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The main focus for the team in Spain was to conduct their second endurance run of the LMP1 car, their first endurance test having taken place at the Paul Ricard circuit in the South of France back in February. 

Testing began with a development program running the new aerodynamic package and updated hybrid system; the team continued on Wednesday morning with the scheduled 30 hour long-distance run.   

The three drivers of the #7 car, Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima, as well as Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi, who will drive the #8 car at the Le Mans 24 Hours, took turns behind the wheel.   

Davidson was driving the Japanese hybrid prototype for the first time, although he was already familiar with the car’s characteristics having completed numerous sessions in the driving simulator at Toyota’s Motorsport base in Cologne. This week’s test was important for the team as they prepare for Le Mans which will also mark the TS030’s racing debut. 

As well as working on performance and reliability, the three days were also used for Michelin tire testing. The test provided an opportunity as well for the mechanics and drivers to practice pit-stops before and during the endurance test, in simulated race conditions. 

Later this month Toyota will conduct a final test before moving on to the Le Mans test and race, where two cars will be entered in the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). 

Post test quotes: 

Pascal Vasselon, Technical Director 

“MotorLand is representative of Le Mans circuit in terms of track layout, asphalt characteristics and weather conditions. Therefore, we have been able to evaluate several options on our new bodywork and develop it with the Le Mans 24 Hours in mind. Adding to that, we continue our work on the assessment of Michelin’s tyre range to ensure we can cover all kinds of temperature and track conditions.” 

“The endurance test has not been as smooth as we expected. We had a couple of issues but we fixed them to achieve a reasonable mileage. Step by step, we are close to having a car capable to do a 24-hour race. After such a long time without being on track, I am pleased to see that both team and car have made a real step forward. Even if we would have liked to hit the track in the past weeks, we have used this time as a benefit.” 

Hisatake Murata, Hybrid Project Leader 

“We have been running on a challenging track, with lot of G-forces, vibrations and high temperatures, which is really good for testing our Toyota Hybrid System - Racing powertrain before Le Mans. We could compile a lot of data. Before coming to this test, we had not validated all the specs of the THS-R; this helps us to finalize it. All the updates are positive, including during the pit stop where we have seen how our system is a benefit for the restart as we quickly reach the speed limit. Day by day, test after test, we make good progress.” 

Alex Wurz

“I concentrated on development and, as a driver, I am happy because I could really push. We had a strong aero program, on different parts, and we also worked on the traction control, the hybrid system and on the set up in general. This was a good test which helps us to understand more the new aero package and this clearly marks a big step forward. We are going in the right direction but we still need to push hard and we keep on pushing.”

Nicolas Lapierre

“This test has been interesting. We run by a high temperature on a demanding track, including for tires. We had some issues but the goal of this kind of testing session is also to discover it. We have been able to test our new bodywork by a high level of speed, so we can see the level of downforce and drag. We have made good progress on this point. We also made pit-stop training, which is important.”

Kazuki Nakajima

“MotorLand Aragon was a completely new track for us and, as a driver, not an easy circuit. It was really a big challenge. With the new aero package, we have made good progress. We have a good level of downforce and we found that we can improve on some areas. We had some problems but we fixed them: we are still in a learning program but at each test, we continue to go forward, so it is positive.”

Anthony Davidson

“For my first time at the wheel of the TS030 Hybrid, I felt confident very quickly. I really enjoyed my first experience with the Hybrid technology. The start procedure, with only the electric motor, is quite amazing! The car is good, with a lot of grip and it performs well in the slow corner: It’s very agile. This is the first step with our new aero package and I think we have a strong potential.”

Sébastien Buemi

“I am happy to have been back with the TS030 Hybrid and I have covered a lot of kilometers. I am now more used to the driving of a LMP1. We have still some parameters to set, but all the team is working hard and we move on in a good way. Team spirit is good. The car has really been enhanced since our last test, especially on the downforce. We also improve some details which will be crucial in a race like Le Mans.”

