LE MANS
Pre Le Mans
-
14/06/2001
 
More TotalMotorSport
Predictions
 
Peter Radcliffe suggests:

Pole position - Martin Brundle, Bentley #7
1st OA and LMP900 - Champion Audi #3
1st LMGTP - Bentley #8 (3rd Overall)
1st LMP675 - Pilbeam #35
1st GTS - Corvette #64
1st GT - Labre Porsche #80
Greatest improver since 2000 - Ascari and Chrysler
Greatest disappointment - Panoz and Cadillac

The Editor goes for:

Pole position - Tom Kristensen, Audi #2
1st OA and LMP900 - Audi #1
1st LMGTP - Bentley #8 (3rd Overall)
1st LMP675 - Roock KnightHawk Lola #32
1st GTS - Corvette #63
1st GT - PK Sport Porsche #76
Greatest improver since 2000 - Ascari
Greatest disappointment - the 675 class

David Legangneux chooses:

Pole position - Martin Brundle, Bentley # 7
(I think about nearly 50/50 with Kristensen. It will of course depend of the traffic, but I think the GTP should be faster than the LMP900 on one lap, because the aerodynamics are better and there no need to be careful with the tyres (narrower in GTP than in LMP) in practice if you try to catch the pole.

OA winner and LMP 900 - Audi # 1
(because of the crew that has won last year at Sebring & Le Mans and because it will be the 1st race of Pescatori with Audi. But of course, it will depend of the numbers of "little" problems on each car (private Audis also), like gearbox changes (very little problem for Audi...), "out of tracks", spins, etc. The Audi that will have the less problems, if they are equally fast, will win.
If I had the right to decide, I will prefer the Champion Audi, because of the colors, because of the very nice team... and because I wear a Champion tee-shirt today).

1st LM GTP - Bentley # 7, 5th overall
(why 7 ? only because this number is more lucky here than the #8...
why 5th ? because I don't remember a big problem recently (2000 & 2001) for an Audi... and even more a retirement... 2/2 in 1999 for the R8R and 3/3 in 2000. Forget the R8C...)

1st LMP 675 - WR # 30
(Not because they are French, but because they should be reliable, they have solved last year's problem (overheating) and because the car is not the fastest but looks easy. I don't think we will see the MGs and the Reynard Judds at the finish line, the ROC Reynard is a complete mystery (no more big sponsor, no more officially Volkswagen, have they done something since the Nurburgring where they weren't bad ?), and the Lola is not reliable (unable to beat the Corvettes at Daytona...))

1st LM GTS - Viper # 58
(Because we don't know anything about Saleens over 24hrs, because the Corvettes were really exhausted and slow during the last hour of this year's Daytona, because of the drivers Bouchut & Belloc and their three wins in FIA-GT so far this year).

1st LM GT - Porsche # 80
(Not because they are French and it's the same team as the Viper # 58, but because I think the fight will be between the # 80 and the # 76 and I know better these drivers. I think 50/50 the chances for these two Porsches).

Greatest improver since 2000 - Chrysler LMP

Greatest disappointment: too many scheduled ! Panoz, MG-Lolas, Judd engines, Cadillacs...Pescarolo Sport ? There is a big risk but I really hope not... nearly praying that they will be successful and lucky again...






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