June 14 - The 2007 Le Mans 24 hours will be the first great Le Mans since 1998 and 1999, even a Le Mans in the good old style from Ford versus Ferrari, Ferrari versus Porsche, Ferrari versus Matra or Mercedes versus Jaguar. Indeed Peugeot enters the 2007 edition with two units, having already won the two first rounds of the LMS: the Monza 1000-kms and the Valencia 1000-kms. They are the challenger for Audi, having won since 2000 six of the seven aditions (even seven, since the sole other winner, Bentley, was an Audi product). Biggest handicap for the French close prototype is that the team found not enough time to do a full 24 hour test. At the Test Day and at the first qualification sessions the #8 realised twice the best time, res. 3'26"707 and 3'26"344, a new track record. Yesterday Stéphane Sarrazin realised that record during the 15 last minutes when, after a heavy thunderstorm, the #8 Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP could at least go out on its qualification tyres. At the Test Day the difference between the fastest Peugeot and the fastest Audi was still 1"570, but yesterday that difference was reduced to 0"572 since Allan McNish realised a sharp 3'26"916 with the #2 Audi R10 TDi (against 3'28"406 at the Test Day). Third best was the other Peugeot where not Jacques Villeneuve (as at the Test Day: 3'30"314) but Nicolas Minassian clocked the best time in 3'27"727. The two following places after the first qualifications go to the two other Audis R10 Tdi. So, provisionally, we find five cars with a diesel engine at the five first places. First qualified among the non-diesels is the #16 Pescarolo 01 Judd in sixth position. The last week Yves Courage realised a miracle by repairing his #13 Courage LC70 AER, having had a serious accident at the Test Day. The car is provisionally seventh on the grid, followed by Rollcentre's #18 Pescarolo 01 Judd, by the #14 Dome S101.5 Judd, and by the new Creation CA07 (now with the painted Children of Le Mans) on its body. The #10 Zytek 07S, being not ready for the race, has been withdrawn. One of its drivers - Stefan Johansson (my former F1 driver in my Onyx team) will join the #13 Courage LC70 AER.

This year there are 54 cars at the start and 162 drivers. Among them we find no less than 24 ex-F1 drivers. In LMP1 it are Pirro and McNish on Audi R10; Lamy, Sarrazin, Gene and Villeneuve on Peugeot 908; Gounon and Johansson (on Courage LC70 after the withdrawal of the Zytek 07S); Lammers on the Dome S101.5; Deletraz on the Lola B07/10 Audi; Yoong on the Charouz Lola B07; Boullion on the Pescarolo 01. In LMGT1 it are  Enge, Brabham, Fittipaldi and Herbert on the Aston Martin DBR9; Papis, Beretta and Magnussen on the Corvette C6R; and Apicella on the JLOC Lambo. In LMGT2 it are Caffi and Chiesa on the Spyker C8 GT2-R; and Salo on the fastest Risi Ferrari. Of them Jacques Villeneuve - rookie at Le Mans - is the lonely former F1 champion. In the past only four former F1 world champions won Le Mans: Mike Hawthorne in 1955; Phil Hill in 1958, 1961 and 1962; Jochen Rindt in 1965; and Graham Hill on Matra in 1972.
The 162 drivers are of 24 different nationalities. There are 38 from France; 34 from the United Kingdom; 13 from the USA; 8 from Japan; 7 from Italy; 6 from Germany, Holland and Sweden; 5 from Czechia and Switzerland; 4 from Spain, Denmark and Austria; 3 from Portugal, Monaco and Brazil; 2 from Canada, Belgium and Russia; 1 from Malasiya, Soutth-Africa, Australia, Finland, and Hon-Kong. They, thus come from the five continents, proving how international are the Le Mans 24 hours.
Next to the combat between Peugeot and Audi among the big prototypes, there will be the traditional fight between the Aston Martins and the Corvettes in LMGT1. At the Test Day Corvette was fastest, after the first qualifications the Larbre Compétition Aston, superbly driven by Christophe Bouchut (3'50"771). However, the two Saleens of Hughes de Chaunac's Team Oreca are very close behind. So it will be a combat with three protagonists. Last but not least there is the combat between Ferrari and Porsche in LMGT2. At the Test Day the Porsches were faster than the Ferraris, but at the first qualifications the Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari F430 GTC was fastest in 4'04"185.

