Le Mans Test- 2002 - 05/05/2002   05/05/2002 Bentley Notes   Team Bentley has enjoyed a successful test day at Le Mans, prior to the 24-hour race next month. The Bentley EXP Speed 8 prototype ran faultlessly all day and provided the team with a wealth of information to help optimise the car for the race. Driven by Andy Wallace, Butch Leitzinger and Eric van de Poele, the team concentrated on perfecting the car set-up and tyre testing, while also evaluating the fuel consumption of its new 4-litre Direct Injection Bentley engine. At the end of the day, the EXP Speed 8 recorded a fastest lap of 3min 34.5sec in the hands of Eric, the sixth fastest time of the two four hour sessions. Eric van de Poele: ‘The car is a big step forward in all areas but it feels incredibly fast through the quick corners like those at the Porsche Curves. My quickest lap was clear of traffic but later on I could have gone faster still had I not had to lift for slower cars.’ Butch Leitzinger: ‘The team has made big progress in the last year. Of course the car’s faster but, just as important, it is also easier to drive, more neutral in its handling and very friendly on the limit. The new part of the circuit after the Dunlop Bridge is no problem at all for the Bentley, you don’t even have to lift. The only real significance it is removes a good place for overtaking slower cars.’ Andy Wallace: ‘I drove the car at both ends of the day and could feel the progress we had made. The tyres I had in the last session were ten laps old so there was no chance of improving the time, but the balance of the car felt great.’ Director of Motorsport Brian Gush: ‘On the whole it was a very positive test for us. This is no longer pre-qualifying, and it’s much more important to have a car that runs reliably all day, and in which the drivers have total confidence. Today has also given us the chance to set up the car for the new circuit layout.’ Five times Le Mans winner and Bentley consultant Derek Bell: ‘It was a very strong performance for a heavily revised car with a new engine. You can tell from the faultless reliability that it’s an extremely well engineered car, and over a 24-hour period we’re sure that it’s going to figure extremely strongly.’ Team Manager John Wickham: ‘We’ve completed our entire programme without a hitch and made a step forward with the set-up. The new engine works as well here as we’d hoped, proving not only very powerful, but also extremely flexible, responsive and easy to drive.’ Official website of the Le Mans 24 Hours Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport