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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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The top three in LMP2 have broken clear somewhat of the rest, with 8s between Kubica and his 2021 WRT team-mate Milesi (now at Signatech). Fittipaldi is right behind Milesi, with 17s in hand over United Autosports' silver driver Pierson in fourth.
After that stop from Bamber, which coincided with the end of the slow zone, the Caddy has dropped all the way back to 11th.
Pit stop
Jenson Button takes over the NASCAR as it makes its second pitstop. So far its been single stints for the Camaro's three drivers.
Pit stop
Nasr is the latest of the frontrunners to stop in the #75 Porsche and has a similar fall down the order to Bamber the previous lap and is 11th.
One of the best battles on track at the moment is for fifth in LMP2, with Gabriel Aubry just ahead of Neel Jani, Jakub Smiechowski and poleman Paul-Loup Chatin. A tight four-car scrap is unfolding around 47s off the lead.
Christensen now pits the #5 from the lead of the race so that cycle of stops have now been completed. Buemi in the #8 Toyota retakes the heading the #38 Jota-run Porsche, which was the first car to stop, and the #6 Porsche of Vanthoor.
The Vanwall has now returned to the fray after a left-rear damper failure. It is last of the Hypercar machines now running and is four laps off the leaders.
Back at the front, Buemi has a 10-second lead but the next four cars - two Porsches, the first Ferrari and the second Toyota - are now covered by three seconds.
Crash
Two GTE Am Porsches make contact entering Tertre Rouge. The Iron Lynx of Schiavone gets on the grass exiting the Esses and spins into the path of the helpless Proton example of Hardwick, who has nowhere to go. Both are able to continue but with not insignificant damage.
It's all getting really close at the front in the group battling for second. Down the Mulsanne, Fuoco goes on the grass in his efforts to pass the Vanthoor Porsche and just squeezes through to take third.
Pit stop
Lead change in GTE Am as Cairoli pits the erstwhile leading Project 1 Porsche and hands over to PJ Hyett. Barker remains on track ahead of Frey, Lietz, Rigon, Eastwood and Segal.
Pit stop
Kubica now pits from the LMP2 lead. He'd built up a lead just over 10s from Milesi, who stays out as Fittipaldi follows the WRT machine in. Pierson likewise comes in from fourth.
Race control confirms that Ricky Taylor is okay after his earlier crash. Excellent news.
Meanwhile the DKR ORECA is trailing slowly back to the pits with damage to the rear wing on Maxime Martin's machine, which has had a tough old day of it so far.
Yellow flag
While we have the slow zone to recover Schiavoni's stricken Ferrari, let's just take a pause and recap what has been a relentless start to this race. An aggressive Buemi grabbed the lead from the front-row starting Ferraris on the opening lap before a lengthy safety car. Buemi continued to lead thereafter as the Ferraris battled the second Toyota.
Various different cars have had a stint in the lead as different pit strategies emerge but it's now Buemi back at the front from the Jota Porsche of da Costa that stopped during the early safety car.
But, just as we type that, the Jota Porsche is one of three Hypercars to stop as the two Ferraris elect to make their third stops during this slow zone.
Rain
We've had plenty of chaos during this race already but now race control is informing us that rain is expected in eight minutes. Meanwhile, the slow zone is now also ending.
Kubica handed over to Rui Andrade at that last pitstop, while Julien Canal took over from Milesi. Canal, a multiple class winner here in GTE Am, has moved ahead of the Angolan for second on the road as we await Fittipaldi's next stop.
There were some driver changes during that recent round of Hypercar stops, Yifei Yei taking over the Jota Porsche, while Antonio Giovinazzi is now in the #51 Ferrari.
Maxime Martin had made it back to the pits in the DKR machine, but lost five minutes in his slow tour. The all-Belgian crew looks set for a long slog from here.
Mechanical problem
The #6 Porsche of Vanthoor is now stopping from second having picked up a slow puncture. Meanwhile, the #7 Toyota of Conway is also heading in.
Pit stop
Fittipaldi pits on lap 33, two tours after Kubica and Milesi. He rejoins still at the wheel in ninth.
Crash
Big hit for Lubin! The United Autosports rookie gets sideways over the bumps passing Mikkel Pedersen's #77 Proton Porsches and spears sideways into the Dane, causing heavy damage to both cars.
The crash happened in a similar position to Tower on the kink approaching the first Mulsanne chicane, as Lubin took his car to the inside of the road.
Rain
Drivers are now reporting rain - just a few spots for now, but will it turn into something more?
Pit stop
Pitstop for the GTE Am leader. Ben Barker comes in and relays to Riccardo Pera.
Rain
The answer is seemingly yes! Heavy rain is now reported towards the end of the lap!
Pit stop
And Buemi chooses this moment to pit from the lead, but what tyres will he put on?
Out front in LMP2 it's currently Julien Canal leading for Signatech, with Josh Pierson's United entry moving into second ahead of Rui Andrade's WRT machine. Gabriel Aubry has been at the wheel of the Vector car since the start and is fourth ahead of Nico Pino for Duqueine. Behind Job Van Uitert, Albert Costa is up to sixth having taken over from Jakub Smiechowski at InterEuropol.
Pit stop
Lubin and Pedersen have made it back to the pits after their crash.
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After that stop from Buemi, Bamber is back into the lead in the #2 Cadillac with the two Ferraris now second and third as the rain intensifies.
Menezes in the Peugeot is flying, as the Porsches are struggling in the wet, the 9X8 is now up to fourth.
Make that third for the Menezes in the #94 Peugeot as he now passes Giovinazzi in the #51 Ferrari!
Pit stop
Bamber now pits from the lead so it's Fuoco in the #50 Ferrari 499P who now takes over in the lead. This race is proving to be relentless!
Rain
It's hammering it down at the Porsche Curves!
Off track
Yokomizo goes off the road at the Porsche Curves and gets it back on in the Kessel Ferrari, and then Haryanto beaches it in the Walkenhorst Ferrari.
Safety car
And yet it's still very dry on the rest of the track! Safety car is out with several cars off the road.
Crash
Glickenhaus 709 with Gutierrez at the wheel is the latest car off at the Porsche Curves, and he's followed in by Wadoux's 83 Ferrari, Habsburg in the #31 WRT, Dixon's Caddy and GTE Am leader Pera.
That was absolute chaos, reminiscent of the 2001 race when cars were just unable to stop.
By: Autosport Staff
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