2022 Le Mans 24 Hours Live Commentary and Updates
Live updates for the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours at the Circuit de la Sarthe
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Lopez pits immediately and he is asked to do another power cycle. The car isn't currently safe to touch due to the hybrid issue, so the mechanics cannot help with the car despite it being right in front of them in the pits. Agony!
Another power cycle is completed by Lopez in the pitbox, which appears to solve the issue for now, and he's refuelled and gets going again. But that's put the #7 car one lap down on the #8 sister car.
Lopez was asked to do multiple electrical recycles in the pits. Crucially Toyota has avoided having to drag the car back into the garage, but #7 has still gone a lap down to the sister car.
While that was going on the #79 WeatherTech Porsche, that was fighting for the lead in GTE Am, spins but narrowly avoids both traffic and the walls to get going again.
Speaking to TV about his off, Christensen says he had a slow puncture on the rear of his #92 Porsche, but holds his hands up for the mistake and going off into the gravel which caused the right-front tyre to let go in a big way.
Will Stevens is back in the leading LMP2 car, the #38 Jota, in a bid to resist Kubica's chase in the #9 Prema. The pair are split by around 90s at present.
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Toyota team director Leupen has confirmed the issue that lost the #7 its lead: “In this case, the battery of the front motor had to be completely discharged and unfortunately it took longer and so the #7 lost the lead.”
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New overall leader, the #8 Toyota, comes in for a scheduled pitstop and continues without too much fuss. Hartley has a lap-and-a-bit lead now, which is a huge margin in equal machinery.
Breaking news
Here's the latest report update on an enthralling Le Mans 24 Hours:
Lopez, now free from the earlier front motor battery issue, pits with a slow puncture, to add to the huge amount of work ahead to overhaul a whole lap on the leading #8 Toyota.
The #75 Iron Lynx Ferrari has done a Christensen, locking up at Mulsanne and goes through the gravel, and after getting going again the front-right tyre explodes and spills debris on the track. That triggers another slow zone as the car crawls back to the pits.
Lopez had a slow puncture: that was just an eight-lap stint. Not exactly whats required when you're trying to make up a whole bunch of time.
A significant moment in LMP2 battle, if we can call it that. Stevens continued in the #38 Jota car, while Kubica handed over to Deletraz in the #9 Prema entry. Those extra seconds in the pits mean that the Swiss is now a full lap behind. That gives Jota an all-important cushion.
The #92 Porsche is back out on track after its earlier off, with Vanthoor at the wheel, but is way down the GTE Pro order in sixth place and three laps behind the leading #64 Corvette.
Crash
It looks like race over for the #56 Team Project 1 Porsche, Iribe has crashed at the first chicane on the Mulsanne straight and has destroyed the front-end of the car. Iribe has pulled over at the exit of the chicane with the car throwing up fluid.
Yellow flag
That crash has triggered a slow zone, as the marshals get to work cleaning up the track and repairing the outside barrier which Iribe struck at speed.
Crash
Now the #3 DKR Engineering ORECA has locked up and run off at Mulsanne corner, with Horr trying to keep it pinned through the gravel trap, but ended up clipping the tyre barrier and has got stuck.
In GTE Am, the #33 TF Sport Aston Martin continues to lead with Keating at the wheel. Still a long way to go in this race but it has a handy 90s-odd advantage over the chasing pack.
The #3 DKR Engineering gets back to the pits for a new front-end and tyres before getting going again.
The #83 AF Corse driven by Perrodo suffers a half-spin trying to lap a GT train at Arnage and struggles to get going again having been sent facing the wrong way. Just as Perrodo does get moving, the #708 Glickenhaus does that exact same thing and Pla is lucky not to make contact.
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There's still seven hours to go in this race, but the gaps to the leaders in Hypercar and LMP2 have stretched to over a lap, so unless disaster strikes the focus will turn to both GT classes. In GTE Pro the #64 Corvette, #51 AF Corse Ferrari and 91 Porsche remain on the class lead lap, and in GTE Am the top four are sticking to the lead lap.
Part-time movie star, full-time Le Mans star Michael Fassbender is getting back in the #93 Proton Competition Porsche for another stint, but has to wait a little longer as the car is wheeled into the garage for some rear wing work.
The slow zone from Iribe's earlier crash is still in place which is keeping lap times in check, as the leading #8 Toyota pits. Hartley takes fuel and a clean-up of his screen before returning into the lead.
I'm not sure one of my colleagues back home in Autosport Towers should be calling Fassbender a Le Mans star. Reckon there's a good argument for him sticking to the day job!
Crash
Disaster for the #36 Alpine, Vaxiviere has suffered a heavy crash. The #86 GR Racing Porsche had a wobble in front of him which unsettled the #36 and it was a one-way trip into the gravel and the wall.
The Alpine has got going again with help from the marshals, but Vaxiviere is reporting the damage is "more than bodywork". It's been a race to forget for the French squad.
There's every incentive for Alpine to keep going here, but on the other hand no rush to make repairs. The Alpine crew, remember, were leading the Hypercar points coming into Le Mans. Back in the LMP1 era, P2 cars scored points in what might be termed the overall championship, but that is no longer the case. So fifth-place points are there to be taken by Lapierre, Vaxiviere and Negrao, though they're gonna do no better than that unless there are dramas for the machinery from Toyota and Glickenhaus ahead of them.
Going back to the Fassbender line from earlier, as Gary Watkins rightly points out, it hasn't been a superb performance by the high profile Le Mans rookie, so that comment was more tongue-in-cheek given the profile he's brought to the race, rather than his exploits on the track.
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Ed Jones is still due to pit again in the #28 Jota, but for now it is a team 1-2 in LMP2, as Deletraz in the #9 Prema is cycled back to third place in class.
The #28 Jota duly pits with, Rasmussen taking over on driving duty, to release Deletraz in the #9 Prema back into second place in LMP2.
A pitstop cycle sees the #51 AF Corse Ferrari rise into the GTE Pro for the time being, as Sims in the #64 Corvette pits.
Mechanical problem
Bad news from the other side of the Corvette garage, as the #63 car is officially retired from the race due to damage.
Crash
But even worse news for the #64 Corvette, Sims has crashed! He was hit by the Perrodo in the #83 AF Corse LMP2, going three-wide on the Mulsanne straight, and it has sent Sims into the wall!
It looks terminal for the #64 Corvette, as Sims steps out of the car which has suffered heavy damage. He had been chasing Calado in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari for the GTE Pro lead, but that's all over now.
Perrodo, who also picked up damage to his #83 AF Corse in the clash, limps back to the pits to allow the team mechanics to assess the damage.
That all started by John Falb in the #47 APR LMP2 trying to divebomb Calado into the first Mulsanne Chicane and having to run off-line as the Ferrari driver held his line. Perrodo got a run on Falb, but as they ran three-wide with Sims on his left, the AF Corse LMP2 driver jinked suddenly left and fired the luckless Sims into the wall.
So, in the space of about five minutes, both Corvettes are out of the race. The US squad looks shattered, with hugs being shared in the garage, as they know it is over.
By: autosport.com
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