Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 The 83rd Le Mans 24 Hours
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After taking on fuel, Bamber returns to the track. He's held onto the lead ahead of Treluyer. Let's see what the gap is...
Lauda's stint in the #98 Aston has come to an end, with Lamy getting behind the wheel following a pitstop. That means the #72 SMP Ferrari leads GTE Am once more.
Bamber's lead is down to 12.344s after that stop. But shows that his last stint was a decent one as he maintained the gap to the rapid Treluyer.
The GTE Pro-leading Aston has pitted with Stanaway behind the wheel, but this doesn't look like a routine stop. It's been pushed into the garage where mechanics are getting to work. The camera has just cut away we'll keep you posted. With that, the #64 Corvette is back in the class lead.
The Aston is back out there, with Rees behind the wheel. Meanwhile, the #95 Aston has spun and rejoined.
Crash
Drama in LMP2. The TDS Racing Ligier that was running second with Gommendy behind the wheel is in a bad way at the first Mulsanne chicane. Looks like it was hit by a GT car that tried to go down the inside of it. The car has moved from the gravel trap on the inside of the corner to the outside.
As a result, we have a double yellow at the corner.
The #96 Aston could - could - have been the other car involved. Hall is limping it back to the pits.
As a result, we have a double yellow at the corner.
The #96 Aston could - could - have been the other car involved. Hall is limping it back to the pits.
Pitstop for the #7 Audi, Treluyer continues, now 56 seconds behind the #19 Porsche.
The #99 Aston Martin and the #64 Corvette that are battling for the GTE Pro lead are both in the pits. The Aston is in the garage with front-end damage. That was the car that clattered the #46 TDS Racing ORECA.
This means that the lead of GTE Pro has now fallen to the #51 AF Corse Ferrari driven by Gianmaria Bruni
The #17 Porsche of Hartley has been in the pits. He takes fuel and stays aboard. That car runs fourth and is trying to catch the #9 Audi of Albuquerque.
How things stand at the front:
1 #19 Porsche (Bamber), 228 laps
2 #7 Audi (Treluyer), +55.094s
3 #9 Audi (Albuquerque), +97.694s
4 #17 Porsche (Hartley), +159.594s
1 #19 Porsche (Bamber), 228 laps
2 #7 Audi (Treluyer), +55.094s
3 #9 Audi (Albuquerque), +97.694s
4 #17 Porsche (Hartley), +159.594s
The #46 TDS ORECA has been craned out of the gravel. Gommendy is trying to get the damaged car back to the pits after being rear-ended by the Rees Aston Martin.
Bamber is doing a fine job in the #19 Porsche. His lead is now 53.744s. Treluyer is setting a decent pace in pursuit, but not making inroads.
Bruni's lead in GTE Pro is now 71 seconds over the #64 Corvette driven by Milner.
Treluyer lopped almost four seconds out of the lead Porsche last time round.
Elsewhere in LMP1, the #4 CLM, run by the ByKolles, is still running down in 44th place in the hands of Trummer.
The #8 Audi is in the pits. Di Grassi will take just fuel.
Both the TDS Ligier and #99 Aston remain in their respective garages following their class-changing clash about half an hour ago. Rear-end repairs for the LMP2 squad, front end for what had been the GTE Pro leader.
The demise of TDS - already seven laps down - means KCMG's lead is approaching two laps over the #26 G-Drive entry, while Murphy and Jota are now third and fourth.
Over the past hour-and-a-half, we have seen Treluyer making small gains on the leading Porsche of Bamber. The gap is currently 52s, so it has very much been a case of chipping away.
Audi #9, which runs third, is in the pits for a scheduled stop. Just fuel for Albuquerque, who stays on board.
Another stop complete in GTE Am, as the see-sawing battle between the #72 SMP Ferrari and #98 Aston continues. Basov pitted in the Ferrari, handing the lead back to Lamy. It's 14 stops apiece, though the two cars are running slightly out of sync with each other.
Twitter
The #30 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier has been in the wars, it currently sits 14th, 23 laps down.
@ryan_dalziel: 10hrs to go. We are still running. Had an oil tank crack so we had to patch it up. You can knock us down #lm24 but we will keep getting up!
@ryan_dalziel: 10hrs to go. We are still running. Had an oil tank crack so we had to patch it up. You can knock us down #lm24 but we will keep getting up!
Bamber sets the fastest lap for the #19 Porsche so far, a 3m18.596s as his tense battle with Treluyer continues. Remember, this is Bamber's Le Mans debut and he's up against a driver in his 11th (three of which Treluyer has won).
Pitstop and driver changes for the second and third-placed cars in LMP2.
Bird is back in the #28 G-Drive entry, taking over from Rusinov, which holds an advantage of nearly a lap over the Murphy ORECA, which now has Chandhok behind the wheel.
Bird is back in the #28 G-Drive entry, taking over from Rusinov, which holds an advantage of nearly a lap over the Murphy ORECA, which now has Chandhok behind the wheel.
The leader is in the pits: Bamber pulls into the box in the #19 Porsche. But thanks to a car being in the adjacent pit, he parks at a strange angle and has to be lifted and rotated back into place. That's cost him maybe six seconds. Perhaps as many as 10, given his last stop was 10 seconds faster.
As a result of that crowded pitlane, Bamber has lost the lead to Treluyer. The pair are separated by just two seconds now.
In the GT ranks, Bruni in the #51 Ferrari leads Pro by 71s from Taylor in the #64 Chev. Still no sign of the #99 Aston yet, following the clash with TDS 40 minutes ago.
In Am, Lamy has taken the #98 Aston to a 61-second buffer over the #72 SMP Ferrari. He was seven seconds faster that last time around.
In Am, Lamy has taken the #98 Aston to a 61-second buffer over the #72 SMP Ferrari. He was seven seconds faster that last time around.
We are expecting Treluyer in in a few laps in the #7 Audi, so that will give Bamber back the lead. But it's more valuable time that Treluyer has gained.
Treluyer knows an opportunity when he sees it. He's getting the hammer down - 3m20.342s last time round.
Pitstops for both GT class leaders. Bruni hands the #51 Ferrari over to Fisichella, which rejoins the race second in Pro, behind the #64 Corvette.
In AM, Lamy has been in and out, and looks to have maintained the #98 Aston's lead.
In AM, Lamy has been in and out, and looks to have maintained the #98 Aston's lead.
Treluyer brings the leading #7 Audi into the pits bang on schedule.
He's behind the ByKolles CLM in pit entry, which might cost him a little time.
A straightforward stop for Treluyer as he takes on fuel. He was in the pitlane five seconds less than Bamber was on his delayed previous stop.
It's 5:43am here in Le Mans and we're getting closer to sunrise. This is what it looks like out of the media centre window, right now. See?
LMP2 pitstops for Jota, currently fourth with Dolan behind the wheel, and Strakka, sixth with Watts now in charge.
Another stop complete for KCMG, Howson remains in the dominant LMP2 leader.
Hartley brings the #17 Porsche into the pits for fuel and tyres. He hands over to Webber.
Sounds like TDS is joining the list of retirees, with the damage to its Ligier beyond repair.
Bamber's lead in the #19 Porsche is now 53 seconds. It's a great game of cat and mouse between him and Treluyer. The Frenchman is making gains, but it is very very slow progress!
By: Scott Mitchell, AUTOSPORT staff, Mitchell Adam, Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Gary Watkins
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