Le Mans 2013 Thursday qualifying
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Red flag
Red flag after an incident on the run from Mulsanne Corner to Indianapolis, where the track looks very wet. The #40 Boutsen ORECA-Nissan has spun, hit the barrier and stopped. It's left some debris, too.
Breaking news
The ETA of the re-chassised Krohn Ferrari out on track is still 10pm, the start of today's second session. The new car arrived in the team's garage at 2:15pm, which means the Krohn boys are attempting a rebuild that would normally take two and a half weeks in just under eight hours!
Toyota has confirmed to AUTOSPORT that Wurz's current session-topping time did indeed come on slicks.
Matt Downs, at the wheel of the stricken #40 Boutsen car, is confirmed to be OK following that crash.
32 cars had set a time before this red, our third in as many sessions here at Le Mans.
Checkered flag
Organisers confirm that the session will not restart.
Which means we have our third consecutive crash-shortened session.
Not ideal then for those new to the track, those playing catch up or indeed anyone with a large programme to try and get through before Saturday's race. Tonight's two-hour session represents the final running before the race kicks off.
Blast from the past: Patrick Gonin, he of qualifying heroics aboard WR prototypes in the mid-1990s, is out and about in the paddock. The Frenchman has a hospitality company these days and is working with OAK Racing here. The 56-year-old is eyeing a Le Mans race return - in next year's Classic aboard the Porsche 928S in which he made his first start in the 24 Hours in 1983.
It wasn't just the red flag that disrupted proceedings in second qualifying, with a heavy rain shower arriving just before the session commenced. The sky remains ominous, although there's bright sunshine whenever the clouds break.
Toyota Audi WEC Le Mans 2013
Incidentally it was Toyota that came out on top of the rain-hit, crash-interrupted session, as the #7 TS030 shaded the lead #3 Audi R18 by just over six hundredths of a second.
Next up in LMP1 was the #1 R18, provisionally third for Saturday's grid (yesterday's time still stand given the rain today). The #12 Rebellion Lola is next up, just ahead of the second #8 Toyota.
Breaking news
Tonight's third qualifying session will begin at 21:30 local time - that's half an hour earlier than scheduled. We'll have to check whether that means it's being extended by half an hour, but when we know, you'll know.
In the meantime, cars are not under parc ferme conditions.
In the meantime, cars are not under parc ferme conditions.
Confirmation from the very helpful WEC officials that the early start time for Q3 is indeed to make up for the time lost in Q2. It will finish, as expected, at midnight local time.
So, Toyota goes fastest in the wet, but Audi remains on course for pole position for the 81st running of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Read our full report from a rain-hit second qualifying session here.
With the third and final qualifying session just 30 minutes away, we're going to break and desperately hunt out news, reaction and food, possibly not in that order. We'll be back at 21:30 local time for the final pole shootout.
Le Mans 2013
We're back and, with four minutes to run, the good news for the entire pitlane is that the rain has stayed away. We still have a wet track, but we also have (surprisingly) light blue skies.
A reminder that every driver is required to complete at least five night laps before Saturday's race. Around half the grid is still short of that mark heading into this final qualifying session.
Green flag
The green lights come on, and the cars roll out. The third and final part of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours pole fight is underway.
Ho-Pin Tung, in the KCMG Morgan-Nissan, has spun at Arnage, but continued.
The start/finish area is dry here at Le Mans, but there's still some spray being churned up down the Mulsanne straight.
And as we say that, we get our first sub-4-minute lap of the session; a 3m52.3 from Fassler in the #1 Audi. Oliver Jarvis sets a 3m52.9s marker in the #3 e-tron quattro.
Fassler and Jarvis are the two drivers that did not complete the requisite five laps in the dark last night. They'll get theirs in the bag nice and early we'd expect.
And as we say that, we get our first sub-4-minute lap of the session; a 3m52.3 from Fassler in the #1 Audi. Oliver Jarvis sets a 3m52.9s marker in the #3 e-tron quattro.
Fassler and Jarvis are the two drivers that did not complete the requisite five laps in the dark last night. They'll get theirs in the bag nice and early we'd expect.
The LMP2 #39 DKR Lola-Judd is in the garage with what appears to be a transmission problem.
Meanwhile down at the Boutsen Ginion garage the #40 that was crashed by Matt Downs in Q2 is already repaired and looks set to get back on track very soon.
Meanwhile down at the Boutsen Ginion garage the #40 that was crashed by Matt Downs in Q2 is already repaired and looks set to get back on track very soon.
