Written and Updated by Owen Bradley and Sean McKean
Credit: Richard Dole
A Special Thanks to the Following, for their coverage of the Daytona 24 Hours 2024:
OWEN BRADLEY - Website Coverage
SEAN MCKEAN - Website Coverage
HUGH WARING - Twitter Coverage
UMUT YELBASI - Graphic Designer + Social Media Coverage
Scroll For Updates!
Credit: Porsche Penske Motorsport on Social Media
PORSCHE #7 TAKE VICTORY AT THE DAYTONA 24 HOURS 2024
Fastest Lap - Blomqvist Fastest Lap, Cadillac #31 - 1:35.554
791 Laps - Total Time - 23:58:24.723s
The Daytona 24 Hours roars back onto our screens today, with a lot of exciting things to look forward to, such as: BMW's new Hypercar is debuting this weekend at Daytona, with many people looking forward to a full season of endurance racing. As well as that, Porsche, Cadillac and Acura all returning to battle it out for victory! Who will get it right at the first time of asking? We're about to find out in this thrilling first instalment of the IMSA Championship!
But that's not all! There are a lot of notable drivers competing in this year's Daytona 24 Hours, such as: Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean, Marcus Ericsson, Pato O'Ward, Brendon Hartley, Maxime Martin, Jack Aitken, Paul Di Resta, Alexander Sims and many many more drivers with a history of Formula 1, IndyCar and GT Racing across all classes.
The stories throughout the grid are going to be exciting to follow, and you can get all the latest updates on this article! Please also be sure to check out our social media coverage of the Daytona 24 Hours as well!
Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/projectdivebomb
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All times in EST. (Eastern Standard Time)
Race Start is at 18:40 for GMT viewers.
Owen Bradley: 13:40pm - 22:00pm + 04:00am - 13:40pm EST
Sean McKean: 22:00pm - 04:00am EST
Follow Owen on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/owen_bradley04/
Follow Sean on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mckean.sean/
LIVE Daytona 24 Hours 2024
Credit: James Gilbert
13:42 - PORSCHE #7 TAKE VICTORY AT THE DAYTONA 24 HOURS 2024
GTP HYPERCAR TOP 5
1st - Porsche #7 driven by Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron, Josef Newgarden, Matt Campbell
2nd - Cadillac #31 driven by Tom Blomqvist, Jack Aitken, Pipo Derani
3rd - Acura #40 driven by Louis Deletraz, Jenson Button, Colton Herta, Jordan Taylor
4th - Porsche #6 driven by Mathieu Jaminet, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Nick Tandy
5th - Porsche #5 driven by Gianmaria Bruni, Neel Jani, Romain Dumas, Alessio Picariello
18:40 - Confusion as the Chequered flag has been waved, #7 Porsche is crowned the winner of the 2024 Daytona 24 Hours, but confusion in the paddock
18:38 - Nasr losing grip in the leading Porsche #7 car, with Blomqvist being held up by traffic. There's almost nothing in it as we approach the final 2-3 laps. Traffic for the leader as the Cadillac #31 closes in further and further.
18:35 - Nasr runs a touch wide in Turn One, Blomqvist takes a huge few tenths out of Nasr's lead, final few minutes as they are bumper-to-bumper still!
18:33 - Nasr #7 Porsche has a gap less than one second to the chasing #31 Cadillac of Tom Blomqvist.
18:32 - Jaminet #6 Porsche is within striking distance of the #40 Acura Deletraz, that's the battle for 3rd Position and the final Podium spot.
13:32 - 10 MINUTES REMAINING
13:27 - Less than a second between the leaders, the #7 Porsche still ahead of the #31 Cadillac with no further traffic ahead.
13:23 - Leaders in traffic, cars driving off the circuit just to avoid colliding with the leaders!
13:20 - #31 Cadillac and #7 Porsche are Bumper-to-Bumper here with just 21 Minutes remaining. This is going to be a grandstand finish.
13:18 - Blomqvist and Nasr lead the field, Nasr in the #7 Porsche leads with Blomqvist in the #31 Cadillac less than one second back, and towing him in the slipstream.
13:18 - Blomqvist sets the Fastest Lap - 1:35.554
13:16 - Felipe Fraga #74 in LMP2 (Felipe Massa's Team) is quickly making progress, just a couple of seconds off the lead and making overtakes. They're in P3 currently.
13:14 - The race is seemingly going down to the wire, with the Top 2 breaking a small gap to #40 Acura Deletraz. However, Deletraz has much more energy to use.
13:11 - Deletraz #40 and #6 Porsche make contact at the Turn 1 restart, with Deletraz maintaining 3rd place, and the Porsche running wide. The #24 BMW is knocked into a spin and now is at the back of the field.
13:10 - GREEN FLAG
13:07 - Bruni #5 Porsche has gone off the road, trying to catch the Safety Car.
13:04 - Likely going to be a 30 Minute Sprint from after we go green eventually. #7 Porsche driven by Felipe Nasr Leads, with the #31 Cadillac close behind, driven by Tom Blomqvist. Louis Deletraz sits in 3rd, in the #40 Acura which has had a tough race. #6 Porsche sits in 4th driven by Mathieu Jaminet and Gianmaria Bruni is 5th for the #5 Porsche team.
12:58 - GTP Hypercars come in for their stops, The #7 Porsche has jumped the #31 Cadillac in the pits and takes the lead of this race!
12:51 - Race is wide open for the Hypercar GTP class, with the cars lining up behind a Safety Car.
12:50 - FULL COURSE YELLOW - Car on Fire.
12:48 - Gap between the Top 2 now down to under 2 seconds, as #6 Porsche continues to assist the #7 Porsche, much like the 2021 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - when Sergio Perez defended strategically from Lewis Hamilton, for Max Verstappen to get closer.
12:45 - #31 Cadillac in traffic and stuck behind #6 Porsche, allowing the #7 Porsche to catch up to the leading #31 Cadillac.
12:42 - 1 HOUR REMAINING.
12:40 - The #6 Porsche is about to be lapped by our race leader #31 Cadillac. However with the #7 Porsche just 3 seconds away, will the #6 Porsche potentially make it difficult for the #31 Cadillac and assist his teammates in the #7 Porsche?