 Two-time Bonneville Land Speed Record Holder Valerie Thompson will present the new special edition Viper Diamondback motorcycle at Dana Mecum's 25th Original Spring Classic Car Auction on May 16^th in Indianapolis.    

The Diamondback is built in Auburn Alabama by premium U.S. boutique manufacturer Viper Motorcycles.  After 8 years of design and testing, Viper claim the Diamondback “is the world’s fastest production V-Twin Supercruiser.” 

Viper state the Diamondback offers the handling characteristics of a Sportbike due to it's patented “on-the-fly” adjustable air-ride suspension and runs 20% cooler than standard air-cooled V-Twins. 

Powered by a proprietary 152 C.I. Viper/Ilmor engine that produces 165 ft. lbs. of torque while delivering 130hp to the rear wheel. With fully adjustable forward controls allowing a customizable riding position, the bike was designed to fit a wide size range of riders from 5'3" to 6'7". 

Viper Motorcycles VP Marketing & Race Operations Colbert Seagraves said Thomson was a natural fit to host the Diamondback’s presentation. 

“We felt it was appropriate to have one of the world’s fastest females present the world’s fastest Supercruiser at the world's largest collector car auction. Valerie has extensive experience presenting vehicles at the best auctions in the country and is a real crowd favorite. We expect the bike and Valerie to be a big hit at the Spring Classic. We told her she will be known as the “Viper Vixen” after successfully presenting the Special Edition Diamondback.” 

Valerie Thompson is the Owner/Driver of the Martech Services Company land speed racing motorcycle team and currently holds two speed records at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats. 

Thompson’s 201 mph run at the 9th Annual BUB Speed Trials outperformed all other BMW’s at the event. As well as land speed racing, Thompson has competed in the All Harley Drag Racing Association and the National Hot Rod Association. 

Valerie was recently chosen to test pilot the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger designed to better the “World’s Fastest Female Record” of 512 mph. If successful, she will officially become the “World’s Fastest Female.”

Toyota and Audi resumed their on-track rivalry albeit on different tracks, on different days and in different countries. 

Friday saw Toyota recommence testing of their TS030 Hybrid LMP1 following the April 4^th crash which forced the team to build an all new chassis and miss valuable track time. 

Team drivers Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre completed a total of 81 laps at the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit, former home of the French Formula One Grand Prix, conducting a trouble-free  “functionality test.” 

The new chassis features planned upgrades to the prototypes aerodynamics and hybrid system intended for the car’s first race at the Le Mans 24 hours in June where they will face Audi’s armada of R18 e-tron Quattro hybrid’s and R18 Ultra’s.   

Talking of Audi, having locked out the front two rows of the grid in qualifying at the WEC’s second round at Spa on Friday, Saturday’s 6-hour race saw a thrilling intra-team battle for victory at the historic Belgium circuit. 

Starting on a wet track, the two R18 e-tron quattro hybrid sportscars initially dominated the action. André Lotterer in the #1 e-tron quattro took the lead from Tom Kristensen in the #2 hybrid sister car after only a few laps. 

Lotterer gained an almost one-minute advantage over the best non hybrid, diesel powered Audi R18 ultra, car #3 driven by Marc Gené. At the end of the first hour, two factors caused a preliminary decision. On a drying track, Gené at the first pit stop was the only Audi to switch to slicks while the other drivers took on intermediates. 

Consequently, Audi’s new Spanish driver was up to four seconds quicker than the rest on the 7.004-kilometer track. At the same time, the #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro was forced to have the hood replaced due to a malfunction of the front lighting system which caused Tom Kristensen to lose almost a minute.
 
Thanks to their inspired tire choice Marc Gené and Loïc Duval converted a gap of around one minute into an advantage during the course of 37 race laps. On lap 63, Duval took the lead that car #3 would keep through to the finish. 

Gené, who is standing in for the injured Timo Bernhard as a reserve driver, completed a brilliant debut for Audi. Following his successes in 2008 and 2011, the Spaniard celebrated his third sportscar victory at Spa.
 
