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WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans

Le Mans 24 Hours 2014 The 82nd Le Mans 24 Hours

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The #97 Aston Martin of Senna is still in the pits with some kind of power steering-related problem.
The #2 Audi of Fassler pits from third place.
Aston Martin Racing confirms that it was a loose power steering pipe that has forced the #97 car into the garage.
The #8 Toyota is in the pits.
The #35 Ligier, which has led LMP2 for so long, is in the garage. Mardenborough jumps out and Shulzhitskity jumps in. The rear bodywork is off.
Smoke is reported to be coming from the back of the #97 Aston after its first lap back on track following a 23-minute stop.
The fifth-place P2, the Signatech Alpine ORECA, is back in the pits after its earlier upright change.
The OAK/G-Drive Ligier is back out after a nine-minute delay.
There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the Aston - Turner has just done a 3m56s.
A lead of nearly two laps for the OAK/G-Drive Ligier has turned into a one-lap deficit to the TDS team's JSP2.
Lotterer has banged in a 3m25s, but the Porsche has picked up the pace in Bernhard's hands. He's just done a 3m28s.
The #29 Pegasus Morgan, which is 11th in LMP2, has been reported to the stewards for speeding in the pits.
The problems for the #97 Aston Martin have dropped it to fourth place in class, five laps off the lead.
The leader is in the pits, and Gene hands over to TK.
Heidfeld is doing some decent times in the remaining Rebellion. He's just done a 3m29s - or to put it another way, only two tenths off Bernhard's last lap.
In LMP2, the #46 TDS Ligier has a lead of over a lap over the #35 OAK Ligier that led for so long.
The #92 Manthey Porsche, which runs second in GTE Pro, is in the pits for fuel. Leitz is driving.
Stewards are investigating contact between the #57 Krohn Ferrari and the #70 Taisan Ferrari.
Lotterer has just posted fastest lap of the race. Should we be surprised? Probably not, but his 3m22.881s is quicker than any Audi went in qualifying.
We haven't seen the collision in question but both cars are still circulating normally. The drivers were Nakano and Krohn.
Lotterer is also coming up behind Kristensen and getting ready to regain a lap.
And he makes the move on the run from Arnage to the Porsche Curves.
A few personal bests from LMP2 cars on the last lap. The #42 Zytek in the hands of Kimber-Smith, the #27 SMP ORECA of Mika Salo and the #50 Larbre Morgan have all set quick laps.
Unfortunately, the GTE Pro battle that enlivened the race for so long, is no longer playing a starring role in the race. Bruni in the #51 Ferrari has a two-lap advantage over the #92 Manthey Porsche of Lietz.
Since its long stop for repair work, the second-placed LMP2 Ligier of Shulzhitskiy has been lapping relatively slowly. Could well be carrying a problem.
A stop for Bernhard bring Lotterer onto the same lap as the Porsche, though artificially so. Lotterer's pace is relentless - its 3m25s after 3m25s.
The #36 Ligier, in second in LMP2, is lapping at a good turn of pace again.
Jani pits the #14 Porsche, which runs fifth at the moment.
Lietz pits the #92 Manthey Porsche from second place.
Lotterer pits the #2 Audi, having got to within two minutes of the second-placed #20 Porsche.
Vilander's running at a good pace out in front, not that the AF Ferrari particularly needs it. Lietz is two laps behind after that stop, during which took new tyres. The #73 Corvette is 1m13s behind the Porsche now in the race for second.
Quote
Webber's verdict on his and Porsche's Le Mans return: "We always said we wanted to get to Sunday morning. If we could see the sun, it would be an achievement. We've done that, and we're really pleased."

The #20 Porsche continues to run second, a lap clear of the #2 Audi.
Gommendy has taken over the LMP2-leading TDS Ligier. He's chased by Shulzhitskiy in the #35 OAK example.
That stop for the LMP2 leader has moved the #12 Rebellion ahead of it and into the top six overall.
LMP1: 1 Kristensen; 2 Bernhard; 3 Lotterer; 4 Buemi; 5 Jani; 6 Heidfeld
Crash
Fifteen of the 54 starters have now officially retired from the race. They are:

#0 Nissan ZEOD RC (Garage 56)
#3 Audi R18 e-tron quattro (LMP1)
#7 Toyota TS040 HYBRID
#13 Rebellion-Toyota R-One (LMP1)
#26 G-Drive (OAK) Morgan LMP2 (LMP2)
#37 ORECA 03R (LMP2)
#41 Zytek-Nissan Z11SN (LMP2)
#47 KCMG ORECA 03R (LMP2)
#48 Murphy Prototypes ORECA O3R (LMP2)
#52 Ram Racing Ferrari (GTE Pro)
#60 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia (GTE AM)
#71 Ferrari 458 Italia (GTE Pro)
#72 SMP Racing Ferrari 458 Italia (GTE Am)
#75 ProSpeed Porsche 911 GT3-RSR (GTE Am)
#91 Ferrari 458 Italia (GTE Am)
Turner, whose pace was supreme during that stint, pits in the #97 Aston. It's a shame for that team that fourth looks like its maximum today after controlling proceedings for so long.

Worse still, it's a bit smokey at the front. But it continues...
The most significant battle at the front of the field is for second place. Bernhard's #20 Porsche currently holds an advantage of 2m14s over the #2 Audi of Lotterer.

And on that lap, the Audi was eight seconds quicker...

By: Geoff Creighton, Scott Mitchell, Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Gary Watkins, AUTOSPORT staff

Published: