Thursday, 28.03.2024 | Deutsch | English
Friday in Le Mans

Friday in Le Mans

07. September 2007Le Mans - Quite a lot has been achieved in Le Mans. The tram line that was under construction for years on end, will now be ready at last, but - for a start - as a demonstration they will do some laps on the Circuit de Bugatti with the tram sitting on a transporter. And also in regard to the track they are busily engaged in construction works. The paddock for the FIA pilots is now completed, everything is newly tarred and plane, however, the number of entranceways were reduced. Everybody, pedestrians as well as vehicles, have to take the only access into the paddock - at the far end of the southern part. If you want to go to the marquees of the numerous sponsors and exhibitors or to the road were the stalls were erected, you have to cover long distances, although everything is actually only a stone´s throw away. The cause of the obstruction is an awfully long wire-netting fence. That´s what today at noon all those people learnt, too, when they headed for the grandiose new MAN marquee to attend the "house warming" party in the magnificent two-storey building.
This building would certainly redound to the honour of any F1 team both in regard to the architecture and the dimensions. Among the rather simple marquees that are common in truck racing - except for the Truck Grand Prix - it is quite unusual in any case. In future the Munich manufacturer of commercial vehicles will entertain their guests there during the races - for a certainty at the two remaining ones for his year, and probably at four more races in 2008.
There are some news in regard to the points, too. As already suggested as an alternative in our preliminary Le Mans report, now every driver - regardless whether FIA pilot, fill-in pilot or guest pilot - will get points according to his placement. This will have no effect on the two title contenders, Markus Bösiger and Antonio Albacete, but some drivers are going to lose up to 5 points, and some will no longer be placed in the points. But this list, too, will probably be short-lived. At the finale in Jarama possibly all those drivers, who have not reached the minimum number of seven races, will again be removed from the list - and that are quite a few. But apparently this will not have any effects on the outcome of the championship. Besides, the current ranking list is only pending anyway, as there was no decision so far about the protests in Most.
At the Renault team Ross Garrett and Markus Altenstrasser will change trucks, and this is going to confuse people even further when looking at the ranking list, because although the FIA European Truck Racing Championship is a drivers´ contest, the points are linked to the truck. So if Altenstrasser or Garrett should again be in the top ten in Le Mans or Misano, they will turn up twice on the list. But in Jarama it could again be quite different, as both drivers will not accomplish the necessary 7.