Le Mans 2013 81st Le Mans 24 Hours
Live Text
Sort by
Newest first
AUTOSPORT's on-the-ground reporters are now off to source race reaction, so stick with us for the latest news.
The podium ceremony is taking place below us now, where five-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Jacky Ickx just paid tribute to the late Allan Simonsen, who tragically lost his life in the very early stages of the race.
Read AUTOSPORT's tribute to the sportscar star here
Read AUTOSPORT's tribute to the sportscar star here
Breaking news
For a full review on how the Le Mans 24 Hours played out, read the full AUTOSPORT report - available here in all its glory.
Kristensen, McNish, Duval clinch Audi victory
Kristensen, McNish, Duval clinch Audi victory
Checkered flag
LMP2: It must have been rather heart-in-mouth for the #35 OAK Morgan-Nissan when they got caught up in that final safety-car inducing incident, but in the end the trio were triumphant.
It was a superb result for OAK. Led by Olivier Pla, their polesitting #24 car finished second after running at the front for much of the race.
It was a superb result for OAK. Led by Olivier Pla, their polesitting #24 car finished second after running at the front for much of the race.
Checkered flag
GTE Am: Narac, Vernay and Bourret kept their noses clean and took their chances to head home the two Ferraris, who had their fair share of moments themselves.
Checkered flag
GTE Pro: In the end, the factory Porsches played that final hour perfectly. A brave call to stay on slicks when it poured down proved decisive in the end and allowed them to triumph in their battle with Aston Martin.
That they made it a Porsche 911 1-2 marks the model's anniversary in some style.
That they made it a Porsche 911 1-2 marks the model's anniversary in some style.
Checkered flag
LMP1: It was a superb performance from the #2 Audi and despite the troubles of the #1 car, you'd be very harsh to suggest that wasn't a richly deserved win.
A record ninth Le Mans 24 Hours win for TK, a third for McNish and a maiden triumph for Duval!
A record ninth Le Mans 24 Hours win for TK, a third for McNish and a maiden triumph for Duval!
LMP2: Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo Gonzalez cross the line to take P2 for OAK Racing #35.
GTE Am: Raymond Narac, Jean-Karl Vernay and Christophe Bourret bring home their Am Porsche for the final class win.
GTE Pro: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz and Romain Dumas trimuph for Porsche after a race-long battle with Aston Martin.
LMP1: Victory at Le Mans for Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Loic Duval in the #2 Audi.
Checkered flag
24h00m That's 24 hours in the books as we await the winners on a soggy final lap.
23h56m 
It's the final lap of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours!
Audi Le Mans WEC 2013
It's the final lap of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours!
Rain
23h55m Raining on the pitlane with five minutes left on the clock.
23h55m LMP1: Formation flying starting to build up front as Audi #1 falls in behind the lead #2 car.
23h50m GTE Am: Great performance from the #76 Imsa Porsche. As expected, there has been a lot of action and drama, but Narac/Bourret/Vernay have kept out of trouble - and been very quick, too.
23h49m All static at the top of the classes as we approach the final 10 minutes with the changeable weather keeping tension levels high.
23h49m GTE Pro: The #74 Corvette of Oliver Gavin is up on the jacks in the pits.
23h47m Not quite the deluge those clouds looked set to deliver just yet, but there's still a shower on the run from Mulsanne Corner to Indianapolis.
Rain
23h44m There it is... marshals report rain in the Indianapolis area.
23h42m LMP1: Credit to Buemi, who is really pushing for it since unlapping himself. If you'd offered Toyota a second place, on the lead lap (just), before the race...they'd have probably taken it.
23h42m Teams looking nervous in the pits. Will it rain? Will it pour? Just 18m left to the flag.
23h40m Weather-watch: We don't need a fancy radar screen to detect the massive wall of dark cloud moving towards the circuit.
23h40m There's debris on the track just before Tertre Rouge.
23h37m 
Here's our view of those packed grandstands (see 23hr20 update) which is eager to see the end of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, which is about 20 minutes away. How time flies...
Le Mans 2013
Here's our view of those packed grandstands (see 23hr20 update) which is eager to see the end of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, which is about 20 minutes away. How time flies...
23h37m LMP2: No change at the front of P2, despite the drama from #35 during the earlier shower. Baguette has shaken out still over 2m ahead of Pla in #24.
23h35m GTE Pro: Mucke is 1m35s behind Pilet in second, so if the Porsche does need to switch to slick tyres, the Aston could yet finish second.
23h34m Weather-watch: We spy another bank of dark clouds marching towards the circuit.
23h33m Very tricky conditions out there at the moment with wet, dry and everything in between on offer around this long lap.
23h30m The lead #2 car is right behind Safety Car C - as is much of the field - with just a Corvette to clear when racing resumes from Arnage.
Green flag
23h30m And we're away!
23h30m GTE Pro: Mucke has stopped again...
23h26m A mixture of tyre strategies out there, with those on slicks on for a handful around some of the wetter parts of the lap.
23h24m Safety cars in this lap.
23h22m LMP1: The #7 Toyota rejoins, but has to wait at the end of the pitlane. The #1 Audi had got back to three laps behind - tempting, therefore, to suggest that without a safety car, that could have been a genuine fight for fourth.
23h20m Grandstands opposite the pits are filling up with fans for the finish as we await news on the restart.
23h17m LMP2: Much of the P2 pack has joined the overall leader behind Safety Car C, while Pla is behind the B car, pretty much a lap behind #35.
23h15m GTE Pro: Depending on what the situations are with tyres - and of course, the weather - it looks as though the Lietz/Porsche gamble has paid off handsomely.
We're down to 45 minutes remaining, under the safety, and the #92 has 4m30s lead.
We're down to 45 minutes remaining, under the safety, and the #92 has 4m30s lead.
23h15m But the clock is also ticking down and we've only got 45 minutes to the flag.
23h11m Weather-watch: Looking brighter over the pits again but we've learned this weekend that a shower is never far away.
By: Jamie O'Leary, Gary Watkins, Sam Tremayne, Scott Mitchell, Geoff Creighton, Matt Beer
Published:
Page:
