Le Mans 2017: Wednesday
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LMP1
Nick Tandy, Le Mans winner in 2015, returns to La Sarthe back in the LMP1 class this year. And he's just replaced Jani in the #1 Porsche.
GTE AM
Rob Bell, in the TF Sport #90 Aston Martin, is told not to short-cut the inside apex at the first part of the Ford chicane.
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GTE PRO
Sorensen sets the new GTE Pro benchmark with a 3m57.977s in the #95 Aston.
LMP2
Brundle puts the #37 ORECA second in LMP2. That's a one-two for the Jota-run Jackie Chan DC Racing team. He did a 3m35.061s, which is still just over seven-tenths slower than Tung's time in the sister car.
GTE PRO
The new 'mid-rear-engined' Porsche 911 now getting in on the act now as Kevin Estre and Frederic Makowiecki post 3m58.710s and 3m58.850s laps respectively in the #92 and #91 works cars. That's fourth and fifth fastest in class.
LMP1
The #7 Toyota has finally returned to the track, but in its absence Bamber has put the #2 Porsche fourth. Although he's still 3.7s off Lapierre...
Stopwatch
Brundle puts the #37 ORECA fastest in LMP2 with a 3m33.611s. That relegates the sister #38 car to second.
LMP1
There have been some improvements with Tandy clocking a 3m23.846s to move up to second in the #1 Porsche, while Sarrazin has climbed back up to third in the #7 Toyota.
LMP2
The order in LMP2 is: 1 #37 ORECA; 2 #38 ORECA; 3 #31 ORECA; 4 #26 ORECA; 5 #26 ORECA; 6 #24 ORECA; 7 #28 ORECA; 8 #40 ORECA; 9 #25 ORECA; 10 #47 Dallara. So the Villorba Corse Dallara there crashing the top 10 to prove there are other chassis manufacturers in this class.
Stopwatch
Piquet Jr goes fastest in LMP2 in the #13 Rebellion ORECA with a lap of 3m33.564s.
Information
We’re reaching the end of the first hour free practice, and here’s what’s happened so far:
LMP1: Lapierre has led throughout the opening 50 minutes in the #9 Toyota, with Tandy second in the #1 Porsche albeit 1.8s further back. Toyotas then sit third and fourth, thanks to Buemi and Sarrazin, with the #2 Porsche of Bamber fifth. Unsurprisingly, the ByKolles is slowest but ahead of the LMP2 cars in sixth.
LMP2: Canal in the #31 ORECA was fastest early on before Tung put the #38 Jota Sport-run Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA fastest. But 45 minutes in, the sister #37 ORECA driven by Brundle went top with a 3m33.611s, and on the 50-minute mark, Piquet went top in the #13 Rebellion with a 3m33.564s.
GTE Pro: The works-entered Aston Martins have made the majority of the early running. Marco Sorensen and Daniel Serra are currently first and second on 3m57.460s and 3m57.698s. Ryan Briscoe was briefly fastest in the #69 Ford GT on 3m58.134s, but was displaced first by the Astons and then by Kevin Estre in the #92 Porsche, with 3m58.059s.
GTE Am: Mathias Lauda set the early pace in the #98 AMR Aston Martin Vantage, but Larbre Competition seems to have found something Corvette Racing hasn’t: its GTE Am Corvette, in the hands of Fernando Rees, is flying. He has just set a 3m58.234s lap, faster than the 3m59.11s just posted by second-in-class Marco Cioci in the Spirit Of Race Ferrari.
LMP1: Lapierre has led throughout the opening 50 minutes in the #9 Toyota, with Tandy second in the #1 Porsche albeit 1.8s further back. Toyotas then sit third and fourth, thanks to Buemi and Sarrazin, with the #2 Porsche of Bamber fifth. Unsurprisingly, the ByKolles is slowest but ahead of the LMP2 cars in sixth.
LMP2: Canal in the #31 ORECA was fastest early on before Tung put the #38 Jota Sport-run Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA fastest. But 45 minutes in, the sister #37 ORECA driven by Brundle went top with a 3m33.611s, and on the 50-minute mark, Piquet went top in the #13 Rebellion with a 3m33.564s.
GTE Pro: The works-entered Aston Martins have made the majority of the early running. Marco Sorensen and Daniel Serra are currently first and second on 3m57.460s and 3m57.698s. Ryan Briscoe was briefly fastest in the #69 Ford GT on 3m58.134s, but was displaced first by the Astons and then by Kevin Estre in the #92 Porsche, with 3m58.059s.