Behind second placed Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer were Marco Bonanomi/Oliver Jarvis in the other Audi R18 Ultra; both finished their sportscar debut in the Audi factory team with a respectable podium place.
 
Capello/Kristensen/McNish had to settle for an unfortunate fourth place but did not leave Spa empty-handed. Allan McNish scored a maiden pole on Friday with the R18 e-tron quattro hybrid and in the World Championship standings the Sebring winners are now ranked runners-up with 38 points. The new leaders are now Romain Dumas and Loïc Duval with 43 points. 

Behind the Audi quartet, the two Lola-Toyotas of Rebellion Racing finished line astern in fifth and sixth. No change at the top of the LMP2, LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am: the final ranking reflected the standings after five hours of racing. The Zytek-Nissan #38 of Jota in LMP2, which finished just 6 seconds ahead of the #25 ADR-Delta Oreca Nissan after a late stop go penalty for exceeding the pitlane limit. 

The Porsche #77 of Felbermayr-Proton in LMGTE Pro clinched victory by just 0.6 seconds over the #51 AF Corse Ferrari at the chequered flag. The Porsche #67 of IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche claimed a double GTE win for the German manufacturer, finishing where they started 6 hours earlier at the front of the LMGTE Am field.

Audi team post race quotes:

 
Dieter Gass (Head of Racing Commitments): "We’re very happy with this result. On the whole, it couldn’t have gone any better, even though the situation became a bit unpredictable toward the end. We suffered punctures on two cars because obviously after the numerous accidents some sharp debris was on the track. Technically, the cars ran without any problems throughout the six hours. That was an important step in our preparation for Le Mans. I want to thank the squad after a very tough preparation period. This is the nicest reward one could wish for."
 
Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): "We celebrated a 1-2-3-4 victory and learned a lot with the four cars and different tire strategies. Our four cars finished without any technical problems. Audi’s decision to opt for two concepts proved to be right. The R18 e-tron quattro is a strong car but the R18 ultra, too, has certain advantages. But there’ll be quite a few more things coming with the R18 e-tron quattro in the future. This was the first race with the hybrid car that ultimately finished in second and fourth place. ‘Well done’ to the winners Romain Dumas, Loïc Duval and Marc Gené and to Oliver Jarvis and Marco Bonanomi too, who drove their first races without making the slightest mistake. It was a good dress rehearsal for Le Mans. I want to thank the squad in these tough and very busy days."
 
Romain Dumas (Audi R18 ultra #3): "We had a perfect race. My team-mates and our squad showed a brilliant performance. Our strategy was right on the mark and our fuel consumption was low. That paid off. That way, we increased our advantage. The tires were very good, that’s why I opted not to change tires in the end. That was another reason for our success."
 
Loïc Duval (Audi R18 ultra #3): "Today, we experienced a surprise. This was only my second race with Audi but already my first victory. As always, there wasn’t a single problem when I’m sitting in an Audi. The conditions were very difficult in the beginning but the car was fantastic. We had no problems whatsoever. It’s a nice result for Audi to finish on positions one, two, three and four. I’m very happy to be on the very top of the podium."

Marc Gené (Audi R18 ultra #3): "That was incredible. More was not possible today. Life is full of surprises. On my debut with Audi I clinched my third personal victory at Spa. It was an honest win in difficult conditions. As a driver team, we were well matched; the engineers, the team and the car were perfect. I never believed in taking victory. My goal had been a podium finish."
 
Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "Sincere congratulations to Audi and car number "3" on taking victory. They did a perfect job and made their decisions at exactly the right moment. We had the pace for winning. A key point in time was a safety car period that separated us from the cars in front and caused us to lose ground from a 15 to a 50 second gap. It was difficult to make up such a gap. After my pit stop a wheel locked once when I hit the brakes. Afterward there were heavy vibrations and I was no longer in contention for victory. I secured second place in order to score important points for the World Championship. To avoid a puncture I had new wheels fitted just to be on the safe side."
 
