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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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Pit stop
Hirakawa pits in the #8 Toyota for fuel as expected, to see Ferrari's lead grow back towards the three-minute mark.
The #50 Ferrari driven by Fuoco is hassling the Toyota looking for a way to gain a lap back on it. The gap is currently five laps so it isn't going to change a lot, but it is the last thing Hirakawa needs while counting the cost of his earlier off.
The last set of GTE Am stops is now underway, with the Iron Dames having pitted from third place. Rahel Frey remains at the wheel.
As the LMP2 runners toy with coming in for the final time, the lead for Scherer's Inter Europol car is down to 10s, with Deletraz chasing hard for Team WRT. Still no news on any penalty for that car.
The gaps between the podium trio remains unchanged, three minutes splits both Pier Guidi to Hirakawa and Hirakawa to Bamber, while Bourdais in the fourth-placed #3 Caddy is a lap back on the sister car. Barring any disasters, that looks to be settled - but you can never rule out that happening at Le Mans!
It is also worth noting that after the chaotic opening 10 hours to the race with safety car periods, rain showers and clashes, the race has run without a major interruption.
The reduction in disruption could also be down to stable weather conditions and a smaller field circulating, as we've lost over one-third of the cars that started this race.
With the all the pitstops now completed for the leading GTE Am runners, Corvette leads Aston Martin as expected. But the GR Racing Porsche of Riccardo Pera has snuck ahead of the Iron Dames Porsche for third! That's sad news for most neutrals willing on the all-female squad to a podium, but it's not over yet! And Rahel Frey is responding - the deficit is six seconds...
Pit stop
The #50 Ferrari had briefly climbed up to fifth place ahead of the #5 Porsche, but Fuoco pits for tyres and fuel to release Christensen back up a spot.
Last stops (barring any stop-go!) for the top two in LMP2. Deletraz is first in, having got to within eight seconds of Scherer, who has no radio communications but just came within four tenths of that car's quickest lap of the race...
Pier Guidi's lead has been trimmed to 2m50s by Hirakawa, but that is likely to be due to the Italian taking minimal risks approaching the final 30 minutes of the race.
Neel Jani jumps aboard the Duqueine car in a final bid to reclaim third place from Frijns' WRT car.
The #5 Porsche is going slowly! That fight for fifth is looking very one-sided now, as Fuoco blasts by in the #50 Ferrari. Christensen is nursing his car back to the pits.
Scherer pits from the lead, feeling the pressure of great out lap by Deletraz. He'll stay on board for the final stint. And his cushion for the sprint to the flag shakes out at 11.6 seconds.
No luck for Frey so far as she tries to snatch back third place in GTE Am. Pera in third has a 10-second advantage now.
Christensen has a transmission problem in the #5 Porsche, which will mark a cruel end to the race for the German manufacturer. The next-best Porsche is the sister #6 car down in 22nd overall.
Pier Guidi continues to manage his advantage, now at 2m46s, but is probably feeling every bump and vibration inside his #51 Ferrari 499P and praying the worst doesn't happen.
Pit stop
The #51 Ferrari is in for its final stop of the race... but it can't get going!
That was a heart in mouth moment for Ferrari! Pier Guidi needed to go through a power cycle to get going again and has bled time to Hirakawa. The #51 Ferrari still leads, but its advantage has been cut down to 2m30s.
They're now investigating the 'signalling method' for the lead #34 car in LMP2...yes, really! At least the on-track threats are fading in comparison to those from race control: Deletraz is 13s back now and failing to keep pace with Scherer. Meanwhile Jani's hopes of snatching third from Frijns also look to be receding - the gap has grown to 18 seconds.
Pit stop
The podium-sitting #2 Cadillac pits for the final time with Bamber at the wheel. No such troubles for him and he gets going.
The gap between the leaders is down to 51s as the impact of that pitstop issue is fully felt - while elsewhere one of the Glickenhaus is in the gravel. So much late race drama!
Pit stop
The Toyota crew didn't look too excited when Ferrari had its pitstop trouble and this is probably why - Hirakawa makes a late splash and dash pitstop, as he wasn't set to make it to the finish without stopping. That balloons Ferrari's lead back up once again.
With 15 minutes to go, Frey is making a spirited response to being passed for third in GTE Am. But the gap is still around eight seconds, and now a slow zone will complicate matters.
After the final pitstops and the added drama, Ferrari leads by 1m46s from Toyota, so it cost the #51 a full minute all things considered.
Twist in LMP2! Robin Frijns has come in for a late stop. That does indeed put Jani in third behind Scherer and Deletraz. Duqueine may yet celebrate a podium!
The #5 Porsche has made it back to the pits but might not be able to finish at all if it cannot get going again. The car remains eighth overall.
With 10 minutes to go, dare we say it's settled in LMP2? Inter Europol leads Team WRT leads Duqueine, each holding double-digit gaps to their next rivals.
Pier Guidi is told to do 3m38s lap times to make sure he doesn't cross the line and need to do an extra lap at the end of the race. With enough margin in hand, it is doable without too much risk from Hirakawa.
Over in GTE Am, things looks sewn up as well. Corvette leads by two minutes over the ORT by TF Aston Martin. The GR Racing Porsche should be secure in third, with Frey's Iron Dames Porsche now 11 seconds back.
It is that weird period of the race where everyone gathers in the pits and watches the race in silence, counting down the minutes to the finish. Like a really tense New Year's Eve party.
And why the late stop for Frijns? A cruel suspension issue is what robbed that Team WRT car of a likely third place. Looks like he'll have to make do with fifth in LMP2.
The ailing #5 and #38 Porsches are limping around the final five minutes to make sure they get a classified finish. Any finish is better than no finish.
Final lap time!
Pier Guidi is moments away from Le Mans 24 Hours history for Ferrari. He just needs to make the finish line now.
Checkered flag
Ferrari wins the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours! Pier Guidi crosses the line in the #51 Ferrari to clinch victory along with Calado and Giovinazzi!
Hirakawa takes second for the #8 Toyota, potentially still thinking of what could have been, but Toyota's winning streak at Le Mans is over! The #2 Cadillac completes the podium with Bamber at the wheel.
2023 Le Mans 24 Hours top five overall:
1. #51 Ferrari
2. #8 Toyota
3. #2 Cadillac
4. #3 Cadillac
5. #50 Ferrari
What an incredible show in LMP2 - the #34 Inter Europol wins by 21.015s from #41 Team WRT, as the #30 Duqueine completes the podium. The #34 squad went through the wringer over the final few hours but victory is theirs!
2023 Le Mans 24 Hours top five - LMP2:
1. #34 Inter Europol
2. #41 Team WRT
3. #30 Duqueine
4. #36 Alpine
5. #31 Team WRT
By: Autosport Staff
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