12:32 - Christian Rasmussen aboard the #18 LMP2 car makes another pit stop after just 10 laps, giving the lead to Fraga #74 periodically.
12:24 - Tom Blomqvist #31 Cadillac Overtakes Felipe Nasr #7 Porsche, with Nasr on cold tyres it's a relatively easy pass for Blomqvist. Nasr in hot pursuit for the victory though, as the pair begin to battle once again.
12:17 - RETIREMENT GTP HYPERCAR - #10 Acura
12:16 - Tom Blomqvist aboard the #31 Cadillac comes in for their stop, bolting on new tyres and hoping to beat the #7 Porsche out of the pits.
12:15 - #40 Acura driven by Louis Deletraz comes in for their stop, with the #6 Porsche following them in as well.
12:13 - Leading gap now down to well under a second, this race is now well and truly alive and is certainly going down to the flag, with Blomqvist all over the gearbox of Nasr.
12:08 - LMP2 News: Christian Rasmussen (IndyCar rookie in 2024) is currently trying to bring home the victory for the #18 LMP2 squad.
12:03 - Blomqvist and #31 Cadillac close to 3 seconds from the #7 Porsche driven by Nasr, the Cadillac took a whopping 2 seconds out from the Porsche just this last lap, as the Porsche #7 hit traffic.
12:00 - 100 Minutes Remaining
11:50 - The GTD Pro #1 BMW now locks up, going off the circuit as the front right does not sit comfortably.
11:46 - GTD Pro #1 BMW has a loose wheel, just about managing to bring it into the pit lane, but this will absolutely ruin their race. The lead, and now a podium is unlikely.
11:43 - GTD Pro #1 BMW has a brake issue, called into the pits and now gives the #62 Ferrari driven by Pier Guidi the race lead.
11:40 - Tom Blomqvist aboard the #31 Cadillac is now only 6 seconds from the leader #7 Porsche of Felipe Nasr. 2 Hours now remain.
11:35 - Felipe Nasr re-joins the #7 Porsche car for his final stint, currently leading by roughly 10 seconds.
11:34 - RETIREMENT - #65 Ford GTD
11:32 - Battle continues at the front, with the gap now opening up to just under 10 seconds. However, with a few cars on the lead lap and pit stops due, it could be about to get very interesting indeed.
11:22 - #10 Acura driven by Ricky Taylor has gone behind the wall for repairs, more trouble for the #10 Acura squad.
11:20 - Blomqvist #31 Cadillac closes this gap further, now under 8 seconds between the #31 and the leader Matt Campbell #7 Porsche.
11:15 - Blomqvist closing the gap to race leader Matt Campbell, as Colton Herta is comfortably driving just 20 seconds up the road, with 2 and a half hours still remaining.
11:00 - GTD Pro leader Pier Guidi (Le Mans 24 Hours Hypercar Winner 2023) Ferrari #62 has come into the pits, with Sheldon Van Der Linde taking the lead of the GTD Pro class in the #1 BMW
10:47 - Aitken boxes the #31 Cadillac as Tom Blomqvist takes over, making it out 8.5 seconds behind and rapidly chasing the leader Matt Campbell.
10:45 - Matt Campbell #7 Porsche comes into the pits, 10 seconds in hand to Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac behind.
10:30 - RACE UPDATE: So if you're just joining us for the final few hours at Daytona, here's a brief race update:
Matt Campbell #7 Porsche leads the race, they've been confidently leading and managed to fight against Jack Aitken in the #31 Cadillac earlier to seize the lead. Colton Herta inherited 3rd place for the #40 Acura which Jenson Button is driving. They inherited 3rd after the #6 Porsche of Kevin Estre ran wide at the pit exit, and they are nearly a lap down after having a Drive-Through penalty earlier in the race too.
10:15 - Gaps starting to settle, Nasr in the #7 Porsche still leads ahead of Jack Aitken in the Cadillac #31 by a good 5 seconds, the Porsche certainly has a lot of pace. Rain is still a possibility but now no longer an immediate threat whatsoever.
09:59 - Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac has been closing up to the other #7 Porsche of Matt Campbell, now only 3 seconds down on the #7 Porsche.
09:58 - Kevin Estre's #6 Porsche has come into the pit lane, but coming out of the pit exit, he locked up and ended up putting the nose of the car in the wall, struggling desperately to get the car moving with a potential Full Course Yellow.
09:50 - Felipe Massa is staying in the LMP2 #74 car, coming in for fuel and tyre changes.
09:48 - The battle is on for P2 in the Hypercar GTP Class, Aitken #51 Cadillac is being attacked by the #6 Porsche of Kevin Estre which would be leading, without their penalty earlier on about one hour ago. A few seconds back, is Colton Herta aboard the #40 Acura
09:43 - Triarsi #023 Ferrari GTD was knocked into a spin by the #1 BMW in GTD Pro, as rain and wind are reportedly on the way in these final 4 hours.
09:33 - FASTEST LAP - Felipe Nasr 1:35.605 Porsche #7
09:32 - A thrilling battle in the GTD class, between race leaders #57 Mercedes of Dontje and the Ferrari #023 of Triarsi. The Ferrari was able to run a low line on the oval parts of the circuit, but whilst being unlapped the Mercedes managed to pass through.
09:17 - Felipe Nasr sets the Fastest Lap of the Race, Opening his lead to nearly two seconds.
09:17 - #4 Corvette GTD Returns to the race after the broken and smoking brakelight.
09:13 - GREEN FLAG
09:09 - BMW's #25 and #24 both make their pit stops, hoping to unlap themselves after being put about 13 laps off the leaders, a lot of luck required to make a full recovery but the BMW's have shown their pace, maintaining the leaders pace.
09:01 - Pits Stops galore for the Hypercar GTP's as the #31 Cadillac of Aitken comes into the pits, as do the leaders of #7 Porsche driven by Felipe Nasr. The gap was 18 seconds, but due to this yellow flag, they will be racing, and the gap has come right down as Aitken cruises up to the back of Nasr.
08:56 - First Spots of Rain on GTD cameras, slight shower is likely to happen.
08:54 - FULL COURSE YELLOW - Debris Recovery.
08:51 - Large piece of debris under the apron as you come out of the infield, potential Full Course Yellow inbound.
