Le Mans 24 Hours 2015 The 83rd Le Mans 24 Hours

Porsche holds onto its 1-2-3, with the Audis snapping at the heels of Hulkenberg.

Nobody has taken that message in, clearly, because they're still in single file through that section. But here we go, nearly start time...

Race control reminds drivers to get into grid formation before the Porsche Curves.

A slow-moving AF Corse Ferrari just appeared on our TV monitors, but it looks like it picked up pace again quickly enough. Not sure who it was.

The pace car is reaching the end of the Mulsanne straight, with the whole field in tow.

AUTOSPORT’S PREDICTIONS

Right, time to call it. Here's something that could fling egg onto the faces of our team of paddock journalists...

Despite the impressive one-lap pace of the Porsche 919 Hybrids, another Audi victory is anticipated by the majority of our team.

As for LMP2 and GTE, the fight is very much open.

GARY WATKINS
Overall: #7 Audi
LMP2: #26 Ligier
GTE Pro: #51 Ferrari
GTE AM: #98 Aston Martin

SCOTT MITCHELL
Overall: #7 Audi
LMP2: #34 Ligier
GTE Pro: #51 Ferrari
GTE AM: #98 Aston Martin

MITCHELL ADAM
Overall: #8 Audi
LMP2: #38 Gibson
GTE Pro: #99 Aston Martin
GTE AM: #98 Aston Martin

STEPHEN LICKORISH
Overall: #7 Audi
LMP2: #34 Ligier
GTE Pro: #97 Aston Martin
GTE AM: #98 Aston Martin

EDD STRAW
Overall: #8 Audi
LMP2: #46 ORECA
GTE Pro: #99 Aston Martin
GTE AM: #50 Chevrolet

GLENN FREEMAN
Overall: #1 Toyota
LMP2: #38 Gibson
GTE Pro: #97 Aston Martin
GTE AM: #98 Aston Martin

The prospect of a Toyota TS040 HYBRID sneaking its way to success with a slower car after losing out to a mechanical failure last year when it was genuinely favourite is an enticing one.

Toyota, Le Mans 2015

MAXIMUM STATTACK:

From the rookies, to those who have spent a bit more time pounding around the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The most experienced driver in the field is Emmanuel Collard, who leads the line in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari in the GTE Am class.

He will start his 21st Le Mans 24 Hours, which will put him in equal-10th place in the all-time list, level with Andy Wallace. Here are the most prolific starters:

1 Henri Pescarolo, 33
2 Bob Wollek, 30
3 Yojiro Terada, 29
4 Derek Bell, 26
5 Francois Migault, 24
6 Claude Ballot-Lena, 23
7 Claude Haidi, 22
= Pierre Yver, 22
= Jan Lammers, 22
10 Andy Wallace, 21

Only 12 drivers in the field have started the Le Mans 24 Hours 10 times prior to this year, they are:

Emmanuel Collard, 20
Olivier Beretta, 19
Nicolas Minassian, Pedro Lamy, 15
Romain Dumas, Oliver Gavin, 14
Stephane Sarrazin, Jorg Bergmeister, 13
Darren Turner, 12
Benoit Treluyer, Patrick Long, Jonny Kane 10

Three minutes until the cars set off, and now the grid is being cleared.

We're five minutes away from the start of the formation lap.

LMP1 STARTERS:

And we recognise the top class, LMP1, with a red prototype. That is being covered by GLENN FREEMAN.

Starting drivers LMP1:

#18 Porsche - Jani
#17 Porsche - Bernhard
#19 Porsche - Hulkenberg
#8 Audi - Duval
#7 Audi - Lotterer
#9 Audi - Bonanomi
#2 Toyota - Wurz
#1 Toyota - Buemi
#12 Rebellion - Beche
#13 Rebellion - Imperatori
#4 CLM - Kaffer
#22 Nissan - Tincknell
#23 Nissan - Mardenborough
#21 Nissan - Ordonez

Neel Jani, #19 Porsche, Le Mans 2015

LMP2 STARTERS:

For posts concerning LMP2, being covered by MITCHELL ADAM, we have a black prototype.

