Photo : François Navarro - ACO/Nikon

Peugeots outpaced by the Audi #1 driven by Mike Rockenfeller just before the end of the first session.

First track action for the 56 starters of the 2011 running of the 24 hours race of Le Mans. The sky is overcast and grey, and temperatures are pretty low, but the drivers have lost no time in discovering or rediscovering the sarthe circuit. First car on track was #73 Corvette, but the first car to cross the finish line was the Audi #2.

LM P1. Drivers Fassler/Tréluyer/Lotterer held fastest lap in LM P1 category for most of the time, but right at the end of the first session the Audi R18 with the winning drivers of the 2010 running set festest lap at 3’27’’ 986. Rockenfeller snatched the prize from Lotterer who only 2 minutes before had set the fastest lap of the session thus far. The two Audis are followed by Peugeot 908 #9, driven by Sébastien Bourdais. It is worth mentioning that all three Audis and all three Peugeots have set lap times below the 3’30’’ mark. The 908 HDi FAP Orecas come right after the Audis and Peugeots. The Aston Martin prototype bearing number 009 has been confined to the garage for most of the session, with the engine cover removed for a close-up inspection of the engine.

LM P2. Danny Watts (of team Strakka Racing) was 4/10ths of a secons faster than the Oreca-Nissan prototypes, and fourth fastest is the OAK Pescarolo with its BMW engine.

LM GTE Pro. The BMW M3 GT are the cars to beat. Fastest man on track in this category was Augusto Farfus just ahead of his team mate Andy Priaulx. Richard Westbrook (Corvette C8 Z) is third, one second down. The Porsche Imsa Performance driven by Raymond Narac had a hard encounter with the guard rails at the Porsche curves, and the car will not participate in the qualifying session from 10 pm to midnight today.

LM GTE Am. The Aston Martin Vantage driven by Fabien Giroix seems to be unbeatable. They left all the other cars in their category far behind, and came even close to competing against the GT Pro cars. Giroix' fastest adversary in LM GTE Am was the Porsche #81 of team Flying Lizard, driven by Law. Third fastest were Krohn Racing with their Ferrari F 430.

Bext up: Qualifying session at 10pm!

You can find the timing sheets for the first session here

Photo : 24 HEURES DU MANS, FREE PRACTICE, JUNE 8th, 2011. Mike Rockenfeller (who is teamed up with Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas) sets fastes lap with his Audi R18, #1.