The PH Le Mans Form Guide
For all you annoying table enthusiasts...
LMP1
The latest exchange in the on-going turbodiesel war between Audi and Peugeot could result in an even better race than last year's thriller, but watch out for the fastest cars in the unofficial petrol class. Aston Martin Racing, ORECA and Pescarolo will be looking to keep the diesels under pressure at the same time as they bid for 'the best of the rest' spot behind the factory teams.
Team |
PH Says: |
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007 AMR Eastern Europe Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 Tomas Enge (CZ)/Jan Charouz (CZ)/Stefan Mucke (D)
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Expect this car to chase the diesels early in the race |
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008 Aston Martin Racing Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 Darren Turner (GB)/Anthony Davidson (GB)/Jos Verstappen (NL)
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Another potential frontrunner in the 'petrol class' |
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009 Aston Martin Racing Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 Peter Kox (NL)/Stuart Hall (GB)/Harold Primat (CH)
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Third-string Aston has been bolstered by Kox's arrival |
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1 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 TDI Tom Kristensen (DK)/Allan McNish (GB)/Rinaldo Capello (I)
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Who would bet against last year's winners? |
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2 Audi Sport North America Audi R15 TDI Lucas Luhr (D)/Marco Werner (D)/Mike Rockenfeller (D)
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Remains unclear if this car will have pace of other Audis |
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3 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 TDI Timo Bernhard (D)/Romain Dumas (F)/Alexandre Prémat (F)
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On-loan Porsche stars Bernhard and Dumas make this the Audi to watch |
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4 Creation Autosportif Creation-Judd CA07 Jamie Campbell-Walter (GB)/Vanina Ickx (B)/Romain Iannetta (F)
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Glory days are over for little British team |
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6 Team LNT Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S Lawrence Tomlinson (GB)/Richard Dean (GB)/Nigel Moore (GB)
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Moore becomes youngest ever Brit to race at Le Mans at 17 |
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7 Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Nicolas Minassian (F)/Pedro Lamy (P)/Christian Klien (A)
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A potential winner, like all the Pug line-ups |
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8 Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Franck Montagny (F)/Stéphane Sarrazin (F)/Sébastien Bourdais (F)
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All-French crew is the pick of the Peugeot bunch |
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9 Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Marc Gené (E)/Alexander Wurz (A)/David Brabham (AUS)
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This is the most race-savvy of the Peugeot line-ups |
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10 Team Oreca Matmut AIM ORECA-AIM 01 Stephane Ortelli (MC)/Bruno Senna (BR)/Tiago Monteiro (P)
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The legendary Senna name finally arrives at Le Mans |
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11 Team Oreca Matmut AIM ORECA-AIM 01 Olivier Panis (F)/Nicolas Lapierre (F)/Soheil Ayari (F)
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Another potential winner of the unofficial petrol class |
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12 Signature Plus Courage-Judd LC70E Pierre Ragues (F)/Franck Mailleux (F)/Didier André (F)
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Single-seater team makes Le Mans debut |
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13 Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola-Aston Martin B08/60 Andrea Belicchi (I)/Neel Jani (CH)/Nicolas Prost (F)
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Could be up there with the best of the petrols |
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14 Kolles Audi R10 TDI Andre Lotterer (D)/Charles Zwolsman Jr (NL)/Narain Karthikeyan (IND)
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Jury is out on chances of the privateer Audis |
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15 Kolles Audi R10 TDI Christian Bakkerud (DK)/Christijan Albers (NL)/Giorgio Mondini (I)
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Albers should be the fastest Kolles driver |
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16 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo-Judd 01 Bruce Jouanny (F)/João Barbosa (P)/Christophe Tinseau (F)
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Pescarolo could be the fastest petrol car |
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17 Pescarolo Sport Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Simon Pagenaud (F)/Benoît Tréluyer (F)/Jean-Christophe Boullion (F)
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Semi-works 908 bolsters Peugeot's assault |
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23 Strakka Racing Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S Peter Hardman (GB)/Nick Leventis (GB)/Danny Watts (GB)
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Watts can put it up there among the best petrols in qualifying |
LMP2
The customer Porsches run by Team Goh, overall winners with Audi in 2004, and Team Essex start favourite for honours in the secondary prototype class, but there are a handful of rivals that should be able to carry the fight to the German cars. Speedy/Sebah, ASM and Racing Box all have the potential to win the LMP2 division.
Team |
PH Says: |
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5 Navi Team Goh Porsche RS Spyder Sascha Maassen (D)/Seiji Ara (J)/Keisuke Kunimoto (J)
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Only a lack of race experience with the Porsche counts against Goh |
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24 Oak Racing Pescarolo-Mazda 01 Jacque Nicolet (F)/Richard Hein (MC)/Jean-Francois Yvon (F)
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Second-string Oak car isn't a challenger |
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25 RML Lola-Mazda B08/80 Mike Newton (GB)/Thomas Erdos (BR)/Chris Dyson (USA)
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Former P2 winners at Le Mans should be in the mix |
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26 Bruichladdich Bruneau Radical-AER SR9 Marc Rostan (F)/Pierre Bruneau (F)/Tim Greaves (GB)
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Not an outright contender on any count |
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30 Racing Box Lola-Judd B09/60 Matteo Bobbi (I) /Andrea Piccini (I)/Thomas Biagi (I)
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Experienced line-up is a potential class winner |
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31 Team Essex Porsche RS Spyder Emmanuel Collard (F)/Casper Elgaard (DK)/Kristian Poulsen (DK)
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Imbalanced driver-line-up could count against Danish team |
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32 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S Juan Barazi (DK)/Stuart Moseley (GB)/Phil Bennett (GB)
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Could be a contender if car is reliable |
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33 Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola-Judd B08/80 Jonny Kane (GB)/Benjamin Leuenberger (CH)/Xavier Pompidou (F)
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Another likely Porsche challenger |
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35 Oak Racing Pescarolo-Mazda 01 Mathieu Lahaye (F)/Karim Aljani (SYR)/Guillaume Moreau (F)
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The best of the Oak cars has potential |
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39 KSM Lola-Mazda B07/40 Matthew Marsh (GB)/Hideki Noda (J)/Jean de Pourtales (F)
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Plucky German team will be looking for a finish |
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40 Quifel-ASM Team Ginetta Zytek GZ09S Miguel Amaral (P)/Olivier Pla (F)/Guy Smith (GB)
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Expect this car to lead the chase of the Porsches in qualifying at least |
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41 GAC Racing Team Zytek 07S Karim Ojjeh (SAU)/Claude-Yves Gosselin (F)/Philipp Peter (A)
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Former Trading Performance team is back with a decent driver in Peter |
GT1
The Corvette Racing team's 11-year adventure in GT1 comes to its conclusion at Le Mans - and barring an act of God should yield another class victory. The American team has no opposition after Aston Martin Racing, which beat it to class honours in 2007-08, graduated to LMP1. The Alphand team should get one or other of its privateer Chevys on the podium in this depleted category.