Starting drivers LMP2:

#47 ORECA - Bradley
#26 Ligier - Bird
#41 Gibson - Lancaster
#38 Gibson - Turvey
#36 ORECA - Chatin
#46 TDS - Gommendy
#34 Ligier - Vanthoor
#48 ORECA - Berthon
# 28 Ligier - Derani
#43 Morgan - Webb
#29 Morgan - Roussel
#27 BRE - Minassian
#42 Strakka Dome - Kane
#37 BRE - Aleshin
#30 Ligier - Dalziel
#31 Ligier - Fogarty
#40 Ligier - Barbosa
#35 Ligier - Nicolet
#45 ORECA - Ibanez

Bradley Le Mans 2015

Weather latest: It's bright and sunny - air temp 22C; track temp 25C.

GTE PRO STARTERS

Onto GTE Pro now (both parts of this class are being covered by SCOTT MITCHELL by the way), signified by the green GT car.

Starting drivers:
#99 Aston Martin - Stanaway
#51 Ferrari - Bruni
#97 Aston Martin - Mucke
#95 Aston Matin - Thiim
#91 Porsche - Lietz
#92 Porsche - Pilet
#64 Corvette - Gavin
#71 Ferrari - Calado

We've already lost the #63 Corvette remember, after it crashed heavily in qualifying.

#99 Aston Martin, Le Mans 2015

GTE AM STARTERS

Right, for those who are unaware - here's how we'll be bringing you live updates for each class.

We've got a dedicated correspondent for each of the categories: LMP1, LMP2 and GTE.

Each category has a dedicated icon – for example, the black GT car accompanying this post tells you the update is concerning GTE Am.

Here is the order the Am cars line up (with the lead entries scattered among the Pros) are the starting drivers in this category

Starting drivers GTE Am:

#98 Aston Martin - Lamy
#83 Ferrari - Collard
#72 Ferrari - Bertolini
#53 Viper - Bleekemolen
#77 Porsche - Long
#88 Porsche - Bachler
#55 Ferrari - Griffin
#61 Ferrari - Giammaria
#62 Ferrari - Segal
#50 Corvette - Ruberti
#66 Ferrari - Giermaziak
#96 Aston Martin - Hall
#67 Porsche - Maassen
#68 Porsche - Parisy

Lamy Aston Le Mans

MAXIMUM STATTACK:

There are only seven drivers starting this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours who have previously won it. The Fassler/Treluyer/Lotterer trio that race the #7 Audi have won it three times, Alex Wurz has two victories, while Porsche drivers Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas have tasted victory once (in 2010, pictured).

On top of the seven outright winners, there are another 29 who have got class victories under their belt. They are:

Dolan, Tincknell, Turvey, Dalziel, Leventis, Watts, Kane, Collard, Bleekemolen, Kaffer, Lieb, Canal, Gonzalez, Heinemeir Hansson, Bruni, Fisichella, Vilander, Gavin, Milner, Beretta, Bergmeister, Lietz, Henzler, Thiim, Turner, Poulsen, Long, Collard, Lamy

Hmm. A message has just appeared on our screens (briefly) suggesting the #2 Toyota has sped in the pits. That's an odd thing to achieve before the race has even started!

As the cars cycle through pitlane on their way back to the grid, Jean Todt is among a group of dignitaries walking down the front straight. Jean is waving enthusiastically to the crowd they're waving back.

Of course, the FIA president has fond memories of Le Mans from his time as the chief of Peugeot Sport. The French manufacturer won this race in 1992 and 1993, before Todt joined Ferrari and rewrote several Formula 1 record books in conjunction with M. Schumacher, R. Brawn and friends.

MAXIMUM STATTACK

Last year’s winners:

LMP1 - Fassler/Treluyer/Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro)
LMP2 - Tincknell/Turvey/Dolan (Zytek-Nissan Z11SN)
GTE Pro - Bruni/Vilander/Fisichella (Ferrari 458 Italia)
GTE Am - Poulsen/Heinemeier Hansson/Thim (Aston Martin Vantage GTE)

Le Mans 2014

WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR:

Yesterday AUTOSPORT's team of reporters sat down and tried to condense all we've learned so far this week into 10 things.

