Le Mans LMP2 podium finisher disqualified

The No. 13 Vaillante Rebellion entry has been disqualified from its second-place finish in the LMP2 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a technical infringement was found in Parc Ferme.

Technical inspectors did not have to look hard to find the No. 13 ORECA 07-Gibson chassis, driven by Nelson Piquet Jr., David Heinemeier Hansson, and Mathias Beche was out of compliance. Faced with the dilemma of a sticking starter motor late in the race, the Rebellion team drilled a visible hole atop the right side of the engine cover – in proximity to the starter – that allowed a crew member to use a long rod and hammer to strike the starter.

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The age-old trick of using a heavy blow to the starter solenoid worked, which allowed the No. 13's drivers to fire the engine and resume racing. Unfortunately, the rules do not permit intentional bodywork modifications – not in the newly-spec LMP2 class where the bodywork is homologated, and as a result, the car and drivers were disqualified.

The choice to drill the hole was made to save time; had the team elected to remove the engine cover, strike the solenoid, and reinstall the engine cover during the final pit stops after the problem arose, it would have lost more time, and possibly surrendered its podium finish, but would have remained within the rules.

The stewards cited Article 3 of the LMP2 technical regulations, which states, "No bodywork variation is permitted," to base their finding.

"The stewards therefore determined that the competitor's car deliberately took part in some part of the race with bodywork in violation of the homologation, there being no crash damage or other cause which may be in mitigation."

Making matters worse, technical inspectors witnessed the Vaillante Rebellion team making an attempt to cover up the hole while the No. 13 sat in Parc Ferme; the ACO makes it clear to every competitor that contact with its car is not allowed.

According to the stewards' finding, "Mr. Benjamin Caron (an FIA assistant technical delegate) saw the hole the competitor placed in the homologated bodywork. He then stated that while he was downloading information from the car, mechanics from the team came to the car and placed 'bear bond' (which is large sections of sticky tape commonly used to effect quick repairs to bodywork in motorsports) with a white tape cover similar to the color of the bodywork, over the hole."

Caron and Vaillante Rebellion team member Ian Smith, who was attached to the car while in Parc Ferme, then had an exchange.

"Mr. Caron stated that he told Ian Smith... that it was not permitted to touch the car in Parc Ferme, and Mr. Smith attempted to remove the tape before being stopped by Mr. Caron. Mr. Smith was only able to remove the white covering in the process, but not the 'bear bond.'"

Team manager Bart Hayden told the inspectors he'd instructed the mechanics to apply the tape and close the hole during one of the final pit stops, and thought it had been done. A suitable answer on why a decision was made to try and cover the hole after the race, and while in Parc Ferme, was not provided.

"[Hayden] was candid with the stewards that he could not offer any explanation for the actions of the mechanics in Parc Ferme."

Despite the apparent attempt at a literal cover-up, no additional penalties beyond the disqualification were listed.

With the stewards' decision, the No. 37 Jackie Chan DC Racing entry was promoted to second, giving the JOTA Sport-run team a 1-2 finish, and the fourth-place No. 35 Signatech Alpine Matmut entry was promoted to the podium.

Vaillante Rebellion has confirmed its intention to file an appeal with the officials.

In another key stewards' decision, G-Drive Racing has been penalized for Roman Rusinov's collision with the No. 88 Proton Competition Porsche in the second hour of the race at the Porsche Curves.

The penalty for Rusinov's collision is a three-minute stop-and-go to be served by the team at the FIA WEC round at the Nurburgring, with a further three-minute stop and go penalty suspended for the following three WEC races.

RACER's Stephen Kilbey also contributed to this report.