Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 The 83rd Le Mans 24 Hours
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Tandy pits the leading #19 Porsche, which puts Bernhard briefly back on the lead lap in the #17 car.
After only a few laps, the #95 pits. That's odd. Meanwhile the #72 Ferrari has been returned to the pits and the slow zone is cleared.
The slow zone cleared in time for Bruni, but not Milner ahead of him. So looks like the gap's been slashed to just 11 seconds.
Milner's wounded and Bruni can sniff blood. A much faster lap cuts the gap between the leaders to 9.2s.
While we have the leading Porsches on the same lap, Tandy leads Bernhard by 2m36s.
Audis #9, #7, #8 lead the chase, but they are off the lead lap and the frontrunning R18 is not on the pace of the Porsches.
Audis #9, #7, #8 lead the chase, but they are off the lead lap and the frontrunning R18 is not on the pace of the Porsches.
Bergmeister stops and Lietz takes over the #91 Porsche in third.
The #95 Aston, meanwhile, remains in the pits.
The #95 Aston, meanwhile, remains in the pits.
Twitter
More trouble for the ByKolles team:
@ByKOLLES: "Back to the pits - again the engine."
@ByKOLLES: "Back to the pits - again the engine."
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Here's how it looks in LMP2, following last hour's drama.
1 #47 KCMG ORECA, Bradley
2 #26 G-Drive (OAK) Ligier, Rusinov +2m10s
3 #38 Jota Gibson, Evans +2m55s
4 #28 G-Drive (OAK) Ligier, Gonzalez +3 laps
5 #34 OAK Racing Ligier, Vanthoor +3 laps
KCMG is a pitstop behind G-Drive, essentially, while Jota keeps getting closer and closer to second place. Evans took two seconds out of Rusinov that last time around alone.
Meanwhile, Murphy is back out there with Berthon after a lengthy stop to repair some damage. The car is sixth, 10 laps down.
1 #47 KCMG ORECA, Bradley
2 #26 G-Drive (OAK) Ligier, Rusinov +2m10s
3 #38 Jota Gibson, Evans +2m55s
4 #28 G-Drive (OAK) Ligier, Gonzalez +3 laps
5 #34 OAK Racing Ligier, Vanthoor +3 laps
KCMG is a pitstop behind G-Drive, essentially, while Jota keeps getting closer and closer to second place. Evans took two seconds out of Rusinov that last time around alone.
Meanwhile, Murphy is back out there with Berthon after a lengthy stop to repair some damage. The car is sixth, 10 laps down.
Another 3m55s lap for Bruni and the lead is trimmed further - Milner's Chevy just 7.8s up the road from the Ferrari.
The #7 Audi has pace in the hands of Lotterer - who pumps in a 3m18.404s. Unfortunately for Audi, it's not the car leading the chase at the moment. It could do with those sort of laptimes from the #9 car that sits third.
Bernhard pits the #17 from second place, so Tandy's lead in the #19 goes back to more than one lap.
Bernhard pits the #17 from second place, so Tandy's lead in the #19 goes back to more than one lap.
Bradley's stint is over, he's out of the KCMG ORECA as Lapierre steps in.
Bruni since taking over the #51 Ferrari:
3m58.767s
3m56.742s
3m55.796s
3m54.991s
3m58.464s
3m55.919s
3m55.567s
3m55.811s
The gap is now 5.9s.
3m58.767s
3m56.742s
3m55.796s
3m54.991s
3m58.464s
3m55.919s
3m55.567s
3m55.811s
The gap is now 5.9s.
LMP1 update, running through the top five:
#19 (Tandy) leads #17 (Bernhard) by 1 lap
#17 (Bernhard) leads #9 (Bonanomi) by 1m56s
#9 (Bonanomi) leads #7 (Lotterer) by 1m43s
#7 (Lotterer) leads #8 (Duval) by 52s
#19 (Tandy) leads #17 (Bernhard) by 1 lap
#17 (Bernhard) leads #9 (Bonanomi) by 1m56s
#9 (Bonanomi) leads #7 (Lotterer) by 1m43s
#7 (Lotterer) leads #8 (Duval) by 52s
Right now, the most likely 'scrap' we'll have on our hands later in the race is between the #9 and #7 Audis for the final step on the podium. Lotterer is quicker than Bonanomi, who took over after Rast also struggled for pace in the #9.
Still more than 4 hours to go though, so the race could come alive elsewhere in that time.
Still more than 4 hours to go though, so the race could come alive elsewhere in that time.
Corvette to Ferrari: 4.4s. Still Bruni continues to chip away.
Next time round it's 3.2s.
Next time round it's 3.2s.
Sorensen's finally left the pits in the #95 Aston Martin.
He's fallen to 33rd overall and lost five laps.
He's fallen to 33rd overall and lost five laps.
Breaking news
Bad news for Lotterer's progress in the #7 - the car has picked up a drive-through penalty for Fassler's part in the clash with the leading #19 Porsche in a slow zone.
Hard for Audi to argue that one, really, as Lotterer brings the #7 Audi in from fourth.
Hard for Audi to argue that one, really, as Lotterer brings the #7 Audi in from fourth.
Lotterer's pitlane time serving that penalty was 30s, so he still has a buffer of around 20-25s back to Duval in the #8 Audi.
Twitter
The latest news from Nissan - and unsurprisingly, it's not good.
@NISMO: "No.22 back in to do some more work on the gearbox. Still a hangover from the damage sustained from hitting debris during the night."
@NISMO: "No.22 back in to do some more work on the gearbox. Still a hangover from the damage sustained from hitting debris during the night."
Another pitstop from G-Drive. It had been running 55 seconds behind KCMG before peeling into pitlane. Rusinov remains behind the wheel, it elevates Evans in the Jota Gibson to second.
Beretta pits the #71 Ferrari from fourth place.
Bruni's just two seconds behind Milner now, and the Ferrari continues to take time out of the Corvette in the first sector.
Could a move come this lap?
Could a move come this lap?
Evans has now pitted as well, so G-Drive will be back up to second when the Jota entry rejoins the race.
Rain
Message from race control says the track has been declared wet. Surprising, as there are no signs of rain at the moment, but clouds have been gathering over the course of the morning.
Breaking news
A 1m25s stop-go penalty for the #99 Aston for the speeding in the pitlane infringement.
The Ferrari leads! Milner and Bruni pit as one, but the Corvette team has to swap out Milner for Taylor and thus the C7.R remains in the pits for 28 extra seconds.
Bruni leads in the #51 Ferrari.
Bruni leads in the #51 Ferrari.
Twitter
@PorscheRaces: "Some rain reported on main straight."
Rain
Corvette Racing has a spotter at Mulsanne Corner, and he is reporting rain from there.
Drama for the second-placed #17 Porsche - it gets caught up behind a GTE Ferrari heading into Turn 1, and in taking avoiding action Bernhard goes for a very long trip through the gravel, rejoining at the exit of the first chicane. It cost him around four seconds.
Twitter
An explanation of the #9 car's lack of pace this morning, from Rast on Twitter:
"Unfortunately we have some difficulties with our hybrid..."
"Unfortunately we have some difficulties with our hybrid..."
Lapierre, with KCMG a pitstop behind its rivals, sets a new personal best for the ORECA, a 3m36.861s. It leads by Rusinov in the G-Drive entry by two minutes, while Evans is just a further 20 seconds behind.
Slippery surface reported at the beginning of the Mulsanne straight, and at the first chicane.
We've got Tandy (1st) and Lotterer (4th) in for stops.
In the start-finish grandstand, a gentleman is proudly flying New Zealand's silver fern on a flag. He's got a few options to be waving it in four hours.
Both of the lead Porsches contain a Kiwi, Earl Bamber in #19 and Brendon Hartley in #17, while Mitch Evans is chasing second in LMP2.
Both of the lead Porsches contain a Kiwi, Earl Bamber in #19 and Brendon Hartley in #17, while Mitch Evans is chasing second in LMP2.
A lengthy spell in the pits for the #91 Porsche has now dropped it out of third. The #71 provisionally takes the final podium slot.
Yellow flag
Another puncture for SMP's LMP2, Markozov has brought the #27 back into pitlane. The tyre carcass is stuck out on Mulsanne.
Tandy has handed the race-leading car over to Bamber.
Bruni's lead over Jordan Taylor is 48.8s. When it stops the Ferrari could yet stay ahead of the Corvette.
Twitter
The #53 Viper is another car encountering problems.
@jbleekemolen: "We've lost 1st and 2nd gear, so will just try to bring it home. We won't give up but I would have loved to fight for the podium!"
@jbleekemolen: "We've lost 1st and 2nd gear, so will just try to bring it home. We won't give up but I would have loved to fight for the podium!"
Either the slow zone brought the Corvette some time back, or the timing screen was misleading before - Bruni's lead over Taylor is actually around the half-minute mark.
By: Scott Mitchell, AUTOSPORT staff, Mitchell Adam, Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Gary Watkins
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