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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.
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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And that margin will remain, as Deletraz pits the WRT. But drama for the P3 Duqueine Team entry, as Pino skips across a runoff area and brings gravel onto the track.
The slow zone is a significant one, stretching all the way from the Porsche Curves to the start straight. The tyre barrier still needs to be replaced, so this may remain the case for a while yet!
Pit stop
A slightly earlier than expected pitstop for the #8 Toyota. No problems though and Hartley is back underway still in second.
Big lock-up heading into the slow zone for Pipo Derani in the #311 Cadillac. That won't do his tyres any good at all!
Speaking of Cadillacs, the #3 has made a schedule stop from fourth.
Drama for the LMP2 class-leading Inter Europol entry. The team manager has been summoned "to the race director immediately in race control". This is not normally just a trip to receive a pat on the back for a job well done!
Pit stop
And another pitstop for the leading #51 Ferrari. Out gets Pier Guidi, in jumps James Calado after a mega double-stint.
Further information indicated the Inter Europol team manager has been summoned is due to a pit stop being under investigation.
Just four hours left, and here is the leading order in the Hypercar class:
1. #51 Ferrari
2. #8 Toyota
3. #2 Cadillac
4. #3 Cadillac
5. #93 Peugeot
The slow zones are finally being removed and we are back up to full racing speeds!
Well, when it rains it pours as Jack Aitken has found out in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. The Briton has gone off at the first chicane, beaching the #311 Cadillac in the gravel. It's very much been an event to forget for the team.
An update on the LMP2 positions:
- #34 Inter Europol Competition
- #41 WRT
- #30 Duqeine Team
- #48 IDEC Sport
- #65 Panis Racing
And in GTE - a class that is providing a fascinating battle:
- #85 Iron Dames
- #25 ORT by TF
- #33 Corvette Racing
- #56 Project 1-AO
- #54 AF Corse
Yellow flag
Aitken's off has meant another slow zone has been put in place again.
The latest driver change has meant the advantage the #51 Ferrari had has all but disappeared to the #8 Toyota. Less than four hours left, and it appears to be a two-horse race.
Green flag
Slow zone removed as Aitken's car has been recovered. Green running all around the circuit.
Hartley is told by his engineer that "plenty of energy is available". Can the #8 Toyota take the fight to Ferrari?
After losing significant time in the last slow zone, things have this time gone the way of Deletraz, who has made a major gain on the LMP2 leader. The gap is now 49s, with an investigation also hanging over the lead car! That was a gain of 1:12s!
Further down the order, Andre Lotterer has rejoined in the #6 Porsche after a 28-minute stop to change the hybrid battery.
Race over for the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari. Serra loses control at Indianapolis and slams into the tyre wall. The yellow flags are out but there is not yet a slow zone.
Interestingly, the #50 Ferrari of Miguel Molina is catching both the leaders. He's several laps down in P7, but could he get ahead of the #8 Toyota and help his team-mate?
Yellow flag
And, now there is! Another interruption to the action.
Another Porsche Hypercar rejoins the fray - the #38 Jota car back in action after nearly two hours in the pits to replace a failed accident data recorder.
Bovy pits for the Iron Dames and drops to P3 in GTE. Managing the remaining stops across the next three-and-three-quarter hours will be crucial to deciding this class battle!
Green flag
We're back to green, and Molina is right behind the #8 Toyota now. He'll be pushing like crazy to get ahead and try and slow down Hartley.
Even if he doesn't get ahead, Molina is proving to be a distraction as Hartley starts to drop back from the leading #51 Ferrari.
Things get worse for the LMP2 leaders, as the Inter Europol entry is reported to the stewards for a safety car infringement. That's two investigations now hanging over the #34!
Hartley comes over the radio to say he's struggling with understeer. The Kiwi is giving everything to keep that leading #51 Ferrari in sight.
The lead currently held in LMP2 is 51secs, with Deletraz nearing the end of his stint in the chasing WRT.
The GTE pit shuffle continues. The Iron Dames were first to pit from the lead but the #25 Aston Martin - the car that had assumed the lead - has now stopped and dropped to the back of the lead trio.
Moment for Hartley at the Dunlop Chicane as he comes up to a backmarker. The rear steps out and he takes to the run-off. No damage done, but it shows just how on the edge the #8 Toyota driver is.
It's an incident which has caught the eye of the officials, though, who are looking into it...
A long stop for the #25 Aston Martin didn't just drop it to P3, but P4, with the #54 AF Corse Ferrari climbing into the top three.
Purple sector 1 for Hartley. Gap to the leading #51 Ferrari of Calado just 5.5s.
In LMP2, Chatin has unlapped himself in the #48 IDEC Sport. Were the safety car to interrupt the race, he would now benefit and cruise up to the rear of the leaders.
The AF Corse's time in a class P3 in GTE was shortlived, as Rigon pits and drops back behind the Aston Martin.
Pit stop
Hartley doesn't need to look in the mirror anymore, as the #50 of Molina pits and he hands over driving duties to Nicklas Nielsen.
Pit stop
Another car in the pits but also in the garage is the #93 Peugeot, which clearly has some sort of issue. A real shame as it was running in P5.
That moment for Hartley at the Dunlop Chicane a few moments ago has earned him a warning by the officials. Nothing to worry about at the moment but he won't want to be making a habit of it.
There is the decision! The LMP2-leading #34 Inter Europol of Scherer has been handed a drive-through penalty for overtaking under safety car procedures! The lead is currently 48s.
By: Autosport Staff
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