Le Mans Wednesday Notebook

Photo: Jurgen Tap/Porsche

***While both Tower Motorsports and D’station Racing have been forced to replace their chassis following an accident in Free Practice 1, the No. 33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which suffered a session-ending crash in the hands of Nico Varrone, is targeting to be back out in time for this evening’s qualifying session. The GTE-Am entry sustained right-rear damage in the shunt at Tertre Rouge.

***FP1 saw the No. 2 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-Series.R as the quickest non-Toyota in third, with Earl Bamber setting a 3:27.939 lap that was less than two-tenths from pace-setter Brendon Hartley. It marked a sharp improvement for the Cadillac, which was the slowest of the factory Hypercar entries at the Le Mans test day.

***Bamber’s co-driver Richard Westbrook said: “The car feels really good; really nice to drive in all conditions. It seems like we have some pace. The track is evolving in its normal way and it seems to suit our cars. The main thing is we’re good in the night, good in the day and keep doing what we’re doing. Hopefully, we’ll comfortably make the top eight.”

***Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Laurens Vanthoor said it’s been “difficult to predict” the ultimate race pace in Hypercar. “It’s clear we’re more in the game than we were in the previous [WEC] weekends but then again it’s very difficult to predict that as well as you never know what others are doing. Especially in WEC, one-lap pace is irrelevant. It’s double, triple-stint pace and fuel saving what counts.”

***Dr. Michael Steiner, member of the board at Porsche AG, issued a statement on social media on Wednesday: “We head into #LeMansCentenary with a clear goal: our 20th victory. We expect to be able to fight for the win in the spectacular Hypercar class as FIA and ACO guaranteed a level playing field in the WEC.”

***The experience CGR gathered during the previous three FIA World Endurance Championship rounds are of more use to team personnel and mechanics at Le Mans rather than drivers according to Alex Lynn.

***Lynn told Sportscar365: “I think for this race specifically it’s probably benefiting our crew a bit more with the pitstops and the regulations, the little intricacies of procedure that we have in WEC. But everyone in the Cadillacs has done Le Mans so many times now that actually for this one race, it’s just the pitstops that make the difference.”

***United Autosports co-owner Richard Dean is celebrating his tenth year at Le Mans. The Brit first spent three years at the event as a driver, notably taking a GT2 class victory with Team LNT upon debut. He then attended every event with United since 2017.

***Former Rebellion Racing LMP1 driver Thomas Laurent is on-site with Glickenhaus as the American team’s reserve driver. The two-time Le Mans overall podium finisher is balancing Glickenhaus debriefs with a role on the French television commentary broadcast team.

***Laurent told Sportscar365: “I have two caps on! The first one is to be on French TV, and then when I’m off, I go back to the team. It’s more to get in touch with the team and know them. And who knows, maybe prepare for the future.”

***The AF Corse fascia at the entrance to the team’s pit garage charts Ferrari’s overall and class victories in the major 24-hour races at Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, Daytona and now the Nürburgring, after Frikadelli Racing Team’s breakthrough win last month.

***Frikadelli is competing in the Road to Le Mans support race with a Ligier JS P320 Nissan with Klaus Abbelen and Felipe Fernandez Laser at the wheel.

***Five drivers: Arnold Robin, Valentin Hasse Clot, Kei Cozzolino, Anders Fjordbach and Jan Magnussen are pulling double duty between the main event and Road to Le Mans. Additionally, JMW Motorsport driver Thomas Neubauer is competing in Ferrari Challenge.

***LMP2 squads DKR Engineering, Nielsen Racing, Graff Racing, Inter Europol Competition, IDEC Sport, United Autosports and Cool Racing are all running LMP3 entries in Road to Le Mans. In GT3, Team WRT, AF Corse, GMB Motorsport, Iron Lynx and Kessel Racing are represented. The latter also runs cars in Ferrari Challenge.

***Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe vice chairman Kazuki Nakajima indicated that last week’s Balance of Performance rules change has galvanized the team. “This difficult situation is giving us an extra boost of motivation and it’s good bonding for the team, that we stick together to fight back,” said the three-time Le Mans winner.

***Toyota WEC team principal Kamui Kobayashi will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 13. Announced at Le Mans on Wednesday, the Japanese ace will pilot a Next Gen Toyota Camry TRD, entered by 23XI Racing.

***ACO President Pierre Fillon helped inaugurate a new trackside medical center on Wednesday. The 5,200 square-feet center, sponsored by French insurance company MMA, is located at pit-in within the Bugatti Circuit.

***Toyota is “generally interested” in hydrogen technology at Le Mans according to its WEC technical director Pascal Vasselon, who told Sportscar365 that the opening of the ACO’s regulations to allow hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines alongside fuel cell beginning in 2026 will make the platform a “more competitive” option.

***Vasselon said: “We believe it’s a very valued technology option for the future, especially for motorsport. We believe it has the potential to become the mainstream de-carbonated motorsport technology. For racing application, the ICE is more competitive. This is our analysis. Within a similar regulation frame, we would be more competitive, especially because of the weight.”

***An expanded Asian Le Mans Series calendar is expected to be confirmed on Friday during the ACO press conference. Sportscar365 understands that the series will return to southeast Asia for the first time since 2019, potentially with a double-header at Sepang this December and a return to the United Arab Emirates with races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in February 2024.

***In addition to Eurosport/MotorTrend’s extensive coverage of Le Mans, viewers in selected regions will be able to follow the action through the official WEC app, for €12.99, featuring commentary from the likes of Martin Haven, Anthony Davidson, Peter Dumbreck and Guy Smith. As was the case previously, the app will be geo-blocked in the U.S, with MotorTrend holding exclusive coverage rights.

***Click Here for a full breakdown of the worldwide TV and streaming details.

***Radio Le Mans, meanwhile, has wall-to-wall audio coverage from the team of John Hindhaugh, Jonny Palmer, Richard Craill, Paul Truswell, Bruce Jones, Johnny Mowlem, Diana Binks, Nick Daman, Joe Bradley and Peter Snowdon. As usual, fans can listen on 91.2 FM while at the track or online.

***Pratt Miller Motorsports, the team behind Corvette Racing, will stream an alternative broadcast during the race on its social media channels, offering “in-depth insights and analysis” from current and former personnel, both at the track and remotely.

***Qualifying, which will set the grids for Thursday evening’s Hyperpole, is next up from 7-8 p.m. CEST (1-2 p.m. EDT), followed by Free Practice 2 from 10 p.m.-12 a.m. (4-6 p.m. EDT). Thursday’s action kicks off with the three-hour long FP3 from 3-6 p.m. (9 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT) followed by Hyperpole at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. EDT) and final practice from 10-11 p.m. (4-5 p.m. EDT).

Davey Euwema & Daniel Lloyd 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