Discovery_The Road to Le Mans_3of3
Transcript
00:00The final countdown has begun.
00:03The motor racing circus is in town.
00:06The drivers, the cars and the crowds.
00:10It's the world's biggest motorsport event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
00:15But before the race, 50 top sports car teams face an intense final fortnight of testing, practice and qualifying.
00:23And for one small team from England, it's time to take on motor racing's giants.
00:30LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:34LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:38LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:41LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:44LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:47LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:50LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:53LEGENDS OF LEGENDS
00:59Over the last six months, small, privately-owned British team Creation Autosport
01:03have been working flat out to prepare their 500 horsepower DBA prototype for Le Mans.
01:08They've done the hard graft in the wind tunnel,
01:11on the suspension rig,
01:13on the dyno,
01:15and on the test track.
01:18Now, with the race just two weeks away,
01:20they'll be able to run their car on the Le Mans circuit for the very first time.
01:25They have just one day's testing and four short qualifying sessions
01:28to prepare the car, team and drivers for the race.
01:33They will need to find the pace to compete with the favourites
01:36and the reliability to survive the ultimate 24-hour challenge.
01:45Creation's Mike Jankowski is on his way to join his team at Le Mans.
01:50Two years of hard work and two million pounds of his own money
01:54have transformed this man from historic race car enthusiast
01:57to the proud owner of one of Britain's leading sports car teams.
02:02It's quite strange having been to Le Mans as an enthusiast
02:06and here we are doing it,
02:09as a top team, with a chance.
02:12But it's so nerve-wracking because this is the big one.
02:15The build-up, the costs, everything is just huge.
02:20Here we are in the big time.
02:25The city of Le Mans in northwest France
02:27has hosted the world's greatest endurance race since 1923.
02:37It's been the scene of some of the worst accidents in motor racing history
02:41and many of the greatest triumphs.
02:44It's become a mecca for sports car fans from all over the world.
02:49Head south out of town and you're driving on the main straight
02:52of one of the longest, fastest racetracks in the world,
02:56the infamous Molzahn straight.
02:59I think if things go right, it will be a very, very good, hard race.
03:06But I'll tell you, I know Bix doesn't have any nails to bite anymore.
03:12That's because Bix, team manager Ian Bickerton,
03:15has been going without sleep for weeks in pursuit of his lifelong dream.
03:20My dad took me to Le Mans for my 12th birthday.
03:22It's an awfully special place to go to.
03:24It's got that atmosphere about it.
03:26To actually go to Le Mans now and just stand in the pit lane,
03:30it nearly makes you cry. It's such a special place.
03:34Bix's mission these last few weeks has been to turn around
03:37a terrible run of unreliability for creation's race car.
03:41But at track after track, they've struggled to make their car strong enough
03:44for long-distance endurance racing.
03:46So Bix has been radically rebuilding the car with much stronger,
03:50more reliable components.
03:52On creation's small budget, he has to spend very wisely.
03:57But with 30 years' motorsport experience,
03:59Bix knows where to find the best component builders in the business.
04:03This is a new suspension block for the car.
04:06It's a little bit heavier than what we normally race,
04:08but it's for Le Mans. It's a safety issue.
04:10Bix is replacing crucial load-bearing components with tougher materials,
04:15sacrificing a little speed for a lot more reliability.
04:20The main issue with the components that we have is they're made out of aluminium.
04:23Aluminium's quite soft.
04:25We can make it out of a stiffer, heavier material, steel, whatever,
04:29but there's a weight issue.
04:31For Le Mans, we're going to make it stiffer and heavier.
04:33It'll last 24 hours.
04:34And you're going to have these done in time, yeah?
04:36Yeah, no problem.
04:37Next stop is Stable Fabrications,
04:39who are producing new, beefier versions of key components of the suspension system.
04:45It's going to cost him,
04:46but Bix is having new uprights carved from solid chunks of steel.
04:50Up there is now that.
04:54This is the way it's up on the car,
04:56and when it hits a bump, it's doing this,
04:58so all the loads are going here.
04:59Well, what you really want is thicker webs here,
05:01because all the shock is into this part of the barrel,
05:03not this part of the barrel.
05:05So if you look at the barrels that we designed and made,
05:08these three webs here, or four webs, are thicker.
05:12Everything's hand-built the old-fashioned way,
05:14by expert machinists to maximise both accuracy and reliability.
05:20Bix's order is going to take 500 man-hours to produce.
05:24That's how it would look on the car.
05:26Everything's got to be in the right place.
05:28It's a safety-critical component.
05:30It's got to be right, it's got to be accurate,
05:33and it's got to work.
05:36Quite a bold move for a small team like Creation
05:38to rebuild so much of their car.
05:42And they won't find out if all of Bix's hard work
05:44and Mike's hard-earned cash will pay off
05:47until they get to Le Mans.
