A number of changes have been introduced this year at the 24 Hours race by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. The aim is to slow all the cars down, with a target lap time on the eight-mile track of around three and a half minutes.
The pit stop procedure has also been modified. In order to reduce tire consumption and decrease the number of mechanics working in the pit lane, only two mechanics at any one time will be allowed to change tires, by using only one wheel gun. That can only happen once refueling is complete.
Once they finish, the two have to return inside the garage and only then four other mechanics can work on other maintenance issues. The mechanics should move fast, because only after they are all back in the garage, the car will be allowed to leave the pit stand.
“The changes to the pit stop rules mean that the emphasis has switched to getting more out of a set of tires, making it a good idea to do an extra stint on each set if you can. That obviously impacts on the whole tire wear aspect of the car. In the end these new rules just provide another set of numbers to compute: they don’t make a fundamental difference to the unique challenge of the race,” said Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell.
As for the noise, a maximum limit of 112 decibels will be allowed. Moreover, competitors missing any parts of bodywork or car structure at the finish will face harsh penalties. For the Le Mans 24 Hours 2010, even more changes are to be, such as allowing homologation of hybrid technology cars, encouraging further use of hybrid technology such as KERS and reducing carbon emissions.
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