Coverage from: Olly Radley, Owen Bradley, Vyas Ponnuri, and Evan Veer
Hypercar Standings Post-Race:
Hypercar Finishing Positions:
LMP2 Finishing Positions:
GTE Am Finishing Positions
15:00 - FERRARI HAVE DONE IT!
And with that, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is complete. Ferrari have taken their first Le Mans win since 1965 at their first attempt since returning to the Circuit de la Sarthe. Toyota will rue their mistakes as they come 2nd, and Cadillac will be ecstatic with a 3-4 finish.
Inter Europol hold onto the LMP2 win, and Team WRT round off the rostrum with the #41 and #31 in 2nd & 3rd. Corvette will breeze home to the GTE win to make up for their cruel luck a year earlier; a totally deserving win for the American squad. ORT and GR make up 2nd and 3rd. Finally, after a long time in the pits for repairs, the Garage 56 NASCAR entry finishes 39th overall.
14:57 - FINAL LAP
Alessandro Pier Guidi will drive Ferrari home for the win as the whole world watches on.
14:42 - Final stop for Toyota
Toyota follow Ferrari into the pits 2 laps later and make their final stop of the race. Gap is now 1 minute and 45 as we reach the end of the 24 hours.
14:37 - Late drama for Ferrari
After a whole 24 hours worth of pit stops, the leading #51 Ferrari loses a second bout of time in the pits for a power recycle. Gap has been reduced to less than a minute between first and second. Ferrari still hold a comfortable lead but it's far from over.
14:28 - Transmission issue for Porsche
At one point in the race, Porsche looked very promising for the win, flash forward to the final half hour and an issue for the leading #5 Porsche adds insult to injury. Christensen is limping his Porsche home to the pits, meanwhile Antonio Fuoco and the pole sitting #50 Ferrari rejoin the top 5.
14:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
We have reached the final hour of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the finishing positions are starting to get locked in up and down the grid. Hirakawa has not gained any time on Ferrari since his spin, and the running order is as follows:
In LMP2, Inter Euopol still lead with Fabio Scherer at the helm of the #34. There is still a looming penalty decision over serving an earlier penalty incorrectly. If a penalty is awarded, it could really ruin their day. As it stands, the LMP2 class is as follows:
Finally, in GTE, Corvette hold an astonishing lead despite their issues early on in the race. GTE is as follows:
13:52 - The Final Ferrari Push
Antonio Giovinazzi hops out of his Ferrari 499 to round off his first Le Mans. Alessandro Pier Guidi jumps in to replace him and drive it home for Ferrari's first Le Mans win since 1965.
13:38 - GTE Battle for P2
Charlie Eastwood and Rahel Frey driving for ORT and Iron Dames enjoyed a late battle down the Mulsanne, with Eastwood taking P2 down the inside of the Daytona chicane. Frey tried to reply but not enough. Corvette still lead following an immense recovery, ORT are now 2nd, Iron Dames drop to 3rd.
13:19 - Toyota back out on track
Toyota make all necessary repairs outside of the garage in the pitbox. Hirakawa is going again but he's almost a lap down on the leader, Giovinazzi. The ball is very much in Ferrari's court.
13:15 - Spin for Hirakawa
Ryo Hirakawa spins at Arnage in the #8 Toyota, swinging the odds totally in Ferrari's favour. Collided with the wall at the front and rear, so it's looking unlikely Toyota will be able to recover and take the win. An unscheduled stop for repairs adds to Toyota's heartbreak.
13:08 - Ferrari Respond
Ferrari cover off the undercut by going in for fuel but not changing drivers or tyres in order to extend the lead to Toyota. Giovinazzi still driving and still leading the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
13:06 - Hartley for Hirakawa
The #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing car of Brendon Hartley pits for a full service; youngster Ryo Hirakawa is now at the wheel and on the hunt for Antonio Giovinazzi in the #51, which needs to pit.
13:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
The 22nd hour of the 24 didn't provide us with as much action as we might've liked, but it's set the final 2 hours up perfectly. The #51 Ferrari of Antonio Giovinazzi leads the #8 Toyota of Brendon Hartley, as the only two cars on the lead lap. A spanner in the works for Hartley is the #50 Ferrari of Nicklas Nielsen 7 laps down on the leaders in 6th position. Hartley has now been released to chase down Giovinazzi and close the sub-10 second gap. The running order is as follows:
12:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
As we approach the final three hours, this is your running order across all categories:
Hypercar -
LMP2
GTE Am
That's my final stint (Owen Bradley) for this Le Mans 24 Hours, enjoy the ending of this race. Now, back over to the man who started this incredible event, to finish us off - Olly Radley.
11:47 - NASCAR Garage 56 Gearbox issue
Jenson Button has been reporting an issue with the NASCAR Camaro and it has been returned to the pit lane for a gearbox change.
11:45 - Cadillac Ahead of the Iron Dames in GTE Am
Cadillac Racing #33 has managed to pull out an 18 second lead over the Iron Dames who were leading earlier in the race.
11:42 - #51 Ferrari in the pit lane
#51 Ferrari returns to the pit lane and holds their advantage over the #8 Toyota, with the gap increasing.
11:39 - #8 Toyota back in the pits
Brendon Hartley returns to the pit lane for some more fuel as it becomes pit stops galore once again.
11:35 - Inter Europol have a Drive-Through penalty
LMP2 leaders have a drive-through penalty, which will reduce their lead over the WRT #41 driven by Robert Kubica.
11:33 - Inter Europol lead LMP2 with Team WRT in pursuit
WRT are still on the LMP2 lead lap, although slightly adrift, all it takes is one safety car in these last few hours. for now, Inter Europol's #34 Fabio Scherer lead LMP2.