 June 14, 2007 - The second session has been delayed with 30 minutes, due to oil in the Porsche curbs. The session is announced to go under wet conditions. At 19h30 the track is still rain soaked and there is oil out and in the pit lane. The session is now underway. First times are very slow with the #16 Pescarolo as best in 4'40"918 (Collard). After 20 minutes only 14 cars already realised a complete lap. None of the Audis and of the Astons is already out after 30 minutes. Extreme rains are now falling over La Sarthe and most cars shelter in the garages. At 20h30 rain has virtually stopped and all cars are out. The Charouz Lola B07/10 clocks the fastest time on the wet circuit: 4'22"78, but shortly after the #8 Peugeot improves it to 4'15"271. At 20h34 the #2 Audi R10 is faster in 4'12"346. Times are improving quickly on the drying track. In the #59 Modena Aston Christian Fittipaldi goes faster than all LMP2 proto-types: 4'34"961 and fastest LMGT1. More than 30 drivers are still not qualified because their time is or 25 % slower than that of the class leader or 15 % slower than that of the fastest team mate. For those racers the wet track is a real problem. At 20h45 still no car could go under the 4 minutes. Fastest is now the #2 Audi R10 in 4'07"215. In LMP2 Michel Vergers on the Zytek 07S/2 is now fastest in 4'20"230, faster than all LMGT1 cars (20h49). The #14 Dome spins at the Playston chicane and at the Ford chica-ne with lights damages. In LMGT1 the BMS Aston #100 is now fastest in 4'33"348. There are still 30 minutes to go. At 22h the night session will be started. In LMP2 two Panoz GT cars are fastest on the still wet circuit in 4'44". At 21h05 the #76 IMSA Matmut Porsche is one second faster than the fastest Panoz. The Dome is again running. The rain has not yet departed completely at 21h10. Mechanics worked on the front suspension of the Audi #2, but the car is at 21h11 again on the track. At 21h15 new rain is slowing down all times. The evening session is now over. Top-3 results in the classes are: in LMP1 #2 Audi R10 4'07"215, #7 Peugeot 908 4'07"586, #8 Peugeot 908 4'09"478; in LMP2 #32 Zytek 07S/2 4'20"230  #33 Zytek 07S/2 4'23"953, #25 RML Lola B05/40 4'33"030; in LMGT1 #100 BMS Aston Martin DBR9 4'33"348, #59 Modena Aston Martin DBR9 4'34"348, #009 AMR Aston Martin DBR9 4'38"223; in LMGT2 #76 Imsa Matmut Porsche 997 4'43"705, #81 Panoz LMGT 4'44"809, Ecosse Ferrari F430 4'47"877. In principle the night session should start at 22h00, thus within 15 minutes (JPVR: 21h45).

On a still wet track the #1 Audi R10 clocks at 22h09 the best time: 4'05"008. The #59 Modena Aston is fastest in LMGT1 in 4'28"580 at 22h14. At 22h20 the #33 Zytek S07/2 realises with 4'18"095 the fastest time in LMP2. The #76 Imsa Porsche 997 improves its class-best time: 4'38"386. At 22h35 the #1 Audi realises 4'04"447, the #2 Audi 4'05"479 and the #7 Peugeot 4'06"205. They are the three fastest on the track now. It's completely dark now and it's still raining at some parts of the circuit. At 22h42 the #33 Zytek 07S/2 makes it 4'16"783, faster than all big prototypes except for the five diesels, the fastest Pescarolo 01 and Jan Lammers's Dome. Robbie Kerr at the wheel. Pierre Ehret makes the #93 Autorlando Porsche going round in 4'36" at 22h48. At 22h51 the #8 Peugeot sets the fastest time in 4'03"098. It's always raining. The diesels are 10 secs/lap faster than the petrol cars. Bourdais makes it 4'01"928 for the #8 (22h54). Vergers clocks 4'14"408 with the #33 Zytek, so Kerr replies with 4'14"326 for the sister car. The Zyteks are faster than all LMP1 protos on petrol. At 23h Rockenfeller gets the second best time with the #3 Audi: 4'03"571. The T2M is still more than 56 secs slower than its class leader. If the car cannot go under 4'40" (4'53" yesterday) it'll be out. Actually it's 14 secs too slow. At 23h07 the #73 Corvette C5R goes off at Arnage, damaging the car's front. With 45 minutes to go it looks as if yesterday's times willn't be improved if rain is not stopping immediately. The Barazi Epsilon Zyteks are still 7th and 8th overall, now preceded by the five diesels and the #16 Pescarolo 01 (4'14"213). Not drying out at 23h25. Most cars are sheltered in the garage and will come no more out if there are no dry race conditions during the last half hour. For T2M the game seems over, their car not qualified. Still 20 minutes. The night session is boring. With 15 minutes left the two Courages LC70 spin off. During the last minutes Luca Groppi improves the best time for LMGT1: 4'26"955. Eventually McNish offered the #2 Audi the pole of the night session with 4'01"257. Other cars improved their time, but very impressive is the 4'11"296 by Fernandez on the #33 Zytek 07S/2: 6th best time of the session.