Le Mans 2017: Wednesday
Live Text
Sort by
Oldest first
GTE PRO
Another improvement from Tincknell in the #67 Ford – 3m57.319s takes him to eighth in class.
GTE PRO
Dixon pumps in a 3m56.763s to put the #69 Ford third fastest, leapfrogging Stanaway's Aston.
LMP1
Here's how LMP1 shapes up now, with Porsche on top:
Stopwatch
Beche improves the #13 Rebellion ORECA's fastest time in LMP2 to a 3m32.386s. That puts it just over a tenth ahead of the #21 DragonSpeed ORECA.
LMP1
Buemi, despite being urged to respect track limits, has put the #8 Toyota up to second with a 3m21.775s. That's 0.088s off Bamber's time.
Stopwatch
Beche improves again in the #13 Rebellion ORECA to a 3m31.666s.
Crash
First signs of trouble for the ByKolles, with a loss of fluid being reported. The car, currently in the hands of Webb, sits sixth and six seconds off the frontrunning pace.
Bright conditions for this afternoon's practice session, and the track has been busy. © LAT
Information
As we approach the final hour of running before this evening's first qualifying session, here's a quick class-by-class run down of developments over the past hour:
LMP1: Things have really closed up in the last few minutes with Bamber in the #2 Porsche knocking ertswhile pacesetter Lapierre off top spot. Lapierre is down to third in the #9 Toyota ahead of Tandy in the #1 Porsche - who had been on course to take the fastest time before pitting - because Buemi has just jumped the pair to go second fastest. The top five cars are separated by less than a second.
LMP2: The #13 Rebellion ORECA sets the pace in LMP2 courtesy of Piquet Jr's lap of 3m32.408s set just before the one-hour mark. Hanley got the #21 DragonSpeed ORECA within a tenth of a second of that mark to jump ahead of the #38 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA that 19-year-old rookie Laurent had put second fastest with 90 minutes remaining.
GTE Pro: After a quiet first two hours, Chevrolet has punched to the top of the timesheets. Magnussen took the #63 Corvette round in 3m56.004s, displacing long-time leader Aston Martin’s #95 Vantage, now in the hands of Stanaway. Vilander then brought the #82 Ferrari to second with a 3m56.079s, and Dixon improved on the #69 Ford’s long-standing best (set by team-mate Briscoe) with 3m56.635s.
GTE Am: Clearwater Racing’s #60 Ferrari 488 leads the class on a 3m57.797s set earlier by Parente. Katoh is now in the car. Second – but in the garage for repairs – is the Larbre Corvette shunted by Philippon after Rees set its quickest time of 3m58.234s. Hankey has now elevated the #90 TF Sport Aston to third with a 3m59.083s lap.
LMP1: Things have really closed up in the last few minutes with Bamber in the #2 Porsche knocking ertswhile pacesetter Lapierre off top spot. Lapierre is down to third in the #9 Toyota ahead of Tandy in the #1 Porsche - who had been on course to take the fastest time before pitting - because Buemi has just jumped the pair to go second fastest. The top five cars are separated by less than a second.
LMP2: The #13 Rebellion ORECA sets the pace in LMP2 courtesy of Piquet Jr's lap of 3m32.408s set just before the one-hour mark. Hanley got the #21 DragonSpeed ORECA within a tenth of a second of that mark to jump ahead of the #38 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA that 19-year-old rookie Laurent had put second fastest with 90 minutes remaining.
GTE Pro: After a quiet first two hours, Chevrolet has punched to the top of the timesheets. Magnussen took the #63 Corvette round in 3m56.004s, displacing long-time leader Aston Martin’s #95 Vantage, now in the hands of Stanaway. Vilander then brought the #82 Ferrari to second with a 3m56.079s, and Dixon improved on the #69 Ford’s long-standing best (set by team-mate Briscoe) with 3m56.635s.
GTE Am: Clearwater Racing’s #60 Ferrari 488 leads the class on a 3m57.797s set earlier by Parente. Katoh is now in the car. Second – but in the garage for repairs – is the Larbre Corvette shunted by Philippon after Rees set its quickest time of 3m58.234s. Hankey has now elevated the #90 TF Sport Aston to third with a 3m59.083s lap.
Information
A warning for Negrao in the #35 Signatech ORECA to respect track limits.