11:32 - Ferrari #50 comes into the pits
11:24 - Tactical Corner Cut from the #8 Toyota
as a Porsche GT3 gets in the way of Brendon Hartley, Hartley cuts the first chicane and is currently under investigation by Race Control to see if he gained an advantage. the #50 Ferrari continuing to frustrate the Toyota #8 as they loom large in the mirrors and try to put the #8 off their line. Gap between the Top 2 is 5 seconds.
Whilst trying to unlap some traffic, the #50 Ferrari team have tried to slow the Toyota #8 to protect the #51 Ferrari which is just a few seconds up the road from that Toyota #8.
11:12 - 1.5 seconds separate the Top 2 as another Slow Zone is deployed
As the #8 Toyota hounds the #51 Ferrari for the lead, the #57 Kessel Ferrari has crashed into the barriers at Indianapolis.
11:00 - HOURLY UPDATE - Hartley and Calado separated by 2 seconds
10:59 - Jack Aitken in the gravel
Aitken adds further anguish for the #311 Cadillac crew, who are now 19 laps down from the leaders.
10:56 - Ferrari #51 DRIVER CHANGE and REFUELS
Ferrari #51 comes into the pit lane, with James Calado now behind the wheel. the gap between the Ferrari #51 and the #8 Toyota of Brendon Hartley is now just 4 seconds.
10:51 - #8 Toyota REFUELS under slow zone
Brendon Hartley comes into the pit lane to refuel whilst there is a slow zone, the gap between the #8 Toyota and the Leader is now 1 Minute and 12 seconds, but with a pit stop in hand.
10:36 - Michael Fassbender Crashes, brings out Slow Zone
Michael Fassbender crashes the #911 Porsche towards the end of the lap, Marshalls are repairing the barriers and this brings out a slow zone.
10:33 - Iron Dames vs ORT vs Corvette Racing in GTE Am
The Iron Dames lead GTE Am with the Aston Martin of ORT just a few second behind, and Corvette Racing who made a pit stop, just roughly 40 seconds out from the leaders. with further pit stops to come, it is far from over in GTE Am.
10:25 - #3 Running 3rd Goes a Lap Down. This race is between the Top 2
With #3 Cadillac Racing's Earl Bamber going an entire lap down, it means that this race is firmly set up for a battle between the Ferrari #51 and the Toyota #8 squads.
Alessandro Pier Guidi comes into the pits to refuel, with their lead extending to the Toyota #8 who make the driver change from Sebastien Buemi, to Brendon Hartley.
10:06 - Iron Dames Come into the Box
Iron Dames, who were leading the GTE Am class, come into the pits for a driver change and come back out of the pit lane in P3.
That's the end of my six-hour stint (Vyas Ponnuri). Time to hand the mantle back to Owen Bradley once again.
10:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
Five hours to go, and here's the hourly update of the leaderboard:
In the LMP2 class, it is still the #34 Inter Europol Competition leading, with Fabio Scherer back at the wheel. And in the GTE Am class, it is Iron Dames leading the pack, Rahel Frey at the wheel of the pink #85 Porsche.
GREEN FLAG RUNNING ONCE AGAIN
09:48 - CHANGE FOR THE LEAD AGAIN
Pier Guidi gets a great run on Buemi on the run down to the Michelin chicane, and he goes right around the outside of the #8 Toyota to regain the lead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, once again. The Ferrari garage roar into happiness seeing that move Five hours and 10 minutes left in the race, anything can happen, and both sides mustn't celebrate too early just yet.
09:43 - The #6 Porsche Penske is back in the garage once again
The issue with the #51 Ferrari was an inability to fire up the car once again, thus the time loss in the pit box
09:30 - DRAMA IN THE PIT LANE
An issue in the pits for Ferrari, apart from a driver change (Pier Guidi in for Giovinazzi) sees Toyota lead the 24 Hours of Le Mans once again.
The #8 Toyota now leads by 5.8 seconds, the Ferrari will be hungry for the lead once again.
09:15 - SLOW ZONE
The #38 Hertz JOTA car driven by Antonio Felix Da Costa has an incident on the exit of Indianapolis, dipping a wheel into the gravel and going front-on into the barrier. He is able to return back to the pits.
09:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
With three-fourths of the race completed, here's the leaderboard:
08:52 - While Glickenhaus managed to repair the #709 and send it back out onto the track, the gap between the #51 Ferrari and the #8 Toyota has stretched to over a minute. Buemi made a visit to the pits, and has emerged onto the racetrack a minute behind.
#94 Peugeot is back onto the racetrack, with Nico Muller at the wheel. It was an oil leak causing the stoppage
08:44 - #51 PITS, JUST AS A YELLOW FLAG COMES OUT
#709 Glickenhaus spins at Indianapolis corner, this time in the opposite direction to the other Glickenhaus earlier this morning. Once again it's from dipping a tyre into the gravel
08:39 - #3 CADILLAC PITS, PEUGEUT INTO THE GARAGE
Sebastian Bourdais steps out of the #3 Cadillac Racing car after a long stint. In his place comes IndyCar veteran Scott Dixon
The #94 Peugeut also pays a visit to the pits, and is being wheeled back into the garage. Their tough day gets even tougher.
With Rexy and the #33 Corvette Racing having to make full-service pit stops under green flag running, Iron Dames retakes the lead of the GTE-Am Class.
08:20 - GREEN FLAG RACING ONCE AGAIN!
08:15 - EMERGENCY FUEL STOPS
The #50 Ferrari, the #56 Rexy Porsche among the cars to pit for emergency fuel stops under the FCY period
#37 LMP2 car also had a spin at the Mulsanne right-hander under FCY
FCY (Full Course Yellow) to sweep off all the gravel left onto the racetrack by multiple cars going off the track and exploring gravel traps
08:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
With seven hours to go, the leaderboard is as follows:
In the LMP2 class, the #34 Inter Europol Competition lead, ahead of Team WRT following an epic battle for the lead.
