Le Mans 24 Hours 2019
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Rain
Race control expects more drops of rain from 20.52 until 21.05.
GTE PRO
We've had two pitters in GTE Pro, the #68 Ford and the #93 Porsche (breaking that up that #Bamthor battle we had raging a little earlier). Tandy has taken over from Bamber, and is running P7.
The Corvette is now going somewhere - behind the wall, with the assistance of a recovery tractor
LMP1
Reckon there are in the region of 18 and 20 cars between the two Toyotas in the SC crocodile.
Green flag
We're back to green-flag conditions.
LMP1
The Toyotas are in sector two, and through the initial timing traps are just 10s apart!
Slow Zone
We're about to have a slow zone, our first of the race! Will start at MP17, so that's from the second chicane on the Mulsanne Straight,
Rain
There are a few spots of rain being shown in the pitlane at the moment. We can see the faintest bit of drizzle in the air from our vantage point too.
LMP1
The gap between the Toyotas has ballooned again - it was up to 20s, but is now at 35s.
LMP1
In closer LMP1 battles, the #3 Rebellion is now tucked right up behind the third-place #11 SMP car through the slow zone.
LMP1
Laurent has a think about a move at the kink before Indianapolis and the slow left-hander itself before backing out of it.
LMP1
But he's completes a brilliant move around the outside at the Porsche Curves moments later and is up to third!
Pit stop
Nakajima, meanwhile, has visited the pits to refuel.
We weren't overselling that pass. It was bloody good!
LMP1
Laurent actually started the move around the outside at the end of the Porsche Curves but, as GARY WATKINS points out, probably didn't technically complete it until Corvette.
LMP2
In the battle for another podium position, Tung has got the Jackie Chan DC Racing car ahead of Davidson's DragonSpeed ORECA for third in LMP2.
Crash
Drama! The #3 Rebellion has hit the outside wall at the second Mulsanne chicane and dropped debris all over the exit!
One of the SMP's has driven past wearing some of the Rebellion's livery!
We're going to need to see a replay of that one...
One of the SMP's has driven past wearing some of the Rebellion's livery!
We're going to need to see a replay of that one...
Information
The #3 Rebellion sans front nose has entered the pitlane now.
Pit stop
The #11 SMP Racing is into the pits as well now, presumably to get that bit of Rebellion livery removed.
It is a bit of a marmite colour scheme, it has to be said.
It is a bit of a marmite colour scheme, it has to be said.
Information
The #3 Rebellion is now being pushed firmly back into the garage.
LMP1
We had a replay of the Rebellion incident and then the TV in the media centre cut out.
We won't repeat what our exclamation was.
We won't repeat what our exclamation was.
Laurent at the moment of impact
Information
There's a new piece of front bodywork being attached to the Rebellion, which suggests that this might not be a lengthy delay...
Hopefully that SMP and Rebellion battle can spark into life again.
Hopefully that SMP and Rebellion battle can spark into life again.
LMP1
JACK COZENS managed to get a better view and suggests the Rebellion took the usual braking line into the chicane before the car speared into the wall.
A strange one.
A strange one.
Incredibly, Rebellion managed to get the #3 back out again without it going another lap down
GTE PRO
A Twitter update from the WEC says the #64 Corvette has retired from the race after its Porsche Curves crash.
Safety car
Safety cars have now been deployed.
Pit stop
While we were typing Lopez came in to make the #7 car's ninth stop of the race and hands the lead over to Nakajima for now.
LMP1
The #3 Rebellion is heading back out after a 3m38s stop and it has avoided going another lap down. Great turnaround from the squad to get Laurent back out in fifth.
It's advantage SMP for now, though.
It's advantage SMP for now, though.
LMP1
As we clock the 100th lap, the timing screen reports that Nakajima has a lead of just 0.9s over Lopez, but that's because Nakajima has made the #8 car's ninth stop as well.
GTE PRO
This safety car will bunch up the field in GTE Pro again. The previous one split the top five from the rest of the pack, but now the top nine will all be together on track.
Starting to get a bit darker here, lights turning on in the paddock and headlights flicking on across the field.
Information
The safety car is coming in this lap.
Green flag
And we are green with the two Toyotas neck-and-neck!
LMP2
Having different safety cars makes things a little confusing, but the state of play in LMP2 at the moment is we have seven cars on the lead lap, Tristan Gommendy just hanging on in the #39 Graff ORECA. Francois Perrodo has just gone one lap down in the #28 TDS Racing ORECA in P8, but with the greatest of respect to Mr Perrodo, his being in the car under the safety car is a real help for TDS, as it eats away at his minimum drive time of 6 hours.
LMP1
Nakajima crosses the line 0.637s clear of Lopez in the #7 Toyota.
Pit stop
Aleshin pits the #11 SMP Racing machine from fourth.
LMP1
Nakajima's built a one-second lead over Lopez now as the #8 Toyota takes a rare turn in the lead.
GTE PRO
Bruni is on the move in the #91 Porsche, picking off Tincknell's #67 Ford for fifth in the freshly reignited GTE Pro battle.
Slow Zone
We still have a slow zone out for the scene of Laurent's crash on the Mulsanne, so I wouldn't read much into the times right now.
By: Geoff Creighton
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