GTE AM
A 3m58.555s for Lamy puts him third in class in the #98 Aston.
GTE PRO
We've seen one of the AF Corse Ferraris skittering over the gravel at the exit of the Porsche Curves, perhaps as a result of getting caught up with faster prototype traffic. Judging by his very slow third sector and current presence in the pits, we believe it was Rugolo in the #51 car.
Driver Change
After setting that pacesetting time, Bamber has now handed the #2 Porsche over to Bernhard.
Crash
Puncture for Stanaway in the #95 Aston that was setting the pace earlier.
Slow Zone
There is a slow zone active on the run from Mulsanne Corner to Indianapolis.
LMP1
Let's rattle through the standings in each class as we enter the final hour, starting with LMP1:
Green flag
And the slow zone is cleared.
LMP2
Here are the leading runners in LMP2, with their overall positions on the left:
Crash
The GTE Am class-leading #60 Ferrari is also reported as going slowly. Katoh has yet to enter the second timing sector.
GTE PRO
Five manufacturers represented in the top six places in GTE Pro:
GTE PRO
Stanaway makes it back to the pits in the #95 Aston, and what a job he's done to return it with little apparent damage to the bodywork. The rear-left tyre is completely shredded.
GTE AM
Looking like a front-left puncture for Katoh, who cruises slowly into the pitlane in the #60 Clearwater Ferrari that's still the GTE Am class leader.
GTE AM
Hankey has just set the #90 TF Sport Aston's fastest lap so far, 3m59.940s. Just over a second separates the class leader (now in the pits with a shredded front-left tyre) from Hankey in sixth.
Here's the Clearwater car going slowly on track just now, trying to keep out of the way through the Porsche Curves - which is easier said than done!
GTE AM
While we're on the subject of GTE Am, here's how that class is shaping up in free practice:
GTE AM
Wee takes over from Katoh in the #60 Ferrari that leads the class. The second-placed #50 Corvette remains in the garage after earlier damage. Lamy is third in the #98 Aston, ahead of the Ferraris of Bertolini and Sawa.
GTE PRO
Turner is now the fastest Aston Martin driver on track, taking the #97 AMR Vantage round in 3m56.538s. That elevates him to third in class at the expense of the #69 Ford, which now has Westbrook at the wheel. One-time Porsche specialist Westbrook has just completed his out-lap so we'll see what he can do.
LMP1
There has been very little change in LMP1 over the last half an hour. Bamber's 3m21.687s continues to keep the #2 Porsche at the top of the timesheets, ahead of the #8 Toyota (Buemi), #9 Toyota (Lapierre), the #1 Porsche (Tandy) and the #7 Toyota (Conway). The ByKolles has remained in the pits since there were reports of fluid leaking from the car.
Driver Change
With just 45 minutes of the session remaining, Kobayashi finally takes to the track for the first time in the #7 Toyota.
LMP2
Tung puts the #38 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA back into second with a lap of 3m32.025s.
Driver Change
In more driver change news, Jani has just replaced Tandy in the #1 Porsche. Can it now close the 0.375s gap to the sister car?
GTE AM
Lamy rockets to the top of GTE Am – and goes faster than all but three of the Pro cars – with a 3m56.082s in the #98 Aston.
GTE PRO
Turner goes fastest of all! Aston is back at the top of the GTE Pro timesheets courtesy of a blinding 3m55.299s lap - the first Pro lap below 3m56s. Then he heads back to the pits to hand the #97 Vantage over to Adam.
Crash
Hedman has a brief off at the first chicane on Mulsanne in the #21 DragonSpeed ORECA.
Stopwatch
Lynn puts the #26 DragonSpeed-run G-Drive ORECA fastest with a lap of 3m30.363s.
LMP1
The #9 Toyota has finally improved its time from very early on in the session. Lapierre remains third but is now just 0.288s behind Bamber's best.
LMP2
Senna makes it a Rebellion ORECA two-three by going third in the #31 car with a 3m31.749s lap.
LMP2
Vaxiviere takes seventh in the #28 TDS ORECA
GTE PRO
Stanaway straight on the pace again on fresh tyres – 3m55.925s is just six tenths off team-mate Turner's benchmark. Aston runs one-two again ahead of Garcia's Chevrolet and Vilander's Ferrari – but we'll be keeping an eye on fourth-placed Westbrook, who is running in the 3m7s already.
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Page:
