Today’s two hour session was the last time that all 167 cars left on the entry would be able to go out and set qualifying times together.
It didn’t rain heavily like the first Qualifying session, but the track was still very greasy and wet in places. So for the first hour and a half, not much changed on the screens as the lap times were barely under nine minutes. There was a flurry of quicker times though at the end of the two hours, providing some excitement ahead of the shootout later.
So by the session’s end, it was still the #69 Dörr McLaren after Rudi Adam’s lap of 8:18.513 set yesterday. The #4 Phoenix Audi also stayed second three seconds off the MP4-12c’s pace and the #502 Audi Race Experience Audi R8 also remained third.
This session was important for everyone trying to get into the Top 30 session later that didn’t get in any good times yesterday in the dry. The #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage was one of them, and it was touch-and-go right until the end as to whether Stefan Mücke would be able to set a competitive enough time. DSC spoke to him before getting in the car about the state of the car after it’s niggles during Thursday’s first Qualifying session:
“We just had a few little issues, we lost the power steering. Not a big drama but it cost us some track time. We hope to get into the top 30 today,” Mücke said. “The car felt good in practice, it’s definitely good enough for a top ten on pace. Our target is to get to the top 30 qualifying. We hope the track dries now.”
And achieve that target he did. In the end the German managed to get the #007 up to 23rd overall with a time of 8:35.190 in the dying moments, good enough to secure them in a spot for the shootout. The boys will be pleased, their chances of a pole position are still well and truly alive after their great performance last year which saw them take a front row spot for the race.
Mücke was also quick to point out that after some running in the rain last night that the Michelin tyres which Aston Martin are not accustomed to with their GT3 car, are much improved over last year:
“The Michelins are alright [in the wet]. We haven’t done a lot with the Michelins but they felt good all the same. It’s hotter than last year so we struggled, but this year the ambient temperature is higher. A much better situation for us overall,” he added.
Another car which needed to get some laps in was the #1 Black Falcon Mercedes SLS. Reigning N24 champion Jeroen Bleekemolen managed to get his first laps in during the two hours in the car. The car is repaired from yesterday’s big off at Turn 1 and Bleekemolen is pleased with the position they find themselves in ahead of tomorrow’s race despite the early setback:
“Yeah the car is definitely all fine,” he told DSC. “It was unfortunate to have an accident right away in practice so we didn’t get many laps in. But the car feels good, the issue is that we don’t know where we stand, we don’t know out ceiling. It’s a little tricky like this, I guess we will see in the race. But I feel pretty confident.
“I have done two laps today, and it’s tricky, it changes so much from lap to lap and sometimes it rains harder here and then in the back end its the opposite. You never know what to expect, typical Nürburgring.
“We are already qualified for the top 30 though, which is helpful because it doesn’t matter what we do now. We don’t care, we’re just trying tyres, different compounds for the conditions. The SLS is a very easy car to drive so in tough conditions, it’s a good car to have.”
The #1 ended up 29th with a time of 8:37.811 at the end of the session.
Out of the main SP9 runners, the most notable improvement in the session came from the #10 Prosperia Abt Audi with Christopher Mies, Christer Jöns, Niclas Kentenich and Dominik Schwager driving. A great lap of 8:24.023 moved them up from 18th spot to 5th overall.
Falken Tyre Motorsports are as usual there or thereabouts on pace, and with Peter Dumbreck and Alex Imperatori having the day off today, the driving duties are being split between Wolf Henzler and Martin Ragginer. The task at hand hasn’t fazed either of the them though, as they sit sixth overall ahead of the shootout with a car they are confident with.
Ragginer, who is back for a fourth 24 Hours with the team, told DSC that the team are in good shape, even without much running in the dry:
“It’s difficult right now, there are a lot of dry parts on the GP circuit, so you put on slicks and then realise it’s really wet at some parts out there,” he said. “We will have to wait and see what happens with the conditions. In the top 30 qualifying later we are hopeful, we are not that bad, we have good speed. If everything goes well we think we can get to the top 10. The Falken tyres, as always are good in the wet as well, so the conditions don’t worry us.”
For all the runners outside the top 30, their grid spaces are decided, for the top 30 cars, the most important part of qualifying is yet to come. Tune into Radio Le Mans at 17:10 local time to keep up with the action in the Top 30 Shootout to decided the grid for the front end of the huge entry here at the Ring.