08:50 - Ominous dark grey clouds looming large above the circuit, there's no expectation of rain however knowing motorsport, anything could happen!
08:50 - Felipe Massa jumps back into the #74 LMP2 car with just under 5 hours remaining, hoping to challenge for a podium or even victory.
08:44 - Felipe Nasr leads the race in the #7 Porsche, but with Jack Aitken aboard the #31 Cadillac just over 15 seconds away. All it takes is one Safety Car, and the race will come alive once again as it has done multiple times throughout these 24 Hours so far.
08:42 - Drama for the #4 Chevrolet as they have a major issue, much like their #3 counterpart, smoke pouring from the car.
08:24 - Campbell #7 Porsche hands the car over to Felipe Nasr (Ex-F1 driver, 2015-2016) This race is really heating up with the final 5 hours approaching us quickly. Nasr retains the lead from Aitken.
08:22 - Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac comes into the pits for new tyres and re-fuelling.
08:21 - Porsche #6 Mathieu Jaminet ends his stint, handing the car over to Laurens Vanthoor as the #25 BMW driven by Maxime Martin pits as well.
08:19 - LMP2 is closing up, with the #52 LMP2 driven by Pietro Fittipaldi closing the gap to the Top 2, the Top 2 are separated themselves by roughly 8 seconds.
08:18 - Not far away from another pit stop phase for the Hypercar GTP class, Campbell #7 Porsche opening the gap to #31 Cadillac to 6.5 seconds now, a healthy lead.
08:06 - 600 LAPS COMPLETED: Campbell #7 Porsche lead with Jack Aitken aboard the #31 Cadillac in hot pursuit with 5 and a half hours remaining.
07:58 - #3 Corvette GTD Pro driven by Alexander Sims has finally been brought into the garage, this car has had smoke pouring from the rear of the car and out of the right rear brakelight for close to two hours.
07:54 - The battle continues and the best way to describe this: Dijon 1979 battle between Rene Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve in Formula 1! The Cadillac #31 of Aitken and #7 Porsche of Campbell are racing extremely hard with just under 6 hours remaining.
07:51 - An absolutely enthralling battle has begun between our leaders #31 Cadillac and #7 Porsche as Aitken and Campbell push each other below the yellow lines on the oval.
07:45 - Matt Campbell #7 Porsche closes right up to the back of Jack Aitken's #31 Cadillac as a battle is about to ensue.
07:39 - PENALTY FOR #6 PORSCHE: POWERTRAIN PARAMETERS
07:38 - Campbell #7 Porsche has been overtaken, struggling for tyre grip and loses both places they just gained.
07:37 - Matt Campbell comes out ahead of the others, taking the lead of the race.
07:35 - Overtake for the lead of the race as the #6 Porsche pit team manage to release the car ahead of the #31 Cadillac.
07:33 - Leaders Pit: #31 Cadillac Pipo Derani gives the wheel to Jack Aitken.
07:27 - The #31 Cadillac and #6 Porsche make contact as they try to unlap traffic heading up onto the first banking, as Campbell in the #7 Porsche closes right up to the back of them both. All are equal on power and fuel.
07:21 - Matt Campbell #7 Porsche has managed to catch up to our Hypercar GTP class leaders, now only a couple of seconds from Jaminet #6 Porsche and Derani #31 Cadillac.
07:16 - Titanic battle between the LMP2 leaders, running door to door for nearly half the lap, even rubbing and bumping one another up on the oval heading into the Le Mans chicane. It's a battle between Connor Zilisch #18 LMP2 and Malthe Jakobsen #04.
07:05 - The two leading Hypercar GTP cars, the #6 Porsche and #31 Cadillac are battling, but catch traffic which halts the progress of the #6 Porsche which is trying desperately to get past that #31 Cadillac.
06:59 - #6 Porsche driven by Mathieu Jaminet has closed right up to the back of the #31 Cadillac driven by Pipo Derani, a battle awaits us as the sun rises to begin the 28th of January 2024.
06:52 - Sun is rising upon the beautiful Daytona circuit, as we're about to return to racing under the daylight.
06:48 - Felipe Nasr #7 Porsche now pits from the lead, with Matt Campbell taking over the wheel.
06:46 - Busy pit lane as the #31 Cadillac and #6 Porsche come into the pits, with Mathieu Jaminet jumping into the #6 Porsche, a much longer stop for the #6 compared to the Cadillac, which has a lead of roughly 17 seconds.
06:43 - Nick Tandy just over one second away from the #31 Cadillac of Pipo Derani. Tandy on a personal mission - he has won every single major 24 Hour Endurance race, except Daytona. A win here would absolutely put him into the history books as one of the best endurance drivers of all time.
06:31 - Smoke coming out of the back of the #3 Corvette GTD Pro, with the Corvette team not concerned. However dust is being thrown into the face of the cars running behind.
06:24 - LMP2 battles heating up, with Pato O'Ward (IndyCar Driver and 500 runner-up 2022) closing the gap in the #2 LMP2 car. the Top 5 separated by just 10 seconds and battles on the horizon.
06:19 - Derani #31 Cadillac still leading, with Tandy #6 Porsche following just over one second behind, Felipe Nasr just slightly up the road trailing by 6 seconds in the #7 Porsche.
06:18 - With only 7 hours and 23 minutes remaining, currently there have only been about 12 retirements throughout the entire field, impressive for completion of over two thirds of the race so far completed.
06:04 - Derani #31 Cadillac maintains their lead, with the #7 Porsche driven by Felipe Nasr just starting to fall behind. Nick Tandy in the #6 Porsche close behind Nasr.
06:00 - GREEN FLAG
05:45 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
05:44 - Matt Brabham #99 LMP2 has crashed at Turn 3, sitting stationary at the side of the circuit after running wide and colliding with the barrier.
05:26 - Josef Newgarden aboard the #7 Porsche comes in for their stop, taking fresh medium tyres and refuelling, with Felipe Nasr now taking over from Newgarden.
05:23 - Pipo Derani #31 Cadillac follows the #40 Acura into the pits just one lap later, being refuelled only.
05:20 - 505 LAPS COMPLETED
05:19 - Brendon Hartley #10 Acura comes back into the pits for further work, the team over 100 laps down.
