Features On The Road

The Covid 24 Hours of Le Mans

On September 19-20, 2020 Porsche raced the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the French Classic world-renowned tradition was supposed to be held in June but was postponed until September.

This was only the second time in its almost 100 year history that this race has been changed. The only other delay was in 1968 due to the civil unrest in Paris.

This delay, plus the elimination of spectators were the only consequences for the fans. There were many consequences for the Porsche team and all the other teams.

Not many of us consider how the schedule change affected the race teams and think “It’s just a postponed race.” Well, it’s not just another race, but a 24 hour race.

It means racing during the day and the night. In mid-June (June 20th), there is the summer solstice which brings the day of the year with the most sunlight, which turns into a short drive in the night. In September, the sun set at 8:01 pm and rose on Sunday at 7:44 am which gave them almost 4 more hours to drive in the dark.

You might think that it is good with cooler air temperatures and cooler asphalt. The Porsche 911 RSR and team are great at long endurance races, but this also meant a faster pace at night.

Cooler air to an engine is more oxygen, more efficient burning of fuel for the 515 HP six cylinder. The rule of thumb is that if the temperature drops 5 degrees celsius, the engine output increases 1%. Therefore a faster pace. This is what the Porsche team was thinking about, as the June average temperature compared to September’s temperature is 1% warmer.

Cool asphalt means the soft Michelin tires can last longer per run with more grip. Unfortunately, the rules don’t allow them to drive triple or quadriple stints in the GTE Pro class. They must change tires after two stints. Then there is the rule that they can’t refuel at the same time as a tire change, making tire changes an additional stop. So to keep pit stops short, they will be double stint tires.

More weather to think about! There is the saying, “It always rains at Le Mans”, but the records show there is less rain in September and the showers in June are heavier. Rain can always change the race outcome.

Next: the SUN! During sunset and sunrise the drivers had to contend with the “Sunstrike” or the sun through the windshield that can blind the drivers. This is worse at Indianapolis. Arnage turns with the sun to be lower in Autumn. This made it harder for the drivers.

What else could be of concern? Unlike previous years, the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans started at 2:30 pm. This was so that the race did not coincide with the finish of the Tour de France on September 20th. This was significant for the teams as it meant the Porsche team would have to finish preparations sooner, with a shorter break and more stress. This gave them only 4 hours from the end of warm up and the start of the race for preparations for the race.

Also, NO PRE-TEST! Pre-test is usually held two weeks before the race, giving the manufacturers, tire manufacturers, teams and drivers a chance to prepare for the 13.626 kilometer or 8.467 mile track and 24 hour race. There was also no chance to test at this track outside of the race week. This left unanswered questions on set-up, tire wear, and any changes that could help the driver and the car perform at its best. Fortunately, Porsche has experience and a great team and they worked together during the only practice before the race to pull it all together.

GOOD NEWS! The best news for many is there is less pollen during September. Less watery eyes, fewer runny noses for the drivers and team members that have allergies. Sarthe, the area of Le Mans, has many fields of grain and in June, pollen is HIGH. Many drivers, team members and fans are affected by it. The drivers can’t take medication because it will affect their performance, but allergies were NOT a problem in Sepetember.

If you watched the race, you know that Porsche did not do very well this year. Yes, Gianmaria Bruni turned the fastest lap in the #91 Porsche 911 RSR and Michael Christensen with the #92 car qualified sixth. The Patrick Dempsey-Proton racing team in the GTE-AM category, with Matt Campbell, claimed the 2nd starting spot for the team.

The Porsche’s had gremlins this year with their cars. In the 5th hour of the race, the reigning champions Michael Christensen, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor in the #92 car, were down more than ten laps due to a power steering fault. More repairs over the following hours widened the gap in the GTE-Pro field to 15 laps and they ultimately finished 6th.

The #91 car with Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz and Frederic Makowiecki managed to keep up with the leaders until Sunday morning. They had an electrical problem that prevented them from challenging for a podium and they finished 5th.

The competition in the GTE-Am class was fierce and during the final hour, after a safety car phase with 24 minutes remaining, three race cars from two manufacturers fought for two podium spots. Matt Campbell kept his cool and after an impressive duel, the Australian came out on top bringing the 2019 spec 911 RSR into second place.

Porsche will be making two changes in 2021 and I will write about them in my next article. The following picture gives a little information about one of the changes in 2021.

I will be attending the last race for Porsche at Sebring for the 12 Hours of Sebring instead of the last race at Road Atlanta for the Petit Le Mans.

I will bring you info and pictures about what happens! Be safe in your driving travels and with your health!

Comments are closed.