Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 The 83rd Le Mans 24 Hours
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While the #7 Audi briefly passed Webber for the lead before its stop, remember that because it completed a driver change, it lost more time in the pits than the Porsche this time around, so Webber is now clearly ahead of it by 23s.
Webber averaged a 3m23.038s on uninterrupted laps during the first part of what should be a triple stint.
LMP1 leaders:
1 #9 Audi (Albuquerque)
2 #17 Porsche (Webber
3 #7 Audi (Fassler)
4 #18 Porsche (Dumas)
5 #19 Porsche (Hulkenberg)
1 #9 Audi (Albuquerque)
2 #17 Porsche (Webber
3 #7 Audi (Fassler)
4 #18 Porsche (Dumas)
5 #19 Porsche (Hulkenberg)
Vilander's on his merry way and will leapfrog the #71 in doing so, because that Ferrari appears to still be in the pits!
That's the second time a 458 Italia has remained in the AF Corse box for much longer than it should...
That's the second time a 458 Italia has remained in the AF Corse box for much longer than it should...
GARY WATKINS: That's another 14-lap stint from Porsche courtesy of Mark Webber.
Webber brings the leading #17 Porsche in. Albuquerque takes the #9 Audi into the lead, but in a few laps time he will pit to bring an impressive quadruple stint to a close.
Twitter
@Audi__Sport: "1/4 completed and the #LEMANS lives up to expectations with another epic battle between #Audi und @PorscheRaces."
di Grassi Le Mans 2015
With a quarter of the race done, KCMG leads LMP2 by 1m41s over Thiriet in the TDS Racing entry. Capillaire is third for Signatech Alpine, a similar margin back again, while Murphy Prototypes and Team SARD Morand and the #26 G-Drive (OAK) complete the current top six.
Olivier Beretta pits in the #71 Ferrari. That car was in the lead battle a couple of stints ago but Beretta has not had the pace to remain in contention and has slipped back quite a lot.
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Hirsch is still working on the Greaves Motorsport Gibson.
@gary_hirsch: "I'm trying to repare the car for 50 minutes. We have the spirit of Le Mans in our blood and all the team..."
@gary_hirsch: "I'm trying to repare the car for 50 minutes. We have the spirit of Le Mans in our blood and all the team..."
Following Cumming's spin, the Honda-powered OAK has dropped from seventh to 11th. Vanthoor is now back behind the wheel of the car, which is three laps down.
Treluyer's time out front is short-lived - he pits the #7 Audi from the lead (on schedule) to hand over to Fassler.
Webber is back in the lead, still 10s ahead of Albuquerque.
Webber is back in the lead, still 10s ahead of Albuquerque.
Webber was bizarrely easy meat down the main straight for Treluyer, especially considering the punch we expect from the Porsche out of the corners.
Treluyer passes Webber for the lead into Turn 1. Audi #7 leads.
Albuquerque is still 10s back in third with the #9 R18.
Albuquerque is still 10s back in third with the #9 R18.
Conway takes over the #2 Toyota - in a distant 7th - from Sarrazin.
As we wait for the Audis to make their driver changes when they next come in, both are closing fast on Webber.
1 #17 Porsche
2 #7 Audi +1.6s
3 #9 Audi +9.1s
1 #17 Porsche
2 #7 Audi +1.6s
3 #9 Audi +9.1s
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@Daniel_Abt: "Good first 3 hour stint for me. Car is running fine after the early problem so we'll keep pushing. Crazy experience out there."
An update on the problems that forced the #1 Toyota into the garage for more than 13 minutes earlier. As well as the bodywork damage we could see, the rear suspension needed work too.
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@karunchandhok: "Pretty low stress triple stint, just the way you want it ! Got us up to P3. Top two cars too fast for us to fight - battle on to secure P3."
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It's been a horrid race for the #4 Team ByKolles entry. And the CLM is suffering more problems...
@ByKOLLES: "Back in pit :( again the Engine..."
@ByKOLLES: "Back in pit :( again the Engine..."
While KCMG pitted, Cumming spun at what looked like Indianapolis. The Honda-powered OAK had been seventh in LMP2.
