Bourdais takes pole for Peugeot

Date published : 08 May 2010 - 13:35:21

Sebastien Bourdais gave Peugeot pole position for the Spa 1000km with a stunning lap of 1m57.884s to fend off a seemingly growing threat from Audi this weekend.The Frenchman put the #3 908 HDi FAP to the top of the times halfway through the 20-minute session and in doing so put down a slightly unexpected challenge from the # 9 Audi of Timo Bernhard.The German fired in two aggressive fliers at the beginning of the session as he made an R15 TDI Plus break the two-minute barrier for the first time this weekend.His second effort - a 1m58.519s - was 0.7s off the pole and as close as any Audi has got to the ultimate pace all weekend.Stephane Sarrazin was third quickest in the #2 car. The Frenchman, who set the pace in final free practice this morning, gave it his best in the last couple of minutes but simply could not find a clear lap.Nicolas Lappiere maintained the threat of the privateer ORECA Peugeot in fourth position ahead of the #8 Audi driven by Andre Lotterer.The #7 Audi, perhaps the German machine most expected to cause French headaches, did not fare so well.Tom Kristensen, allotted qualifying duties, came into contact with the LMP2 pole-winning car of Danny Watts at La Source and this almost certainly played a factor in the Dane's distant sixth position.Alexander Wurz, who had not been happy with oversteer in the morning session, was seventh in the third factory Peugeot.Franck Mailleux put the Signature Aston Martin in eighth ahead of Nicolas Prost's Rebellion Lola and the LMP 2 Strakka car.Perhaps it was the incident with Kristensen that gave Watts an angry edge but he ended the session more than two seconds faster than his nearest LMP2 rival - Tommy Erdos's RML Lola.Mathieu LaHaye was third fastest in class in the Oak Racing Pescarolo.The GT session was fragmented by a red flag when the Matech Ford went off heavily at Signes with Rachel Frey at the wheel. The stoppage to recover the car only recently repaired from Natacha Gaschnang's shunt in the FIA GT opener at Abu Dhabi, meant that several drivers' laps were disrupted.In the it was another Ford GT, that of Bas Leinders, that eventually took the pole in GT1. Matech's other car was second fastest in class ahead of Julian Jousse's Luc Alphand Corvette.AF Corse Ferrari's Jaime Melo took the pole for GT2 by four hundredths from Marc Lieb in the Felbermayr Porsche. CRS Racing's Andrew Kirkaldy was third fastest.Pos Driver Class//Car Time 1. Lamy/Bourdais/Pagenaud P1 Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP 1m57.884s 2. Bernhard/Dumas/Rockenfeller P1 Audi R15 TDI 1m58.519s 3. Montagny/Sarrazin/Minassian P1 Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP 1m59.421s 4. Panis/Lapierre/Duval P1 Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP 1m59.623s 5. Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer P1 Audi R15 TDI 1m59.707s 6. Capello/Kristensen/McNish P1 Audi R15 TDI 1m59.795s 7. Gene/Wurz/Davidson P1 Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP 1m59.989s 8. Ragues/Mailleux/Ickx P1 Lola - Aston Martin 2m02.413s 9. Prost/Jani P1 Lola B10/60 - Rebellion 2m02.845s10. Leventis/Watts/Kane P2 ARX-01c 2:27.882 20 2m03.135s11. Belicchi/Boullion P1 Lola B10/60 - Rebellion 2m03.143s12. Erdos/Newton/Wallace P2 Lola HPD Coupe 2m05.681s13. Lahaye/Nicolet P2 Pescarolo - Judd 2m07.159s14. Amaral/Pla P2 Ginetta-Zytek 09S 2m07.342s15. Francioni/Pirri P2 Lola Coupe B09 - Judd 2m08.309s16. Geri/Piccini/Piccini P2 Lola Coupe B09 - Judd 2m08.398s17. Moreau/Hein P2 Pescarolo - Judd 2m09.104s18. Noda/De Pourtales/Kennard P2 Lola B08/47 - Judd 2m09.795s19. Pillon/Verdonck/Capillaire FLM Oreca 2m13.743s20. Frey/Meichtry/Bruneau P2 Radical SR9 - Judd 2m13.912s21. Kraihamer/De Crem/Delhez FLM Oreca 2m14.278s22. Toulemonde/Zollinger/Zampatti FLM Oreca 2m14.284s23. Zacchia/Kaufmann/Moro FLM Oreca 2m15.611s24. Schell/Da Rocha P2 Courage-Oreca LC75 2m16.832s25. Leinders/Palttala/De Doncker GT1 Ford GT 2m17.316s26. Barlesi/Cicognani/Chalandon FLM Oreca 2m17.345s27. Mutsch/Hirschi/Beche GT1 Ford GT 2m18.730s28. Jousse/Gregoire/Hart GT1 Corvette C6.R 2m19.377s29. Enge/Nygaard/Mucke GT1 Aston Martin DBR9 2m19.595s30. Bruni/Melo GT2 Ferrari F430 GT 2m20.336s31. Lieb/Lietz GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 2m20.416s32. Kirkaldy/Mullen GT2 Ferrari F430 GT 2m20.811s33. Companc/Russo GT2 Ferrari F430 GT 2m20.941s34. Ehret/Quaife/Kaffer GT2 Ferrari F430 GT 2m21.095s35. Schroyen/Van Dam/Lacko GT1 Saleen S7R 2m21.110s36. Ragginger/Ried/Long GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 2m21.173s37. Muller/Werner/Alzen GT2 BMW M3 2m21.257s38. Pilet/Narac GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 2m21.328s39. Holzer/Westbrook GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 2m21.403s40. Bell/Turner GT2 Aston Martin Vantage 2m21.420s41. Allemann/Frey/Zimmer GT1 Ford GT 2m21.422s42. Priaulx/Mullen/Farfus GT2 BMW M3 2m21.509s43. Dumbreck/Coronel GT2 Spyker C8 Laviolette 2m21.564s44. Alesi/Fisichella/Vilander GT2 Ferrari F430 GT 2'21.750s45. Farnbacher/Simonsen GT2 Ferrari F430 GT 2'21.752s46. Gardel/Goueslard/Rees GT1 Saleen S7-R 2'21.918s47. Kutemann/Basso/Hartshorne FLM Oreca 2'24.505s48. Von Splunteren/Hommerson/Machiels GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 2'25.468s49. Daniels/Slingerland/Lanik GT2 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 2'25.607s50. Ojjeh/Greaves/Ebbesvik P2 Ginetta-Zytek 09S no time