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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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Hirakawa continues to lead in the sole remaining Toyota but cannot shake the #94 Peugeot from his tail just yet with a 3.2s gap. Pier Guidi is requesting Ferrari to allow him through on team-mate Fuoco to go after the leaders.
Penalty
The #25 ORT by TF has been given a drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flags.
Crash
There's a tangle of LMP2s, the #28 and the #65 come together and it has seen Fittipaldi become beached. So there's another slow zone to contend with.
So that will be the 23rd change of lead on a new lap. Hirakawa leads by 2s from Muller in the #94 Peugeot, chased by the pair of Ferraris who have got up to third and fourth.
Green flag
At the restart #3 Cadillac has gone by the leaders to get back on to the lead lap! And now the #8 Toyota leads, overtaking the #94 Peugeot in the darkness on the Mulsanne straight. Wow!
The safety car is coming in this lap - and the limping #80 AF Corse has been told to take to the run off before the pit entry opens. Here we go again.
Barnicoat is crawling along at Indianapolis, going through numerous power cycles, but without much success to cure his problem. The pit entry is currently closed during the safety car drop back process, so even if he gets to the pits he'll have to wait outside. Like a teenager who has forgotten his house keys after a night out.
The #80 AF Corse with Barnicoat at the wheel is limping along now struggling to regain full power. It doesn't look good.
According to the TV graphics, there's been 22 changes for the lead so far - decided by a new leader starting a new lap. Given the current leader has completed 112 laps, that's a change every five and a bit laps. Wild.
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It has been a manic opening nine hours to this race, but will things settle down under the cover of night? Or will the incidents continue to pile up? We've got a green flag restart to navigate first, so that'll keep things busy to start with.
Good morning everyone - time for the serious racing to resume very soon. The safety car pass around is under way so we'll shuffle our own papers into order and get ready to go green.
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As the pass around process is finally beginning it seems the right moment for Autosport to have a change-over on live text, too. Over to Haydn Cobb for the next overnight stint.
Continuing the retirement theme, the fewest laps completed by a car last year was 77. But this year there are eight that haven't completed that distance.
Following these latest incidents we're already seemingly up to 12 retirements from this race - bear in mind there were only eight cars that retired in the whole of last year's race!
This never-ending safety-car period is starting to get towards its end as the two safety car trains are now being told to merge. But it will still be a few laps before the order is sorted out.
Gatting is still out front in GTE Am, but surely owes a stop soon.
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Interestingly, Cairoli stayed in the Project 1 car under that safety car, which is somewhat surprising. The safety car would be an ideal point to use up some bronze drive time. But maybe they want to let PJ Hyett have some kip.
Quote
"It was crackers," is a particularly apt description from Alexander Sims of the earlier stages of the race when the rain arrived. The whole contest has been topsy-turvy so far.
The #22 United ORECA is in the pits having a nose change. Its been an eventful race for that car after its heavy contact with the Pedersen Porsche while Lubin was at the wheel which incurred a three-minute penalty.
Pit stop
Smiechowski has made another pit visit in the InterEuropol ORECA which cycles Andrade to the lead. He was only in three laps ago, so presumably they've topped off the tanks in he knowledge he will only lose one place.
Plenty of stops in the classes under the safety car. GTE Am leader Cairoli has come in and dropped to third behind Gatting and Castelacci. Rump in fourth is a lap down, likewise Huffaker, al-Harthy and Ian James.
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Jamie Klein has been down to the paddock to speak with Fabio Scherer about his sore left foot. He says there was a collision in the pitlane with the Corvette earlier in the race, but doesn't want to know if it's broken despite the swelling as he hopes to part of the driver lineup to the end.
Things didn't look great for Jota's LMP2 squad earlier when Rasmussen found the barriers at Tertre Rouge, but its now back up to fourth in the queue.
For those wondering, the Oreo restraint was actually a deliberate strategy knowing we might need a boost when flagging during a 1230am safety car...
The restraint showed by Stephen Lickorish in making a single packet of Oreos last three days is deserving of utmost praise. They have made a reappearance on the middle of Autosport's desk, with at least three still in view. Dangerous, given we're already one Toblerone down from the three-pack.
The TF Turkey crew has been back in the garage for a fair while now and looks resigned to retirement. It did make a brief return to the track following its contact with Ugran.
Interestingly, IDEC and Prema's #63 car delayed early on by debris have got themselves back onto the lead lap in LMP2.
The #8 Toyota of Hirakawa is now up to second as it's the only of the leading Hypercar contenders not to stop during this safety car.
While this safety car period continues, here's an interesting stat. Jaminet's retirement in the #75 before the Ferrari and Toyota madness was the first ever for a car in the Hypercar category.
Pit stop
A flurry of other Hypercars now dive in, including both Ferraris and the #2 Cadillac that occupied positions second to fourth.
Kubica also came into the pits, and handed over to Andrade, the silver in WRT's #41 crew. Meanwhile Negrao rejoins in the #35 Signatech ORECA after 17 minutes in the pits, losing three laps.
Those cars queueing in the pits have now been released and Muller retains the lead.
The LMP2 leaders have also come in, with Smiechowski slotted into the InterEuropol car. A wise choice to use up some of his silver drive time.
Muller is now waiting at the end of the pitlane as the red light is currently on in anticipation for a safety car queue to pass.
Pit stop
Speaking of Muller he's now taken the opportunity to stop under this safety car.
By: Autosport Staff
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