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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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Kristensen pits the lead Audi with a little over four hours to go, and a decent lead of more than a lap. Fuel only.
The #43 Morand Morgan has got a stop/go penalty for pitlane speeding, as has the #29 Pegasus example.
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...
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...
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)
LMP1: 1 Kristensen; 2 Bernhard; 3 Lotterer; 4 Buemi; 5 Jani; 6 Heidfeld
That stop for the LMP2 leader has moved the #12 Rebellion ahead of it and into the top six overall.
Gommendy has taken over the LMP2-leading TDS Ligier. He's chased by Shulzhitskiy in the #35 OAK example.
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.
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.
Lotterer pits the #2 Audi, having got to within two minutes of the second-placed #20 Porsche.
Lietz pits the #92 Manthey Porsche from second place.
Jani pits the #14 Porsche, which runs fifth at the moment.
The #36 Ligier, in second in LMP2, is lapping at a good turn of pace again.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And he makes the move on the run from Arnage to the Porsche Curves.
Lotterer is also coming up behind Kristensen and getting ready to regain a lap.
We haven't seen the collision in question but both cars are still circulating normally. The drivers were Nakano and Krohn.
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.
Stewards are investigating contact between the #57 Krohn Ferrari and the #70 Taisan Ferrari.
The #92 Manthey Porsche, which runs second in GTE Pro, is in the pits for fuel. Leitz is driving.
In LMP2, the #46 TDS Ligier has a lead of over a lap over the #35 OAK Ligier that led for so long.
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.
The leader is in the pits, and Gene hands over to TK.
The problems for the #97 Aston Martin have dropped it to fourth place in class, five laps off the lead.
The #29 Pegasus Morgan, which is 11th in LMP2, has been reported to the stewards for speeding in the pits.
Lotterer has banged in a 3m25s, but the Porsche has picked up the pace in Bernhard's hands. He's just done a 3m28s.
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.
There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the Aston - Turner has just done a 3m56s.
The OAK/G-Drive Ligier is back out after a nine-minute delay.
The fifth-place P2, the Signatech Alpine ORECA, is back in the pits after its earlier upright change.
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 #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.
The #8 Toyota is in the pits.
Aston Martin Racing confirms that it was a loose power steering pipe that has forced the #97 car into the garage.

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

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