Le Mans 24 Hours Live Commentary and Updates
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours
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Bamber is still making moves, this time up to ninth, passing Christensen in the #5 Porsche on the Mulsanne straight. The Kiwi is asked if he can stay in the #38 Jota Cadillac which he accepts, as he aims to get his head down to continue this mini recovery charge.
Aitken has been stuck in the pits with an unscheduled stop for the #311 Caddy, so is duly sinking down the order and almost last in class now. Just the troubled #93 Peugeot saving it from bottom spot.
Cadillac have told us what's wrong with #311. Action Express is replacing the steering torque sensor and the ECU to try to cure a problem reported reported by Vesti before Aitken got in.
Due to various delays for the two factory Ferraris, this all-Prancing Horse party at the front is being disrupted by the #6 Porsche and #8 Toyota, which is largely what the practice week predictions told us, but we are not complaining. A version of Ferrari vs Porsche vs Toyota sounds like brilliant fun.
Aitken is back out on the track in the #311 Caddy with its new steering torque sensor and ECU, but is last in the Hypercar class and now six laps of the leaders.
The leading #6 Porsche pits to see Kubica in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari put back into the top spot. Estre is back out and in second as the #8 Toyota pitted on the same lap.
But further bad news for Ferrari, as the #51 is given a 5s penalty to serve at its next pitstop. Could it be that the sister squad ends up taking on the victory fight for Ferrari?
Not trying to wish misfortune on anyone here, but still only three retirements from the entire field: #88 Proton Ford, #60 Iron Lynx Mercedes and #95 United Autosports McLaren. We've not had the jeopardy of rain, but that's still impressive reliability.
So, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari leads with Kubica at the wheel, but the way the #5 Porsche is stretching its stints out each go means it is about one pitstop cycle away from effectively gaining a stop. That'll put the leader under real pressure with the gap currently around one pitstop.
More bad news for the #51 Ferrari, it has a 20s stop-and-go penalty for pitlane speeding. Giovinazzi is at the wheel and is already down in seventh, so this really pushes the 2023 winner into a huge challenge to get back in the victory hunt.
The leading #83 Ferrari pits to release the #6 Porsche back out in front. Estre leads Kubica by 31s.
We told you that Bamber was on a bit of a charge a while ago. Well, it yielded him fastest race lap. He posted a 3m27.534s 20 or so laps ago. The frontrunners, for the most part, are buzzing around the majestic 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe in the 3m29s or 30s.
A yellow prototype skates over the gravel at the first corner to put some hearts in mouth down at AF Corse, but its car is not the one in strife, as replays show it is the #9 Iron Lynx - Proton with Capietto at the wheel in the kitty litter. Thankfully it gets back on the track without much trouble. That car is third in LMP2 currently.
The #101 Caddy has been given a 5s penalty for a pitstop infringement, and is currently languishing down in 18th so that won't help its prospects. We've seen a great deal of penalties in this race picked up either entering the pits or during the pitstops.
A change for the lead in LMGT3: Rovera in the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari passes Al Harthy in the #46 WRT BMW, which is the first genuine change of lead in that class for many hours. But that is Platinum overtaking Bronze, so we'll cut Al Harthy some slack as that isn't really his fight.
Are the eyelids getting heavy? Or are you still hanging in there? Still got 13 hours and 45 minutes of this to go...
It is fair to point out with the temperatures dropping as the night progresses, it appears that is not shaking up the order too dramatically, but it is aiding the leading Porsche.
Meanwhile, the #50 Ferrari pits out of sequence for a tyre set change and comes out in seventh. So far in this race when we've seen that it has been due to a slow puncture. Could that be the same issue?
The dark horse in this victory chase is the #8 Toyota which has quietly gone about its business over the last few hours. Hartley is at the wheel and after a pitstop resumes in fourth place, but that will become third once the #4 Porsche pits in a few laps. The Kiwi has around 1m45s to find on the leaders, but it is in the fight.
Laurens Vanthoor has got himself comfy in the #6 Porsche, taking over from Kevin Estre, which has handed the lead back to Kubica in the #83 Ferrari for the time being. So, Ferrari vs Porsche, with an outside bet of Toyota, is on.
Drama in LMGT3! Kelvin van der Linde, the top dog in the #46 WRT BMW, is off in the gravel at Porsche Curves. He's come to a stop in the gravel and it looks like a mechanical issue as the journey into the gravel was a slow and painful stoppage.
We have a slow zone so the marshals and a tractor can come to the aid of van der Linde in the #46 WRT BMW.
The #46 had been running so well in class, leading for large chunks, but even if it gets going again that has got to be its class victory hopes dashed. Valentino Rossi fans, please don't head for the exits just yet.
Van der Linde has got the car refired and is limping back to the pits, but it has already lost one lap to class leader #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari.
Back to full green flag racing, as the WRT squad gets to work investigating the issue with the #46 car in the garage. Maybe they should call the Doctor to diagnose. No?
This green flag running didn't last long as a full course yellow is called for, with marshals collecting debris from the middle of the track at Tertre Rouge.
A quick clean-up job is complete and the green flag is waved once more. That had a minimal hit on the running order, but Vandoorne in the #94 Peugeot has mugged Gounon in the #36 Alpine for 13th place.
Van der Linde is back on the track in the #46 car, but is three laps down on the class leaders. That's a real kick in the Valentinos.
At the front the #6 Porsche leads by 10s from the #83 AF Corse Ferrari, while about one minute further back Fuoco in the #50 Ferrari takes third place off of Hartley in the #8 Toyota.
Ferrari's joy is short-lived as the #50 is given a 5s penalty for cutting the track at the Dunlop chicane. Fuoco will serve that at his next pitstop.
Jamie Chadwick is at the wheel of the #18 IDEC Sport entry, winner of two ELMS races this year, is chugging along nicely in fifth in the LMP2 class. The #48 VDS Panis Racing entry currently leads by 1m23s from the #9 Iron Lynx - Proton.
The #85 Iron Dames Porsche has been given a 5s penalty for going off at the Dunlop chicane - just like Fuoco did a few minutes earlier. Pretty slam dunk that.
Fuoco serves the penalty in the #50 Ferrari and comes out of the pitlane in fifth but just 2s ahead of Marciello in the #15 BMW.
The #7 Toyota has got a massive gash into its sidepod area on the left-hand side as it pits but the team doesn't seem too fussed as it gives pretty much ignores the damage and allows Nyck de Vries to go on his merry way.
Bad news Rossi fans, the #46 returns to the pits and is wheeled into the garage. Van der Linde steps out of the car and the body language communicates that its race is over. Arrivederci.
Vanthoor has edged out his lead in the #6 Porsche to 16s over Kubica in the chasing #83 AF Corse Ferrari, while the #51 Ferrari has cycled into third place for the time being.
The safety car is out! It is the first one of the race. It has been caused by the #24 Nielsen Racing with Bolukbasi at the wheel who has hit the barriers hard.
So, the three safety car trains are out and collecting the pack, as the #6 Porsche comes in largely on schedule. The #83 AF Corse Ferrari has followed in, having to come in earlier than planned, but it is worth it to gain time in the pits.
Marshals are recovering the #24 Nielsen Racing car from the barriers so that is a good sign. Meanwhile the pitlane is a frenzy of action.
A small correction, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari didn't catch the same safety car train, while the #8 Toyota didn't pit so has moved into second place.
By: Autosport staff