GTE-Am saw Rexy take the lead from #85 Iron Dames, the latter slipping back to third behind the #33 Corvette Racing.
The #708 Glickenhaus has been repaired, the team awaits tyres to go on to the car
07:55 - DRIVER CHANGES
The #51 Ferrari and the #8 Toyota pit to change drivers during the slow zone, as Antonio Giovinazzi and Sebastian Buemi take over the wheel of their respective machinery.
07:51 - GLICKENHAUS INTO THE WALL, SLOW ZONE
The #708 Glickenhaus dips a wheel into the gravel at the Indianapolis corner, and spins into the barrier on the opposite part of the racetrack. Olivier PLA has managed to get going, and returns the stricken Glickenhaus back to the pits
Elsewhere, the #6 Porsche has rejoined the racetrack, mechanics having repaired the floor of the car following a trip to the gravel.
07:45 - REXY RETAKES THE LEAD
Having trailed the #85 Iron Dames Porsche for the entirety of the speed sections on the lap, Matteo Cairoli pulls out of the draft, and swoops past the #85 to lead the GTE Am class of Le Mans cars. Just under seven and a quarter hours of the race to go now.
07:40 - Spin for the #98 Aston Martin
Ian James in the #98 Aston Martin spun at Indianapolis corner, one of the trickiest corners on the track.
07:27 - REXY UP INTO SECOND
Matteo Cairoli moves the #56 Porsche into second in the GTE-Am class, moving "Rexy" into second, past the #57 Ferrari.
07:23 - CHANGE FOR THE LEAD IN GTE-Am
Rahel Frey, driving the #85 Iron Dames Porsche, gets past the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari to head into the lead of the GTE-Am class. Although, a battle could brew between the top three in the class later, with the Project 1 - AO Porsche "Rexy" not very far behind.
Elsewhere, a near-miss in the battle for the LMP2 lead, as Robert Kubica in the #41 Team WRT almost takes out the current leader in the #34 Inter Europol outfit, driven by Jakub Smiechovski. A battle of the Poles surely beckons for later in the race
07:11 - HYPERCARS IN THE PITS
Estre's off has caused some damage and scuff marks to the outside of the #6 Porsche, and he has been pushed into the garage, as the team will be fixing the damage in an attempt to send him out once again.
The leading pair come into the pits too, as the #8 Toyota puts on new soft tyres, while the #51 Ferrari continues on its older tyres.
07:02 - HOURLY UPDATE
With two-thirds of the race completed, here is your leaderboard:
Estre's charge had been curtailed by a moment which saw him visit the gravel trap on the outside of the Porsche curves. In the LMP2 class, it is the #41 Team WRT in the lead, driven by Robert Kubica, while the #57 Kessel Racing team lead the GTE-Am class.
07:02 - BIG MOMENT FOR ESTRE
Kevin Estre, who'd been pushing hard in a bid to catch up to Bourdais in the Cadillac, has a moment at the Porsche curves, as he tries to lap an LMP2 car. He goes off the track, almost into the barrier on the outside of the track
06:51 - Estre has had to back off, having almost collided with a GTE car being lapped at the Michelin chicane. He has now dropped back, in order to regain his mojo once again.
06:41 - Kevin Estre is absolutely pushing to the extremities of the track in the #6 Porsche Penske, as he continues to chase down the fourth-placed #3 Cadillac racing of Sebastian Bourdais. An interesting battle beckons for fourth in the race
06:30 - CHANGE FOR THE LEAD IN THE PITS
Following a nose change for the Toyota, the Ferrari Hypercar leads the race once again, with Calado at the wheel now.
All onto Hirakawa to chase down the Ferrari for the lead now, with eight hours and 30 minutes to go
06:25 At the front of the field, the gap between the #8 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari has come down to less than a second. Both drivers are expected to be coming in, the Toyota garage also ready with a front nose
Both drivers peel into the pits.
James Calado gets back at the wheel of the #51 Ferrari, for Alessandro Pier Guidi. A fantastic stint by the Italian driver.
****
Elsewhere, Jimmie Johnson has taken over the wheel of the #24 Camaro from 2009 F1 Champion Jenson Button
06:15 - VANWALL PULLS OVER TO THE SIDE
The #4 green Vanwall Hypercar pulls over to the side of the track before the Porsche curves, following smoke from the car. Yellow flag for now, as the car is being pushed off the track by some speedy marshals.
06:03 - HOURLY UPDATE
The leaderboard is as follows, with nine hours to go:
Not much action in the latter part of the hour, having been under slow zones. The #34 Inter Europol Competition took the lead from the #41 WRT during the hour, having made a pit stop, while 'Rexy' takes back the lead for the GTE-Am Class.
Drivers need to be wary of the kerbs in the Porsche curbs, as a few GTE cars have been straddling the kerbs regularly. As was the case with the #80 LMP2 car, the kerbs can always send you into the barriers, if you're not careful and watchful.
05:52 - Overtake in GTE-Am Class
The #86 Porsche GR Racing gets up into fourth, as Ricciardo Pera makes a textbook switch back overtake on the #25 ORT Racing Aston Martin of Ahmad Al Harthy. This was on the run off the Dunlop curves, further away from the slow zones on the track.
05:47 - CHANGE FOR THIRD IN LMP2
Paul Loup Chatin slips his #48 IDEC Sport car down the inside of the second chicane on the Mulsanne straight. He passes the #30 Duqueine car of Nicolas Pino for third on the road, the two having been in battle for quite a while now.
