The Motor Sport Month - Sports Car News

Le Mans set for close battle
Audi and Peugeot were evenly matched at the Le Mans Test Day at the end of April.
Eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen edged out Audi team-mate Mike Rockenfeller to top the times at La Sarthe. The best of the second-generation Peugeot 908s was just two tenths off the pace of the new R18 in the hands of Stephane Sarrazin.

Both teams played down the significance of it and stressed that they did not go for times during the session. “We followed our development programme to the letter,” said Sarrazin.

The test did highlight the gulf in performance differential between the turbodiesel factory cars and the top petrol-powered privateers. The re-formed Pescarolo Team’s Judd-powered LMP1 ended up as best petrol with a time nine seconds off the pace.

*

Aston test raises hopes
Aston Martin Racing believes it has made a “substantial step” with its all-new AMR-One since the Le Mans Test Day.

The two EMP1s were limited to only 15 laps between them due to engine problems. Revisions to the car ahead of a test at the MotorLand Aragon circuit in Spain improved reliability and allowed the team to start refining the set-up.

Factory driver Darren Turner said: “We’ve now started work on performance and the car has come alive.

“At the start, we struggled with the tyres, but at Aragon I didn’t want to get out of the car. That’s a good sign.”

*

GT1 series in the balance
FIA GT1 boss Stephane Ratel will call time on the series unless he has the 2012 grid in place by the summer.
Ratel hopes to have between eight and 12 marques represented by single two-car teams in 2012. He aims to include upgraded GTE and GT3 cars and then use Balance of Performance rules to equalise them.

There is significant interest, according to Ratel, who hopes to get approval at the FIA World Council in June. He will invite entries in July so he can have a complete entry in August when he looks for promoters.

Ratel insisted that the world championship has already established itself and had delivered on his promise of providing close racing on a global platform.

“We have nothing to prove. If the market will not support it, then I’ll stop.”