05:55These magnificent grandstands,
05:57towering over the 13.5km Le Mans racetrack,
06:00will soon be home to a quarter of a million spectators.
06:05Around the back, 50 trucks are crammed into the team paddock.
06:08For the next two weeks, until the race begins,
06:11this is where the action's at.
06:13An army of over 1,000 team bosses, engineers, mechanics,
06:17tyre men and drivers will be working flat-out
06:20to prepare for the race.
06:23And Mike's boys are already hard at it.
06:26Don't worry, gents, I'm here now. I can save the day.
06:30Creation are prepping their car for tomorrow's official test day
06:33and their first chance to run the car on the track.
06:38Bix and his race engineer Ian Smith are anxious to find out
06:41how the new component will affect its performance.
06:44It's a delicate car. That's its Achilles heel.
06:48To come to Le Mans, the car's put on maybe 10kg
06:51and we're quite prepared to carry that weight
06:55knowing that the reason for it is reliability.
07:01Tomorrow, Creation will find out just how much
07:04that weight gain will slow them down.
07:07Components aren't the only new thing for test day.
07:10Creation's regular drivers, Nick Minassian and Jamie Campbell-Walter
07:14are joined by a third driver, Le Mans veteran
07:17and former winner Andy Wallace.
07:20I desperately, desperately want to win this race again
07:23because anybody can say, well, you were just lucky you won it that one year.
07:26If you win it twice, it can't be luck, can it?
07:29As they recce the track for tomorrow's test,
07:31Andy has 16 years of experience here to share with his new teammates.
07:36Don't bother after Tertre Rouge, don't bother going left.
07:40Legendary landmarks from 80 years of Le Mans history
07:43rush by Creation's drivers.
07:46The Porsche curves, the Dunlop chicane,
07:49Tertre Rouge and on to the open roads.
07:53For two-thirds of the modern 13km circuit,
07:56the drivers must tackle the tougher challenge
07:58of racing on closed-off public roads.
08:02Here the surface can be extremely unpredictable
08:06and worth a bit of closer reconnaissance.
08:08See, that's the problem. Look how sharp that is.
08:11Little Porsche goes off the road, brings this on the track,
08:15we run over it, kaboom.
08:20Early on Sunday morning, the public roads are shut down.
08:23It's test day.
08:26The teams have just this one day to tune their car set up
08:29to the demands of the track.
08:31That means finding the best possible compromise
08:33between fast lap times and reliability.
08:37It's a huge engineering challenge
08:39to run a delicate racing car non-stop for 24 hours.
08:44In the Creation garage, chief mechanic Andy Trim
08:47has been preparing for a tough day,
08:50making sure his thousands of spare parts
08:52are exactly where he and his team of mechanics can find them.
08:55You never know what you might need, so get it all in there.
08:58Get it full up with everything you possibly think you could use.
09:01Round the back here, nuts and bolts, all the consumables,
09:06all sorted so you can grab them in a hurry.
09:09All the gearbox spares, car spares, headlights, taillights,
09:14suspension bits, floor wires, wheel nuts, fuel pumps,
09:18everything pretty well, just so you can grab it to hand.
09:22Since Creation have never run their car at Le Mans before,
09:25they've really got their work cut out to get up to speed.
09:28But they're hoping that all of Andy Wallace's experience here
09:31will help them find a good set-up.
09:34OK, Andy, I'd like you to do five laps total, that's three timed laps.
09:38OK, get yourself settled in.
09:40Andy's driven dozens of different types of car here,
09:43so he should have the confidence to get straight on to the pace
09:46and start giving the team useful feedback.
09:52In the garage, the engineers can follow every movement of his hands and feet
09:55using the live data from the car.
09:58That was a 48, Andy, 48.
10:01It's a slow start. Andy's having problems with porpoising,
10:04the nose of the car bumping against the road.
10:08What have you got then, Andy?
10:10The porpoising is absolutely out of order for 24 hours, you go nuts.
10:13It's back to the ground really hard, you can smell burning.
10:16Great qualified car, it's going to be a great car, don't get me wrong,
10:19but there's no way you can drive this car fast, accurately, for 24 hours.
10:23Smithy calls for changes to the suspension, softening the rear springs.
10:27And it's back out for another try.
10:30Do it.
10:32Andy wants the car softened even more.
10:34Not really what Smithy wants to hear.
10:37Drivers like cars set up soft, they feel good to them,
10:40but you also find that they don't go around the tracks so quick.
10:43When a car's too soft, it rolls more and it doesn't exploit the best grip from the tyre.
10:48Yes, mate, that's loud and clear.
10:50Nick Minassian is one driver who would always prefer to have a quick car
10:53rather than a comfortable car.
10:55He's getting very concerned about Andy's changes.
10:58The thing is, you know the way it is, the quicker you go, the more stable the car is.
11:02Nick's theory is that Andy needs to push the car harder rather than change it.
