H17: Peugeot leads under safety car
Peugeot leads as this year's Le Mans enters its 18th hour as another safety car and different fuel strategies play their part
The #7 and #9 Peugeots had trailed the #2 Audi until it made a scheduled stop. A GT accident then brought out the safety car.
The #9 Peugeot and #2 have just pitted, but Marc Gene has stayed out in the #7 908 to hold the lead.
The #16 Pescarolo continues to lead the petrol runners in fifth overall, well clear of the sole remaining Rebellion Lola-Toyota.
Olivier Lombard heads LMP2 in the Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan.
There was drama in GTE Pro. Having led the class almost throughout, the #74 works Chevrolet Corvette surrendered its advantage when Jan Magnussen lost control exiting the Porsche Curves and spun into the #63 Proton Competition Porsche.
The accident brought out the safety car and handed the class lead to the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, currently driven by Toni Villander. Its closest challenger is now the #73 Corvette, which suffered its own minor off earlier in the hour when in the hands of Olivier Beretta.
The #50 Larbre Competition Corvette narrowly leads GTE Am, helped by an off for Seth Neiman in the rival #81 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche.
NOTES:
- Jean-Christophe Boullion crashed the Rebellion Lola-Toyota in the 14th hour at the Porsche Curves. He had been running eighth at the time of the shunt.
- Mike Rockenfeller was taken to hospital following a frightening accident that totally destroyed the #1 Audi in the seventh hour of the race. The German had been running third when he made contact with a GTE Ferrari at kink after Mulsanne. Audi later confirmed that the German would be kept in overnight for observation but that he was okay.
- The #3 Audi of Allan McNish crashed out of the race in the first hour having just taken second position. The Scot collected the #58 Luxury Racing Ferrari in the right-hander after the Dunlop Bridge. The heavy impact destroyed the car and McNish was taken to hospital for precautionary checks, but was later released with an all-clear.
- Both Aston Martin AMR Ones ran into trouble on the first lap of the race. Darren Turner spinning with mechanical trouble and Adrian Fernandez stopping out on the Mulsanne. The #007 car of Turner was recovered to the pits where it was discovered an alternator belt tensioner was to blame.
POSITIONS AFTER 17 HOURS Pos Car Team Class Gap 1. #2 Audi Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP1) 2. #7 Peugeot Peugeot Sport Total (LMP1) + 0.620 3. #9 Peugeot Team Peugeot Total (LMP1) + 2:01.133 4. #8 Peugeot Peugeot Sport Total (LMP1) + 1 Lap 5. #16 Pescarolo Pescarolo Team (LMP1) + 7 Laps 6. #12 Lola Rebellion Racing (LMP1) + 10 Laps 7. #10 Peugeot Team Oreca-Matmut (LMP1) + 10 Laps 8. #22 Lola Kronos Racing (LMP1) + 14 Laps 9. #41 Zytek Greaves Motorsport (LMP2) + 16 Laps 10. #26 Oreca Signatech Nissan (LMP2) + 19 Laps 11. #33 Lola Level 5 Motorsports (LMP2) + 21 Laps 12. #49 OAK OAK Racing (LMP2) + 22 Laps 13. #51 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEP) + 25 Laps 14. #35 OAK OAK Racing (LMP2) + 26 Laps 15. #73 Corvette Corvette Racing (GTEP) + 26 Laps 16. #80 Porsche Flying Lizard Motorsports (GTEP) + 26 Laps 17. #55 BMW BMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 27 Laps 18. #77 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton (GTEP) + 28 Laps 19. #76 Porsche IMSA Performance Matmut (GTEP) + 28 Laps 20. #56 BMW BMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 28 Laps 21. #74 Corvette Corvette Racing (GTEP) + 29 Laps 22. #36 HPD RML (LMP2) + 29 Laps 23. #75 Porsche Prospeed Competition (GTEP) + 30 Laps 24. #40 Oreca Race Performance (LMP2) + 31 Laps 25. #50 Corvette Larbre Competition (GTEA) + 32 Laps 26. #81 Porsche Flying Lizard Motorsports (GTEA) + 32 Laps 27. #70 Porsche Larbre Competition (GTEA) + 33 Laps 28. #83 Ferrari JMB Racing (GTEA) + 39 Laps 29. #65 Lotus Lotus Jetalliance (GTEP) + 39 Laps 30. #63 Porsche Proton Competition (GTEA) + 41 Laps 31. #66 Ferrari JMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 45 Laps 32. #68 Ford Robertson Racing (GTEA) + 46 Laps 33. #44 Norma Extr (LMP2) + 91 Laps 34. #48 Oreca Team Oreca-Matmut (LMP2) + 40 Laps 35. #13 Lola Rebellion Racing (LMP1) Retired 36. #61 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEA) + 52 Laps 37. #59 Ferrari Luxury Racing (GTEP) + 57 Laps 38. #71 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEP) + 62 Laps 39. #88 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton (GTEP) + 71 Laps 40. #42 HPD Strakka Racing (LMP2) Retired 41. #60 Aston Gulf AMR Middle East (GTEA) Retired 42. #39 Lola PeCom Racing (LMP2) Retired 43. #89 Ferrari Hankook Team Farnbacher (GTEP) Retired 44. #58 Ferrari Luxury Racing (GTEP) + 104 Laps 45. #64 Lotus Lotus Jetalliance (GTEP) Retired 46. #57 Ferrari Krohn Racing (GTEA) Retired 47. #24 OAK OAK Racing (LMP1) Retired 48. #1 Audi Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP1) Retired 49. #5 Oreca Hope Racing (LMP1) Retired 50. #62 Ferrari CRS Racing (GTEA) Retired 51. #15 OAK OAK Racing (LMP1) Retired 52. #79 Aston Jota (GTEP) Retired 53. #20 Zytek Quifel-ASM Team (LMP1) Retired 54. #3 Audi Audi Sport North America (LMP1) Retired 55. #007 AMR-One Aston Martin Racing (LMP1) Retired 56. #009 AMR-One Aston Martin Racing (LMP1) Retired
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