05:15 - Huge battle for the lead in the GTD Pro class between Daniel Juncadella #3 Corvette and the Ferrari #62 of Daniel Serra. Juncadella currently leads but the Ferrari attacking almost each corner.
04:57 - The #31 Cadillac overtakes Kevin Estre's #6 Porsche on entry to the Le Mans chicane, a dominant display of performance for the #31 Cadillac team but a long way still to go, with just under 9 hours remaining.
04:49 - BMW #25 is now back on circuit, unfortunately now 9 Laps down on the leader and most likely not going to challenge for victory now.
04:44 - Pipo Derani #31 Cadillac currently running in P2, is closing each lap to the #6 Porsche Kevin Estre driven leading car. The gap now down to below 5 seconds.
04:37 - #25 BMW pulls into the pits once again, this time into the garage and looking to repair the gearbox seemingly, heartbreak for BMW here as both of their cars are going to be multiple laps down.
04:36 - Josef Newgarden aboard the #7 Porsche, pits from their brief lead as Kevin Estre #6 Porsche re-takes their position at the front.
04:34 - Long stop for De Phillippi #25 BMW to repair some bodywork on the rear of the car, this costs them time and will drop a position and lose a chunk of time to the leader.
04:30 - Connor De Phillippi #25 BMW Hypercar pits for fuel and tyres from second place. The team were catching the leading #31 Cadillac currently driven by Tom Blomqvist.
04:12 - #6 Porsche driven by Kevin Estre comes in and re-fuels, alongside the #85 Porsche driven by Richard Westbrook.
03:50 - Following pit cycles, it's Estre leading Blomqvist followed by De Phillippi, Newgarden, and Herta.
03:48 - 450 Laps Complete
03:47 - Matt Campbell steps out of the #7 Porsche, in goes Josef Newgarden
03:43 - Driver change for #25 BMW. Rene Rast out, Connor De Phillippi in
03:40 - The #01 Cadillac is officially the first of the GTPs to join the retirements list
03:36 - Notable GTP swap:
#6 Porsche Vanthoor -> Kevin Estre
03:34 - No news yet on the status of the #01 Cadillac. Crew are still trying to diagnose the problem
03:31 - Routine pitstops are on the verge of beginning as the #5 Porsche goes for their stop
03:30 - Not only are the top 4 GTPs separated by less than 3 seconds, but the LMP2s are currently having a battle for the lead, the top three separated by a second!
03:28 - Top 3 Update:
GTP
1st Tom Blomqvist #31 Cadillac
2nd Rene Rast #25 BMW
3rd Colton Herta #40 Acura
LMP2
1st Paul-Loup Chatin #99
2nd Ryan Dalziel #18
3rd Scott McLaughlin #8
GTD Pro
1st Daniel Juncadella #3 Chevrolet
2nd Alessandro Pier Guidi #62 Ferrari
3rd Michael Christensen #77 Porsche
GTD
1st Indy Dontje #57 Mercedes
2nd Kenton Koch #32 Mercedes
3rd Giorgio Sernagiotto #47 Ferrari
03:19 - Racing is getting a little more chippy now, as Herta and Vanthoor have a slight collision in turn 1.
03:15 - Blomqvist gets by Laurens Vanthoor for P2. He now sets his sights on leader Rene Rast
03:11 - Moments after coming back out, the #24 BMW now serves a stop-go penalty
03:10 - Aggression from Blomqvist pushes Herta into the grass, which allows Alessio Picariello in the #5 Porsche to take P4
03:08 -
03:02 - The #24 BMW has come back out on track with Dries Vanthoor
03:00 - RENGER VAN DER ZANDE HAS STOPPED! After clawing their way back through the field, the #01 Cadillac has come to a halt
02:59 - Slow car on the backstretch
02:57 - The driver that spun on the restart was Felipe Fraga. Huge for the LMP2 class, as he was running in the top 3.
02:55 - LEAD CHANGE: Rene Rast puts the remaining BMW #25 into the lead
02:54 - The GTD Pro start had a spinner. Unclear whom it was
02:52 -
02:45 - New development: the cable used to tow the #24 the first time fully snapped. Two tow trucks are being utilised now.
02:43 - Inherited leader Matt Campbell has just been forced to pit due to a number panelling issue. The FCY will be out for a bit longer, as the AMR safety team are struggling to get the #24 BMW off the track.
02:39 - The #24 BMW now gets towed off.
02:36 - Dries and the safety crew continue to work to get the car back going. The other GTPs go on for their routine fuel and tyre stops. Notable swaps:
#01 Cadillac Palou -> Renger van der Zande
LMP2
#52 Dillmann -> Jakub Smiechowski
02:33 -
02:32 - DRAMA IN THE GTP CLASS. Dries Vanthoor and the #24 BMW have come to a stop.
02:28 - Even though he's a ways behind, Rene Rast in the #25 BMW is setting some quick lap times in attempt to gain on Laurens Vanthoor in P2. Notable swap:
LMP2
#2 Keating -> Nico Pino
GTD
#32 Mercedes Skeen -> Kenton Koch
#57 Mercedes Morad -> Indy Dontje
02:24 - LEAD CHANGE: Blomqvist takes the lead back from Vanthoor
02:20 - Other notable swaps:
LMP2
#04 Jakobsen -> Colin Braun
#99 Brabham -> Alex Quinn
GTD Pro
#1 BMW Snow -> Bryan Sellers
#3 Chevrolet Sims -> Daniel Juncadella
02:17 - Close call between #85 GTP Porsche and #83 GTD Pro Ferrari as they nearly collide in the pits on exit
02:15 - More swaps:
#7 Porsche Cameron -> Matt Campbell
#25 BMW Martin -> Rene Rast
#40 Acura Deletraz -> Colton Herta
02:13 - Only GTP swap to have occurred so far this cycle is in the #24 BMW, with Farfus going out for Dries Vanthoor.
02:11 - Trouble for the #81 LMP2 of Kyffin Simpson. He's limping to the pits with a puncture, seeming to have hit the wall
02:10 - More routine stops are beginning to occur amongst the field
02:08 - 400 LAPS REACHED
02:06 - Felipe Massa pits from the lead of the LMP2 class and Alessandro Pier Guidi pits from the lead of the GTD Pro class. Routine stops; no driver changes.
