. The Frenchman will return to Colorado immediately following the Le Mans race to take part in the June 25 event, where he will look to defend his overall title.

***Both the OAK Racing’s Morgan-Nissan LMP2 Art Car from 2013 and last year’s Garage 56 prototype, driven by quad-amputee Fred Sausset, have been placed on display in the Le Mans Museum this week. The colorful Art Car features its original un-raced bodywork, designed from actual street signs. 

***The WEC is mourning the loss of Pierre Coiffier, its logistics coordinator, who died suddenly last week at the age of 26, having succumbed to a rapid case of meningitis. Sportscar365 sends its condolences to Pierre’s family, as well as the WEC family at this difficult time.

Luke Smith and Ryan Myrehn contributed to this report

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John