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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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Pit stop
The slow zone made for a good time for some pitstops in the LMP2 ranks. Kubica remains aboard the second-placed WRT entry, as Binder takes over from Pino at Duqueine. Lafargue has also replaced Chatin at IDEC and is demoted to fourth. All are still on the lead lap, as is Maldonado's Panis car.
Yellow flag
Replays have shown it was a proper old-fashioned engine failure for the Vanwall as smoke pours from the rear of the car and we're now heading into a slow zone at that part of the track. Vautier was in the car at the time of the woe.
Mechanical problem
But there's some drama now and the Vanwall is smoking at the Porsche Curves - could this be a rare mechanical retirement rather than a crash-related one? Double yellow flags are covering this one.
You can tell we're now in a quieter phase of this crazy race as the TV coverage cuts to Calado getting an arm massage down in the Ferrari garage as his fellow #51 driver Pier Guidi is hunting the leading Toyota.
LMP2 poleman Chatin has driven a storming stint in the IDEC car and is pulling away from Pino. What was a battle for third is now a one-sided affair, the Frenchman gapping his young Chilean adversary to the tune of 9s. Kubica has stayed with Scherer since losing the lead though, and is 3s behind the InterEuropol man.
Over the past few days at Le Mans, there has been bright sunshine at this time in the morning but that's certainly not the case today. There's a distinctly gloomy start to the day and the lights are still shining bright on many of the cars.
Johnson was three seconds slower than Pera last time by, and two seconds slower than Rigon. Both pass the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion, who is demoted to fourth in the unofficial non-prototype ranking.
Vanthoor is clearly pushing in the #6 Porsche that's in fourth place overall and has a massively wide moment at Indianapolis but just about gets away with it and continues.
Pit stop
Major bodywork change being undertaken down at Glickenhaus for Berthon in the #709 that is currently five laps off the lead in eighth place, but might be about to drop further back.
Bronze driver Takeshi Kimura continues to lead the GTE Am class in the hitherto dependable Kessel Ferrari, 1m37s ahead of Pera - whose next target 3s up the road is the Garage 56 NASCAR with Jimmie Johnson at the wheel.
We're on course for another fight at the very front, too. Pier Guidi in the #51 Ferrari has closed to eight seconds of the leading #8 Toyota of Hirakawa and was two seconds quicker on the most recent lap.
And it's not just in P2 where there's a fierce fight. Pera (in the GR Porsche he thumped the barriers with during the sudden shower into the Porsche Curves) has just snatched second in GTE Am from Rigon's #54 AF Ferrari.
Breaking news
If, like us, you're just returning to the action following some slumber, here's a recap of what's happened in the past few hours: https://www.autosport.com/le-mans/news/le-mans-24h-h15-toyota-locked-in-lead-battle-with-ferrari-/10481404/
Thanks Richard. We're refreshed by the sound of crisp engine noise from our walk back into the media centre, and the sight of superb on-track battles in LMP2! Scherer's foot worries don't appear to be concerning him at all, do they?
Well, I'm pleased to say I survived the darkest hour! James Newbold and Stephen Lickorish, fresh from long, deep slumbers, will take you through the next three hours. Richard Asher signing off - see you for the run to the flag later on!
The lead for Ryo Hirakawa's Toyota is currently at 12 seconds. So it's still incredibly tight at the top of the Hypercar category: one slip by the Japanese racer and Alessandro Pier Guidi's Ferrari will be past.
The #6 Porsche Hypercar has picked up a penalty following a pit stop infringement. It gets five seconds on its next pit visit.
The fight for third also goes on in LMP2: Chatin v Pino are neck-and-neck. This class is where the on-track entertainment is at the moment!
Kubica and Scherer are fighting hard for the lead in LMP2! You could barely have fitted a baguette between the two as they crawled their way impatiently through the last slow zone in the Porsche Curves.
Ryo Hirakawa is now aboard the lead Hypercar - he's just taken over fthe Toyota #8 from Brendon Hartley. Alessandro Pier Guidi continues in the second-placed #51 Ferrari, with a 17s deficit.
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Ben Barnicoat has gotten the #80 AF Corse LMP2 entry onto the kerbs and speared into the barrier at Porsche Curves. He's out of the car and sitting with his head in his hands - it's going to be another retirement and a new slow zone.
The Kubica car now leads LMP2 again following Scherer's latest stop, but the Team WRT entry will have a 10-second penalty at its next stop for causing an earlier collision with the #3 Cadillac.
As that duo battling over third in LMP2 come into the pits, Robert Kubica has taken over the Team WRT car. Fabio Scherer (Inter Europol) currently leads him.
We understand that Ried is okay following his crash.
Good battle on track for third in LMP2 at the moment. Paul Chatin Loup is trying to find a way around Nicolas Pino.
Here's a look at the Ried crash that necessitated the work to the barriers.
Ooh, some good welding footage! They're fixing the barrier at Indianapolis, producing a shower of sparks with their power tool.
As the cleanup at Indianapolis goes on, Davide Rigon is back in the fourth-placed AF Corse GTE Am Ferrari. Serra still leads Gatting at the front of the class.
One slow zone gives way to another as there's a big crash for Jonas Ried in the #88 GTE Am Porsche. He lost it under braking for Indianapolis.
It's currently Louis Deletraz versus Fabio Scherer at the front of LMP2, the Team WRT and Inter Europol entries covered by under 10 seconds.
Serra leads Michelle Gatting in GTE Am following the pink Porsche's latest stop, which saw Sarah Bovy jump out.
That yellow flag is now a slow zone.
There's a yellow flag out in the woods as the #777 Aston Martin has stopped next to the track.
Antonio Giovinazzi out, Alessandro Pier Guidi in! That's the news from Ferrari's leading contender, but there's no driver change at that round of stops for Toyota. Brendon Hartley now holds a 24s lead.
There's a spin! It's Nicolas Varrone in the troubled C#33 Chevrolet Corvette. He gets the yellow American car going again however.
Having just handed over to Laurens Vanthoor following a triple stint, Andre Lotterer reports no major issues for the #6 Porsche. They're just hoping for a safety car to help them get back on the lead lap.
Daniel Serra has jumped into the #57 GTE Am Kessel Racing Ferrari, which drops the car to second behind Iron Dames for the moment. Meanwhile there is a flurry of stops in LMP2, where Fabio Scherer has taken over the #34 car from Albert Costa.
Giovanazzi is beginning to shade Hartley now. He's cut the Kiwi's lead to 3.5s. Earl Bamber is keeping an eye on all this in the third-placed Cadillac, which is still on the lead lap.
We've just had a dip in lap times - right on cue with the dawn! Both Hartley and Giovinazzi are into the 3m29s bracket. The gap between them is 7 seconds - game on!
By: Autosport Staff
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