RML’s
Lola Mazda Debut Cut Short
The
race debut for RML’s Lola Mazda B09/86
ended in disappointment when the new car’s
engine suffered a catastrophic failure after
two-and-a-half hours of last weekend’s
Barcelona 1000 Kilometres. The opening round
of the 2009 Le Mans Series had started with
promise, after Thomas Erdos fought through
to the class lead from sixth on the grid,
but a recurrence of the type of engine problem
that has hampered so many of the turbo-engined
cars since early 2008 cut short RML's race.
The
Brazilian had wisely kept clear of trouble
in the opening moments of the race, when there
was some enthusiastic jostling into the first
few corners. “We suspected that several
of the cars in front of us after qualifying
had been running softer compound tyres, and
if that was the case, then the chances were
that their initial pace would tail off as
the race developed. We’d gone for a
hard compound knowing that the track here
is very abrasive, and if we waited, then our
patience might be rewarded.”
The
strategy worked well. Erdos remained in contention
for the first half-hour, holding sixth place,
and then started to ease forward. “I
think we all suffered with poor grip levels
at the start, but after the first pitstop,
the Lola was transformed,” he said.
“With fresh Michelins, it was like driving
a different car altogether, and for the first
time I think we all saw the potential of the
car.” One by one he picked off the opposition,
and with exactly two hours of the race completed,
he took the class lead. “I simply settled
down into a sensible rhythm that felt comfortable
and suited the tyres. The car was handling
so well and I could push easily.”
At
just gone two o’clock, Tommy headed
back down the pitlane to hand over to Mike
Newton, CEO of AD Group. The driver change
went well, but it was soon evident that all
was not well with the car. “The engine
was coughing and spluttering as I drove out
of the pitlane, and it wasn’t picking
up at all as I went through Turn 3. I managed
to make it round as far as Turn 10, but that
was it. The thing had just grenaded,”
said a very despondent Mike Newton.
The
team watched the monitors in disbelief as
the car slowed to a halt, plumes of white
smoke billowing from the exhaust. “It
was all going so well!” exclaimed an
incredulous Thomas Erdos. “There had
been no indication of any problems with the
engine at all, not even on my final in-lap,”
but there was no denying the facts. RML AD
Group’s race was over.
The
data suggests that the problem is linked to
similar failures in the past. “We now
know that some of the other teams have expressed
concerns,” explained Mike. “There
appears to be an incompatibility between the
bio-fuel formulation supplied to the teams
and the technology associated with turbocharged
engines.” RML suffered a number of such
engine failures in 2008, and the performance
of the turbo-powered cars at Barcelona would
tend to indicate that the problem has persisted
into the new season.
“We
saw a flash of the car’s true potential
today. If these issues could be resolved,
it would be good to think we could carry that
potential forward into the rest of the season,”
said Mike Newton. His co-driver Thomas Erdos
shared his frustration. “The car obviously
has tremendous promise, but this is not the
result we were hoping for.”
The
team has four weeks to prepare for Round 2
at Spa in Belgium, scheduled for the weekend
of May 9th and 10th.
There
are high resolution images posted in the
Barcelona Gallery.
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