André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "A fantastic race for Audi with a 1-2-3-4 victory. When I was sitting in the car at the beginning of the race in the rain I particularly enjoyed the technology of the R18 e-tron quattro. Even though the technology is brand new it functioned superbly. Unfortunately, we didn’t keep the lead but we’re still in a learning phase. On the whole, though, it was a nice beginning before the really big challenge, the Le Mans 24 Hours."

Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "Second place on the debut of the hybrid vehicle is a good result. The car was running absolutely perfectly - a good sign for the future. Our Audi R18 e-tron quattro was really very good in the rain. When track was drying off and I was in the cockpit the car developed a tendency to understeer. That cost us a lot of time in the battle with car number "3." But we’re only at the beginning with this new concept."
 
Marco Bonanomi (Audi R18 ultra #4): "It was really a great race. This was my first one in an Audi sports prototype, so I can’t expect any more than this. Yesterday, we were second in qualifying and today we finished in third place. The race was very difficult. In the beginning it was pretty wet and then the tarmac dried off more and more. Oliver and I were very quick in all conditions. The pit crew did tremendous stops. Unfortunately, we struck by misfortune during the first safety car period and lost one lap at the red lights at the end of the pit lane."
 
Oliver Jarvis (Audi R18 ultra #4): "A great day. The most important thing was to not make any mistakes and to complete as many kilometers as possible. We may be inexperienced but the pace was there. Now the wish remains to finish on the podium at Le Mans as well - maybe we’ll even move up a bit more."

Dindo Capello (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): "A tremendous result on the whole. For the first time, Audi occupied the top four places. Sincere congratulations to the winners, but I’m hoping that it won’t be too long before an Audi R18 e-tron quattro wins for the first time. Audi did a superb job of competing here with four cars and clinching a 1-2-3-4 victory. In our car, my task was to drive three stints with the tires to test them for Le Mans. But after my last stop the tires heavily degraded and I had increasingly heavy understeer - which caused me to lose more and more speed. This phenomenon increased further in traffic. When I was driving alone it was okay. I think that the cause is not to be found in the tires but in our set-up."
 
Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): "This was an outstanding race for Audi with four new cars. Unfortunately, it didn’t go optimally for our driver team. But particularly in the rain our performance was remarkable. Things were going well on a dry track too but a few minor things caused us to lose ground. We had to change the front hood because the left headlight wasn’t working. Then we received a stop-and-go penalty. Our tire strategy was relatively conservative. But on the way to the finish we gathered a lot of valuable data and findings. ‘Well done’ to the three cars in front of us on the podium. Coming up next, in June, will be the pre-test for the Le Mans 24 Hours. We’ve been looking forward to the big race two weeks later for a long time."

Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): "A very sincere ‘well done’ to our victorious team-mates. They were very good today. Spa is always unpredictable and so the weather today was critical again. It was also clear that we’re experiencing a learning curve with the R18 e-tron quattro and at the moment we’re just at the beginning of it. We’ve still got to improve balance and thus the consistency of the tires. Two or three minor changes in the race didn’t help us either. But that’s the way it goes sometimes. Today was totally different from yesterday when we managed to set the fastest time in qualifying."
 
Race results
 
1 Dumas/Duval/Gené (Audi R18 ultra), 160 laps in 6h 00.22m708s
2 Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) + 46.801s
3 Bonanomi/Jarvis (Audi R18 ultra) - 1 lap
4 Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) - 1 lap
5 Prost/Jani/Heidfeld (Lola-Toyota) - 4 laps
6 Belicchi/Primat (Lola-Toyota) - 5 laps
7 Leventis/Watts/Kane (HPD-Honda) - 6 laps
8 Dolan/Hancock (Zytek-Nissan) - 9 laps
9 Martin/Kerr/Graves (Oreca-Nissan) - 9 laps
10 Firth/Hughes/Hartley (Oreca-Nissan) - 9 laps
  

The Scot was the only driver to dip below 2'02'' with his pole winning time stopping the clocks at 2’01’’ 579. McNish, driving car #2, was challenged by teammate Marco Bonanomi driving the #4 R18 Ultra (Audi’s new non-hybrid car) but eventually beat the young Italian, who will be making his race debut with the Ingolstadt marque tomorrow, by more than half a second.