11:07Andy disagrees.
11:09It has changed the frequency. It's now a higher frequency.
11:12So I thought that was slightly worse, mate.
11:14So, even more changes.
11:18It's getting better. If we could shed some more front, I'd be happy.
11:21I hope Nick would too. But it's beginning to be more of a proper car now.
11:26Andy may like the car now, but will Jamie Campbell-Walter even recognise it?
11:33Jamie's times are slow, but Andy has yet more suggestions.
11:38We can lose a little more front.
11:40I was thinking of a rubber so that it just went rising right.
11:46With only three hours of the test to go, Creation's best lap time is only 11th fastest.
11:51And Mike has had enough.
11:53We have a little bit of pressure to get us further up the grid.
11:57Such a poor performance relative to their rivals
11:59can't be blamed on those 10 kilos of new components.
12:03Creation will need a radical change of strategy to catch up with the top teams.
12:08Especially Pescarolo.
12:10Veteran Le Mans champion Henri Pescarolo's two-car team have been setting the pace all day.
12:15With four long, fast straights, this circuit really suits the Pescarolo car,
12:19which has more power but less downforce than other top teams.
12:24Now the drivers are feeling the heat of being the favourites.
12:29This year particularly, there's a huge amount of pressure.
12:32It's really the first year that Henri Pescarolo's team has entered Le Mans
12:36with people saying that this team could and should win.
12:41But it's a new car and reliability is a worry.
12:46No such concern for the two teams running the Audi R8,
12:49which has dominated Le Mans for the last five years.
12:52The new regulations have slightly handicapped the straight-line speed of the Audi R8 this year.
12:57But it's a safe bet that at least one of these cars,
13:00whether from the French Orica team or the American Champion team,
13:04is going to be fighting for victory after 24 hours.
13:07Thanks to its legendary reliability, big budgets and large, well-organised teams.
13:15I would say that we probably have 45 to 50 personnel that are here this weekend to run the two cars.
13:22Champion has an intimidating line-up of star drivers,
13:25including former winners J.J. Leto, Frank Bieler, Alan McNish and six-times winner Tom Christensen.
13:33We know we have the best car, but we also know because of regulation we don't have the fastest car.
13:38But we have a very clever team and there's a lot of good people involved
13:41and we're trying to stick to that and hopefully the favourites will get nervous and we will bite them.
13:49Champion has so many people in so many spare parts,
13:52they seem to have taken over more than their fair share of the paddock.
13:56But today, Champion is having its fair share of problems.
14:00The supposedly bulletproof Audi R8 is having a wobble.
14:04One car has already had a gearbox problem and now their second is in bits as well.
14:12It's a glimmer of hope for the rest of the field.
14:16Creation are hoping that with the right set-up they can outpace the Audis.
14:20Nick's sent out on fresh tyres to go for some flying laps and restore team pride.
14:27Nick's nearly ten seconds faster than Andy's laps earlier in the day.
14:31And he's surprisingly happy with the car.
14:39Can this really be the soft, easy-to-drive car that Andy's been developing with the team all day?
14:45Or has Bix been a bit crafty?
14:47It was just a bit too much of an animal for him and it was a bit of a shock to the system.
14:51So it took him a while to get his head around it.
14:54We made some adjustments to put it more like how he wanted it.
14:58And yeah, he thought it was great, yeah, turning's better, it doesn't oversteer so much.
15:02And then slowly, slowly brought it back to where it was, which was quite a crafty little plan really.
15:09Pescarolo have a very different driver problem.
15:12They're in danger of being a man short for the race.
15:14Sébastien Loeb flies in from Turkey with just an hour to go before the end of the test.
15:20He's the World Rally Champion.
15:22He's just won a gruelling three-day event.
15:24But he's a rookie here at Le Mans.
15:27And if you haven't raced here before, you have to complete ten laps on the test day to be eligible to drive.
15:34The entire French press corps want a photo of the hero.
15:37But Loeb needs to get on track.
15:41Loeb's got a bit of a problem.
15:43Loeb has had very little time in the new Pescarolo car before today.
15:48His first laps are cautious and too slow.
15:51He's told to put his foot down if he wants to qualify for the race.
15:56With time running out, he crosses the line just seconds before the chequered flag for the end of the session.
16:02Sébastien Loeb is in the race.
16:04And with their other drivers setting the fastest laps today, Pescarolo have proved themselves the team to beat in next week's qualifying sessions.
16:13The Audi R8 has finally been toppled.
16:16At least in terms of speed.
16:18I think we were surprised by a couple of cars as to how quick they were.
16:22But if you look at the rest of the field from third on down, everything's very close, very consistent.
16:28All the teams have passed their first test.
16:31But the next is just a few days away.
16:35In one of Le Mans' great traditions, the teams, the cars and their drivers must now face the fans and the scrutineers in the centre of town.