Elsewhere, Fabio Scherer has managed to get past Robert Kubica's #41 Team WRT car for the lead in the LMP2 class.
05:40 - THE LEADING TWO PIT UNDER SLOW ZONE
The #8 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari come into the pits, along with the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro.
Ryo Hirakawa takes over from Brendon Hartley in the leading Toyota, while Alessandro Pier Guidi continues for the lead Ferrari Hypercar.
05:37 - INCIDENT ON TRACK - ANOTHER SLOW ZONE
The #80 AF Corse LMP2 car, driven by Ben Barnicoat, has a moment in the Porsche curves, as he loses it on the kerb of the left-hander and goes into the barriers on the right hand side of the circuit
Another slow zone, as the barriers require to be tended to.
05:34 - LMP2 LEADER PITS
The #34 Inter Europol Competition comes into the pits, but no changes, as Fabio Scherer soldiers on for the Polish team. Scherer had been involved in an incident earlier in the race, having been run over by one of the Corvette cars in the pit lane. He continues on, second in his class, chasing the #41 Team WRT car of Robert Kubica in the lead. The gap here is under 4 seconds
05:30 - Both cars into the pits at the same time, but with no changes in drivers. Nicolas Pino still continues for the #30 Duqueine, as does Paul Loup Chatin in the #48 IDEC Sport
05:25 - Still a slow zone on the track, but an interesting battle brewing for 3rd in the LMP2 class, between the #30 Duqueine green car and the bright blue #48 IDEC Motorsport outfit, who are decked in blue as a homage to the famous French team Delage.
The sun has risen, still an overcast sky though, cars still having to run with their headlights on
05:12 - Rexy into the pits again but just for a minor check-in
05:05 - HOURLY UPDATE
With less than ten hours to go, here is how the leaderboard stands
The #41 WRT car leads in the LMP2 class, while Kessel Racing in the #57 Ferrari leads for GTE Am. A lot of time left in the race still, and anything can happen. Stay tuned for more live updates
05:00 - YELLOW FLAG - NOW A SLOW ZONE
Huge shunt for the #88 GTE Porsche on the run down to the Indianapolis corner. Jonas Ried the driver of the #88, lost the car under braking into the left-hander
****
The slow zone has been cleared, and we are back to Green Flag running, as the skies brighten up once again.
04:56 - THE Hendrick Motorsport PITS under SLOW ZONE
Jenson Button continues at the wheel of the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro, as the team change the old Goodyears for new ones, along with a fuel top-up
04:50 - SLOW ZONE
A slow zone called out to tend to the #777 Aston Martin that has pulled off towards the side of the track in sector two
A top stint from Giovinazzi for the Maranello outfit, as he brought down the gap from over seven seconds to two seconds before both came into the pits. The gap between the two is now 24 seconds, following the driver change at Ferrari
04:42 - DRIVER CHANGE AT FERRARI
The #8 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari come into the pits from the lead of the race. Brendon Hartley continues on for the #8 Toyota, while a driver change for the pursuing Ferrari sees Alessandro Pier Guidi take over from his fellow Italian, Antonio Giovinazzi
04:37 - A fuel top up for the yellow #3 Cadillac, as Renger Van Der Zande rejoins the racetrack in fifth place.
04:33 - LOCK UP FOR THE #25
A big lock-up for the #25 ORT Racing as it goes off the track, and onto the peripheries of the circuit. Although, no problem, as they rejoin without much loss of position
04:25 - GLICKENHAUS INTO THE PITS
The #709 Glickenhaus comes in for fuel, as Esteban Gutierrez continues for the team in the race.
Elsewhere, in LMP2, the #65 Panis Racing car of Tijmen Van Der Helm peels into the pits for fuel, with the Dutchman continuing for the French outfit
04:15 - 'REXY' INTO THE PITS
The Project 1 - AO Porsche, better known as Rexy, comes into the pits for fuel. No driver change, as PJ Hyett continues his stint for the team
04:03 - DRIVER SWITCH
The #2 Cadillac comes into the pits for tyres and fuel, and a driver switch too, with Earl Bamber coming in for Richard Westbrook.
Thank you Owen, this race is still going strong, and it's far from over. The imminent threat of rain looms too, which could shake up the order once again
04:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
That's been me (Owen Bradley) with a 6-Hour stint, and what a race this is shaping up to be. Now, you'll be in the hands of an amazing writer, Vyas Ponnuri.
03:56 - Brendon Hartley Opens the Gap as leaders pit
Seasoned veteran of the World Endurance Championship, Brendon Hartley, is beginning to open a sizable gap to the #51 Ferrari of Antonio Giovinazzi. The #8 Toyota comes into the pits, as does the #51 Ferrari. It seems as though it is shaping up to be a Ferrari vs Toyota battle for Le Mans victory.
03:49 - Slow Zone brought out
The Slow Zone at the back-end of the circuit for the #47 Cool Racing debris is still active, and comes to an end a few minutes towards the end of the hour.
03:40 - Cool Racing LMP2 Collides with barrier
Reshad De Gerus of Cool Racing #47 collides with the barriers in Sector Three, and sustains major damage to the car.
03:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
02:36 - Toyota #8 Picks up a 5-Second penalty
Toyota #8's Sebastien Buemi managed to pick up a penalty in the pit lane which just adds slowly but surely, to the pressure on the Toyota #8 squad, as they are a good 6.5 seconds out from James Calado, who leads the race.
02:28 - Pit Stop Battle and Lead Change
The #8 Toyota of Sebastien Buemi comes into the pits for some tyres and fuel, whereas the #51 Ferrari of James Calado only took fuel, and jumps Buemi in the pit stops, taking the lead of the race.
