GT-Tour 2015 - First round - Circuit Ledenon - France
Here we are, the French FFSA GT championship finds the track for the first one of 7 meetings 2015, here in Ledenon in the south of France.
As every weekend, two races are on the program, but the weather will decide otherwise. If the first race is run under the sun, Sunday the race was simply canceled, we will talk about later.
Qualifying rounds
Q1: Ferrari/AKKA-ASP #20 in pole position
New race format, new qualifying format.
Played in two half sessions of 15 minutes, it is the average of the fastest laps for each driver that determines the pole position for the first race of the weekend.
It was David Hallyday (Audi R8 LMS Ultra #3 - Sébastien Loeb Racing) has the best performance of the first part (Q1-a). He outstrips Philippe Giauque (Ferrari 458 Italia #20 - Team AKKA ASP) and Christophe Hamon (Audi R8 LMS Ultra #5 - Sébastien Loeb Racing).
In the second part (Q1-b), Raymond Narac (Porsche 911 GT3 R #1 - IMSA Performance Matmut) was the fastest. The Champion of France titular precedes Jean-Luc Beaubelique (Ferrari 458 Italia - #20 Team AKKA ASP) and Romain Monti (Audi R8 LMS Ultra #24 - Saintéloc Racing).
It is the binomial Beaubelique / Giauque with an average of 1:19.790 which obtains pole. At his side are Hallyday / Gaillard (1:19.798). The second line will make up Cayrolle / Lémeret and Dégremont / Deguffroy.
Q2: Anthony Beltoise In the ultimate second
Up to the end of the suspense. By reading the progression times of this qualification, we realize the harshness of the fight for pole. Laurent Cazenave (Audi R8 LMS Ultra #7 - Team Speedcar) was the first to establish a reference time. It was imitated by Soheil Ayari (Ferrari 458 Italia #9 - Sport Garage) and Nelson Panciatici (Ferrari 458 Italia #36 - Team Duqueine). Mike Parisy (Audi R8 LMS Ultra #3- Sébastien Loeb Racing) remained at the top of the timesheets until the final seconds of the qualifying session and it is for 5 milliseconds that Anthony Beltoise (Ferrari 458 Italia #8 - Team Duqueine) came drove him out, in his last lap.
Race 1: Hat trick for Ferrari # 20
Starting from pole position the trio, Jean-Luc Beaubelique / Philippe Giauque / Morgan Moullin-Traffort, led his Ferrari # 20 Team AKKA-ASP to victory, clocking the best tour in race, ahead of less than 6.5 seconds the Audi Audi R8 LMS Ultra # 3 of Mike Parisy / Philippe Gaillard / David Hallyday. The only hitch was the few seconds lost in the second driver change. Raymond Narac, Sebastien Dumez and Olivier Pernaut (Porsche 911 GT3 R #1 - IMSA Performance Matmut) finish in third place with 25.5 seconds of winners. The three brands represented in the championship are on the podium.
Both Ferrari Team Duqueine follow in fourth and fifth positions. The # 36 Bruno Strazzer / Romain Bradela / Nelson Panciatici before the # 8 Roland Bertille / Gilles Duqueine (the Boss) / Anthony Beltoise.
Only Eric Cayrolle / Stephane Lemmeret / Arno Santamato (Ferrari 458 Italia #6 - Sport Garage) and Nicolas Misslin / Sacha Bottemanne / Benjamin Lariche (Porsche 911 GT3 R #17 - Le Mans GT by Courage) were missing on arrival.
Race 1: Reactions.
Jean-Luc Beaubelique (Ferrari / AKKA-ASP) winner with Morgan Moullin-Traffort and Philippe Giauque: "Our team has the experience, but we have a new name, AKKA-ASP, and it is a great pleasure start with a win. I thank my teammates, who already drove together, for accepting me (laughs)! Seriously, I hope we will continue. Philippe was brilliant in his relay. Morgan drove as well as usual. It's always better to start with a success. »
David Hallyday (Audi / Sébastien Loeb Racing), 2nd with Mike Parisy and Philippe Gaillard: "The team did a great job. It's great for my first race with the team. I am also happy with the work of my two teammates. Philippe continues to ramp up. Mike was very powerful. My relay went well. I enjoyed driving. Philippe (Giauque) was fast and did not make error. It's a race that I like. We will see tomorrow, but we have a good team and a good package, it is a certainty. »
Raymond Narac (Porsche / IMSA Performance Matmut), 3rd with Olivier Pernaut and Sébastien Dumez, "Olivier discovers the championship and the car and I must say it has all pleasantly surprised. It is not left behind. On my side, I gave everything to rejoin and I was able to get four or five places. Sébastien was faithful to the position. We are really happy. This is perfect! »
Race 2:
Following very bad weather that hit this Sunday in the Gard, and for safety reasons, the panel of stewards took the decision to cancel the second race of the Championship of France FFSA GT scheduled this Sunday at 14h.
It is true that this Sunday at Ledenon, it was better to be a frog or a snail as a pilot, a photographer or a marshall.
Handicaps time that should have been applied to the Race 2 to the first three cars of the Race1 are postponed in the first race on the Circuit Bugatti of Le Mans (Next stage in May).