16:45The cars are closely inspected, weighed and measured to make sure they conform to a very detailed set of technical regulations.
16:53They must pass this test to take part in qualifying, which starts tomorrow, to determine starting positions for the race on Saturday.
17:00Thank you.
17:04Once through, the teams line up to be immortalised on film.
17:14The first day of qualifying brings heavy rain.
17:17Whatever the conditions, over the next two evenings, the track will open for four two-hour sessions.
17:24At midnight on Thursday, each car's fastest single lap time will determine its position on the starting grid for the race.
17:31And one of these drivers will claim a place in the record books with the pole position fastest lap.
17:43Some cars are better suited to a wet track than others, and Creations is one of those cars.
17:49After disappointing times on the test day, all three Creation drivers are on the pace.
17:54Even Andy likes the car.
17:57Absolutely brilliant, to be honest. Our car in the rain is fantastic. Really, really nice to drive.
18:05The second session each day is run in darkness. Good practice for the race.
18:11With the track now drying, Nick Minassian goes out on a fresh set of tyres, determined to send a message to Creation's rivals.
18:20His best lap is the third fastest of the day.
18:24It's a good first day. Everybody worked well. Guys did a good job. Nick did a fantastic job in the end.
18:31It puts Creation ahead of the Audis, but still not quick enough to match the Pescarolos.
18:40Soheil Ayari sets the fastest lap of the day.
18:45But it's not all good news for Pescarolo. Their second car has a gearbox failure, and it's going to be a race against time to get it repaired for tomorrow.
18:54On the second day of qualifying, the rain is gone, and the crowds are growing.
18:59A dry track will make yesterday's times redundant. It's all to play for today.
19:04At Creation, it's already been a busy day.
19:07This morning they had a special delivery. Their race engine.
19:12It's a special version of their Judd V8, designed to last just a little over 24 hours.
19:17Like almost all racing components, maximum performance is achieved by designing things to last no longer than required.
19:23Creation have made a strategic decision to install the engine today.
19:29It means they can thoroughly check the installation of the engine was still two days before the race.
19:34But it's going to severely restrict how many laps they can run in qualifying today.
19:38If we did the 24-hour race, we'd have to do it again.
19:41After a good run yesterday, Becks is putting the need for reliability ahead of the battle for pole position.
19:47Creation aren't the only ones who have been hard at work.
19:51Pescarolo have had to fly in spare gear to get to the finish line.
19:55And they've had to do it again.
19:58They've had to do it again.
20:01They've had to do it again.
20:04They've had to do it again.
20:07They've had to do it again.
20:09Pescarolo have had to fly in spare gearbox parts from England.
20:13And they're ready for qualifying with just minutes to spare.
20:19Out on the dry track, everybody's times are immediately 25 seconds faster than in the wet yesterday.
20:29Creation allow each of their drivers just three laps at the wheel to feel out the new engine.
20:34Both Nick and Jamie are happy.
20:37It's actually quite nice and balanced, I think. It's got a bit of understeer and a bit of oversteer in places.
20:43But Andy doesn't agree.
20:45The biggest problem is the vibration. We need a vibrator.
20:49And it's engine speed related, not wheel speed related.
20:52Yeah, sure.
20:54Andy's worried that he can feel a vibration, also known as resonance, that indicates a problem with the new engine.
21:01And now, Jamie's getting worried too.
21:03He's worried about it from a reliability point of view.
21:06If that resonance is doing that to us, what's it doing to everything else?
21:11You know, things like alternator, brackets, bolts, anything, gearbox.
21:16Close inspection of the engine reveals no obvious problems.
21:20Smithy faces a tough decision. If they change the engine again, they'll miss the rest of qualifying.
21:26We've looked at the data quite closely. There's no evidence that the engine has any less power than the previous engine.
21:33So there's not really any justification for changing the engine for another one.
21:39Smithy decides to trust the instincts of his regular drivers and get on with it.
21:45Most teams have three or four attempts at a fastest lap.
21:49But to preserve the new engine, Creation's Nick Minassian will get just one attempt to go for pole.
21:55It's up to Smithy to choose the perfect moment.
21:57An ideal combination of a warm track, cooler air and a clear circuit with as few other cars as possible to get in the way.
22:05Nick's now equipped with a special set of qualifying tyres.
22:09The super soft rubber compound provides extra grip, but it doesn't last long.
22:14Really, you go one lap. You go out and you do your lap straight away.
22:20It's just like the luck of the draw. You have to be lucky and you're not going to get any traffic.
22:25Smithy decides that the start of the final session is the perfect moment, but he's not the only one.
22:31OK, mate. Start your engine, please.
22:45Pole position will almost certainly be won in the next half an hour.
22:49But with so many of the 50 cars out on track,
22:51every driver will be desperately hoping for a clear lap without slower cars getting in the way.
22:56Nick must use every scrap of his skill to master both the challenges of the track and the moving obstacles of the slower cars.