The #1 hybrid driven by Marcel Fässler, which had dominated the free practice sessions, placed 3^rd with Loïc Duval driving the other R18 ultra claiming 4^th. This marks the first time in the 13-year history of Audi’s LMP program that Audi Sport Team Joest will field four cars. 

Rebellion Racing continued their momentum with the best performance of a private team in LMP1. Neel Jani set a time of 2'04'' 234, ahead of Danny Watts and the Strakka HPD, followed by Andrea Belicchi in the second Rebellion Lola-Toyota.

John Martin impressed by taking the LMP2 pole with the blue and white liveried #25 Oreca-Nissan of ADR-Delta. Although he didn’t better the time set by Soheil Ayari in FP2, the young Australian once again demonstrated the pace of the Japanese powered Oreca prototype, while James Rossiter also confirmed the performance of the Lola-Lotus #32 by taking second in class. 

In LMGTE Pro Ferrari locked out the front row, thanks to Frederic Makowiecki for Luxury Racing and Giancarlo Fisichella for AF Corse setting the two best times. Only the French driver was able to go below 2'19'' 770 with the top five in the class covered by just over a second, promising a very tight battle for the race.

Ferrari didn’t make the Pro Am double though as Nicolas Armindo drove the IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche to pole in the LMGTE Am class with the #81 Ferrari of Marco Cioci and #58 of Gunnar Jeannette placing second and third.

QUALIFYING RESULTS:

1 2 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST D. Capello / T. Kristensen / A. McNish Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 M            2:01.579

2 4 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA M. Bonanomi / O. Jarvis Audi R18 Ultra LMP1                                            +0.514

3 1 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST M. Fässler / A. Lotterer / B. Tréluyer Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 M               +0.653

4 3 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST R. Dumas / L. Duval / M. Gené Audi R18 Ultra LMP1 M                                     +1.126

5 12 REBELLION RACING N. Prost / N. Jani / N. Heidfeld Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota LMP1                             +2.655

6 21 STRAKKA RACING N. Leventis / D. Watts / J. Kane HPD ARX 03a - Honda LMP1 M                              +3.057

11 25 ADR-DELTA J. Martin / R. Kerr / T. Graves Oreca 03 - Nissan LMP2                                                      +7.723

28 59 LUXURY RACING F. Makowiecki / J. Melo Ferrari F458 Italia LMGTE Pro M                                         +18.191

33 67 IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT N. Armindo / R. Narac / A. Pons Porsche 911 RSR (997) LMGTE Am M +20.061

SELECT POST QUALIFYING QUOTES:

LMP1 Pole Position - Allan McNish, #2 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro

"First of all today has been quite a big day for Audi because it was the first qualifying for the R18 e-tron quattro and, thankfully, we were able to give it its first milestone pole position. That's something we're particularly proud of because Dindo, Tom and I did exactly the same for the R10 TDI, the first diesel engined car.  So it's nice to have our names linked to that particular fact and with the R10 we were able to go on and take its first victory the following day so we're hoping we can do the same again tomorrow.

"Two laps were enough to get the best out of tyres, so beyond that I don't think we would've been able to go any quicker.  There is a point for pole, which we can't forget about when you come to the end of the championship in China. 

"We've seen over the course of testing that the R18 ultra and e-tron quattro have got pretty much similar performances.  Obviously the main bulk of the car is exactly the same - the aerodynamics, the mechanical set up, the monocoque.  There are subtleties that come with the hybrid set up in weight distribution.  However if you look at the session times over the past two days it has been nip and tuck and I think the difference here is going to be whether you hook up a total lap or not." 