It's always handy to take stock of the themes emerging over the course of the week, and now's as good a time as any for you to have a quick peruse.

This is what we came up with:

Porsche's pace, Nissan's promises and the speed of LMP1s

Jani, Porsche, Le Mans

MAXIMUM STATTACK:

There are 44 Le Mans 24 Hours debutants contesting this year’s race. The best-placed on the grid are Nico Hulkenberg and Earl Bamber in the #19 Porsche that starts third.

In GTE Pro, rookie Richie Stanaway put the #99 Aston Martin on class pole, while Mathias Lauda is in the #98 Aston that starts first in GTE Am.

Hulkenberg

A STARK CONTRAST:

The paddock is about as empty as it has been all week... Although with the grid now starting to empty, that will change any moment.

THE LE MANS ATMOSPHERE:

Nobody can accuse France of underselling the Le Mans 24 Hours build-up.

We've got national anthems, a band, a very busy grid and an enthusiastic trackside commentator (whose French exclamations mid-sessions often have us English speakers craning our necks furiously to the TV screens to find out what's happened).

What more could you want?

FORD'S BACK:

As mentioned earlier, we'll have a new manufacturer entry in GTE next season – with Chip Ganassi Racing running the factory campaigns in the WEC (including Le Mans) and United SportsCar Championship:

Ford confirms Le Mans return...

...and ex-DTM racer Joey Hand is set to be one of the drivers

Ford GT announcement

NISSAN PENALISED FOR PACE

The three Nissan LMP1s will start from the back of the Le Mans 24 Hour prototype field after failing to meet the 110 per cent qualifying minimum.

The starting grid, including a penalty for the #71 Ferrari in GTE Pro, is available in our story here.

Nissan GT-R LM NISMO, Le Mans 2015

THE STORY OF QUALIFYING

Porsche wasted no time in asserting its dominance in qualifying, with Jani (#18), Bernhard (#17) and Tandy (#19) locking out the top three positions in the first minutes of Wednesday night’s opening session.

Although Tandy improved in Thursday's first session, there was never a threat to Porsche’s dominance.

Then came the three Audis, with Duval sealing fourth on Wednesday for the #8 car, Lotterer jumping to fifth on Thursday in the #7 and Albuquerque qualifying sixth in the #9 machine.

As for Toyota, it was, relatively speaking, nowhere with its cars seventh and eighth ahead of the two Rebellions, with Beche getting the #12 entry to just 3.1s off the slowest Toyota.

Our full report has all the details, including the polesitters for LMP2, GTE Pro and GTE Am.

#19 Porsche 919, Le Mans 2015

SUPPORT RACES

On the subject of pre-race action...

Just a day after Ford confirmed its return to Le Mans, one of the GT40s it entered into the 1968 edition of the 24-hour race won the supporting Le Mans Legend mini-enduro (pictured).

Bernard Thuner and Claude Nahem’s machine was dominant while another GT40 in the hands of Andrew Smith and James Cottingham claimed second despite an opening lap spin. A Ford podium lock-out was denied when the Diogo Ferrao/Martin Stretton car retired with mechanical troubles.

Stuart Hall’s attempts to fight through the Aston Martin Festival field in the marque's Lola LMP1 car after a half-lap handicap were thwarted when the race was red-flagged early.

Chris Brown crashed his GT4 machine heavily on the approach to Tertre Rouge and damaged the barriers, cutting the race short. Tom Onslow-Cole and Paul White won after their tactic of pitting a lap later proved crucial as they avoided being held in the pitlane.

Le Mans legends start

WARM-UP

We've already had the Le Mans field in action today, in the morning warm-up session.

Audi’s three cars topped the 45 minutes of running, which started at 0900 today.

Filipe Albuquerque was fastest with a lap of 3m19.423s, four tenths faster than any of the R18 e-tron quattros managed in qualifying.

Audi 1-2-3 in morning warm-up

Audi, 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours

Bonjour, hello and welcome to AUTOSPORT Live's coverage of the 83rd edition of the Le Mans 24 hours!