23:03His flying lap starts well, but near the end, he's badly blocked.
23:11He could try again, but his soft qualifying tyres have already given their best.
23:22OK, mate. OK, mate. Well done. Well done.
23:27Nick's time of 3 minutes 38.9 seconds puts Creation 7th on the grid.
23:33He's split the Audis, two ahead of him and one behind.
23:39But it's Emmanuel Collard lapping almost a full second quicker than any other driver
23:44whose name will go down in the record book, taking pole position for Pescarolo.
23:47Back at Creation, spirits are high.
23:50That was good, mate. That was good. Everybody went quicker. You went quicker.
23:55You finished P7.
23:57It's quite respectable, really.
23:59There's only 1.2 seconds quicker would have placed us P3.
24:04It's obvious that our car is equally on pace with any of the front-running cars.
24:10For Creation, its mission accomplished.
24:12Not only are they on the pace, but they've now completed their first 126 laps
24:17over 1,700 kilometres at Le Mans without any reliability problems.
24:22Finally, this small private team from England are looking like a team
24:26that could actually finish the 24 hours of Le Mans
24:29and challenge for glory on race day.
24:32It's Saturday morning and the crowds are gathering at Motorsport's Coliseum.
24:36Today is the day that motor racing's gladiators,
24:39equipped with their massively powerful, gleamingly beautiful sports cars,
24:43will fight it out for glory.
24:46It's race day at the 24 hours of Le Mans.
24:50It's the day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
24:53It's the day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
24:56It's the day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
24:58It's race day at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
25:01In front of a quarter of a million fans in the stands
25:04and millions more watching around the world,
25:07the drivers and their teams are about to begin one of the most gruelling,
25:10extraordinary endurance challenges ever devised.
25:14Come Sunday afternoon, only the strongest will survive.
25:20Eight hours to go.
25:23The teams have been working since the early hours,
25:25rebuilding their cars, checking and rechecking every component and setting.
25:30It can take just one faulty component or one mechanic's mistake
25:34to ruin your team's chances in the race.
25:37We've got a new alternator, a new starter motor, a new radiator.
25:41For the 50 teams, 150 drivers and hundreds of engineers and mechanics,
25:46months of preparations are almost over.
25:49And creation boss Ian Bickerton has worked out his strategy for the race.
25:53Especially the first few laps.
25:57And I think it's all going to happen in the first couple of laps.
26:00We're going to sit back and watch it happen.
26:03And then we're just going to plod round, do the good pit stops,
26:06just look after the car, look after the tyre.
26:1011am. It's hot and getting hotter.
26:14It's going to be one of the hottest races ever here,
26:18making the endurance challenge even greater for both cars and teams.
26:21And the hottest place of all will be inside the drivers' cockpits.
26:25For us it's about 45.
26:27Yeah, so it's pretty hot. There's nothing you can do about it.
26:30Drink lots of water and fluid.
26:32Losing two kilos by the end of the race.
26:35With four hours to go, the build-up festivities begin.
26:39Parades.
26:41Historic racing.
26:43Anthems.
26:45Photo opportunities.
26:46It's the world's greatest motorsport spectacle.
26:51And then finally the cars line up for the start of the race.
26:5815 minutes to go and it's still seriously hot.
27:03The teams do everything they can to keep both cars and drivers cool
27:08until the last possible moment.
27:10Finally, the grid is cleared and 50 powerful cars
27:13and a massive crowd roar into life.
27:28Here we go.
27:30The challenge ahead is simple.
27:32Keep the car on the track and out of the garage.
27:35The car that completes the most laps in the next 24 hours
27:38wins a place in history.
27:39Welcome to the 73rd running of the world's greatest race.
27:4324 Hours of Hell.
27:49The two Pescarolo cars immediately pull away.
27:53Running to the very latest regulations,
27:56these cars have a speed advantage of 30 kilometers an hour on the long straight.
28:00But their fuel-guzzling V10 engines will bring them back to the pits
28:04faster than ever before.
28:05But their fuel-guzzling V10 engines will bring them back to the pits
28:09for fuel first, so they need to build up a lead.
28:13And as they catch the GT cars at the back of the field,
28:16the carnage begins.
28:23Pescarolo's Soheil Ayari is first back to the garage
28:27for some quick repairs.
28:30He loses a lap,
28:31but it's not a huge problem when you've got one of the fastest cars
28:35and over 23 hours to go.
28:39Back in sixth, Creation's Nick Minassian is driving much more cautiously.
28:44How does everything feel, Nick? Is everything OK?
28:47Yes, everything is OK, everything is OK.
28:49No one at Creation is under any illusion about their strategy for this race.
28:53It's all about survival.
28:55And in each of over 30 scheduled pit stops,
28:58Creation's pit crew needs to be faultless.
29:02So far, so good. Nick's keeping out of trouble.