Team |
PH Says: |
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63 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Jan Magnussen (DK)/Johnny O’Connell (USA)/Antonio Garcia (E)
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There's little to chose between the two Chevy line-ups |
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64 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Olivier Beretta (MC)/Oliver Gavin (GB)/Marcel Fässler (CH)
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The 'Ollies' - Beretta and Gavin - are both multiple GT1 winners at Le Mans |
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66 Jetalliance Racing Aston Martin DBR9 Lukas Lichtner-Hoyer (A)/Thomas Gruber (A)/Alex Müller (D)
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Not a challenger once Muller climbs out |
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68 JLOC Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT Marco Apicella (I)/Atsushi Yogo (J)/Koji Yamanishi (J) |
Japanese Lambo team returns to make up the numbers |
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72 Luc Alphand Aventures Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Luc Alphand (F)/Stephan Gregoire (F)/Patrice Goueslard (F)
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Experienced Alphand crew may be better bet for the race |
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73 Luc Alphand Aventures Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Yann Clairay (F)/Xavier Maassen (NL)/Julien Jousse (F)
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Alphand young-guns should lead team's charge in qualifying |
GT2
Porsche aims to get its own back on last year's winner Ferrari with a heavily revised version of its 911 GT3-RSR. The German manufactuer should have the faster car, but Ferrari has the weight in numbers. One Porsche with an all-pro line-up goes up against five top-line Ferraris. Aston Martin and Spyker provide welcome variety in GT2.
Team |
PH Says: |
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70 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Michel Lecourt (F)/Horst Felbermayr Jr (D)/Horst Felbermayr Sr (D)
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Second-string IMSA car won't trouble the class leaders |
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75 Endurance Asia Team Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Darryl O’Young (PRC)/Philippe Hesnault (F)/Plamen Kralev (BG)
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Felbermayr-run car flies the flag for China |
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76 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Raymond Narac (F)/Patrick Pilet (F)/Patrick Long (USA)
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Second best of the Porsches should be right up there |
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77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Marc Lieb (D)/Richard Lietz (A)/Wolf Henzler (D)
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All-factory crew will lead the Porsche challenge |
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78 AF Corse Ferrari 430 GT Gianmaria Bruni (I)/Luis Perez Companc (RA)/Matias Russo (RA)
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Strong assault from FIA GT title winning team |
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80 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Jörg Bergmeister (D)/Darren Law (USA)/Seth Neiman (USA)
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Chances will depend on how much wealthy team owner Neiman drivers |
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81 Team Seattle Advanced Engineering Ferrari 430 GT Joe Foster (USA)/Patrick Dempsey (USA)/Don Kitch Jr (USA)
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Actor Dempsey lives out his dream by racing at Le Mans |
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82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT Jaime Melo (BR)/Pierre Kaffer (D)/Mika Salo (FIN)
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Best of the Ferraris goes for two in a row |
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83 Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT Tracy Krohn (USA)/Nic Jonsson (S)/Eric van der Poele (B)
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A top four would be a result for second Risi car |
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84 Team Modena Ferrari 430 GT Leo Mansell (GB)/Roman Rusinov (RUS)/Pierre Ehret (D)
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Second-generation Mansell makes Le Mans debut |
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85 Snoras Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Laviolette Tom Coronel (NL)/Jarek Janis (CZ)/Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL)
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Improving Spyker won't be on the ultimate pace |
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87 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 Paul Drayson (GB)/Jonny Cocker (GB)/Marino Franchitti (GB)
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Government minister Lord Drayson takes new team to Le Mans |
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89 Hankook-Team Farnbacher Ferrari 430 GT Dominik Farnbacher (D)/Allan Simonsen (DK)/Christian Montanari (RSM)
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Strong team with good driver line-up run unfancied Hankook tyres |
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92 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 430 GT Rob Bell (GB)/Andrew Kirkaldy (GB)/Tim Sugden (GB)
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New British team should be up there with Risi and AF 430s |
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96 Virgo Motorsport Ferrari 430 GT Sean McInerney (GB)/Michael McInerney (GB)/Michael Vergers (NL)
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Little British squad will struggle to repeat last year's form |
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97 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 430 GT Paolo Ruberti (I)/Matteo Malucelli (I)/Fabio Babini (I)
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A good outside bet considering team's recent 24-hour form |
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99 JMB Racing Ferrari 430 GT Christophe Bouchut (F)/Manuel Rodrigues (F)/Yvan Lebon (F)
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Former winner Bouchut shares with two amateurs |
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