Petit Le Mans, Free practice 4 : Audi quickest in shortened session

Photo : P.SAIVET - VSC Pictures

In a session shortened by about ten minutes, competitors had free practice this morning. Unlike previous days, it remains moderate at the moment with 23 degree C air temperature and 29 degrees C on the ground, with a welcome breeze.

The one-hour session was punctuated by three red flags. After fifteen minutes, an LM PC came to rest in a potentially dangerous place. After it was recovered, the session resumed for fifteen minutes. OAK Racing #15 thenended up in the styre wall and it took about ten minutes until the green flag was waved again. Finally, an incident involving the LM PC #89 Intersport Racing and the Doran Ford #40 in the first corner put a premature end to the session.

The times recorded yesterday in LM P1 were ot improved upon, and none of the competitors were able to get below the 1'10 mark. Tom Kristensen and his #2 Audi was the fastest with a time of 1'10''179. Audi and Peugeot are very close in laptimes, which promises a tough qualification dash later today.

Jean-Karl Vernay has acquired a taste for the top spot once again by setting the best LM P2 time of the session with the Oreca-Nissan of Signatech in 1'13''906. A 100% French triple in class with Christophe Bouchut in the Level 5 Motorsports Honda and Jacques Nicolet on OAK Racing complete the top 3.

Cécile Bonardel

Photo : BRASELTON (GEORGIA, USA), ROAD ATLANTA, PETIT LE MANS, FREE PRACTCE, 29 SEPT 2011. Audi #2 in the hands of Tom Kristensen was fastest in Friday free practice.