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FIA WEC Prologue Live Updates

All the major developments and links for the 30-hour test from Paul Ricard

DSC will be providing regular updates, paddock notes and news from the 30 hours of track action at Paul Ricard over the course of the next two days.

You can catch up here though with a regularly updated stream of information and links to relevant content throughout the next couple of days. So keep it bookmarked and keep coming back.

Thursday recap

Yesterday, DSC produced its first set of paddock notes, focusing on the new-look LMP classes. You can catch up with that here.

The DSC editor also spoke to Alex Wurz about the challenges of driving the current set of LMP1 cars, featuring some fascinating insight from the Austrian, who still works for Toyota, assisting the LMP1 programme’s newer drivers.

There were two news snippets too from yesterday, two further drivers signing with CEFC TRSM, and TVR confirming its partnership with Rebellion Racing.

And before signing off for the night, DSC posted its first gallery of shots from the weekend too, Peter May will be snapper duty for DSC throughout this season once again. Take a look at his first set.

Throughout the day on RACER.com meanwhile, DSC’s deputy editor filed an interview with Alex Brundle, who signed with CEFC TRSM for his LMP1 debut ahead of this test, and a full wrap up of the set up day.

And the DSC Editor uploaded a pit walk to YouTube, which is well worth a watch.

Friday as it happens

Just before the track action started, Porsche announced that it will take over the Safety Car contract for the ‘Super Season’, taking over from Audi, which continued to provide the Safety Cars through 2017 despite its LMP1 programme coming to an end. The The Safety Cars, will be specially-prepared Porsche 911 Turbos.

Also, in the fleet will be a Leading Car, Medical Cars and other high-performance vehicles which might be deployed by officials during a race weekend.

DSC also posted a story, featuring all the key storylines to follow during the Prologue, perfect for those of you following along at home.

10:00 am: The cars are now on track – bright sunshine but still cool (13.6 degrees C on the start line gantry).

Both Toyotas turn laps immediately, the #7 in the hands of Mike Conway, #8 with Seb Buemi, Conway in the low downforce #7 down to a 1:36.547.

10:29 am: First look at the timing screens from Ginetta.

10:41 am: Unfortunately, for the early running, followers from afar are without live timing, the system currently down online.

10:45 am: The early pacesetter in LMP2 is none-other than Pastor Maldonado, the Venezuelan in the #31 DragonSpeed ORECA 07 going top in the class with a 1:41.793.

11:06 am: DSC headed down to the pits, and headed to the CEFC TRSM garage, just before #5 Ginetta G60-LT-P1 was fired up for the first time. The CEFC TRSM Racing team aiming to shake it down imminently.

11:10 am: Quick video here of the Jackie Chan DC Racing crew boxing its all-Malaysian crewed #37 ORECA.

11:46 am: Almost two hours have passed. The fastest time so far has come from Seb Buemi in the #8 Toyota TS050 HYBRID, running the high-downforce configuration. Still fastest of the non-hybrid runners is the #6 CEFC TRSM Ginetta G60-LT-P1, Oliver Rowland improving his times in the second hour, his best now a 1:48.9.

The leading LMP2 car, is the #31 DragonSpeed ORECA 07 Gibson, 1:41.793, with Pastor Maldonado shown on screen in the car for that early run.

GTE Pro sees Fords and Porsches running in the top four spots, separated by four tenths. Harry Tincknell has proved fastest so far in the #67 GT, with a 1:52.862, 0.01 of a second faster than the #92 Porsche.

In Am, the #88 Dempsey Proton Porsche tops the times, with a 1:54.511, a tenth up on Jorg Bergmiester’s time in the #56 Project 1 911 RSR.

With 10 minutes to go until the end of the second hour of running, 32 of the 35 cars have run, though the #10 DragonSpeed BR1 is still setting installation laps, this effectively a shakedown for the team’s new car. Still to run, are the second Ginetta, though it has now fired up and both GTE Pro Ferraris.

11:52 am: Here’s a short video from atop the pit building by the DSC Editor, showing off some of the sights and sounds of the 2018 WEC field.

