2023-06-08 16:07:30
Toyota with advantages in tire wear?
The long runs in the third practice session showed that Toyota can do several fast laps in a row without the times dropping too much. So it seems like the Japanese have an advantage when it comes to tire wear. This is consistent with the information we have from Ferrari.
Because tire wear is Ferrari’s biggest construction site, believes Antonio Giovinazzi. Compared to Toyota, there is still a lot of catching up to do here – even if this construction site was tackled with determination. “We concentrated on that because that’s not our strength. We saw that in Sebring and Portimao,” says the Italian, looking back on the first two WEC rounds of the season.
“I think we improved at Spa in terms of tire degradation and tire saving for the race,” Gioviannzi acknowledges progress. “Here at Le Mans it’s less of a problem, the track isn’t that aggressive for the tyres, that might be good for us.”
“But that’s not all,” continued Gioviannzi. “We just have to focus on being better at the dismantling, doing everything we can and then going into the 24 hours, reacting as best we can at every moment.”
Third training: Top ten at a glance
1. Ferrari #50 (Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen)
2. Ferrari #51 (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi)
3. Toyota #7 (Conway/Kobayashi/Lopez)
4. Toyota #8 (Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa)
5. Jota-Porsche #38 (Felix da Costa/Stevens/Ye)
6. Porsche #75 (Nasr/Jaminet/Tandy)
7. Action-Express-Cadillac #311 (Derani/Sims/Aitken)
8. Porsche #5 (Cameron/Christensen/Makowiecki)
9. Porsche #6 (Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor)
10. Peugeot #93 (by Resta/Jensen/Vergne)
Ferrari best time endures
It stays the same: The #50 Ferrari (Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen) finishes the third free practice session as fastest, with one 3:26.579 minutes by Giovinazzi. Behind them is the #51 Ferrari (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi), followed by both Toyotas.
The most important of the session at a glance:
– Ferrari with both cars in the lead
– Yellow phase prevents final time hunt
– Toyota with strong long run performance
– Jota as the best-placed Porsche on P5
– (solved) gearbox problems on Ferrari #51
– technical problems on both Peugeot
– NASCAR cars with (technical) difficulties
Green flag!
Not! Two minutes before the regular end of the session, the race control gave the green light once more. However, most teams have withdrawn, so that hardly any improvements can be expected.
Maldonado ( once more) in the gravel
The Panis-Oreca #65 (Maldonado/van der Helm/van Uitert) is stuck in the gravel bed in the area of the first chicane. Manuel Maldonado had already buried his LMP2 racer in the gravel today. Now once more. Just under seven minutes before the end of the session, the race control calls out a full course yellow. This may be the premature end.
Ferrari is in the lead with both cars, because Alessandro Pier Guidi was able to push the #51 Ferrari (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi) up to second position just before the yellow phase began.
Difficulties at Walkenhorst
The Walkenhorst-Ferrari #100 (Hull/Haryanto/Segal) drags itself slowly to the pits. The vehicle had an impact yesterday. Aggravating!
New Ferrari best time!
Almost 15 minutes before the end of the third free practice, the teams seem to be practicing once more for the hyperpole in the evening (from 8 p.m.): Antonio Fuoco burns one in the #50 Ferrari 3:26.579 minutes in the asphalt at the Sarthe!
Button in slow motion
Jenson Button is slowly driving the Hendrick Chevrolet #24 (Johnson/Rockenfeller/Button). After NASCAR was in the pits for the first 2.5 hours, the problems don’t seem to have been solved yet.
There are two other vehicles without timed laps: The WRT-Oreca #31 (Gelael/Habsburg/Frijns) had an accident in the early stages of the session. The TF Sport Aston Martin #777 (Hoshino/Stevenson/Fujii) involved in the violent accident in first free practice is still under repair.
Smoke at the Peugeot #94
The Peugeot #94 (Duval/Menezes/Müller) comes into the pits with the rear smoking and is pushed in backwards. This is where the next problem appears to be. Bitter for the French!
The Glickenhaus #709 (Mailleux/Berthon/Gutierrez) “only” robs through the gravel bed and can continue the journey. However, he also comes to the pits to be checked.
What do the long runs say?
We take a look at the times clocked in this session and see that Toyota is doing the best job so far. The Japanese can also shine several laps in a row with times around 3:20 minutes, while the competition (with the exception of Giovinazzi) is mostly above that.
Toyota
Hirakawa (#8) 3:29-3:30-3:32-3:31
Conway (#7) 3:29 – 3:30 – 3:29 – 3:30
Hartley (#8) 3:27 – 3:29 – 3:32 – 3:29 – 3:28 – 3:28
Ferrari
Molina (#50) 3:32 – 3:35 – 3:28
Nielsen (#50) 3:31 – 3:30
Giovinazzi (#51) 3:29 – 3:29 – 3:29 – 3:30 – 3:28 – 3:29
Porsche
Tandy (#75) 3:33 – 3:30 – 3:32 – 3:30
Cameron (#5) 3:29 – 3:31
Tandy (#75) 3:32 – 3:33 – 3:31
Stevens (Jota #38) 3:31 – 3:32 – 3:34 – 3:30
Peugeot
Menezes (#94) 3:30 – 3:31 – 3:32 – 3:30
Jensen (#93) 3:30 – 3:30 – 3:32 – 3:32
Cadillac appears to have been running fresh tires in preparation for the Hyperpole.
Cadillac
Aitken (#311) 3:30 – 3:28 – 3:28
Ferrari #51 chasing times
One hour before the end of the third practice session, the #51 Ferrari (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi) also takes to the track. The work is complete. We don’t know whether the late entry into the session was planned or whether there might have been problems. Antonio Giovinazzi starts his first lap with a time of 8:29 minutes.
Jota as an insider tip?
Incidentally, the strongest force behind the two Toyota cars is the Jota Porsche #38 (Felix da Costa/Stevens/Ye). Yes, that’s right: The customer team is currently faster than the three Penske factory cars. That doesn’t have to mean anything for the race, but it would be a great success for the small private team, who call themselves the “team from the farm” (read more here!).
© Motorsport Images
Where is Ferrari?
Half time in the third free practice and we ask ourselves: where is Ferrari? The Ferrari #50 (Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen) is still in fourth position, but the gap to the leading Toyota is more than 0.7 seconds. The sister car, the Ferrari #51 (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi), didn’t even come out of the pits today. Are there technical difficulties here too?
Problems with the NASCAR racer?
If you are wondering why there are no pictures or information on the Hendrick Chevrolet #24 (Johnson/Rockenfeller/Button) today – the answer is simple: NASCAR is still in the pits and has not driven a lap. We’ll stay tuned to see if there are any issues.
Next in the gravel
This time it was the Nielsen-Oreca #14 (Sales/Beche/Hanley) who made a spectacular takeoff on the tarmac in the Mulsanne. Could have been a brake defect – but it doesn’t have to be. In any case, the speed at which the LMP2 car flew into the gravel bed was pretty high.
Maldonado im Kies
We already know this headline from Formula 1. This time, however, it is not Pastor Maldonado but Manuel Maldonado who parks his Panis-Oreca #65 (Maldonado/van der Helm/van Uitert) in the French gravel. The next slow zone, the field has to slow down once more.
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