Treluyer has made up 11.737s on Webber in the last five laps.
At the front of the field, having led the class by about two-and-a-half minutes, Lapierre has pitted in the KCMG ORECA. He's handed over to Howson - strong stint by Lapierre, making it count while several teams had their silver-rated drivers behind the wheel.
While Treluyer is closing in on Webber in the #17 Porsche that leads, the #7 Audi will lose time relative to the Porsche at the next pitstops. Treluyer is in the final part of a quadruple stint, so will lose a little over 15 seconds as the car gets fresh rubber and a fresh driver in the form of Fassler.
The #99 Aston has a 22-second lead over the #64 Corvette as we approach the end of the sixth hour. By GTE standards this is rather spaced out.
Pace-wise, it looks as though Turner's struggling on old rubber back in third. But without seeing the pitstops it's too risky to say for sure Taylor's on newer boots.
Pace-wise, it looks as though Turner's struggling on old rubber back in third. But without seeing the pitstops it's too risky to say for sure Taylor's on newer boots.
TV shows a brief shot of Hirsch, still in his racesuit but with his helmet off, half-sitting in the Greaves Gibson getting to work on what looked like a battery.
Lots of unscrewing (or screwing, it was a brief shot) going on, the car is now 18th in LMP2, a long, long way down.
Lots of unscrewing (or screwing, it was a brief shot) going on, the car is now 18th in LMP2, a long, long way down.
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@VanthoorLaurens: "That moment when they scream: 'In the car this lap !!! ... Okay no, false alarm.' Simply hate it."
Heidfeld has just banged in the fastest lap for the #12 Rebellion - a 3m27.996s. The car is in eighth place.
Taylor's through, the Corvette's into second at the expense of the #97 Aston.
Treluyer has made up almost seven seconds on leader Webber over the past three laps.
Taylor's all over Turner for second; the #74 Corvette will surely be past the #97 Aston before long.
Webber (#17) leads Treluyer (#7) by +12s, with Albuquerque (#9) +17s to the leader.
Let's see if the ex-F1 man can keep those Audis at bay.
Let's see if the ex-F1 man can keep those Audis at bay.
Albuquerque comes in for his final tank of fuel in this quadruple stint, handing the lead back to the #17 Porsche with Webber at the wheel.
GARY WATKINS: Dumas has just completed a 14-lap stint in the #18 Porsche under green flag conditions. His quest to stretch the fuel was, however, helped by a couple of slow zones during that stint.
The lead has changed in GTE Am, thanks to the fifth pitstop for the #72 Ferrari - which puts the #98 Aston back to first.
What is there to report in GTE Pro? The #99 car is streaking clear, thanks to easily Rees's strongest of his three consecutive stints.
Taylor's bringing the #64 Corvette back into the fight for second, and isn't far behind the #97 Aston, in which Turner seems to be struggling slightly.
Taylor's bringing the #64 Corvette back into the fight for second, and isn't far behind the #97 Aston, in which Turner seems to be struggling slightly.
Di Grassi pits the #8 Audi from sixth, having got it back on the lead lap.
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@oliverjameswebb: "Starting the race was amazing. Back in in 1 hour. We are currently P5."
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Second and third in class, Thiriet and Panciatici have pitted, with the latter handing over the Signatech Alpine to Capillaire.
Through that, Patterson has moved into third and Lapierre leads by 2m41s.
Meanwhile, TV cameras appear to have caught the two OAK Ligiers in interesting moments - the #35 trying not to get in Webber's way too much, and Cumming having a half-spin in the #34.
Through that, Patterson has moved into third and Lapierre leads by 2m41s.
Meanwhile, TV cameras appear to have caught the two OAK Ligiers in interesting moments - the #35 trying not to get in Webber's way too much, and Cumming having a half-spin in the #34.
Webber gets all crossed up with one of the OAK LMP2s through the esses, costing him around three seconds.
By: Scott Mitchell, AUTOSPORT staff, Mitchell Adam, Glenn Freeman, Edd Straw, Gary Watkins
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