29:06OK, mate, pit this lap, pit this lap.
29:08And after his second 45-minute stint, he hands over to Jamie Campbell-Walter.
29:15Like Nick, Jamie knows exactly what's required of him.
29:23At the first sign of trouble, he's on the radio.
29:25OK, I can't change gear, I'm stuck in 6th gear, I'm stuck in 6th gear, I can't hear you.
29:30OK, mate, try pressing the emergency button, try the emergency button, push it.
29:35Creation is the first top team to have a technical problem.
29:38I've managed to get 4th gear.
29:40OK, mate, I suspect there's a problem with the blipper then,
29:44I suspect there's something wrong with the blipper.
29:46Is the blipper ready?
29:49OK, mate, do me a favour, just press the menu button,
29:52OK, mate, do me a favour, just press the menu button, see if it blips.
29:58Right, water pressure and low oil pressure,
30:01and it comes up literally every second, all the lights come on.
30:04Let's keep going for now, let's just fix this problem first.
30:07Fixing the gear change mechanism takes just 4 minutes,
30:10but the data engineers seem worried about the water pressure.
30:17Problem 1 fixed, but Jamie's straight back on the radio.
30:20OK, water pressure, water pressure.
30:24Stan, it must be losing water from somewhere, mate,
30:27if it's gone, if the pressure's dropped that much, surely.
30:30As the water pressure drops, temperatures soar.
30:34Creation engineer Ian Smith needs to act now to save his engine.
30:38Jamie, pit this lap, please, pit this lap, pit this lap,
30:42your water temperature is 120 degrees and your water pressure is dropping.
30:47Pit this lap, please, please confirm.
30:48Pit this lap, pit this lap, pit this lap.
30:51To be honest, guys, we've busted some water out somewhere.
30:54Could it have been the cat, or the cat could have just flown off, I don't know.
30:57Go in now.
30:59OK, mate, OK.
31:01There's a leak on the left side somewhere.
31:04After such a good run with the car and the build-up to this race,
31:07it seems that Creation's infamous reliability problems are back.
31:11Change it, change it for half a second.
31:14The culprit is a failed jubilee clip.
31:17That was just a clip?
31:19Yes.
31:20There's no jubilee clip?
31:21Six.
31:22Right, OK.
31:23After weeks of preparation, a 50P component has brought
31:26this half-million-pound racing machine to its knees.
31:30But after 32 minutes in the garage, Creation are back on their feet
31:34and ready to return to the fight.
31:36They've dropped the engine,
31:37but there's still over 21 hours to go.
31:42Mike, Bix and Smithy settle into their command centre,
31:45surrounded by TV screens, data and radios.
31:48If all goes well,
31:50they will spend most of the next 21 hours right here.
31:53Two generals with their captain conducting operations.
31:56And they know that sooner or later,
31:59their rivals will have their share of problems.
32:02They've got to be careful.
32:03Pescarolo are the first to oblige.
32:07In their race-leading car number 16,
32:10Eric Comas can't change gear.
32:14It's a recurrence of gearbox problems
32:17the team has been having all year.
32:19Under race rules,
32:21the team isn't allowed to change the gearbox.
32:24They must diagnose the problem and fix it.
32:27It's a race-leading car number 16,
32:30Eric Comas can't change gear.
32:31They must diagnose the problem and fix it.
32:35It loses them 13 places.
32:49First problem for the champion team,
32:51as Pirro hits the wall.
33:02Pescarolo car number 17 has a puncture.
33:05And the Orica Audi has a suspension failure,
33:08costing them three laps.
33:10Leaving Tom Christensen's champion Audi number 3
33:13out in front,
33:15thanks to a problem-free run so far.
33:17Creation is making a comeback.
33:20Jamie's back up to 30th.
33:22But the bad news for Jamie
33:24is that Smithy wants him to drive
33:26a third consecutive 45-minute stint,
33:28to save on pit-stop time.
33:30In now, in now.
33:32OK mate, you're staying in the car, OK?
33:35I've got pins and needles in my foot.
33:39You're down for a triple, mate.
33:41That's what you're doing.
33:43The pain's not over yet.
33:45That's why they call it endurance, Jamie.
33:49Despite his pins and needles,
33:51Jamie's flying third stint
33:53puts Creation back up to 22nd.
33:54But now, the team faces
33:56a very different challenge.
33:58It's time for their third driver,
34:00Andy Wallace, to get in the car.
34:02Go, go, go.
34:04OK mate, the car is good.
34:06The car is good.
34:08He's a former winner.
34:10It's his 17th Le Mans.
34:12But it seems like Andy
34:14just can't get comfortable with this car.
34:19Throughout testing and practice,
34:21Andy has had a slight problem
34:22with complaints and problems.
34:24And this evening is no exception.
34:26The seat is broken.
34:28The seat is broken, mate.
