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24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours 2014 Wednesday: Practice and qualifying
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Chandhok moves the Murphy Prototypes ORECA up to second in LMP2.
Holzer looked set to make a move further up the GTE Pro order but lost time in the final sector, presumably getting out of the way of a P2 car.
Yellow flag
Yellows for debris down by the first Mulsanne chicane. Should be cleared quickly and easily.
The session was coming alive before the stoppage for Duval's crash, but things have been quieter on the timing screens since we restarted. The leading #8 Toyota is lapping in the 3m27s, while the #7 car is doing 3m25s and the Audis have been in and out of the pits.
Green flag
There we go, debris removed.
The pace-setting #8 Toyota is in the garage and the front bodywork is quickly removed as the mechanics get to work.
Two personal bests in a row for Gavin closes the gap to the leading Ferraris, Porsches and #99 Aston but the top Corvette remains sixth.
Twitter
@Toyota_Hybrid: Talking after first run @Steph_Sarrazin: "We started with a long run. We are happy with the car; it's going well so far."
The #50 Morgan-Judd is touring slowly with a left-rear puncture. Ricky Taylor has been able to nurse the Larbre-run car back to the pits.
Nakajima makes it a Toyota one-two by going second with a 3m24.291s. That leaves the #7 car 0.639s down on its fellow TS040.
Lamy jumps to third in GTE Am on a 3m59.811s and the #98 Aston Martin Vantage driver is already on another personal best lap.
Breaking news
Race organisers have released a statement about Duval's accident. It confirms that the Audi driver was conscious when he was extracted from the car, and it adds "his condition is encouraging".
Seth Neiman in the #66 JMW Ferrari has a near miss with the #20 Porsche 919 Hybrid as both enter their respective pit boxes. Bit of a bizarre one, but no harm done.
Oliver Jarvis moves the #3 Audi briefly into fourth place at the expense of the #2 R18, but Marcel Fassler responds with his next lap to re-take the position with a 3m24.840s.
Klaus Bachler propels the #88 Proton Porsche to top spot in GTE Am. His 3m59.461s is 0.038s faster than Bird's best in the #81 AF Ferrari.
Nakajima crosses the line with a new overall best time through the final sector, but his laptime of 3m25.8s is 1.6s shy of the #7 car's best at this stage, and it remains second.
Stefan Mucke's improving in the #97 Aston Martin Vantage, which is having a very quiet session near the foot of the GTE Pro times.
Mucke's just done a 4m00.236s, that car's fastest lap so far, but it is almost 3s off the pace-setting #51 AF Ferrari.
Mucke's just done a 4m00.236s, that car's fastest lap so far, but it is almost 3s off the pace-setting #51 AF Ferrari.
Yellow flag
The #41 Greaves Zytek has come to a stop off the track towards the end of the Porsche curves. The car is reasonably out of the way so the yellow flag period is short-lived.
Holzer sets two personal best sectors again and though he loses time again in the final part of the lap he does shave a fraction off the #92 Manthey Porsche's best – down to a 3m58.728s now.
Beche finds a chunk of time in the Rebellion. His 3m31.2s gets the leading R-One down to 7.5s off the pace of the leading Toyota, and just 2.6s adrift of the #14 Porsche in P7.
Talking of the #14 car, Dumas has just handed it over to Jani.
Talking of the #14 car, Dumas has just handed it over to Jani.
Fabulous effort from Nicki Thiim in the #95 Aston Martin Vantage to go comfortably quickest in GTE Am on a 3m58.672s, a time that's bested only by three of the GTE Pro entries.
Bernhard improves the #20 Porsche's best with a 3m26.976s. He stays sixth, though, and needs to find another 1.9s to get on terms with the slowest of the Audis at this stage.
This lap looks even better by Thiim – while fellow GTE Am Vantage driver Christoffer Nygaard also improves in the #98 car. The Astons are improving with just over an hour remaining.
Another Aston on the move is the #97 car currently pedalled by Darren Turner...who goes quickest! Brilliant first and final sector and the GTE Pro benchmark is now a 3m57.086s.
MacDowall also improves the fastest time of the #99 car, which is now sixth fastest in class. Jordan Taylor sets the quickest lap for the #73 Corvette but remains bottom of the Pro ladder, with 2.4s covering the nine cars now.
