In less than a month, the 83rd Le Mans 24 Hours will host the most technologically
innovative slugfest seen in motor sport
history. This is no exaggeration for even
whilst Toyota, Porsche and Audi are
pushing the boundaries of what is
thought possible on track, Nissan have
sought to leapfrog them
all with
what can only be described as the motor sport equivalent of the ‘winged-keel’.
Having missed the opening rounds to effectively homologate the GT-R LM NISMO, its development hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. Testing in the harsh conditions at Sebring have exposed flaws in the GTR’s design which has provoked a re-think amongst chief designer Ben Bowlby and his crew. However, flow-through design on the GT-R LM NISMO - by employing large airflow conduits beginning via the
front splitter, curving around the
safety cell and exiting out via
the rear of the car –
should on paper dramatically
increase straight-line speed and improve fuel efficiency, but reduce the need to generate down-force by other means, meaning longer tyre life.
The turbulent effect on trailing vehicles should also have the opposition worried; as the GT-R LM won’t punch a big enough hole in the air for potential slip-streaming opportunities.
Audi are in the enviable position in being both the underdog and favourite heading into Le Mans. Why? Well despite taking victory in the opening two rounds of the World Endurance Championship, Audi
have been caught out by the might of Porsche’s energy recovery system in qualifying.
What Audi has in spades however is down-force. A revised suspension package has allowed the e-tron quattro to reduce the amount of turbulent air flowing under the bonnet. Remarkably, Audi claim to have omitted down-force in exchange for a number of low-drag solutions – as was evident at Spa when Benoit Treluyer was
able to hold off
the advances
of Neel Jani.
Add into
the mix
the
almost
peerless
talents
of
Audi's
Leena
Gade
and an
Audi crew
with more endurance experience than anyone up and down the grid, you’d be a foolish person to bet against the four rings in June.
2014 World Champions Toyota must now be rueing the faulty wiring loom that effectively ruined their Le Mans effort last
year. With their 2015 season well and truly on the back foot after their V8 super-capacitor failed to stay on terms with Porsche and Audi in the opening WEC rounds at Silverstone and Spa.
Add to this the odd reliability issue – such as the throttle problem that held back the #8 car at Spa Francorchamps – and it looks like Toyota could be in for a tough time at La Sarthe. Toyota will run a low-downforce version of the car, which tested in public at the official pre-season WEC test, however Toyota Motorsport GmbH race director Rob Leupen is already playing down expectations, saying: “It doesn’t give us a feeling of confidence - "We're going to Le Mans now as the underdog."