02:08 - Gustavo Menezes and the #94 have crashed in the Daytona Chicane
Menezes appeared to get on a damp spot on the track, and crashed into the exit barriers of the Daytona Chicane. Major bodywork damage to the car and a loose wheel runs across the track.
02:00 -HOURLY UPDATE
Your current running order is:
01:58 - Jan Magnussen crashes and brings out Slow Zone
Jan Magnussen has crashed heading into the Daytona Chicane bringing out a slow zone.
01:50 - Pit Stops for the Leaders
The #94 Peugeot of Nico Muller comes into the pit lane and comes out behind the #51 Ferrari of James Calado.
01:43 - Pit Stops for Hypercar
The Toyota #8 driven by Sebastien Buemi comes into the pit lane, as does the #51 Ferrari and the lead goes back to Nico Muller and the #94 Peugeot.
01:35 - Cadillac #3 caught in a Spin and Pit Stop
Sebastien Bourdais has been caught in a spin early into the lap before coming into the pit lane and handing over to Scott Dixon.
01:27 - Lead Change
Sebastien Buemi in the Toyota #8 manages to overtake the #94 Peugeot and takes the lead of the race once again, as the Top 3 get closer and close to one another.
01:16 - Full Course Yellow and Ferrari #50 Re-Emerges
A Full Course Yellow is brought out whilst the Ferrari #50 gets released from the pit lane after being in the garage for multiple laps.
01:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
Green flag running finally managed to get going roughly 20 minutes into the hour, but as we got further into the race, there were some major pit stops and overtakes, and the #51 Ferrari is sat in the garage and seemingly looking like it will be multiple laps down by the time it gets out. Your running order is:
Sebastien Buemi manages to take the wheel of the Toyota #8 car and overtake the #51 Ferrari driven by James Calado in the pit stops.
00:55 - Ferrari #51 AF Corse Retakes Lead and Pits
The #51 Ferrari driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi takes the lead off of Nico Muller and Peugeot #94, and also comes into the pits. Commentators are confused by the Ferrari strategy as James Calado jumps into the car.
00:51 - Ferrari #50 AF Corse in the Garage for Repairs
Mechanics seem to be taking the #50 Ferrari apart looking for a leak, taking full advantage of the Full Course Yellow.
00:40 - Lead Change
The #8 Toyota driven by Ryo Hirawaka comes into the pits during the Full Course Yellow and cedes the lead of the race back to Nico Muller in the #94 Peugeot.
00:39 - Daniil Kvyat and the #63 Prema LMP2 Crash - Full Course Yellow
Kvyat brings out the Full Course Yellow once again after a high speed crash, and seemingly brings the #63 Prema team's race to an end.
00:29 - Ferrari Swap
The #51 Ferrari AF Corse overtakes the #50 Ferrari AF Corse after a supposed team order from Ferrari, as the #51 seems to have a lot of pace behind it.
00:25 - #3 Cadillac unlaps itself and is on lead lap
Sebastien Bourdais manages to unlap himself and the entire #3 Cadillac crew to put them back on the lead lap.
00:23 - Fittipaldi's Jota LMP2 brings out the Yellows
Pietro Fittipaldi's Jota #28 LMP2 car seems to be beached in the gravel at the Daytona Chicane and has brought out a yellow flag and subsequently, a slow zone in that area of the circuit. Jota's Le Mans 24 Hours 2023 taking a disappointing turn.
00:18 - Green Flag
The Safety Car comes in and we're back racing, with just 5 seconds separating our Top 5 which are:
00:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
With the Safety Car being deployed after that incident for Kobayashi, the pack has had some minor re-adjustments.
23:24 - Nico Muller Boxes the Peugeot #94 for a full service pit stop
Our leader comes into the pits, he won't lose any positions but will lose the 90-second lead that the team managed to gain, after a Safety Car has been deployed on track.
23:17 - Safety Car
Safety Car deployed after Kobayashi and the #7 Toyota car is abandoned on the Mulsanne straight, decimating the one and a half minute gap of the Peugeot #94 helmed by Nico Muller over the #50 Ferrari AF Corse.
23:14 - Running Order after two cars have major incidents
With Kobayashi Out, and the #51 Ferrari nearly a lap down after being beached in the gravel, your leaders are as follows:
23:10 - Kamui Kobayashi and the #7 Toyota DNF from the Le Mans 24 Hours
After Kobayashi slowed heading towards the Mulsanne straight, he was hit from behind by the #35 Signatech and another car as visibility becomes even more difficult. Kobayashi and Toyota #7 Officially DNF from the race.
23:01 - Kobayashi #7 Toyota collides with backmarkers going into Tertre Rouge
Kamui Kobayashi's #7 Toyota collides with backmarkers in LM GTE Am and stops on the Mulsanne straight grief stricken and is barely able to move and could be about to retire from the race, shortly after being among the favourites to win the race after that Ferrari #51 blunder.
23:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
Pit stops galore for our Hypercar leaders brings out major mistakes for the Ferrari #51 leaders, who manage to get beached in the gravel and just about stay on the lead lap. With temperatures dropping and the track drying out, many people take to the gravel and run wide.
22:57 - Lead Change + Ferrari #51 in the gravel
Contact in front of the Ferrari #51 helmed by Alessandro Pier Guidi is beached in the gravel at Ralentisseur after spinning on his out lap. He manages to stay on the lead lap, but is down to P3. Peugeot lead the field with Nico Muller behind the wheel.
22:44 - 100 Laps Gone
The Ferrari AF Corse #51 driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi comes across the line to lead 100 laps, of the 100th Le Mans 24 Hours event.