LMP2 Pole Position - John Martin, #25 ADR-Delta Oreca 03-Nissan

"Very pleased. We're a brand new team so this is an amazing result to come to Spa as a new team and put it on pole.  The ADR-Delta boys have done an amazing job this week and pole at Spa doesn't really get much better than that and I'm really looking forward to the race tomorrow. For qualifying we took a bit of aero off to try and make us a bit quicker on the straights and make Eau Rouge a bit more exciting.   

"My first lap wasn't quite good enough but on lap 3 I hooked the lap up to get pole.  In Free Practice we concentrated on heavy fuel loads and hard tyres to see what it's going to be like for the race if it stays dry. Everyone says it’s going to be wet or snowing or something but tomorrow is another day." 

LMGTE Pro Pole Position - Frederic Makowiecki, #59 Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia

"AF Corse is the reference of the GTE Pro category and it is really good for us to be competitive here and at Sebring.  To do a pole position is good for us as we have worked really hard to be consistent and that is why I am confident for the race tomorrow. 

"Now Luxury Racing has the potential to fight against AF Corse, Felbermayr and Aston Martin Racing and this is why this championship is the best in GT and it is really good for us.  We don't have a lot of information of running in wet conditions and we know the Porsche is good in the wet, especially for traction.  However I think we can also be very quick in the wet on this track." 

LMGTE Am Pole Position - Nicolas Armindo, #67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 RSR(997)

"We are hoping for rain tomorrow because for the car it is very good with the rear engine and for myself, I am very confident in the wet.  It will be a long race, 6 hours, and you can make many mistakes in that time in the wet on this track.  The most important thing for us is for myself, my teammates and the team to learn the most for Le Mans.  We decided to leave our run until later, this was our tactic as we had nothing to lose.  We are really pleased to be here as we are a guest team in this race and it is important for use to see where we are against the teams in the WEC.  We had nothing to lose so we could afford to take maximum risk and we are on pole."

Thursday witnessed a couple of firsts as practice got underway for the second round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Audi’s new R18 e-tron Quattro hybrid sportscar will be competing in its first race as the team prepares for the Le Mans 24 hours and the remainder of the WEC season. The Ingolstadt marque will be looking to become the first automaker to take an historic first win at La Sarthe using hybrid technology as will rival Toyota with their TS030 prototype.

Toyota suffered a high-profile setback in testing a few weeks ago when their car was destroyed in a crash at the Paul Ricard circuit. The crash meant the loss of valuable testing time, the time consuming build of a new chassis and the delay in the race debut of the TS030 which will now take place at Le Mans.    

With a new chassis now ready to take to the track tomorrow at the French Magny Cours circuit, Toyota stopped off on route at Spa for a first photo meeting of the TS030 with the Audi e-tron and for both companies to take part in a joint press conference.  

The morning’s first free practice session took place without major incident and it was the R18 e-tron that set the pace with the fastest time achieved by the #1 car. With a lap of 2'04'' 434, Benoit Treluyer demonstrated the new cars speed with the second Audi hybrid slotting inbetween the two conventionally powered R18 Ultra’s, the new version of the R18 prototype for 2012. The two new Lola-Toyotas of Rebellion Racing and the Dome of Pescarolo Team also had a successful track debut. 

The Ferrari #51 of AF Corse set the fastest time in LMGTE Pro with a lap in 2'20''915, in the hands of Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella. Porsche and Aston Martin were not far adrift; Marc Lieb for Felbermayr-Proton and Adrian Fernandez for Aston Martin Racing finishing only a few tenths behind. 

In LMGTE Am however, Porsche took control with a time of 2'23''135 set by Paolo Ruberti and the Felbermayr-Proton team (who are also entered in LMGTE Pro), followed by Nicolas Armindo and IMSA performance Matmut. The Ferrari 458 Italia #81 of AF Corse rounded out the top three.