The #66 JMW Ferrari has spun at Mulsanne corner in the hands of Khaled Al-Qubaisi. The British squad has now got that car ready to go after Abdulaziz Al-Faisal crashed in practice.
The times are continuing to come down; Wurz having just done a 3m49.3s lap.
The track temperature is 22.2 C, which is a degree lower than at the same point last night, and there's still a bit of damp about too.
Humidity is 82 per cent; eight higher than at this point 24 hours ago.
The track temperature is 22.2 C, which is a degree lower than at the same point last night, and there's still a bit of damp about too.
Humidity is 82 per cent; eight higher than at this point 24 hours ago.
The LMP2 drivers are really getting on it. Mike Conway is fastest in this session so far, his best lap just 14 seconds off that car's current benchmark from last night.
By contrast, Fassler, in the fastest of the LMP1 cars tonight, is still over 21s off his car's Wednesday best.
By contrast, Fassler, in the fastest of the LMP1 cars tonight, is still over 21s off his car's Wednesday best.
Jack Gerber has spun the #61 AF Corse Ferrari that he shares in GTE Am with Matt Griffin and Marco Cioci.
We've got a soft spot for that car this weekend as its garage is situated directly below our location in the press room.
We've got a soft spot for that car this weekend as its garage is situated directly below our location in the press room.
Twitter
@CorvetteRacing: On the track, @janmagnussen still reporting lots of water on-track from 2nd chicane through Arnage. Dries at Porsche Curves #24LM
Mike Conway Le Mans 2013
British IndyCar convert Mike Conway is really on it here. A 3m51.207s is enough to put him five seconds clear of the rest of the P2 class, and sixth overall (in this session at least). He's currently quicker than the #21 Strakka Racing LMP1 HPD.
Just one car yet to set a time in qualifying - the #57 Krohn Racing Ferrari, which crashed heavily at the Dunlop Esses yesterday.
If you missed it earlier, the team was aiming to have its re-chassised 458 in action at 10pm (ie seven minutes ago). The car arrived in the team's garage at 2:15pm, which means the Krohn boys had just under eight hours to attempt a rebuild that would normally take two and a half weeks...
If you missed it earlier, the team was aiming to have its re-chassised 458 in action at 10pm (ie seven minutes ago). The car arrived in the team's garage at 2:15pm, which means the Krohn boys had just under eight hours to attempt a rebuild that would normally take two and a half weeks...
Alexander Rossi is doing a sterling job in the Caterham-supported Greaves Zytek-Nissan, which missed first qualifying - so far the only dry session - due to a crash.
The American, making his first Le Mans bow, has worked his way up to 29th overall with a 3m55.941s.
The American, making his first Le Mans bow, has worked his way up to 29th overall with a 3m55.941s.
Stopwatch
Kazuki Nakajima has gone to the top of the timesheets in the #7 Toyota. His 3m42.0s lap is stiill 15s off his car's best.
Bill Auberlen spins the #98 Aston Martin Vantage at the second Mulsanne Chicane, but is able to continue.
We understood the track was drying, and now we have confirmation - the #74 Corvette crew are switching to slicks.
An eagle-eyed member of the AUTOSPORT team has just suggested there's no engine in the Krohn Ferrari - he was actually looking at the front of the car. Must have thought it was a Porsche!
Le Mans 2013
Ordonez also bears out the fact track conditions are improving - he's just posted a 3m53.942s, little more than four seconds down on the team's Wednesday-best.
There's a new pace-setter in GTE Am. It's Darryl O'Young in the #55 AF Corse Ferrari. His 4m22.0s is 19s off his best dry time.
Two more interesting faces spotted in the paddock, great drivers who would surely deserve a place on the grid today. Franck Lagorce and Ralf Kelleners are in front of the TV camera today, working for Motors TV and Eurosport respectively. Shame.
Stopwatch
And while we're talking about pace-setters, Tom Kristensen tops the timesheets in 3m40.3s.
Alex Brundle is also going well in the #24 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan, clocking a 3m54.169s which is enough to put his squad third for this session. That's also where the team is provisionally due to start Saturday's race.
Stopwatch
Kristensen goes faster again, becoming the first man today to crack the 3m40s barrier. That was a 3m39.987s lap, meaning he's now 17s off the time Loic Duval set to take what remains provisional pole yesterday.
You can read yesterday's Q1 report here.
You can read yesterday's Q1 report here.
By: Jamie O'Leary, Scott Mitchell, Gary Watkins, Sam Tremayne
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