1st qualifying: Peugeot 1st but Audi takes a hit..

This was the first full qualifying session and it will begin to possibly affect grid positions. There is a chance of rain tomorrow (Thursday) so it was important that teams posted some competitive times as well as making sure all their drivers had qualified for the race.

Three teams will have their work cut out to make tomorrows final qualifying. Most important of which is Audi. They have a big repair job getting the #1 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 TDI back into shape after an unfortunate accident when Romain Dumas came upon the stricken #60 Gulf AMR Middle East Aston Martin broadside across the track in the dark. Neither Dumas not Goethe were injured but the red flags came out and the session was delayed. Right at the end of the session the #42 Strakka Racing HPD ARX 01D had a major 'off' at the Dunlop Curves with Nick Leventis driving. It was a big impact that ripped a large part of the rear of the car off, but Leventis was OK.

The traditional 'see who can get to the top of qualifying' battle looked to be well fired up but unlike free practice it was the #8 Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 308 that emerged 0.906 secs ahead of the nearest Audi. Dr Ulrich however told everybody that Audi were not really trying and there was more to come and that Audi were not worried..after all they did fill the next three places ahead of Peugeot.

Despite crashing out the #42 Strakka Racing car leads LMP2 ahead of the #26 Signatech Nissan.in 3rd place is the Team Oreca Matmut Oreca 03 Nissan. In LM GTE Pro category BMW lead with the #56 BMW GT ahead of the ##51 AF Corse Srl Ferrari 458 Italia driven by ex Formula star Giancarlo Fisichella and then the normally laid back American Corvette team who tend to take a while to 'warm up'. In LM GTE Am the stunningly painted #81 Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche 911 RSR is just behind the similar Labre Competition car #70.

It was a thrilling session spoiled by damage to two front running cars ..

Has it really been a year since the last Le Mans?

I suspect if you look back over the years there is a chance we have said this before “ Has it really been a year since the last Le Mans?” I have checked the calendar and it really was a year ago!

Your CA team are nearly all in place, just a chap called Steve Carr is coming tomorrow. But we have had one bit of bad news, Janice Minton, isn’t at all well and for the first time in years she won’t be with us, she is resting in UK. Hubby Paul is coming down to look after things. We will miss her. Over the years she has become an integral part of Le Mans. Starting in the late eighties with Radio Le Mans in the pit lane with a microphone. It fair to say that very few people could bounce upto a team manager, who looked very stressed, and ask if the black runny stuff under the car was important... and get away with it .. she could even get the grandstands cheering ! Then in 2003, when looking after Nasamax, she won the Laureat du Prix de la Communication’. That is an important honour awarded to the top PR team each year. She is having a tough time and we all wish her well.

To be fair not a lot happens here on Tuesday. The ‘Pesage’ ( weighing and checking) is all done and dusted. The Peugeot drivers all arrived on eco-friendly bikes having ridden about 130 kms from Chartres. It rained on Sunday but by Monday Le Place de Jacobins was heaving and maybe even busier that last year. You will see from the ACO website that Tony and Le Grand Fromage actually found lots to write about and plenty of drivers to interview. They couldn’t stop talking and thinking about Miss Le Mans 2011, who is apparently about 7’0” tall, made up entirely of legs and gorgeous. We will try and find a picture for you ( and me!)

There was a whiff of a rumour that one of the ‘petrol’ teams was going to formally protest about the diesels but what could have been a hot story never happened. Pity really because that would have been quite a lively debate.

There are few question marks hovering around the Aston Martins. The problem seems to lie with their engines or rather lack of engines that retrun to component form under pressure. (Like getting out of the pit lane! They are having all kinds of problems and they reckon that starting on the same lap as everybody else might be a step in the right direction!

The Oreca Swiss Hytech Hybrid N°5 was leaking some kind of fluid , maybe battery acid. Otherwise it was all pretty non-controversial..

Bring it on !!