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24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours Live Commentary and Updates
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours.
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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 sun has now emerged over Le Mans, but the skies do still look a little dark and threatening, so it's far from certain we're finished with the rain in this race.
Back in GTE Am and Kimura's lead over Gatting is just under 10s, although the Porsche is due another stop soon.
And the GTE Am lead battle is getting very close now as the Iron Dames Porsche closes on Kimura.
Pit stop
But, as expected, Gatting now pits in GTE Am and Frey takes over for this latest stint.
Calado has eked out a slightly bigger lead up at the front and his margin is now over 10 seconds ahead of Hirakawa in the sole remaining Toyota.
Pit stop
Kubica now pits from second in the LMP2 class in the #41 WRT machine.
The Corvette continues its charge back up the order after its problems at the very start of the race and Catsburg has passed Al Harthy in the TF Aston to take fourth in the GTE Am class. But, more significantly, it is now on the lead lap. Could a comeback really still be on?
Huge lock-up for the #6 Porsche there and fifth-placed Estre skims with the gravel but gets away with it.
Crash
But there is now further trouble for Estre and he's properly gone off this time!
Pit stop
Scherer gets some time to ice his swollen left foot as he now pits from the LMP2 lead and hands over to silver driver Smiechowski.
Replays show Estre was trying to make an ambitious move on an LMP2 machine approaching the Porsche Curves but the sudden loss of downforce results in him getting spat off into the gravel. He gets back on his way after just keeping it out of the barriers.
The Graff ORECA which was assaulted by Prette's JMW Ferrari has emerged from the pits and is still running. It's the last of the 42 cars still in the race and the only car still going on the second page of the timing screens.
Bourdais now pits from fourth in the second of the Caddys and drops him a lap off the leaders.
After that dramatic moment for Estre he now stops the Porsche, while the #93 Peugeot is another pit visitor.
Into the pits from the GTE Am lead comes Kimura. He stays aboard, and his next stint could take him over the six-hour minimum drive time mark as he's clocked up five and a quarter hours so far. That cycles Cairoli to the front, 26s ahead of Catsburg. We've not seen Corvette this high up for a long time!
Pit stop
And both of the leaders also now pit with Calado having extended his lead to 14s.
The #6 Porsche is having some fairly extensive work in the garage, looks like the crew is working on the floor.
Unsurprisingly, Smiechowski doesn't have quite the same pace as Kubica who has closed to 5s behind in the LMP2 lead fight. Meanwhile van Uitert takes Lafargue for fourth.
During those recent stops for the leaders Hirakawa had longer in the pits and the lead for Calado is now up to 25s.
Pit stop
Lynn in the third-placed Caddy is the latest frontrunner to have a stop.
A few stops for the leading GTE Am drivers brings Kimura back to the front ahead of Frey's Iron Dames Porsche. Flohr is up to third, then Cairoli and Catsburg.
In fact, the top four in the Am class are split by just 17s. Frey is right with Kimura for the lead, while Cairoli is storming up on Flohr's third place.
We've had plenty of retirements in this race already and there's almost a third of the distance to go. There's just 42 cars still running and the last time there were few finishers than that was in 2018 when 41 cars made it to the flag.
Flohr pits from third, as Frey begins to hassle Kimura. The move when it comes is an easy one down the straight into the first Mulsanne Chicane, as the Kessel bronze doesn't fight too hard against the gold-rates Dames Porsche.
In the all-Polish battle for the LMP2 lead Kubica is right with InterEuropol's silver driver Smiechowski. He lunges inside at the Ford Chicane but has to use a fair amount of run-off to do it and so allows the green and yellow car back through.
It seems only a matter of time though before Kubica launches another assault on Smiechowski. He's all over the InterEuropol driver through Indianapolis and Arnage.
For those wondering what's happening with the #6 Porsche that was in strife about half an hour ago, it's still in the pits for that floor change and has now dropped to 10th in the order, five laps off the leaders.
Change for second in GTE Am as Cairoli dives inside Kimura into Mulsanne Corner. The Japanese knows this isn't his fight though - and he's much closer to the end of his drive time than the bronze for Project 1 PJ Hyett to the tune of 80 minutes.
Jimmie Johnson is running ahead of all the GTE Am cars at the moment in the Chevy Camaro. He's 72s ahead of Frey, the GTE Am leader in Iron Dames' Porsche.
Pit stop
The #50 Ferrari of Fuoco that started the race from pole 16 and a half hours ago has just made its latest stop and is in ninth.
Hairy moment for the LMP2 leaders coming up to lap Rojas through the Porsche Curves. Kubica tries to take advantage of Smiechowski's caution but thinks better of it.
Back at the front, Hirakawa is eating into Calado's lead and the gap is now down to 20s from the 25s it was earlier.
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Lead change in LMP2! Kubica picks his moment into the first Mulsanne Chicane and muscles his way past, leaving Smiechowski no option but to cede. His move is greeted by Rui Andrade, who has his helmet on and will imminently take over the #41 WRT machine.
A pitstop infringement for the #23 United car with Josh Pierson at the wheel means they will have to serve a drive-through penalty. After Tom Blomqvist's off with braking issues, they lost 11 minutes in the pits when Oliver Jarvis had a wheel part company with the car.
Pit stop
Into the pits comes Rump to hand over the #911 Proton Porsche to Michael Fassbender. He's not yet reached half of his six-hour drive time.
Off track
Ian James has had a spin at the Indianapolis left-hander in the Heart of Racing/NorthWest AMR. No harm done other than flat-spotted tyres.
Cairoli has closed in on Frey in the battle between the GTE Am leaders. Kimura has dropped 25s behind in the Kessel Ferrari and is absolutely still in contention.
Another problem for the #708 Glickenhaus as it will have to serve a five-second penalty at its next stop for a pit infringement.
Pit stop
Kubica has handed over the leading LMP2 car to Andrade, who rejoins second.
Lead change in GTE Am as Cairoli takes Frey into Indianapolis.
By: Autosport Staff
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