22:41 - Alex Sims in the Gravel
Alex Sims takes a quick spin into the sand and stones, yet more anguish for the Action Express Racing Team, who have had a lot of work to do after that massive crash with Jack Aitken on the opening lap of the race. The car looks to be difficult to drive.
22:36 - Lights Display Celebrates 100th Anniversary of the Le Mans 24 Hours
A fantastic lights display using drones entertains the trackside fans as the sky gets darker and drivers get caught out by bright fireworks and lights by missing a braking zone or two.
22:21 - Vanwall Take a Trip to the Gravel
Esteban Guerrieri is behind the #4 Vanwall car, and manages to beach it into the gravel at Turn 6 ("S" du Tertre Rouge) adding further anguish to the Floyd Vanwall Racing Team's Le Mans 24 Hours 2023.
22:15 - Blomqvist Boxes and Visits Medical Centre
Tom Blomqvist is ordered to visit the medical centre, ordered by Race Control. despite not seeing any damage to the United Autosports #23 on our broadcast, censors have picked up some damage which seems to be significant, as the #23 seems to be dropping further and further back in the race. Significant damage picked up by these censors have concerned Race Control about the impact of an accident on the driver. Blomqvist boxes, as United Autosports #23 are stuck in the pit lane, without a driver behind the wheel.
22:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
As the 7th hour ends, the order is almost unchanged to how it was before as the track slowly dries up. The running order is as follows:
LMP2 is as follows:
Finally, GTE Am:
That's me (Olly Radley) signing out for the night after the opening 7 hours, I'll now hand over to the very capable hands of Mr. Owen Bradley.
21:46 - Porsche stop on track
The #75 Porsche Penske of Matthieu Jaminet has come to a stop on track. Jaminet's very unhealthy-sounding Porsche doesn't look like it's going anywhere in a hurry.
21:30 - The rainy running order
Following various pit stops, spins, and other mishaps, the order has been somewhat shaken up compared to the dry running. The order is now as follows:
Fabio Scherer now leads LMP2 in the #34 Inter Europol, while Tom Blomqvist in the #23 United car and Robert Kubica in the #41 WRT. Michelle Gatting still leads GTE Am in the #85 Iron Dames Porsche; the #56 Project 1 Porsche and #54 AF Corse Ferrari are still giving chase.
21:25 - A spin for Caddy
Richard Westbrook takes a spin at Arnage in similar fashion to Jean-Eric Vergne under the safety car shortly after being dubbed a "wet weather specialist" by the Eurosport commentary crew.
21:10 - A repeat of the earlier rain
Cars are flying off through the Porsche curves, reminiscent of the early hours of the race. The #66 JMW Ferrari GTE is beached, and the #50 Ferrari AF Corse of Nicklas Nielsen has had a spin, which has dropped him to 4th. The #51 Ferrari of Pier Guidi made the decision to pit for wets the lap prior and retain its lead. Multiple LMP2s have also gone skating off through the Karting Ess.
21:06 - Damage for Jota... Again
The #28 Jota LMP2 car that led for a period of time is limping home down the Mulsanne to the pits with damage to the car. Swings the LMP2 race right into the favour of Oliver Jarvis and United Autosport.
21:05 - RAIN... AGAIN
Heavy rain from the start-finish straight from to Tertre Rouge. Porsche had the option to stay out and wait to put Wet tyres on Tandy's car but they opted to pit earlier for dries; they might just regret that in a few laps.
21:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
The order is near enough true as we reach the 6 hour mark of the Le Mans 24 Hours. The Toyotas have just pit and dropped back behind the Ferraris who pit a couple of laps earlier. Nick Tandy leads in the #75 Porsche but he's due a stop and will drop back behind the Toyotas. The running order is as follows:
Jakub Smiechowski leads in LMP2 in the #34 Inter Europol, but once he pits, it will be United Autosport's Oliver Jarvis in the #23 car ahead of Oliver Rasmussen in the #28 Jota car.
20:35 - Lead swap
As the sun sets and the race begins to calm down, Ferrari's F1 team orders have been applied in this Le Mans setting. Miguel Molina allows Antonio Giovinazzi through into the lead.
20:20 - Beached
Having slid over the kerbs and into the gravel trap at the Daytona chicane, the #43 DKR LMP2 of Tom van Rompuy is beached.
20:15 - Running order re-established
Every Hypercar has now pit and the true running order is as follows:
Ferrari are cruising at the front of the field.
20:02 - Move for 2nd
Brendon Hartley takes 2nd place from Loic Duval to put Toyota into 2nd, behind Nick Tandy's Porsche.
20:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
We're currently under Full Course Yellows due to that huge Yifei Ye crash. The Jota is still in the race albeit in the pits undergoing heavy repairs and dropping multiple laps down. As the hour strikes, both Ferrari's (the #51 of Giovinazzi and #50 of Molina) pull into the pits. They're joined by Dane Cameron who still has to serve a drive-through. The running order in Hypercar is as follows, however multiple cars still need to pit:
19:54 - Full Course Yellow
A FCY is deployed by the race director in order to clear up debris scattered at different points on the track, including the mess made by Yifei Ye's shunt in the final sector.
19:52 - Massive damage for Jota
The leading #38 Jota driven by Yifei Ye experiences a massive tankslapper, ripping most of the car's rear bodywork off in the tyre barrier. Jota will lose their lead but keep running in the race. Ferrari can now pit in 1st and 2nd and retain their lead.
19:50 - Penalty for Cameron
Just to add to Porsche's disappointment, Dane Cameron is awarded a Drive-Through penalty for overtaking under the safety car.
19:34 - Heartbreak for Estre
Kevin Estre has sustained damage to the rear right of his #6 Porsche 963.
