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24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours 2014 The 82nd Le Mans 24 Hours
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Crash
A replay from on-board a GTE Porsche that was struggling on the right-hand side of the Mulsanne Straight gives us a better idea of what happened with that crash.
It was basically two separate accidents. Lapierre spun into the wall on his own, having arrived on a pack of cars that were going slowly.
Bonanomi was in that pack of cars, and he was slammed into from the rear by an unsighted Bird in the Ferrari.
It was basically two separate accidents. Lapierre spun into the wall on his own, having arrived on a pack of cars that were going slowly.
Bonanomi was in that pack of cars, and he was slammed into from the rear by an unsighted Bird in the Ferrari.
Nakano's been told to speed up to join the safety car line. We reckon caution is understandable given all that chaos!
Lapierre pits the damaged #8 Toyota. He's two laps down on the lead. The team refuels, and then wheels the TS040 into the garage. The main damage appears to be to the front of the car, but it has all four wheels still on it and nothing major appears to be hanging off.
We've had our first driver changes among the GTE leaders.
Garcia's in for Magnussen in the #73 Corvette, Vilander's taken over the #51 Ferrari and Turner's made way for Mucke in the #97 Aston.
Garcia's in for Magnussen in the #73 Corvette, Vilander's taken over the #51 Ferrari and Turner's made way for Mucke in the #97 Aston.
Panciatici now leads LMP2 in the #36 Signatech Alpine ORECA ahead of Mailleux in the #34 Race Performance ORECA. Bradley has rejoined in the KCMG car after his off and is in third.
Lapierre is at the Porsche Curves now, and he's picked up the pace a bit. Who knows, maybe the majority of the damage is cosmetic?
Bonanomi walks away and climbs into the truck. The #3 Audi is out.
Leaders in GTE Pro Magnussen and Bruni have pit, so Gavin's now at the head of that class.
Lapierre has made it through both Mulsanne Chicanes and is still on the move, but he's going very slowly and has a long way to go to get back to the pits.
A flatbed truck has arrived on the scene to retrieve the Audi.
Bonanomi looks devastated. He's yet to get out of the car, but his crew have arrived on the scene so it's probably all over for the #3 car.
Bradley has made it back to the pits in the #47 KCMG car.
Bonanomi hasn't given up yet either. He briefly emerges from the cockpit of the R18 but is now back in the seat.
Toyota mechanics are getting ready to head out to Lapierre - but now the Toyota is on the move down the straight. Can he make it back? The steering doesn't look well on the TS040.
Back with Bonanomi and he's got his head in his hands. Is it game over?
Toyota mechanics are getting ready to head out to Lapierre - but now the Toyota is on the move down the straight. Can he make it back? The steering doesn't look well on the TS040.
Back with Bonanomi and he's got his head in his hands. Is it game over?
Just seen a replay - the #47 KCMG car that was leading LMP2 class, but still on slicks, has also been off and hit the tyres at the first Mulsanne chicane. Aquaplaned off. It's crawling back to the pits but there will be damage.
Lapierre is trying to rejoin. With the help of the marshals he's trying to get the Toyota turned around - but it's pretty heavily damaged.
On boards from Bonanomi show that he was going slowly and tucking in behind Bird. He was hit from behind - surely by Lapierre - but there were other GTE cars around them at the time as well.
Bird's out of the car – that car is ruined at the front. His involvement in that race, and by extension that of the #81 Ferrari, is over.
That means the Dempsey Porsche, driven by Patrick Long, will take over the lead of the GTE Am division.
That means the Dempsey Porsche, driven by Patrick Long, will take over the lead of the GTE Am division.
Lapierre is off on one side of the straight, and Bonanomi on the other. Both are facing the wrong way.
The replays aren't completely clear, but clearly the torrential conditions played a part in all of those cars coming together and doing very different speeds.
Yellow flag
Lapierre is out too! The Toyota collided with the Audi and the GTE Am #81 car of Bird on the Mulsanne Straight.
Yellow flag
Safety car. Big shunt - it's Bonanomi in the #3 car. He's backed into the barriers somewhere.
In LMP2, Bradley in the KCMG ORECA and Panciatici in the Signature Alpine ORECA have stayed out. Most of those chasing have pitted.
A little while after passing Bird, Makowiecki went straight on at the Dunlop chicane. We don't blame him.
Wurz - the leader - goes straight on at the first Mulsanne Chicane. The straight looks flooded now.
McMurry has got back going again.
Makowiecki's cleared the Am Ferrari of Bird, while Gavin's dropped right back from the lead two now.
Turner's just 7s behind Gavin's Corvette.
Turner's just 7s behind Gavin's Corvette.
GARY WATKINS: KCMG switched to Bradley and gave him new tyres, while the second-placed Race Performance ORECA with Mailleux driving is on the tyres he started. Hence the reason the gap closed after the stops, but Bradley on fresh rubber is extending his lead.
Bernhard pits the #20 Porsche, while Bonanomi stays out in the #3 Audi. And it's really chucking it down here now.
It's the #42 Greaves Zytek. McMurry lost the rear and spun. Yet to get going again.
Magnussen, who had caught right up to Bruni again, has retaken the lead in the Corvette.
The #2 Audi is in as well. Toyota changed tyres, possibly onto cut slicks?
Yellow flag
Yellow flag just after the Dunlop Chicane.
Wurz pits. What do Toyota do about tyres?
Rain
It is now raining at the pits – and quite hard, too. Cue a mad dash to stop?
While we switched to weather watch, Lapierre pitted the #8 Toyota.
It's not raining at the pits, but the Mulsanne Straight is soaked.
Rain
Yes, the track is clearly wet in the first sector. We have rain...
The #47 KCMG ORECA's lead in LMP2 has been cut to just a couple of seconds, chased now by the #34 Race Performance ORECA driven by Mailleux.
Race control has declared "wet race" so that must be more than light rain now.
Rain
Light rain reported at Tertre Rouge
By: Geoff Creighton, Scott Mitchell, Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Gary Watkins, AUTOSPORT staff
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