34:30I think it's going to disappear
34:32in that way and I'm going to crash.
34:34That's what I'm thinking.
34:36Look, the whole seat's gone.
34:38Smithy gives Andy some foam padding
34:40for extra back support.
34:42Do you know where it's going to go if it breaks?
34:44Because I'll just disappear
34:46into the footwell, you see.
34:48Bix thinks the problem
34:50may be in Andy's mind.
34:53OK, I'm out of the car with you.
34:56But Mike wants Andy to feel
34:58he has the team's full support.
35:00He gets into his head that
35:02he's not getting adequate support,
35:04he likes to be slower in the car
35:06and may make mistakes.
35:08Andy's lap times are slow,
35:10but at least he keeps the car on the track
35:12while others fall apart.
35:16OK Andy, stick with the seat
35:18for the minute, OK?
35:20If you think you're going to crash,
35:22it's only a lap time, OK?
35:24OK, thank you.
35:26Andy sticks with the seat
35:28for another 26 laps
35:30and by the end of his third stint,
35:32Creation are back up to 15th place.
35:34The car's morphing really badly now.
35:36It only just started,
35:38but it started about five laps ago.
35:40Quite a bad morphing.
35:43Nick takes over the driving
35:45and Andy can now report
35:47a whole series of problems
35:49with the car that have been
35:50causing him problems.
35:52OK, go around the corner
35:54and it just moves.
35:56Second one, the lights
35:58are absolutely...
36:00But it turns out
36:02he may simply have had
36:04a slow puncture.
36:06That one's down to what, one bar?
36:08Yeah.
36:10That's got a puncture.
36:12Puncture.
36:14Oh, the puncture.
36:16That's the poor position.
36:18With Nick back at the wheel,
36:20how are you coping with the seat?
36:22There's no problem with the seat,
36:24no problem, everything's fine.
36:26There are 15 hours to go
36:28and the battle for survival
36:30is heating up.
36:32Just before 1am,
36:34a crash for Pescarolo number 17
36:36struck from behind
36:38and the repairs will last eight laps.
36:41Despite being the fastest from the start,
36:43a series of problems means that,
36:45like Creation,
36:47Pescarolo must keep playing catch-up.
36:50And a second major suspension failure
36:52means that so must Orica.
36:54Two of the wishbones
36:56supporting the front right wheel
36:58of the Audi R8
37:00have snapped clean through.
37:02They lose six laps.
37:07Before he gives up the car,
37:09and just after 2am,
37:11Nick puts Creation
37:13back into the top ten.
37:15Well, guys, we're on the front page
37:17of the TV again.
37:19We're now P10,
37:21we're in the top ten.
37:24But you're getting out, Jamie's getting in.
37:31Go, go, go.
37:33Another slick, fast driver change.
37:35Creation are back on top of their game
37:37and it's paying off.
37:40The Pescarolo number 16
37:42with Eric Comas at the wheel
37:44is also enjoying a good run.
37:46Back up to third
37:48and champion number three still leads.
37:50It's still problem-free from the start.
37:54Approaching halfway,
37:5615 cars have now gone to the Lions
37:58and their teams have packed up for home.
38:0135 cars out of 50,
38:03including all the top contenders,
38:05are still in the race.
38:07Collectively, they've done over 60,000 kilometres
38:10at an average speed of up to 200 kilometres an hour.
38:13Only the die-hard fans
38:15are still manning the stands.
38:16Even the mechanics are grabbing some sleep
38:18when and where they can.
38:21But the cars just keep going round
38:24and round
38:26and round.
38:28Just 12 hours to go.
38:30Pinch yourselves, Creation.
38:32You're still in the race.
38:34Reset the counter, mate, OK?
38:38Just before 6am,
38:40Creation complete an amazing recovery
38:42from 40th back up to their starting position of 7th.
38:45Andy Wallace is back in the car.
38:47He and the other Creation drivers
38:49have now enjoyed nearly 12 hours problem-free.
38:51Just too easy.
38:53End of lap, end of lap.
38:55Do you read me?
38:57Yes, mate, what's the problem?
38:59What's the problem?
39:01Rear puncture, left rear puncture.
39:03OK, mate, nice and slow, nice and slow, OK?
39:06You know the script.
39:08Got water temperature up at 110 as well.
39:10Can we look around the car fleet for a leak?
39:11OK, guarantee, guarantee
39:13we've got a new radiator, all right?
39:15It's a double dose of pure bad luck.
39:18One piece of debris has put a hole in a tyre.
39:21Another has put a hole in a radiator.
39:29Five laps lost
39:31and Creation drop back down to 12th.
39:33This is what Le Mans does.
39:36It raises your hopes
39:38and then dashes them down.
39:39But Bix won't be down for long.
39:42It's time for Nick Minassian
39:44to start another Creation fight back.
39:51Because with crashes like this,
39:53there's always hope.