01:57 - GTD #96 Turner Motorsport's Patrick Gallagher serves a drive-through penalty.
01:55 - The #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin has officially joined the list of retired cars.
01:53 - Leader Jack Aitken drives the #31 Cadillac into the pits from the overall lead. Subbing in is Tom Blomqvist
01:52 - At the front of the GTD Pro field, the battle for the lead heats up between the #62 Ferrari of Pier Guidi and #3 Chevrolet of Sims
01:50 - Now, the #64 goes behind the wall with mechanical troubles
01:46 - One of the top GTD Pros has come into the pits for rear repairs. The #64 Ford piloted by Tincknell has sat idle for some time.
TOP 3 AT HALFWAY:
GTP
1st Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac
2nd Laurens Vanthoor #6 Porsche
3rd Maxime Martin #25 BMW
LMP2
1st Tom Dillmann #52 Inter Europol
2nd Connor Zilisch #18 Era
3rd Malthe Jakobsen #04 Crowdstrike
GTD Pro
1st Alessandro Pier Guidi #62 Ferrari
2nd Alexander Sims #3 Chevrolet
3rd Franck Perera #19 Lamborghini
GTD
1st Frederik Schandorff #70 McLaren
2nd Mike Skeen #32 Mercedes
3rd Giorgio Sernagiotto #47 Ferrari
01:40 - Vanthoor has moved up to P2. He now sets his sights on Aitken in the lead
01:37 - Under the FCY, Deletraz got the #40 car back on the track. According to the lap times, he seems unaffected
01:36 -
01:29 -
01:28 - TROUBLE FOR WAYNE TAYLOR ONCE MORE! Deletraz in the #40 has come to a stop, with another electrical trouble plaguing the WTR crew
01:25 -
01:18 - The #78 Lamborghini sees a small fire erupt. Luckily, it gets extinguished and they can continue on. However, it will be a drive-through penalty.
01:15 - The #44 Aston Martin officially becomes the 6th retirement of the race.
01:13 - The #25, 7, 6, and 40 GTPs have pit, and the #25 of Maxime Martin has jumped the Porsche. The #40 Acura piloted by Deletraz also comes in, but has to take a nose change.
#6 Porsche Jaminet -> Laurens Vanthoor
01:12 - One of the biggest beneficiaries from this FCY is the #52 LMP2 of Tom Dillmann, who pit just before the caution came out. Expect him to be flying come the green flag.
01:07 - A lot of debris litters the entrance of turn 5. Unclear what happened, but what is clear is that a collision of sorts occurred.
00:54 - The GTD Pro/GTD classes are seeing numerous pit stops:
#19 Lamborghini Pepper -> Franck Perera
#57 Mercedes Morad -> Russell Ward
#62 Ferrari Calado -> Alessandro Pier Guidi
00:52 - Lead Change: Jack Aitken puts the #31 Cadillac back into the lead!
00:51 - #62 Ferrari James Calado comes into the pits from the lead of the GTD Pro class.
00:46 - Aitken is closing in on leader Cameron. A battle for the lead could be on the cards in a few moments
00:43 - Officially 11 hours in. The GTP class is led by the #7 Porsche of Dane Cameron, LMP2 by #2 United of Ben Keating, GTD Pro by #62 Ferrari of James Calado, and GTD by #57 Mercedes of Daniel Morad.
00:41 - The #5 Porsche has also elected to swap drivers, with Romain Dumas taking the wheel. Maxime Martin has taken over the #25 BMW as well.
00:38 - Gianmaria Bruni, Felipe Nasr, and Jack Aitken are very low on energy according to telemetry. Expect a driver swap for the #7, 31, and 5 teams
00:35 - The #6 Porsche currently piloted by Jaminet comes into the pits. He takes two tires and fuel. A few GTPs will be soon to follow.
00:28 - Another round of pitstops are beginning. P2 in GTD Pro's Laurin Heinrich and P5 in GTP's Louis Deletraz pit
00:26 - On top of the #9 Pfaff's problems, the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin has also gone behind the wall for electrical issues.
00:23 - Augusto Farfus has now taken control of the #24 BMW from Eng
00:21 - The #55 Ford took a little "hip-check" from the #78 Lamborghini on the banking. Exhaustion is hitting these drivers hard now
00:18 - ...And right after coming back out, the #10 goes back to the pits to serve a drive-through penalty; too many men over the wall
00:16 - The #9 Pfaff GTD Pro has gone behind the wall for repairs. On the flip side, the #10 Wayne Taylor Acura comes back out onto the track for the first time in hours with Marcus Ericsson.
00:14 - The LMP2 class has seen some notable driver changes:
#2 O'Ward -> Ben Keating
#74 Burdon -> Felipe Massa
00:12 - Speaking of GTD Pros, Laurin Heinrich is being hounded by James Calado for the lead of the class. Calado ends up blowing by the Porsche for class lead
00:10 - The #9 GTD Pro is in the pitlane with an engine problem currently. The hopes are to get the car sent back out
00:00 - A new day, another classification update:
GTP 1st Felipe Nasr #7 Porsche
2nd Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac
3rd Philipp Eng #24 BMW
LMP2
1st Patricio O'Ward #2 United Autosports
2nd Josh Burdon #74 Riley
3rd Pietro Fittipaldi #52 Inter Europol
GTD Pro
1st Alexander Sims #3 Chevrolet
2nd Laurin Heinrich #77 Porsche
3rd James Calado #62 Ferrari
GTD
1st Tom Gamble #70 McLaren
2nd Parker Thompson #12 Lexus
3rd Corey Lewis #55 Ford
23:48 - The top 5 GTPs have come in for their pit stops. The #6 Porsche is the only team to make swaps, subbing in Mathieu Jaminet.
23:46 - The #27 Aston Martin of Marco Sorensen has come to a stop out of turn 1. Luckily, he got the car back going.
23:43 - Some notable LMP2 driver transfers:
#52 Boulle -> Pietro Fittipaldi
#99 Chatin -> Matt Brabham
23:40 - Jenson Button pits from P5. Louis Deletraz takes over driving duties
23:32 - Leader of the LMP2 class, #2 Patricio O'Ward heads into the pits for fuel and tires. No driver swap. #52 Nick Boulle inherits class lead.
23:30 - RAIN IS NEAR. "Expect some rain in turn 1" is the popular message going around amongst the teams. This could get interesting!
23:26 - Nasr has found his way into the lead in the #7 Porsche. Aitken and Tandy follow
23:21 - "Heavy rain" is set to hit the track in 20 minutes according to the Peacock crew!
23:11 - Jenson Button in the #40 goes for a spin after making contact with #3 Chevrolet of Alexander Sims. Both keep going with minimal damage.
23:07 - Problem for #66 Acura piloted by Sheena Monk. The issues continue to compound as her car is slowing to the garage
23:02 - The break of the new hour, a new update to classifications:
GTP
1st Nick Tandy #6 Porsche
2nd Felipe Nasr #7 Porsche
3rd Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac
LMP2
1st Patricio O'Ward #2 United Autosports
2nd Josh Burdon #74 Riley
3rd Nick Boulle #52 Inter Europol
GTD Pro
1st Andrea Caldarelli #19 Lamborghini
2nd Antonio Garcia #3 Chevrolet
3rd Christopher Mies #64 Chevrolet
GTD
1st Tom Gamble #70 McLaren
2nd Aaron Telitz #12 Lexus
3rd Gabby Chaves #43 Porsche
22:57 - Overall race leader Pipo Derani in the #31 now pits, as well as every other DPI in the top five. Driver swaps are as follows:
#31 Derani -> Jack Aitken
#25 De Phillippi -> Nick Yelloly
#5 Jani -> Gianmaria Bruni
22:54 - The #7 car piloted by Felipe Nasr now heads into the pits from P2. Jesse Krohn in the #24 BMW follows suit as well, swapping with Philipp Eng.
22:50 - Patricio O'Ward now heads into the pits, leader of the LMP2 class in the #2 United Autosports Machine. #99 LMP2 of PJ Hyett also pits from P4
22:48 - The storm cell bound to hit the track is starting to split, but it's still heading towards the track. Expect a possible shakeup soon!
22:42 - "Things are going from bad to worse" for the #01 Cadillac team. It's alleged that they hit a piece of debris to cause the puncture. Now, Scott Dixon takes the wheel of the car to try to claw back their two-lap deficit in P9.
22:40 - The #4 and #64, leaders in the GTD Pro class, have come into the pits. This allows the #3 of Antonio Garcia to inherit the lead. The #4 Chevrolet is now piloted by Nicky Catsburg and the #64 Ford by Christopher Mies.
22:36 - AND TANDY IS THROUGH! Button had a slight collision with the #9 GTD of Alexander Rossi, allowing Tandy and the #6 machine to take P4!
22:34 - The GTP class battle might heat back up, as Tandy is hounding Jenson Button for P4! They've both just cut through a solid pack of GTDs
22:33 - Wayne Taylor Racing are still trying to locate the problem in the #10 Acura. Team Principal Wayne Taylor remains optimistic with the #40 car though!
22:30 - After Bourdais' moment, the top five in the GTP class is as follows at the nine-hour mark:
1st Pipo Derani #31 Cadillac
2nd Felipe Nasr #7 Porsche
3rd Connor De Phillippi #25 BMW
4th Jenson Button #40 Acura
5th Nick Tandy #6 Porsche
22:27 - The #01 now limps into the pits to repair a puncture.
22:25 - BOURDAIS IS OFF. After a cracking restart, Bourdais and the #01 Cadillac team have gone straight on at the hairpin following a lock-up. He's gone from P2 overall to P8.
22:19 - It is now a three-way battle for the lead between Dernai, Bourdais, and Nasr. They barely navigated through the GTD lap traffic. On top of that, De Phillippi and Button are closing in!
22:17 - Sebastien Bourdais moves up to P2, getting by both the #25 and #7. Further back, Seth Lucas in the #20 gets spun around in turn 1 in the LMP2 class. He keeps going.
22:11 - GREEN FLAG
21:55 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
21:53 - #10 Acura is stranded at the side of the circuit, from P3 now looking to potentially even retire the car, with steam and smoke pouring from the car. No electronical power whatsoever.
21:52 - #75 Mercedes GTD RETIREMENT
21:47 - #6 Porsche has a Penalty for failing to adhere to the powertrain parameters. To put salt into the wound, Bourdais #31 Cadillac manages to overtake them as well.
21:46 - Sebastien Bourdais #31 Cadillac, currently sits in P4, but closing rapidly on the Top 3, just under half a second from the car in front, only 10 minutes on since overtaking Newgarden, who is a further 12 seconds behind.
21:37 - 250 Laps Gone
21:35 - Sebastien Bourdais #31 Cadillac manages to overtake the #7 Porsche driven by Josef Newgarden, down the inside into Turn 1.
21:24 - #40 Acura - Jenson Button jumps into the car for the first time.
21:23 - Pit Stops Galore for our GTP Leaders, #31 Cadillac and the #10 Acura both make stops, with the others expected to come in, in a few laps time.
21:20 - #74 LMP2 car comes into the pits for a stop, Felipe Massa expected to jump back into the car relatively soon.
21:18 - Top 5 separated by just 5 seconds as the race starts to settle into a groove.
20:52 - Pipo Derani #31 Cadillac just about manages to overtake the #7 Porsche, running around the outside of the Porsche into Turn One! an exceptional move and one which we are seeing more and more of!
20:51 - #75 Mercedes of Luca Stolz in the GTD class slows, with the lights turning off as well.
20:49 - The current battle is certainly between the #7 leading Porsche of Newgarden, with the #31 Cadillac of Pipo Derani looming large in the mirrors, just two tenths of a second behind!
20:39 - #10 Acura driven by Filipe Albuquerque dives down the inside of the #24 BMW of Dries Vanthoor, Vanthoor losing another spot to the #6 Porsche of Kevin Estre. The BMW #24 not making a good re-start. 17 Hours still remain.
20:37 - GREEN FLAG
20:34 - #23 Aston Martin GTD has a brake change, which costs quite a bit of time and is certainly unconventional for this point in the race, as we approach the 7 hours gone mark. However, the #23 Team believe that rain may affect the race at some stage, and therefore brakes wouldn't be pressed as harsh and therefore wouldn't wear as much.