12:00 pm: The timing screens after two hours:

12:17 pm: A look at some improvements down in the GT classes. Olivier Pla has put the #66 Ford atop Pro with a 1:52.746, and Charlie Eastwood on his first run in a WEC session has put the TF Sport Aston Martin second in Am with a 1:54.583.

Elsewhere, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE has begun to set laps, the #71 meanwhile, is still in the garage the team changing gear ratios.

12:55 pm: The only car yet to leave its garage now is the #5 CEFC TRSM Ginetta, the team working on a minor water link, its on-track debut has been pushed back to after lunchtime.

All other cars have set competitive laps now, and notably, all eight of the nine LMP1 cars to set a lap are now above the LMP2 runners.

14:14 pm: In the times, the #7 Toyota has closed the gap to the #8 Toyota at the top, the gap now just 1.3 seconds between them.

There’s a new fastest LMP1 Privateer runner, the #17 SMP BR1 AER Igor Orudzhev at the wheel, putting in a 1:38.85, four tenths up on the #6 CEFC TRSM Ginetta which is now fourth.

LMP2 meanwhile, is still being led by the DragonSpeed ORECA, Pastor Maldonado now back at the wheel, lapping at class-leading pace.

GTE Pro is still all about Porsche and Ford, Richard Lietz now tops the times in the #91 911 RSR with a 1:52.570. Gulf Racing UK makes it Porsche top in both classes, Ben Barker setting a 1:53.769, half a second up on an improved time for the TF Sport Aston Martin, Euan Hankey improving on Charlie Eastwood’s earlier time.

At the bottom of the timing screens, Matt Griffin has been making progress in the last hour, leapfrogging the MR Racing Ferrari. We’re still waiting to see the on-track debut of the #5 Ginetta.

14:39 pm: Aston Martin Racing’s Nicki Thiim has posted a video blog, capturing some behind-the-scenes action from earlier today. Check it out, below:

15:39 pm: The car’s have been out for over five hours now. Here’s a selection of shots from our on-site snapper Peter May, shared by friends over at Travel Destinations.

15:42 pm: A notable improvement in the LMP1 ranks has just come through, Mikhail Aleshin in the #11 SMP Racing BR1 AER going fourth fastest with a 1:38.885, pushing the #6 CEFC TRSM Ginetta down to fifth, and making it Toyota, Toyota, SMP, SMP at the top.

And further down the order, Bruno Senna moves the #1 Rebellion R-13 to sixth, ahead of the #10 DragonSpeed BR1 and ByKolles CLM, the Brazillian managing a 1:39.183.

15:59 pm: Live Timing appears to be functional now. Follow along HERE

16:00 pm: After six hours of running, here’s a look at the top timing screen:

16:46 pm: With the first session now coming to a close, before the night running begins, DSC has posted a set of paddock notes, which you can read HERE.

Within the notes are notes on the aero kits running at the test, short chats with Gustavo Menezes and Alex Brundle, and details from the media round table yesterday which DSC was a part of, with WEC CEO Gerard Neveu, ACO President Pierre Fillion, Endurance Commission President Richard Mille and ACO advisor Dr Wolfgang Ullrich.

16:55 pm: The #5 CEFC TRSM Racing Ginetta G60-LT-P1 lives, the DSC editor seeing it out on track for the first time just moments to go. DSC understands the the car will run in at least part of the night running, due to its debut being delayed, this brings the total number of cars set to turn laps when the sun goes down to 14.

17:01 pm: Full Course Yellow for the #95 Aston Martin, which has stopped out on track with Marco Sorensen at the wheel.

18:00 pm: The first eight hours of the WEC Prologue test are over, leaving 14 cars (the original 13 plus we believe the #5 CEFC Ginetta) to run through the night. As it stands, Toyota are pacing the LMP1 field, SMP proving fastest of the Privateers, DragonSpeed continues to lead LMP2, Porsche is on top on GTE Pro and Dempsey Proton finishes the first session ahead in Am.

Here’s the timing screens:

18:22 pm: DSC has learned that DragonSpeed will run its BR1 Gibson overnight too, bringing the total number of cars to 15 for the full 30-hour run.

19:32 pm: Into the night running now, the track very quiet, the big news being the #5 CEFC TRSM Racing Ginetta turning more laps, the car completing four laps, though without setting a competitive time.

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