Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Live text
WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans

Le Mans 2017: The race

Live Text

Sort by
Oldest first
LMP1
And the answer is a lot smaller! It's now 27s.
LMP2
The #31Rebellion ORECA is in. Canal steps out and Senna jumps in what was the class-leading car.
Driver Change
Dalla Lana in for Lauda in the #98 Aston Martin that's leading GTE Am.
Slow Zone
This slow-zone is massive at the moment, stretching from the start/finish straight to the first chicane on the Mulsanne straight.
LMP1
It seems the big winner during those stops was Nakajima in the #8 Toyota, which has closed to four seconds behind Lotterer.
Gary Watkins
Lotterer also did a 12-lap stint. Given that Porsche is chasing here, I don't understand why he wasn't left out for the full 14 laps, or even more given the slow zone. There's no sign that the barrier repairs are going to be finished any time soon. But on the other hand, if Porsche got it wrong, it could be disastrous.
Driver Change
Priaulx in for Derani in the #67 Ford that's currently second in GTE Pro.
Gary Watkins
The top three have concertinaed together during this protracted slow zone. #7 leads #1 by just under 30s and #8 is less than five seconds behind in third. The real gaps won't become clear, however, until the race goes green again.
Driver Change
Further down the GTE Pro order, Rugolo takes over the #51 AF Corse Ferrari from Pier Guidi. The stop puts it in eighth place for now.
We're talking about hybrids here at autosport live - confectionary hybrids. We reckon a Twirl is a hybrid of a Flake and a Wispa. A bag of Bitsa Wispas sparked the conversation.
GTE PRO
Outside the slow zone, Fassler (#64 Corvette) is challenging Priaulx (#67 Ford) for second in class. Priaulx just manages to lap the #61 GTE Am Ferrari and keep it between them as they re-enter the slow zone.
LMP2
Heinemeier Hansson is out of the lead and into the pits in the #13 Rebellion ORECA. Piquet Jr climbs aboard.
LMP2
One of the Lafargues has just pitted in the #17 IDEC Ligier. We don't whether it's Patrice (the father) or Paul (the son) because it's initials only up on the timing screens.
Slow Zone
This slow zone has lasted nearly half an hour now and there's still no sign of it ending any time soon.
LMP2
So it's Senna leads Piquet at the top of the class. That has a good ring to it!
Driver Change
Turner in for Adam in the GTE Pro-leading #97 Aston.
GTE PRO
Priaulx can breathe a little more easily now as Fassler heads for the pits.
Gary Watkins
This second protracted slow zone of the race will no doubt reopen the debate about this procedure. But that's good, I reckon. The ACO concedes that the system is a work in progress and admits there could be changes in the future in addition to the latest moves for this year.

Le Mans slow zone system revised for 2017 24 Hours event

The system of slow zone caution areas used at the Le Mans 24 Hours has been modified for this year's race

Le Mans slow zone system revised for 2017 24 Hours event
Green flag
That slow zone has finally now ended but there was briefly a yellow flag at Indianapolis immediately afterwards.
Crash
Cheng has spun in the #37 Jackie Chan DC ORECA emerging from the Porsche Curves.
LMP2
Cheng is still stuck in the gravel
Slow Zone
And we have a slow zone for the Cheng incident.
Slow Zone
Here's visual evidence of the cause of the current slow zone.
LMP1
Nakajima had massively caught Lotterer in second during the recent slow zone but the Porsche is now starting to pull away again. The gap is up to six seconds now.
Green flag
The slow zones are now clear.
Pit stop
The #23 Panis Barthez Ligier is in the pits for a nose change. That car isn't a factor in the battle at the front and is on the edge of the top 15. Berthon is at the wheel.
GTE AM
Paul Dalla Lana has just pitted from the lead of GTE Am in the #98 Aston, but race control says the car has been reported to the stewards for an infringement during the stop.
Information
The #28 TDS ORECA has been given a 7-minute stop/go penalty for causing the #82 Risi Ferrari of Kaffer to have its big accident. Vaxiviere was driving that car when the incident happened, and is still at the wheel.
LMP2
This has been a desperately unfortunate phase of the race for the #13 Rebellion crew, which was only a few seconds behind the leading #31 Rebellion before the slow zones got involved and is now 65s off.
LMP1
Now the track is properly green for the first time in an hour, the LMP1 gaps are only ebbing and flowing ever so slightly. Sarrazin's lead over Lotterer is 25s, while Nakajima is around three seconds behind.
GTE AM
As an update - or an adjunct - on the Dalla Lana pitstop infringement, we're told that the car has been reported for speeding in the pitlane. That may be a clarification of the earlier report or an additional infraction.
LMP1
That was a good lap from Nakajima a 3m20.824s has closed the gap to Lotterer to just a second. We might have a change of second place coming soon!
LMP1
Nakajima is visibly quicker than Lotterer now and is lining him up for a move.
LMP2
The #37 Jackie Chan DC ORECA is back out with Gommendy at the wheel. It's a couple of laps down now.
LMP1
Nakajima is right with Lotterer now! Expect the first attempted move any second.
LMP2
In LMP2, there are now only six cars left on the lead lap. The #31 Rebellion ORECA leads in the hands of Senna with the sister #13 car of Piquet second. Then it's Tung in the #38 Jackie Chan DC ORECA, Ragues in the #35 Signatech ORECA, Petrov in the #25 Manor ORECA and Graves in the #24 Manor ORECA.

By: Matt Beer

Published: