Le Mans 2013 81st Le Mans 24 Hours
Live Text
Sort by
7h46m LMP1: Sarrazin continues to take small bites into the #2 Audi's lead, while Fassler has passed the #47 KCMG Morgan-Nissan and the #91 Manthey Porsche, so he's now 22nd.
7h44m LMP2 Eric Lux has taken control of the Caterham-backed #41 Greaves Zytek, which was delayed earlier by a rear suspension problem. It is back up to 31st overall after some strong pace from Alexander Rossi over the last few hours.
7h40m LMP1: For those on the lookout for Fassler and the #1 Audi - he's not made up any places (ridiculous, he's had 10 minutes), but he's lapping in the 3m25s.
That's significantly quicker than Kristensen or either Toyota.
That's significantly quicker than Kristensen or either Toyota.
7h40m GTE Am: Paolo Ruberti is driving a storming stint in the #88 Proton Porsche. The Italian is closing in on the class-leading AF Corse Ferrari of Darryl O'Young at a rate of 3-4s per lap and is only 29s behind.
7h37m LMP2 Up front in P2, Baguette in Oak #35 extends his lead as the recovering #24 driven by Pla comes in for routine service.
7h37m LMP1: Nakajima makes his ninth stop of the race. Had you offered Toyota P2 and P3 at this stage before the start, they probably would have enthusiastically taken it.
Yellow flag
7h34m LMP2: The sister #25 car, now being driven by Tor Graves, spins at Porsche curves. That's exactly where he did it in warm-up. He's 19th in class.
7h34m LMP1: 2m44s is that gap...
7h33m LMP1: Sarrazin takes four seconds out of Kristensen's lead on that previous lap in his pursuit of the race leader.
7h31m GTE Pro: Bruno Senna returns to the front of the Pro class after Richard Lietz and Peter Dumbreck pit. Still less than 20 seconds between the trio.
7h30m 
LMP2: The #26 Delta-ADR spent about eight minutes in the pits. That drops the erstwhile class leader to seventh in class.
Le Mans 2013
LMP2: The #26 Delta-ADR spent about eight minutes in the pits. That drops the erstwhile class leader to seventh in class.
7h29m LMP1: Just over forty minutes in the pits then for the #1 Audi - or 12 laps of Le Mans, if you like.
7h29m LMP1: As the #3 pits - but for the right reasons. It's making its 10th stop of the race.
7h28m LMP1: Fassler rejoins with the #1 Audi 24th on the road...so, podium?
7h27m LMP1: The #1 Audi is back in the race! It spent 43 minutes in the pits.
7h26m LMP2: Meanwhile Mardenborough exits the pits in the #42 Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan.
7h25m GTE Pro: Senna pits from the lead.
7h23m LMP2: And Pla is past and into second.
7h23m LMP2: Pla is right with Simon Dolan in the Jota Zytek. With Martin's problems in the G-Drive/Delta-ADR car this is now the battle for second in class. That's a distant second - they are the best part of a lap behind Baguette in the leading OAK Morgan.
Rain
7h20m Heavy rain is being reported at Tertre Rouge...
7h20m GTE Pro: The gap at the front is more or less static - Senna leads Lietz by 10 seconds.
7h19m LMP2: Bad news for the class-leading #26 G-Drive Racing squad, with John Martin pitting with issues. They're changing the bodywork as we type.
7h18m Decent time there from Ludovic Badey in the TDS ORECA, which is running fourth in class. He's only a couple of seconds off the pace of Baguette, belying the lack of prototype experience of this GT regular.
7h18m 
FIA president Jean Todt and ACO president Pierre Fillon have spoken of their "profound sadness" regarding Allan Simonsen's death.
"We wish to express our profound sadness regarding the death of Allan Simonsen at today's 24 Hours of Le Mans. We would like to convey our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Allan's family and friends. Our thoughts are also with his Aston Martin team-mates at this difficult time.
"Allan was an extremely talented and experienced sportscar driver who had raced in every corner of the world and was highly respected by his peers and his team. For many in endurance racing, Allan was above all a good friend who displayed his passion for racing on and off the track.
"His loss will be felt by the FIA, the ACO and the greater motorsport family."
Allan Simonsen
FIA president Jean Todt and ACO president Pierre Fillon have spoken of their "profound sadness" regarding Allan Simonsen's death.
"We wish to express our profound sadness regarding the death of Allan Simonsen at today's 24 Hours of Le Mans. We would like to convey our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Allan's family and friends. Our thoughts are also with his Aston Martin team-mates at this difficult time.
"Allan was an extremely talented and experienced sportscar driver who had raced in every corner of the world and was highly respected by his peers and his team. For many in endurance racing, Allan was above all a good friend who displayed his passion for racing on and off the track.
"His loss will be felt by the FIA, the ACO and the greater motorsport family."
7h15m LMP1: Audi reporting an issue with the motor generator on its #1 machine, which has now dropped to 17th and is still being worked on.
7h13m LMP1: Tom Kristensen heads out in the #2 Audi, now leading the race following problems for the sister R18s.
7h12m We've just heard the term 'three-peat' on Radio Le Mans. At least one of our number is feeling sick.
7h09m LMP2: Pla has banged in the fastest lap for the #26 OAK Morgan as he attempts to make up lost ground. The car behind him in sixth in class is Jann Mardenborough - who's just gone half a second quicker than the king of P2.
7h07m LMP1: The spanners are still out in the #1 Audi pit. The car is now six laps down.
7h06m GTE Pro: Lietz is holding station with Senna. The gap is 10 seconds or so.
7h03m LMP1: Duval is three minutes ahead of Sarrazin in the #8 Toyota and lapping a couple of seconds faster every lap. At this rate Audi will be a lap up long before minute. That's the good news for the Germans; the bad news is that all its eggs are in danger of disappearing into one basket. Shades of 2011.
7h00m LMP1: They're still working on the #1 Audi in its garage. It looks like Lotterer and co aren't going to be joining the Le Mans hat-trick club - they are four laps down already.
6h59m LMP1: The #12 Rebellion Lola is in its garage - the car that has had perfect runs for the past two years is in the wars this time. A point of interest is that Nico Prost hasn't driven yet.
6h57m GTE Pro: Porsche sandwich time. Lietz is splitting the Astons. He's got ahead of Dumbreck but still trails Senna - by nine or so seconds.
6h56m LMP2: Mardenborough launches the Nissan-sponsored Greaves Zytek over the kerbs on the exit of the second chicane on the Mulsanne. Spectacular stuff! Wonder if his sofa ever jumped five foot in the air when he was on his PlayStation a couple of years back.
6h52m LMP2: Baguette is getting a move on in the #35 OAK Morgan. He's just done the car's fastest lap, but he's still a minute and a half down on Martin in the G-Drive/Delta-ADR ORECA.
6h50m LMP1: Wurz is in from second to hand over to Nakajima.
6h50m LMP1: And a driver change. Gene has jumped in.
6h49m LMP1: Amazing. The Jarvis Audi needs nothing but a new set of tyres and some fuel. They build 'em strong in Germany.
6h48m GTE Pro: As the drama has been unravelling out front, we've neglected a great GTE Pro battle, as Lietz has closed to within four tenths of Dumbreck in the fight for second.
By: Jamie O'Leary, Gary Watkins, Sam Tremayne, Scott Mitchell, Geoff Creighton, Matt Beer
Published:
Page:
