Le Mans 24 Hours Live Commentary and Updates
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The eagerly-anticipated centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours is the first in which cars built to the new-for-2023 LMDh ruleset have been eligible to compete.
Toyota is seeking a sixth consecutive victory at the world's most famous endurance race, while Ferrari on its first factory effort in the top class in half a century and fellow returnee Porsche are gunning for their 10th and 20th victories respectively.
A field of 62 cars, including the Garage 56 NASCAR entry and 21 GTE Am machines on the category's Le Mans swansong, will take the start at the Circuit de la Sarthe at 4pm local time and race through the night.
Join us here for live updates throughout the race.
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The #50 Ferrari problem was caused by stone damage to the ERS radiator. Nearly half an hour lost.
The #8 Toyota leads! Buemi gets by the #94 Peugeot driven by Muller and he is now under pressure from Ferrari's Calado.
Calado is hounding Muller for second place but, so far, hasn't found a way through. That has allowed Buemi to creep clear in the lead, which has stretched out to 2.5s.
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Kobayashi has explained what happened in the incident at Tertre Rouge when he was in the preparation zone for the forthcoming Slow Zone. "The guy ahead, an LMP2, brakes for whatever reason," he said. "If I overtake him there, I will get a penalty."
He went on to confirm that he was hit twice from behind, on one side by the JMW Ferrari and by the Alpine ORECA on the other: "I had both tyres punctured on the rear and the left-rear driveshaft was broken."
That explains why he wasn't able to get #7 back to the pits and was forced to retire the car.
He went on to confirm that he was hit twice from behind, on one side by the JMW Ferrari and by the Alpine ORECA on the other: "I had both tyres punctured on the rear and the left-rear driveshaft was broken."
That explains why he wasn't able to get #7 back to the pits and was forced to retire the car.
The #41 Team WRT and the #3 Cadillac have come together approaching the start/finish straight, with the Hypercar runner coming off second best and nudged into a half-spin. Bourdais loses a handful of seconds but gets going again.
Calado gets through on Muller to take second place on the run towards Indianapolis. The #51 Ferrari goes around the outside but uses an LMP2 to box in his #94 Peugeot rival to get the move done.
Jani pits the #30 Duqueine into the pits having been challenging for the LMP2 class lead moments earlier. That'll cycle the Bourdais-bothering #41 WRT back up to second.
The top two of the #8 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari pit together and on schedule, so they cycle back to third and fourth respectively, releasing the Peugeot back into the lead ahead of the Cadillac.
It has taken about 10 and a half hours, but this race feels like it has founds its rhythm, finally. The top four have enjoyed clean and clear running and are locked in a strategy battle ahead of the rest. Just the 13 and a bit hours to decide a winner...
Pit stop
The #94 Peugeot and the #2 Caddy pit to cycle back to third and fourth respectively - we're just having to do some spotter work as live timing has briefly gone down. Or, more likey, gone to sleep. It is late after all.
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Crash
Jani is hunting Smiechowski for the LMP2 class lead. The #30 Duqueine has closed right up to the #34 Inter Europol, while a slow zone has been triggered at the first chicane on the Mulsanne straight for the sister Inter Europol car crashing under braking.
Menezes is back in the #94 Peugeot, taking over from Muller, to take up the task of holding on to the podium spot from the #2 Cadillac driven by Lynn.
The #54 AF Corse Ferrari driven by Castellacci pits from second on the GTE Am class, to give leader Project 1 Porsche some more breathing space out in front.
The slow zone for the #32 Inter Europol car that crashed has been removed so we are back to full green flag racing.
Penalty
The #94 Peugeot has been given a five-second penalty for a pitstop infringement, which will push it further away from the victory fight.
Crash
Ah, the #94 Peugeot has much bigger problems now as Menezes crashes into the barriers! He gets the car out of the wall but has badly damaged the front-end of his 9XB.
Menezes is crawling back to the pits in his damaged Peugeot, as he drops behind the #6 Porsche and #3 Caddy.
The TV director catches a single tyre rolling freely across the track and the owner of it is yet to be identified - it isn't Menezes as he's on a different part of the track. So if you are missing a tyre, please make yourself known.
Lynn has been given an official warning for abusing track limits in the #2 Cadillac. It means he'll need to tread carefully from now on or risk a penalty.
Menezes makes it back to the pits and his Peugeot crew get to work on the repairs. After a stellar first half of the race, the #94 is now off the lead lap and dropping out of contention fast.
It also means just the top three are still on the lead lap. What's more, there could be a change for the lead coming up, as Calado is within a second of Buemi.
Jani leads in LMP2 - the #30 Duqueine driver has reeled in Smiechowski in the #34 Inter Europol, with both being tracked by Andrade who is still in the #41 Team WRT.
Pit stop
The two leaders pit together and the race is on...
...but it isn't a fair fight between the Toyota and Ferrari pit crews, as the #8 gets fresh tyres and fuel, compared to the #51's fuel-only stop, and duly comes out in front.
So, the #2 Cadillac has gained the lead but is still due to stop, meaning the #51 Ferrari will take the top spot honour when this all shakes out. Now it is the turn of the Toyota to chase down its rival.
Another lengthy trip into the garage ends of the #38 Jota Porsche and Ye is restored to the driver's seat. But with a 14-lap deficit, it isn't quite the glory he enjoyed earlier in this race as the leader.
Penalty
The #8 Toyota has been given a five-second penalty to be taken at its next pitstop for an infringement... the advantage continues to swing towards the #51 Ferrari.
Pit stop
The #2 Caddy pits and Westbrook jumps into action in place of Lynn. The American entry comes out around one minute behind the leading Ferrari.
The #94 Peugeot is back out on the track having been freshly repaired after Menezes' off. That's the good news. The bad news is it is eight laps off the leaders now.
The GTE Am battle continues to spice up, as Frey takes a stint at the front in the #85 Iron Dames Porsche amid the pitstop cycles. The top eight are all still on the lead lap in that class so it is still very open.
Calado is pushing clear into the lead, with his advantage up to 7.2s over Buemi in the Ferrari vs Toyota battle.
Pit stop
Frey pits in the #85 Iron Dames Porsche to relinquish the lead in GTE Am, which is picked up by Hyett driving the #56 Project 1 Porsche. Bovy takes over and comes out in fifth place in class.
We are approaching halfway - if you can barely believe it - and the early manic action has calmed in the night to see the gaps stretch and the cream rise to the very top in each class.
It is also time for our latest changeover, as Richard Asher will guide you through the final part of the night and that sweet sight of sunrise.
Thanks Haydn. This is my absolute favourite time of day. Everything seems more doable when the sun comes up...
My bleary eyes tell me that Scott Huffaker is making quick progress in GTE Am, as the cars around him have their slower drivers at the wheel: PJ Hyett won't be long in the lead for Project 1-AO at this rate. But wait, Thomas Flohr has just relinquished the #54 AF Corse to Davide Rigon.
Seb Buemi just said some words on the Toyota team radio. I can never understand a word anybody says on radios, always very impressed when others can. Buemi did however sound quite frantic, but that's standard for the Swiss. Or maybe it's because he is now past the Ferrari of James Calado, though the #51 remains close.
Project 1-AO have brought the Hyett car into the pits, so it's now Huffaker leading for Kessel Racing, ahead of Sarah Bovy for Iron Dames and Harry Tincknell in the Proton Competition Porsche.
Project 1-AO team boss Axel Funke claims he never sleeps during Le Mans. Did however close his eyes for long periods of times during his latest interview. Understandable. Only nightingales are energetic at this hour.
By: Autosport Staff
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