19:30 - Revenge of the Ferraris
Miguel Molina in the #50 Ferrari has re-overtaken Dane Cameron for 2nd place overall, however there's a big gap ahead to Yifei Ye. Antonio Giovinazzi is now breathing down the neck of Cameron Dane and applying the pressure.
19:26 - Spin for Sims
Alex Sims suffers a spin at the Daytona chicane in the #311 Action Express Cadillac that suffered immense damage on the opening lap. Sims is still going.
19:24 - Alpine into the wall
The #36 LMP2 of Julien Canal goes spinning off into the wall down the Mulsanne. Rasmussen leads in LMP2 in the #28 Jota. The Royal Tunbridge Wells outift currently lead in both Hypercar and LMP2.
19:22 - Porsche into the lead
Yifei Ye takes the lead for Jota from Gustavo Menezes and Peugeot. Dane Cameron continues his charge and takes 2nd from Menezes as well; the Peugeot drops from 1st to 3rd on the restart. Porsche are 1st and 2nd with the customer Jota car leading. Ferrari are lurking behind in 3rd and 4th.
19:21 - Brilliant racing
Menezes still leads from Ye in the Peugeot and Jota. Incredible racing further back for 3rd between Dane Cameron and the Ferraris. Cameron manages to get his #5 Porsche past both Fuoco and Giovinazzi for 3rd.
19:19 - GREEN FLAG
After a prolonged Safety Car Period, we are green once again and racing! 5 Hypercars on wets all box for slicks, including both Toyotas.
19:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
At the end of the 4th hour of 24, there's not too much to report. We've now been under safety car conditions for over an hour and so the running order hasn't really changed. The top 5 in Hypercar is as it was after the last round of stops for dries from some of the hypercar pack.
Alpine are now 1-2 in LMP2, with Memo Rojas leading in the #35 ahead of his teammate Julien Canal in the #36. Iron Dames are now leading GTE with Sarah Bovy at the wheel; PJ Hyatt and Martin Rump for Project 1 and Proton respectively are running 2 & 3 in the GTE class.
18:46 - Safety Car Horror for Peugeot
As we approach an hour under Safety Car conditions, it's a terrible spin on the outlap having pit to the slicks at Arnage for the #94 Peugeot of Jean-Eric Vergne. The car is beached and will drop off of the lead lap - a rookie error from the Frenchman.
Also under the safety car, some of the leaders have pit for slicks, including both Ferraris running 2 & 3. The running order is now:
18:08 - More stops for the leaders
The leading Ferraris have both pit, handing the lead to the #94 Peugeot of Gustavo Menezes to the delight of the French crowd. Ferrari are now 3rd and 4th overall - Yifei Ye is filling the gap in the 2nd placed #38 Jota.
18:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
The rain has thrown a huge spanner in the works in this 24 Hours of Le Mans. Several cars off in each category. Currently, the running order is as follows:
However this could all change in a very short space of time with the heavy rain out on tack.
In LMP2, Pietro Fittipaldi leads in the #28 Jota from the two Alpine P2s led by the #35 of Julien Canal. In GTE Am, Davide Rigon has reclaimed the lead in the #54 AF Corse Ferrari. Iron Dames are in P2, and Project 1 are 3rd.
Safe to say we'll be behind the safety car for a large amount of time.
17:54 - Safety Car
There's huge amounts of rain at the Porsche curves, and so the safety car has been called by the race directors. 5 cars are off at the first Porsche curve. Olivier Pla is in the wall at that corner in the #708 Glickenhaus. Scott Dixon also endured a massive spin. 2 GTEs off including an AF Corse that deep into the run off area along with an LMP2.
17:46 - Move for P3
Antonio Giovinazzi in the #51 Ferrari has overtaken the #38 Jota of Yifei Ye for 3rd place overall. Fuoco is up ahead in 2nd in the #51, meanwhile the leader Earl Bamber in the #2 Cadillac is yet to stop for a 3rd time. However with the rain, that could be to his advantage.
17:45 - Rain!
The umbrellas are out and the rain has began to fall over the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans.
17:31 - 3rd round of stops begin
Antonio Felix da Costa is join by the 2 Ferrari 499s in the pits for each of their 3rd stops of the race. A GTE unhelpfully in the pits causes a bit of a problem for Calado trying to get into his pit box, but no great harm done.
17:24 - Move for 3rd
Antonio Fuoco has gone past Laurens Vanthoor for 3rd overall. Fuoco is now 2nd in a 4-car train of da Costa, himself, Vanthoor, and Conway from 2nd to 5th. Buemi is comfortably 11 seconds ahead of this gaggle of cars in the overall lead of the race.
17:22 - More GTEs collide
2 Porsche 911 GTEs have collided towards Terte Rouge. It's the #60 Iron Lynx which has spun into the face of the #16 Proton. Ryan Hardwick has carried on in the #16 car, while Claudio Schiavoni has remained stationary by the side of the track.
17:18 - Not all is lost for the #3 Cadillac
Despite losing a lap on repairs, the race is far from over for the #3 Cadillac, as this year's new safety car procedure means the team can find its way back to the rest of the Hypercar pack by staying out longer than the leader and praying for a well-timed safety car which will cycle it back up to the front.
- Evan Veer, Divebomb WEC Correspondent
17:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
A few cars at the top of the Hypercar class are still due a stop, but the net order at the top is as follows:
Ferrari have dropped back in the pits, however the #50 is somewhat out of place being the only of the Net top 5 to have changed drivers. Cadillac's Blue #2 still leads before its stop from the #75 and #5 Porsche 963s.
Team WRT's #31 car now leads in LMP2. IDEC are down to 8th. Alpine are 2nd with their #36 car and Jota are on the LMP2 podium with the #28. In GTE, Corvette are back out on track 2 laps down on the GTE leaders, and the #56 Project 1 Porsche still leads the GTE field.
