Retro Le Mans action - impressive...

[ringo]

This is Mark Blundells Pole lap at the 1990 Le Mans 24 hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMItc4cy8U

The car was on full boost and looks an absolute rocketship... The lap actually starts at 2m 35s, but even the warm up lap looks scary!!

Such a shame that modern F1 onboard cameras dampen the vibration so well and make them look so easy to drive.

If I remember Blundell was on ple by around 7 seconds... and hit a peak speed of 227mph on the (chicaned Mulsanne straight)

 

[REKIBorter]

Awesome

 

[Dr S]

Impressive but not so by modern standards. Back then it was an endurance race- strategy and fuel consumtion had to be factored in. Today Le Mans is a 23 and a half hour flat out sprint. There is no backing off now, no playing a waiting game. Every second counts. Last year they moved up another notch and all the top teams began fitting different bodywork during the night. The gain? Around a second or two a lap! That's how competetive it is now. The front runners are now regularly running night time race laps within 5-6 seconds of qualifying times too- incredible on such a long circuit.

That said the whole experience of Le Mans was better back then. Sadly it has become a little too 'stag do' over the last 10 years or so. That said it's still the best weekend of the year.

 

[ringo]

I'll have to search for some modern footage... sounds interesting!