MacDowall also improves the fastest time of the #99 car, which is now sixth fastest in class. Jordan Taylor sets the quickest lap for the #73 Corvette but remains bottom of the Pro ladder, with 2.4s covering the nine cars now.
Bernhard improves again in the #20 Porsche. He stays sixth overall but lowers his time to a 2m26.705s
Thiim is flying – he usurps Turner's GT-best effort and puts the Am-entered #95 Vantage top of the tree full stop on a 3m57.015s.
Thiim's hardly an Am, though, being the Porsche Supercup champion.
Thiim's hardly an Am, though, being the Porsche Supercup champion.
Dyson improves his time in the #42 Greaves Zytek. But still down in 15th in LMP2.
Stopwatch
Bernhard improves again, setting a 3m26.602s. He remains sixth fastest.
There's an hour left on the clock, and this is the order:
LMP1:
1. #8 Toyota 3m23.652s
2. #7 Toyota +0.639s
3. #1 Audi +1.077s
4. #2 Audi +1.188s
5. #3 Audi +1.490s
LMP2:
1. #35 OAK Ligier-Nissan 3m40.611s
2. #48 Murphy ORECA-Nissan +0.126s
3. #37 SMP ORECA-Nissan +0.462s
GTE Pro:
1. #97 Aston Martin 3m57.086s
2. #51 AF Corse Ferrari
3. #71 AF Corse Ferrari
GTE Am:
1. #95 Aston Martin 3m57.015s
2. #88 Proton Porsche
3. #81 AF Corse Ferrari
LMP1:
1. #8 Toyota 3m23.652s
2. #7 Toyota +0.639s
3. #1 Audi +1.077s
4. #2 Audi +1.188s
5. #3 Audi +1.490s
LMP2:
1. #35 OAK Ligier-Nissan 3m40.611s
2. #48 Murphy ORECA-Nissan +0.126s
3. #37 SMP ORECA-Nissan +0.462s
GTE Pro:
1. #97 Aston Martin 3m57.086s
2. #51 AF Corse Ferrari
3. #71 AF Corse Ferrari
GTE Am:
1. #95 Aston Martin 3m57.015s
2. #88 Proton Porsche
3. #81 AF Corse Ferrari
Stopwatch
Fassler has split the Toyotas, banging in a 3m23.976s lap to go second fastest. That's 0.324s off the #8 Toyota.
...Thus rendering our update immediately out of date! For LMP1 anyway. Darn it, Fassler.
Stopwatch
And the #14 Porsche has now improved with Jani at the wheel. He's still seventh, a couple of seconds slower than the sister car.
Lots of personal bests being set among the GT fraternity. Jordan Taylor's hauled the #73 Corvette up to fourth in GTE Pro, while the #74 has improved time if not position in the hands of Tommy Milner.
Nygaard, meanwhile, jumps to second in GTE Am in the #98 Aston.
Nygaard, meanwhile, jumps to second in GTE Am in the #98 Aston.
Kirill Ladygin spun the #37 SMP Racing-run ORECA-Nissan 03R at Indianapolis. He has rejoined.
The Team Taisan Ferrari 458 has a moment as it skates across the gravel, but rejoins.
Davidson is fastest in the #8 Toyota, which is currently being driven by Buemi. He's very happy with the start Toyota has made today.
"It's good to start where we finished 2 weeks ago," said Davidson. "We have the same balance so I'm pretty happy how the car feels."
"It's good to start where we finished 2 weeks ago," said Davidson. "We have the same balance so I'm pretty happy how the car feels."
Patrick Long moves the Dempsey Porsche into second in GTE-Am and in amongst the Pro cars as well with a 3m58.512s.
How quickly times change in practice. About half an hour ago, the GT classes were being dominated by Ferrari 458 Italias. Now, the Aston Martin Vantages are flexing their muscles.
The GT battles are always ferociously competitive, not just at Le Mans, but in general. All signs thus far point to a similar story this weekend.
The GT battles are always ferociously competitive, not just at Le Mans, but in general. All signs thus far point to a similar story this weekend.
We haven't seen many improvements in LMP2 of late. The #35 OAK Racing Ligier-Nissan is currently fastest courtesy of Jann Mardenborough. Berthon is second fastest in the Murphy Prototypes ORECA.
Long takes another tenth off the Dempsey Porsche's best lap, but it's some way off the class-leading #95 Aston...1.4s in fact.
By: Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Scott Mitchell, Gary Watkins
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