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Audi Presents Petit Le Mans

06/10/2001

Bombay Calling

Morse On Brabs In Qualifying

© Kerry Morse

"They percept it one way and I percept it different". The remarkable Steve Soper in answer to a reporters question once spoke these unforgettable words. They also apply to the events on track during Friday's qualifying sessions for Petit Le Mans. I have never felt comfortable hammering away on my laptop recapping events of the past hours to make a deadline. I have great respect for those few that can and make it memorable. (Hey, how many Mike Cotton's are out there? No, not you Stuball.) My sorting process usually is taking everything in to account and looking for a few details that might give some answer as to how it will turn out or what caused it to get there. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't matter. I left after final qualifying to meet up with John Brooks and have a few large Bombay and tonics. Brooksie had been camped out at the various stations of the cross and was pretty upbeat about what he had shot. How upbeat? He bought the drinks. This is a rare occasion as it usually amounts to us passing the bill back and forth for about an hour. I insist you pay followed by let us not stand on ceremony. Brooksie can usually tell who is fast and who is crazed by the years he has focused his lens on certain corners. Sometimes that extra straight line speed is washed out by not setting up for the next turn. So what does this all mean you might ask?

I'll tell you: David Brabham is the best sportscar driver in the world right now. Only Allan McNish maybe better but as he is not here, Nishy is not eligible.

The Panoz LMP1 Roadster S should not be close to the factory Audi squad. They were not close last year and yet Brabham with an immensely motivated Jan Magnussen are not only pushing the Joest ringmeisters, they are constantly ahead of the two Audi R8's that dominated last season. Joest has very good disciplined drivers; the two ex-werks cars sold to Johansson and Champion are run by solid teams. Panoz by all accounts, were a disaster from the start of the year with the poorly executed 07. Morale hit a low, and like in all major sports, someone has to take the fall. The exit of Dave Price and the reintroduction of the LMP-1s was not a coincidence. Pricey had pushed for their return long before Le Mans. Brabs and Mags were reunited with their old mount at Sears and quickly turned the season around. For themselves, for Panoz, for the team, for the series and most of all, for the fans.

Watching Johnny Herbert over the last few races makes it clear that Herbert stayed in Formula 1 took long and David Brabham was not in F1 long enough. Herbert does not have the feel yet for a car like the R8, his drives have not been smooth and lack the consistency of the factory Joest team. Johansson is more of a mystery. Five races with Patrick Lemarie have not proven much as competition in the ELMS prototype category was sadly non-existent. The best drive of the year in the Gulf R8 was Donnington as Johansson's other driver, Guy Smith, put a great pass on Pirro to take over 2nd. Add a 4th at Sebring and that sums up their fortunes. Toss in the fact that the Johansson Audi is the same chassis that McNish dominated in last season.

What would it be like if Brabs and Mags were in a "customer" Audi. Faster than the Joest boys now? I doubt it. And only a fool would expect them to be. Can they beat them with the Panoz? Sometimes, but the chances improve with the weapon being the LMP1 instead of another Audi. Mistakes can happen when you have an angry dog snapping at your heels. And that is where the battle will be fought. David Brabham cannot control the mechanical destiny of his Panoz, but he can carry the fight. Brabs qualifying lap may not have put him on pole but proved there are still times when, in this age of electronic manipulation, man can conquer machine.

Will the Panoz be atop the podium after a thousand miles? The odds are against it but count on David Brabham and Jan Magnussen making damn sure who ever gets there, had to earn it.