GTE Am: Mathias Lauda set the early pace in the #98 AMR Aston Martin Vantage, but Larbre Competition seems to have found something Corvette Racing hasn’t: its GTE Am Corvette, in the hands of Fernando Rees, is flying. He has just set a 3m58.234s lap, faster than the 3m59.11s just posted by second-in-class Marco Cioci in the Spirit Of Race Ferrari.
LMP2
The Ligiers continue to struggle. The best of them is the #32 United Autosports Ligier, which is down in 13th in the hands of Albuquerque.
LMP1
We've had some more driver swaps in LMP1, with the #2 Porsche the first car to be driven by all three drivers - Brendon Hartley is now at the wheel. Buemi has also handed the third-placed #8 Toyota to Anthony Davidson.
LMP2
Brundle was set to improve last time round, setting his personal best times in sectors one and two. But the third sector was not quick and he was half-a-second slower than his previous best overall.
GTE PRO
Alessandro Pier Guidi has just split the leading Astons with a 3m57.45s in the AF Corse Ferrari he's sharing with James Calado and Lucas Di Grassi. We were expecting this car to be there or thereabouts before long.
Information
Race control has warned off debris that is off the racing line but on the track on the approach to the Porsche Curves.
Driver Change
Christian Philippon is in for GTE Am pacesetter Fernando Rees in the Larbre Chevrolet.
LMP2
Three of the top four cars in LMP2 have some names that will be very familiar to F1 fans - Piquet, Brundle and Senna at the wheel of their respective ORECAs. All the 'next' generation to the ones you are thinking of though! Tung is third fastest, but there's no F1 connection there (the closest name to Tung alphabetically is Tunmer, as in Guy Tunmer, who started the 1975 South African GP)
GTE PRO
Quick update on the works Chevrolet team's progress in GTE Pro: Jordan Taylor has just done the #63 Corvette's fastest lap so far, 4m00.816s. Marcel Fassler has broken the four-minute barrier in the #64 car, lapping in 3m59.800s just now.
Slow Zone
A slow zone is about to be launched on the run out of Arnage.
Slow Zone
Marshals are removing debris in the slow zone. Drivers are warned to keep right.
Autosport
The slow zones have been changed for this year. This slow zone is at Sector 7. Here's how the slow zones work this year. 
Driver Change
We've got another driver change for the second-placed #1 Porsche and it's the first time we get to see Andre Lotterer in a 919 Hybrid at Le Mans.
Slow Zone
There is some debris being cleared early in the Porsche Curves as well. Of course, cars can go at full speed on the rest of the lap.
Driver Change
Duncan Cameron has taken over from Marco Cioci in the #55 Spirit Of Race Ferrari that's currently running second in class, and Paul Dalla Lana is in for Mathias Lauda in the #98 Aston.
Slow Zone
The slow zone is about to come to an end.
Green flag
And the slow zone is gone. The track is now fully green.
LMP2
The only car of the 60 entries we've yet to see on track is the #21 Dragonspeed ORECA.
LMP2
Van Eerd in the #29 Dallara has a moment in the pit entry and runs wide onto the grass in the right-hander leading into the pits themselves.
Driver Change
Magnussen in for Taylor in the #63 GTE Pro Corvette.
Information
Piquet Jr is being looked into for his driving in the slow zone.
LMP1
We've now got Toyotas back to running first and second with Davidson setting a 3m22.681s to close to six tenths behind Lapierre's time.
GTE PRO
Briscoe has picked up the pace again, now second fastest in class in the #69 Ford thanks to a 3m57.200s lap.
Crash
The safety car has been deployed.
GTE AM
In our Le Mans preview supplement last week, we wrote "Don't expect much from the Larbre Corvette once Rees climbs out". Le Mans first-timer Philippon has yet to crack five minutes for a lap of La Sarthe.
LMP1
We've now got a Toyota 1-2-3 with Sarrazin setting a 3m22.877s, which is eight tenths off Lapierre's best, to go third.
Safety car
The safety car is out on track, although there's no obvious reason for it at this stage. It might just be a test of the system.
GTE PRO
Before the safety car, Sorensen improved to 3m56.763s in the class-leading #95 Aston Martin.
By: Matt Beer
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