20:27 - Josef Newgarden (IndyCar driver) jumps into the #7 Porsche as he now takes the lead.
20:24 - With the FCY currently out once again, Rene Rast inherits the lead of the race for the #25 BMW Hypercar team. It should be noted that this is the first competitive race for the BMW Hypercar team. This also marks the 15th lead change in this race so far.
20:22 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
20:22 - Yet more issues for the #33 LMP2 United Autosports car, now stranded at the edge of the circuit.
20:20 - #31 Cadillac now comes into the pits, only for fuel and only just barely beats the #01 Cadillac sister car out of the pits.
20:17 - #24 BMW is now driven by Dries Vanthoor, as the #24 comes into the pits and we get other cars to come in for their stops as well.
20:07 - Rene Rast #25 BMW Hypercar, defends from the #01 Cadillac from Van Der Zande, the pair of them battling incredibly hard from one another, the BMW just managing to stay in front, going back around the outside heading into Turn One.
19:57 - #25 BMW driven by Rene Rast manages to overtake the #01 Cadillac driven by Renger Van der Zande around the outside into Turn One, an overtaking hotspot!
19:53 - #20 LMP2 driven by Seth Lucas unfortunately spins out and blocks the path of a few GTD cars, nearly causing a major crash.
19:44 - Matt Campbell aboard the #7 Porsche takes back the lead of the race from the #31 Cadillac driven by Pipo Derani.
19:40 - Tom Blomqvist comes out of the #31 Cadillac, swapping for Pipo Derani who started the race for the team.
19:38 - #7 Porsche driven by Matt Campbell comes into the pits, as does the #24 BMW driven by Augusto Farfus and the #6 Porsche driven by Laurens Vanthoor.
19:36 - GTP Hypercars Pit, Maxime Martin of the #25 BMW swaps out for Rene Rast, Phil Hanson jumps in to the #85 Porsche
19:24 - Palou #01 Cadillac battles away with the #10 Acura of Brendon Hartley, approaching traffic manages to keep Hartley in front, but perhaps not for much longer.
19:23 - Blomqvist #31 Cadillac is closing down that gap to leading car #7 Porsche driven by Matt Campbell. The gap had risen to 5 seconds earlier, but now is down to under a second. The race is on at the front of the field.
19:00 - Brendon Hartley #10 Acura roars around the outside of Romain Dumas #5 Porsche at Turn One, the #10 Acura has been struggling but now seems to have found its footing.
18:58 - Matt Campbell now manages to overtake Tom Blomqvist and the #31 Cadillac, seizing the race lead and making an excellent re-start.
18:57 - Matt Campbell of the #7 Porsche, immediately manages to overtake the #25 BMW of Maxime Martin, as we get back to racing after a long yellow flag period.
18:56 - GREEN FLAG
18:43 - After a short green flag period, we're right back to Full Course Yellow conditions.
18:38 - Whilst under Yellow Flag Safety Car conditions, your Top 3 in each class is as follows:
GTP Hypercar
1st Tom Blomqvist #31 Cadillac
2nd Maxime Martin #25 BMW
3rd Matt Campbell #7 Porsche
LMP2
1st Malthe Jakobsen #04
2nd Ben Hanley #2
3rd Felipe Massa #74
GTD
1st Roman De Angelis #27 Aston Martin
2nd Russell Ward #57 Mercedes
3rd Laurin Heinrich #77 Porsche
18:36 - Augusto Farfus aboard the #24 BMW Hypercar has now pitted, not wanting to compromise the #25 BMW sister car in the pit stops earlier on.
18:29 - Pit Stops galore for the GTP Hypercar class, with just about half the leading field coming into the pits. We're still under Full Course Yellow conditions.
18:18 - FULL COURSE YELLOW - For the #33 LMP2
18:18 - Car #6 Porsche has a Drive-Through penalty, for failure to adhere to the powertrain parameters.
18:17 - The #33 LMP2 once again in strife, as the car is stopped on track.
18:06 - Threats of a potential Thunderstorm coming to the circuit overnight, the second half of this race may get very interesting indeed.
18:05 - Felipe Massa Leads LMP2 on his IMSA Debut! He had been closing from P7 in class just over an hour ago, to now lead the race in the LMP2 class.
18:01 - #01 Cadillac leads this race, with Alex Palou, defending IndyCar champion, leading the way. LMP2 has Pino #2 leading the way, with Felipe Massa chasing him down and within one second aboard the #74 LMP2.
17:57 - Aitken #31 Cadillac comes into the pits, with a driver change as Tom Blomqvist now jumps into the car. The #25 BMW now has Maxime Martin at the wheel and running in P3 on its debut. Martin partnered MotoGP Legend Valentino Rossi in their GT World Challenge campaign in 2023, scoring multiple podiums and even a victory. They will also compete in the GT World Challenge in 2024.
17:51 - #88 LMP2 have retired with sudden mechanical issues
17:46 - Felipe Massa comes in for a stop, closing to within a couple of seconds from the LMP2 leaders, a remarkable stint as he stays in the car.
17:45 - More trouble for Acura, the #40 car pits again after only 14 laps, and the struggling #10 driven by Brendon Hartley has a long stop, now dropping back behind the #40 sister car.
17:42 - Brendon Hartley and the #10 Acura now loses out to both BMW cars, now being passed by Philipp Eng's #24 BMW Hypercar. The Acura's over a long green flag period, are certainly starting to lose their hold over this race.
17:41 - #01 Cadillac now pits for more fuel, Scott Dixon stays in the car.
17:37 - Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac now closes down and has been slipstreaming the leading #01 Cadillac of Scott Dixon, conserving the energy of the #31 and waiting for the right opportunity to seize the lead.
17:36 - Nick Yelloly aboard the #25 BMW Hypercar now overtakes Brendon Hartley for P3, Hartley and the #10 Acura seems to be struggling slightly, dropping a few seconds to the leaders.
17:30 - Felipe Massa is flying at the moment in LMP2, aboard the #74 and is now closing on P2, even slashing the lead down from 10 seconds to now only 5.5 seconds. The Ex-F1 driver is really making his mark at this event.
17:21 - Brendon Hartley #10 Acura has been overtaken by Jack Aitken #31 Cadillac, as Aitken begins to chase after Scott Dixon #01 Cadillac once again.
17:16 - #9 McLaren GTD Has an issue as it nurses itself back into the pit lane.
17:16 - Felipe Massa is charging through the LMP2 field, currently running P4 in class but has made up around three places in three laps!
17:09 - Yet another issue for the #33 LMP2 car, spinning out at Turn 1.
17:09 - GREEN FLAG
17:02 - Many notable drivers are now in their cars, Felipe Massa, Brendon Hartley and Romain Grosjean all in their respective classes, of LMP2 for Massa, GTP and P2 Overall for Hartley and GTD for Grosjean.
16:59 - Pit Stops for the GTP Hypercars, leaders pit for fuel and tyres, all stacked up and ready to go green.
16:56 - 100 LAPS GONE
16:54 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
16:53 - #33 LMP2 Spins out once again, blocking the middle of the circuit in a very dangerous way. Philipp Eng of the #24 BMW Hypercar just barely missed the #33 LMP2 and nearly had a potentially race-ruining incident.
16:52 - Inception McLaren given a Drive-Through-Penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
16:38 - Dixon pits the #01 Cadillac, refuels and re-energises the car as Aitken now takes the lead of the race.
16:38 - The #33 LMP2 car has spun and is facing the barrier on the exit of Turn 1.
16:36 - Jack Aitken, former Formula 1 driver for Williams, sits just over a couple of seconds from Scott Dixon, the current IndyCar driver. It's a battle between the two Cadillac's of #31 Jack Aitken, and the #01 of Dixon.
16:29 - #65 GT Mustang also now has a broken rear boot, flapping up and down. This may not be due to contact, but rather a problem with the manufacturing of the car itself.
16:17 - #64 GT Mustang has a broken rear boot which flaps up and down throughout the course of the lap, potential orange and black flag on the way.
15:59 - RETIREMENT for the #11 LMP2 which smashed into the wall and brought out that latest Yellow Flag.
15:56 - IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward now leads the class in LMP2. The #22 United Autosports LMP2 Car has also been repaired and will re-join the race.
15:56 - GREEN FLAG
15:53 - #24 BMW Philipp Eng brings the car into the pits, as we may very well be about to go green.
15:50 - The #14 Lexus which had a major collision earlier, has now been repaired and is re-joining the race! incredible work from the Lexus GTD crew.
15:46 - Pit Stops for the leaders, who take a dash of fuel and others move onto old tyres as we're still under a Full Course Yellow.
15:39 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
15:38 - MAJOR CRASH as the #11 LMP2 crashes out, just coming out of the bus stop chicane. Took slightly too much kerb, unsettled the car which fired the car straight into the wall. For those who are aware, this same thing happened to the Safety Car earlier today.
15:31 - Dane Cameron #7 Porsche closes right up to the back of the #01 Cadillac now driven by Scott Dixon, as the pair are about to fight for the lead once again.
15:23 - One of the BMW GTP Hypercar's run wide and out onto the grass, the BMW's looking somewhat strong but still lacking in pace compared to the leaders.
15:23 - Felipe Nasr #7 Porsche pits with a driver change, with many other GTP's about to follow them into the pits in the coming laps.
15:18 - Richard Westbrook's #85 Porsche manages to go down the inside of Pipo Derani's #10 Acura, taking the final podium spot away from the struggling Acura squad.
15:16 - Many LMP2 cars come into the pit box for fuel and tyres, with the entire field all now mingled together.
15:11 - More strife for the LMP2 United Autosports #22 car as they spin out at the international horseshoe, with suspension damage and threat of a full course yellow. Right read suspension broken.
15:05 - Derani and Nasr locked into battle as Nasr loses ground to the leading #01 Cadillac driven by Bourdais.
14:57 - Nasr #7 Porsche Hypercar GTP has managed to catch right back up to Sebastien Bourdais, slashing the lead to under half a second now as they catch back up to traffic!
14:53 - Just a couple of laps later, as Bourdais opens the gap, Felipe Nasr aboard the #7 Porsche manages to get past Ricky Taylor's #10 Acura. The Acura's are starting to fade.
14:51 - Sebastien Bourdais #01 Cadillac takes the lead with a spectacular overtake around the outside at the double apex first two corners!
14:47 - Felipe Nasr #7 Porsche and Sebastien Bourdais aboard the #01 Cadillac are battling away, with the #10 Acura still leading despite not pitting yet.
14:46 - GREEN FLAG
14:33 - YELLOW FLAG
14:31 - Three LMP2 cars collide at the Le Mans chicane, somehow they all manage to get away again.
14:29 - GREEN FLAG
14:25 - #22 LMP2 United Autosports gets held in the pit lane for an extended amount of time due to a broken panel on the side of the car, devastating for the team.
14:21 - GTD's follow suite as the #12 and #14 Lexus cars pit, along with many others in the class. #10 Acura in the GTP Hypercar class now leads the race but has not pitted. Derani aboard the #31 Cadillac is our net race leader.
14:19 - PIT LANE OPEN: #31 Cadillac pits as do a lot of others in the GTP Hypercar class, with the LMP2's now leading the overall race.
14:11 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
14:10 - #78 Lamborghini in the GTD class has spun out and made heavy contact with the wall at the Le Mans chicane, fluid spilling out.
14:06 - With gaps starting to open again after the GTP cars managed to pass through traffic, each class has a Top 3 separated by only a few seconds, as we await strategy and other elements to throw something unexpected into this race.
13:53 - Leaders hit traffic, as Bourdais #01 Cadillac closes the gap to just half a second from the leading #31 Cadillac driven by Pipo Derani
13:50 - A relatively calm start compared to previous Daytona 24's with Pipo Derani leading the overall race aboard the #31 Cadillac, and Sebastien Bourdais just a couple seconds behind, aboard the #01 Cadillac. It's a Cadillac dominance display so far.
13:46 - Richard Westbrook aboard the #85 Porsche Hypercar runs wide at Turn 1 on Lap 2, costing them a position and certainly a few seconds.
13:41 - GREEN FLAG