The 80th Le Mans 24 Hours 2012

**ioan** · 16th Jun 12, 20:56

Originally Posted by truefan72

stupid nakajima

given a fast car and plenty of laps behind the SC to get warmed up and still manages to drive recklessly, causing body damage, bumping into the delta wing and pretty much undoing all the work wurz and lapier did to get this car into the #1 spot. Davidson is fine. Shocked and suffering some mild back pain and other dings, but overall he's ok.

The car was handed over to Nakajima in 2nd place not in 1st.
Can't fault Nakajima for a nudge when they were all over each other after the restart trying to get around the lapped cars, like the Delta Wing for example.
More like why the F did it take the Toyota mechanics 2 minutes to figure out how to remove the rear of the car?!
The good part is that the car is fast in racing trim, but then again their stints are also 1 lap shorter then those of Audi.
There's work left to do for next year.

**AndyRAC** · 16th Jun 12, 21:24

Well that's it - back to the Audi demonstration run. Not sure that's what the race needed...Again!!
However, there's plenty of promise for Toyota, still only halfway through the WEC season, so hopefully they'll improve.

The other classes are looking good though, so may yet stay up to watch it.

**BleAivano** · 16th Jun 12, 21:40

C'mon ioan it was more then a nudge.

Naka had cars infront of him and the DW to the right. The DW could not go any further out or it would have gone off.

Naka just throws his car into the corner and then changes his race line to the right where the DW already was.

Naka should have backed off until after the bend. Its a 24 hour race and this was just stupid and reckless.

**truefan72** · 16th Jun 12, 21:42

Originally Posted by ioan

Well, that was it. Toyota No 8 crashed, and no 7 has lost about 5 laps already and still in the pits.
This has got Audi 1 2 3 written all over it. Also Live timing is dead so I can go to sleep now.

yup game over

until 2013 then
still don't understand why Peugeot pulled out,
I'm about to shut down the speed tv live stream myself
no point in watching an audi procession for the next 16 hours

**ioan** · 16th Jun 12, 21:43

Originally Posted by BleAivano

C'mon ioan it was more then a nudge.

Naka had cars infront of him and the DW to the right. The DW could not go any further out or it would have gone off.

Naka just throws his car into the corner and then changes his race line to the right where the DW already was.

Naka should have backed off until after the bend. Its a 24 hour race and this was just stupid and reckless.

Sure Nakajima should have done this and that and third and left right and middle.
Nakajima avoided running into the cars ahead of him what about the Delta wing?
It was a racing accident where both might have been able to do better.
Anyway the Toyota doesn't look ready yet.

**ioan** · 16th Jun 12, 21:44

Originally Posted by truefan72

still don't understand why Peugeot pulled out,

All of a sudden management thought that 10 million Euro for a season of racing is too expensive.
In the end it was just an image exercise.

**ioan** · 16th Jun 12, 21:46

Toyota no 7 is out again.
It took them 90 minutes to change an alternator!
Oh wait it didn't even get as far as the pit exit this time.

**ioan** · 16th Jun 12, 21:47

No 7 going back to the garage again! This is getting painful now.

**steveaki13** · 16th Jun 12, 22:01

Originally Posted by ioan

Well, that was it. Toyota No 8 crashed, and no 7 has lost about 5 laps already and still in the pits.
This has got Audi 1 2 3 written all over it. Also Live timing is dead so I can go to sleep now.

Someone should bring in a drag reduction system so people can pass these Audi's

**steveaki13** · 16th Jun 12, 22:03

I have had to be away for about 3 hours. Is there anywhere or anyhow I can get a read through of what has gone on in the last few hours???

**Nem14** · 16th Jun 12, 22:09

Originally Posted by ioan

Man those idiots in Ferrari are at it again.
They took off 2 Audi's last year and now one of the Toyota's can't these damn MFs look in their effin' mirrors?
Let's hope Davidson is OK.

It's the overtaking drivers responsibility to make a safe pass, not the Ferrari driver's responsibility to live in his mirrors.

If anyone screwed up it was Davidson, but yes, lets hope BOTH drivers are OK.

**steveaki13** · 16th Jun 12, 22:27

Also whats the best live timing site?