39:56But Champions' response
39:58to their No. 2 car's crash
40:00puts Creation's challenge into perspective.
40:03Back at the garage,
40:05their huge team and the millions of dollars
40:07of development that went into
40:09building a modular car
40:11means that major repairs
40:13are completed in just 15 minutes.
40:16They lose just one place
40:18to the top Pescarolo
40:20which is now closing on the lead
40:22at a rate of six seconds a lap.
40:30It's Sunday morning
40:32and Creation Autosport
40:34are still standing for the final hours of Le Mans.
40:37Nick Minassian pits
40:39with Jamie Campbell-Walter.
40:41But the car won't start.
40:52It's a ten minute job
40:54to change the starter motor
40:56and an opportunity to replace
40:58some of the bodywork.
41:00It's taken quite a battering
41:02and Smithy decides it's time to use the spares.
41:06Jamie stays in the car
41:07trying to remain focused
41:09and ready to drive.
41:16Back out, Jamie's down to 11th
41:18but eager to get back on it.
41:21Too eager.
41:23On his first lap out
41:25on cold tyres
41:27he's caught out by gravel on the track.
41:33A second blow in quick succession.
41:35Just how much more punishment
41:37can this small team take?
42:08The whole team's been up
42:10for 26 hours
42:12since early Saturday morning.
42:16We just go and say
42:18well, you know, one more.
42:20Well, we had it.
42:23Now they face a major rebuild.
42:25Body, suspension, brakes.
42:29The team's been up
42:31for 26 hours
42:33since early Saturday morning.
42:35The team's been up
42:37for 26 hours
42:39and they've just put their spares on the car
42:41so now the battered old parts
42:43have to go back.
42:45Some components
42:47even have to be machined on the spot.
42:50Need a left top wishbone.
42:53In about half an hour.
43:08I'm going to need a spanner.
43:18An hour and ten minutes later
43:20Jamie finally drives back out
43:22in 20th place.
43:24The car may look
43:26almost good as new
43:28but it's certainly not.
43:30Winning is out of the question now.
43:32With the car lashed together
43:34Creation have a real fight on their hands
43:35to finish the race.
43:37With five hours to go
43:3920 cars have so far retired.
43:43And after yet another crash
43:45Pescarolo number 17
43:47is next to concede defeat.
43:49Pescarolo decide to focus
43:51their efforts on their other car.
43:53Still in second place
43:55and still lapping four seconds a lap
43:57faster than champion Audi
43:59in first place.
44:01Just one lap behind
44:03there's still time to catch up
44:05with Pescarolo's speed
44:07versus champion's reliability
44:09to the end.
44:11Meanwhile
44:13Creation continue their journey
44:15through hell.
44:17This time it's a puncture.
44:19Jamie can you slow down a bit
44:21please mate.
44:23Can you slow down a bit
44:25the tyre is about to flail off the rim
44:27and f*** up all the body work.
44:29Just slow down a bit.
44:31Yet again Jamie Campbell-Walter
44:33must nurse the car home.
44:36Have a good look round in there yeah.
44:39It's a sharp stone like that.
44:41I think we got away with it mate.
44:43We just got to fold a little bit
44:45of rear body work.
44:47It's now a physical, mental
44:49and emotional trial
44:51to find the will to simply carry on.
44:53How are we getting on?
44:55Are we catching them up?
44:57Yeah, just keep going,
44:59just keep plodding on,
45:01we'll be alright.
45:03The countdown to the finish
45:05has begun.
45:07Pescarolo keep pushing
45:09but champions number 3 car
45:11hold strong.
45:13They've gone 23 and a half hours
45:15without a single problem.
45:17Henri Pescarolo knows
45:19when he's beaten
45:21and Le Mans 2005 is again
45:23going to be won by reliability
45:25over speed.
45:27And with just 4 laps to go
45:29it finally looks like
45:31Creation's trial is over.
45:33I felt a bit down earlier
45:35but it's our first experience
45:37at Le Mans
45:39and you're up against the best.
45:41Jamie you've got about 10 minutes
45:43to go mate, 10 minutes to go.
45:45I think we've done awfully well
45:47for a first time.
45:49We came very close to a good result.
45:51These races are heartbreakers.
45:53After months of preparation,
45:55practice, heartache
45:57and sleepless nights
45:59they're here at the finish.
46:01True gladiators who have risen
46:03to the challenge of Le Mans
46:06Well done mate, well done.
46:08Thanks very much.
46:13They've engineered a car
46:15capable of racing for 24 hours.
46:18For them, 14th place at the finish
46:20is a triumph.
46:22They've tamed Le Mans
46:24and next year there's no limit
46:26to what they can achieve.
46:32From a clean sheet of paper
46:33designed daredevil
46:35Michel Cys builds a brand new
46:37MotoGP bike.
46:39In a moment on Turbo
46:41follow the birth of a racer next.