FREE PRACTICE ONE RESULTS: 

1 1 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST M. Fässler / A. Lotterer / B. Tréluyer Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 M        2:04.434

2 3 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST R. Dumas / L. Duval / M. Gené Audi R18 Ultra LMP1 M                              +0.044

3 2 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST D. Capello / T. Kristensen / A. McNish Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 M     +0.382

4 4 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA M. Bonanomi / O. Jarvis Audi R18 Ultra LMP1 M                                 +0.403

5 13 REBELLION RACING A. Belicchi / H. Primat Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota LMP1 M                               +2.433

6 12 REBELLION RACING N. Prost / N. Jani / N. Heidfeld Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota LMP1 M          +2.615 

The second practice session was shortened after the Lola-Judd of Status GP left the track at the top of Eau Rouge. The Audi hybrid #1 driven by Fässler, Lotterer and Treluyer once again set the fastest time of the session with a lap of 2'03''075. Allan McNish, Oliver Jarvis and Loïc Duval completed the top four, followed by former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld in the Lola-Toyota #12 of Rebellion Racing. 

Olivier Pla led the way in LMP2 with the Morgan-Judd #24 of OAK Racing with a time of 2'10'058, improving by nearly six tenths of the time achieved by Soheil Ayari before the lunch break. The Lola-Judd of Status GP occupied second place, (as it did in first free practice session), before leaving the track. Third was the Oreca-Nissan #26 of Signatech-Nissan driven by Nelson Panciatici, a rookie in endurance racing who has adapted quickly to this new discipline. 

Porsche took control of LMGTE Pro, with factory driver Marc Lieb, who set a time of 2'19''668. The German was the only driver in the class below 2'20 despite repeated efforts of Darren Turner for Aston Martin and Gianmaria Bruni for Ferrari (AF Corse). 

The domination of Porsche in the GT classes was complete by the end of the afternoon, Nicolas Armindo climbing to the front of LMGTE Am for IMSA Performance Matmut with a  2'21'' 874, more than a second ahead of the #70 Corvette of Larbre Competition. The #88 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton was relegated to third having been fastest after the first session. Friday will see a final morning practice session with qualifying in the afternoon.

FREE PRACTICE TWO RESULTS: 

1 1 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST M. Fässler / A. Lotterer / B. Tréluyer Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 M               2:03.075

2 2 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST D. Capello / T. Kristensen / A. McNish Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 M           +0.336

3 4 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA M. Bonanomi / O. Jarvis Audi R18 Ultra LMP1 M                                        +0.345

4 3 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST R. Dumas / L. Duval / M. Gené Audi R18 Ultra LMP1 M                                     +0.794

5 12 REBELLION RACING N. Prost / N. Jani / N. Heidfeld Lola B12/60 Coupé - Toyota LMP1 M                         +3.237

6 17 PESCAROLO TEAM S. Bourdais / N. Minassian Dome S102.5 - Judd LMP1 M                                     

+4.438

Ducati are busy preparing for this weekend’s third round of the MotoGP World Championship in Portugal at the Circuito Estoril. 

Despite having the slowest average speed on the Grand Prix calendar, the circuit also includes some very fast sections like Turn 5 which is taken at approximately 200 Km/h (125 mph). 

In twelve premier-class races at the circuit, Valentino Rossi has won five times and scored  additional podium finishes, while teammate Nicky Hayden’s best finish there was a fourth place in 2007. The team will stay at the circuit on Monday for a post-race test.

Pre-race quotes 

VALENTINO ROSSI:

“I like the Estoril track. It has some sections that are a bit tricky and the weather can be very unpredictable, but I like to race there. We had a decent race in Portugal last year with the Ducati, and we hope to do the same this Sunday. The plan is to start on Friday with the setting that we used in the race at Jerez, as I think it has some more potential for us to work toward. We’ll see if we can take a step forward and improve our result somewhat.” 

