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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 GTE gap has extended to 20s. With the margin back to P3 remaining steady, this is only highlighting the impressive job of Varrone in the Corvette.
Approaching the final three hours of this amazing race, Calado in the #51 Ferrari has a lead of some 13s over the #8 Toyota of Hartley.
The #65 Panis Racing LMP2 entry currently driven by Manuel Maldonado has been warned for abusing track limits. With three hours remaining, there is a strong potential for a penalty.
Pit stop
The #94 Peugeot, which was running P10 overall, is wheeled back into the garage. Hopefully a quick fix as we'd seen from the sister machine earlier.
The Corvette is making its claim for GTE class victory with Varrone steadily extending his lead over Bovy. The margin is now 18.5s.
Pit stop
Alex Lynn pits the #2 Cadillac from third. It has been an impressive run for the car, which is just one lap down on the leaders but well clear of the sister #3 machine.
Inter Europol has now taken its penalty, with the lead down to 16s.
Hartley told by his engineer that the gap to Calado is 10s. An incredibly small gap given we've done nearly 21 hours of racing.
With the GTE pit shuffle completed once more, it is the Corvette that leads the Iron Dames by 10s. The ORT Aston Martin is 30s further back.
There is now confusion as to whether Inter Europol has served its penalty correctly, with the suggestion being that this should have happened instead of a full pitstop on that trip through the lane.
Pit stop
On schedule, the #51 Ferrari pits with Calado still at the wheel and rejoins back in the lead.
The Inter Europol entry pits as Scherer gets out to handover to Costa. The #34 returns to the track still in the lead of LMP2 but must still serve the penalty.
Pit stop
Hartley pits again for the #8 Toyota. No new tyres, though, which means they are triple-stinting the current set. Could that be crucial come the end of the race in just over three hours?
In comes the GTE leader. Varrone stays in the cars but is passed by the Iron Dames entry, with Bovy at the wheel.
Before Scherer can serve his penalty, Deletraz pits his WRT and is replaced in the cockpit by Kubica.
It's all happening in the pits for the Hypercar class. The #3 Cadillac stops and has its front bodywork replaced, while the #93 Peugeot has rejoined still in P5 after that quick visit to the garage.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The AF Corse's time in a class P3 in GTE was shortlived, as Rigon pits and drops back behind the Aston Martin.
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.
Purple sector 1 for Hartley. Gap to the leading #51 Ferrari of Calado just 5.5s.
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.
It's an incident which has caught the eye of the officials, though, who are looking into it...
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.
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.
The lead currently held in LMP2 is 51secs, with Deletraz nearing the end of his stint in the chasing WRT.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
Yellow flag
And, now there is! Another interruption to the action.
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?
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.
Further down the order, Andre Lotterer has rejoined in the #6 Porsche after a 28-minute stop to change the hybrid battery.
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!
Hartley is told by his engineer that "plenty of energy is available". Can the #8 Toyota take the fight to Ferrari?
By: Autosport Staff
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