16:57 - #3 Cadillac back out on track
Scott Dixon is now at the wheel of the yellow-nosed #3 Cadillac Racing car following the damage sustained with the two GTE cars over the crest of the hill at Dunlop. Still on the lead lap and still in the Hypercar pack.
16:47 - GTE Collision
Ulysse de Pauw is out in the #21 AF Corse Ferrari at Dunlop, so too is the #55 GMB Aston Martin of Gustav Birch. The pair were caught out behind Bourdais' Cadillac by the slow zone and collided, spinning the Cadillac around too. Bourdais has carried on albeit with a damaged Hypercar.
16:36 - Another LMP2 crash
Ricky Taylor crashes down the Mulsanne, bringing a premature end to the weekend of Tower Motorsports. Now multiple slow zones on track for various incidents.
16:31 - More stops at the front
With risk of a caution for the Sales crash, Calado and Bourdais pit from the front. Only fuel for Bourdais, meanwhile Antonio Fuoco takes over from Nicklas Nielsen at the helm of the former leading car the #50 Ferrari.
16:28 - Huge shunt in LMP2
The #14 Nielsen car of Rodrigo Sales goes flying into the wall at Dunlop having been lapped by Earl Bamber. Despite the whole front right of the car missing, Sales is trying his best to nurse it back to the pits for repairs. Unlikely he'll make it, though, huge damage.
16:26 - Trouble for Corvette
An unscheduled stop for the former leaders Corvette spells danger for their Le Mans. No further updates on the situation yet.
16:21 - Huge battles in Hypercar
The pack is totally bunched up in the middle of the Hypercar class. Calado and Bamber are fighting tooth and nail for 4th with Bamber on the attack. Just behind, an inter-team fight for Porsche is being interrupted by Mike Conway in the Toyota.
16:19 - Conway on the charge
Mike Conway is already back up to 8th. He's made lightwork of da Costa and Christensen, and now has Vanthoor and Nasr in his sights. Conway seems totally rejuvinated following his stop; the hunted has become the hunter.
16:16 - A final round of stops
The top 4 Hypercars who were all due a stop pile into the pits. Amongst them is the leader James Calado who will drop into the pack following the stop. Nicklas Nielsen retakes the lead in the #50 Ferrari following the stops. The current running order is as follows:
Further back, Conway's down to 10th in the #7 Toyota behind 4 Porsche 963s, led by Felipe Nasr and tailed by Antonio Felix da Costa in the Jota.
In LMP2, the original order has been restored following the stops. Paul-Loup Chatin now leads once again in the IDEC LMP2.
16:12 - More stops
5 Hypercars pit, including the leader Sebastien Buemi, and the current podium sitter, Felipe Nasr. Further back, Mike Conway has come out of the pits behind the #3 Cadillac, which had to stop early due to a slow puncture. James Calado now leads in his #51 Ferrari 499.
16:10 - A round of stops
Mike Conway in the #7 Toyota relieves himself of some pressure by boxing for tyres and fuel. Up front, James Calado has began his pursuit of Buemi in the lead and closed the gap significantly.
Alpine pit from the lead in LMP2 for the second time this afternoon. The #31 WRT P2 takes the lead.
16:02 - Attack of the Porsches
The 3 line of stern Porsche-Penske cars begin their attack on Mike Conway for the podium. Felipe Nasr, the leading Porsche, makes the first move and takes 3rd, while the #6 and #5 follow Conway close behind.
16:00 - HOURLY UPDATE
Buemi still leads in Hypercar, Calado has extended the gap back to Conway, who's under heavy pressure from the 3 Porsche-Penske cars, lead by the #75 of Felipe Nasr.
Paul-Loup Chatin has pit for IDEC in LMP2; the lead has been inherited by the #36 Alpine car. The #56 Project 1 Porsche leads in GTE while Corvette recover and AF Corse (the previous leaders) have dropped back.
15:56 - Nielsen into the pits & another overtake for 2nd
Having just taken 2nd place, Nicklas Nielsen dives into the pits for fuel. Meanwhile, Calado takes 2nd place back off of Conway, who stays 3rd.
15:53 - Re-overtake for 2nd
Having stuck close to Conway since being passed, Nielsen recieves the instruction to attack and immediately passes Conway through Arnage to retake P2 for Ferrari. Calado also breathing down Conway's neck in 4th, while the whole pack has been bunched up by the battles for 2nd. Meanwhile Buemi is maintaining a comfortable lead.
15:43 - Change for 2nd
Mike Conway breezes past Nicklas Nielsen, who doesn't fight it at all, for 2nd place overall down the back-end of the Mulsanne.
15:40 - Green Flag
The Safety car peels into the pits after 36 minutes at the front of the pack, Buemi still leads for Toyota. Lead is unchanged in LMP2, but the #54 AF Corse has assumed the lead from the #33 Corvette in GTE which pit during the caution period.
15:04 - Safety Car
Mark Kvamme's beached his #32 Inter Europol LMP2 getting caught out similarly to Jack Aitken, bringing out the safety car on the first lap. Plenty of debris from Lap 1 melee to also be cleared. Jack Aitken has managed his Cadillac back to the pits for heavy repairs.
15:03 - Change for the lead
The #8 Toyota takes the overall lead from the #50 Ferrari. #7 Toyota also past the #51 Ferrari; it's a Toyota 1-3. The #48 IDEC stays in the lead of LMP2, and so does the #33 Corvette in GTE.
15:02 - Aitken into the wall
Starting the #311 Action Express Cadillac, Jack Aitken's caught out by the wet following the chicane. Heavy suspension damage sustained but he'll nurse it around to the pits.
15:00 - Race Start
And the 24 Hours of Le Mans is underway!