NICKY HAYDEN:

“There hasn’t been much time since Jerez, which is good, as I enjoy back-to-back races. I rode to Portugal in the motor home, and it was a really short, easy trip. I can’t say that I love or hate Estoril. It’s a tight track with a little bit of everything, and the wind can be challenging. My favourite part is the fast corner in the back, but the rest of it is pretty normal. I’m looking forward to Friday. We’ll see what the weather’s going to be like, as it’s pretty unpredictable here. What we don’t need is exactly what we had in Jerez: mostly wet sessions and then having to go into a dry race. It’s clear we need the whole weekend to try to sort some things out and put up a better fight on Sunday.” 

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI (Team Manager):

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we find conditions in Portugal to be similar to those we left behind at Jerez, but although we went well in the rain there, we hope for a weekend with nice weather this time, which would allow us to take full advantage of all the available track time. The Estoril GP will be important for confirming that we’re on the right path in terms of the GP12’s setup, with both Vale and Nicky. Then on Monday we’ll have a day of post-race testing during which we can make some more checks as we continue our bike’s development.”

ESTORIL CIRCUIT RECORDS 

Lap Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2009), 1:36.937, 155.309 Km/h (96.505 mph)
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2008), 1:35.715, 157.291 Km/h (97.736 mph)
Track Length: 4.182 km (2.599 mi)
2012 MotoGP Race: 28 laps (117.096 km, 72.760 mi)
2012 MotoGP Race Time: 1:00 p.m. local time

2011 Podium: 1st Dani Pedrosa, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Casey Stoner

2011 Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1:37.161 – 298.3 Km/h (185.4 mph)

2011 Fastest Lap: (27th lap) Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 1:37.629 – 154.208 Km/h (95.820 mph)

DUCATI’S RESULTS AT ESTORIL (BEST FINISH)

2011: 5th (Rossi)
2010: 5th (Hayden)
2009: 2nd (Stoner)
2008: 6th (Stoner)
2007: 3rd (Stoner)
2006: 12th (Capirossi)
2005: 5th (Checa)
2004: 7th (Capirossi)
2003: 3rd (Capirossi)

RIDER STATS

VALENTINO ROSSI 

Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP12
Race Number: 46
Age: 33 (born in Pesaro, Italy, 16 February 1979)
Residence: Tavullia (Pesaro, Italy)
Number of GPs: 260 (200 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
First GP: 1996 Malaysian GP (125cc)
Number of Wins: 105 (79 x MotoGP, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP Win: 1996 Czech Republic GP (125cc)
Poles: 59 (49 x MotoGP, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First Pole: 1996 Czech Republic GP (125cc)
World Championships: 9 (6 x MotoGP, 1 x 500cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc)

Rossi’s MotoGP Results at Estoril

2011: Qualifying, 9th; Race, 5th
2010: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 2nd
2009: Qualifying, 2nd; Race, 4th
2008: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 3rd
2007: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 1st
2006: Qualifying, 1st; Race, 2nd
2005: Qualifying, 4th; Race, 2nd
2004: Qualifying, 2nd; Race, 1st
2003: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 1st
2002: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 1st
2001: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 1st
2000: Qualifying, 12th; Race, 3rd

NICKY HAYDEN

Bike: Ducati Team Desmosedici GP12
Race Number: 69
Age: 30 (born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, 30 July 1981)
Residence: Owensboro (Kentucky, USA)
Number of GPs: 153 (153 x MotoGP)
First GP: 2003 Japanese GP (MotoGP)
Number of Wins: 3 (3 x MotoGP)
First GP Win: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
Poles: 5 (5 x MotoGP)
First Pole: 2005 USA GP (MotoGP)
World Championships: 1 (6 x MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden’s MotoGP Results at Estoril

2011: Qualifying, 13th; Race, 9th
2010: Qualifying, 2nd; Race, 5th
2009: Qualifying, 9th; Race, 8th
2008: Qualifying, 4th; Race, DNF
2007: Qualifying, 1st; Race, 4th
2006: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, DNF
2005: Qualifying, 9th; Race, 7th
2004: Qualifying, -; Race, DNS
2003: Qualifying, 15th; Race, 9th

Toyota confirmed Monday they will resume on track testing later this week of their TS030 Hybrid LMP1 prototype.