**ioan** · 16th Jun 12, 22:53

Originally Posted by Nem14

It's the overtaking drivers responsibility to make a safe pass, not the Ferrari driver's responsibility to live in his mirrors.

If anyone screwed up it was Davidson, but yes, lets hope BOTH drivers are OK.

Biggest load of crap posted in this thread! I bet you didn't even see the accident before you posted. LOL
Davidson was level with the Ferrari on the inside of that turn when the Ferrari turned into the Toyota. Also the Ferrari driver acknowledged that he knew that the Toyota was getting close but somehow he didn't know anymore where it was when they had the accident! his spatial awareness is crap, he shouldn't have been on a race track.

**ioan** · 16th Jun 12, 22:56

Originally Posted by aki13

Also whats the best live timing site?

None. They are all taking it from the official site and the one on the official site is playing up all the time.

**big_sw2000** · 16th Jun 12, 23:39

Originally Posted by Nem14

It's the overtaking drivers responsibility to make a safe pass, not the Ferrari driver's responsibility to live in his mirrors.

If anyone screwed up it was Davidson, but yes, lets hope BOTH drivers are OK.

How can you say such dribble.

Davidson did make a safe pass, there was no need for the Ferrari driver to cut to the inside of the corner and hit him.
Personally i think amature drivers gentleman drivers should not be allowed. Thats 3 big crashes now, although you could argue maybe it was Mcnish's fault last year.
I just hope they get rid of them ugly shark fins on the back of the cars, i personally think it caused Davidson to flip this time.

And as for the Toyota Delta wing bump. Easy it was a racing accident, there was no way the Toyota driver could of seen him out there. Rember they are sat low in the cars, almost level with the top of the wheel arch, no way he could of seen him out there.

Steve

**ShiftingGears** · 17th Jun 12, 00:04

Great shame about Toyota. The finishing order of the Audi team really generates no interest from me.

Originally Posted by Nem14

It's the overtaking drivers responsibility to make a safe pass, not the Ferrari driver's responsibility to live in his mirrors.

If anyone screwed up it was Davidson, but yes, lets hope BOTH drivers are OK.

With backmarkers like that Ferrari driver, you'd never get a "safe pass" when there's a corner involved.

**ioan** · 17th Jun 12, 00:44

Originally Posted by big_sw2000

How can you say such dribble.

Davidson did make a safe pass, there was no need for the Ferrari driver to cut to the inside of the corner and hit him.
Personally i think amature drivers gentleman drivers should not be allowed. Thats 3 big crashes now, although you could argue maybe it was Mcnish's fault last year.
I just hope they get rid of them ugly shark fins on the back of the cars, i personally think it caused Davidson to flip this time.

And as for the Toyota Delta wing bump. Easy it was a racing accident, there was no way the Toyota driver could of seen him out there. Rember they are sat low in the cars, almost level with the top of the wheel arch, no way he could of seen him out there.

Steve

Well said!

**Eddaviesf1** · 17th Jun 12, 00:45

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site. Been watching for le mans for the past few hours, shame for Toyota all the cars are now out of the race. The car has been looking really strong.

**ioan** · 17th Jun 12, 00:46

Originally Posted by theugsquirrel

Great shame about Toyota. The finishing order of the Audi team really generates no interest from me.

Same here.

Originally Posted by theugsquirrel

With backmarkers like that Ferrari driver, you'd never get a "safe pass" when there's a corner involved.

IMO with such back-markers you'd be lucky to make a pass on a straight as he obviously was out of his depth, his reactions after the accident are proof he knew that he did a huge mistake, yet he lied during the interview.

**ioan** · 17th Jun 12, 00:52

Well, yes the No 7 is also retired before halfway of the race.
Yet there are a couple of positives for them:
- after 5 hours they were faster then the Audi's
- for a rushed stand in after Peugeot's retirement they did good
- their hybrid technology seems to be better then that of Audi, the differences between the Audi e Tron and the Audi Ultra isn't really that impressive while the Toyota is much faster then the other petrol powered cars.

They'll be back stronger next year.
Audi will probably engineer another win for Kristensen, Capello and McNish, not to mention a probable Audi 1 2 3 4 so I'm off to bed now.