Le Mans 24 Hours race day
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LMP1
While we've been watching that dismal recovery, Buemi has made up nearly four seconds on Kobayashi's lead - he's now 2.163s off on lap 131.
LMP2
Nathanel Berthon's DragonSpeed is looking a bit smokey, so the mechanics have the fire extinguishers ready by the right rear corner. The #31 car is up to 12th in class, but still three laps down after losing a wheel earlier.
Slow Zone
The crane's back to pick up Isaakyan and the slow zone is in place.
LMP1
Isaakyan has now been passed by the LMP2-leading Vergne aboard the G-Drive Racing ORECA and Negrao in the Singatech Alpine. This is getting increasingly costly and its no wonder Isaakyan is keen to get the car going.
LMP1
Oddly, Isaakyan's car has been put down by the crane on the grass. The rear has hanging body damage, but will we see a crawl back to the pits?
LMP1
Brundle pits in the #6 Manor-Ginetta and is in 17th place overall. His laptimes have been firmly in the LMP2 range, but considering the concerns coming into the race, that's not a bad job.
Isaakyan continues to try to salvage SMP's race by getting the car back to the pits
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LMP1
Next time around and both Kobayashi and Buemi lap in the mid 3m24s, with the gap between them around 5s.
LMP1
Lotterer has now gone to fourth while Isaakyan is being recovered. That's Rebellion in third and fourth overall now, with Laurent's #3 leading Lotterer's #1 machine.
LMP1
Closer again at the front of the field, with Buemi now in the #8. He's 3.633s behind Kobayashi and was 3s quicker on the previous lap.
Here is where the BR-1 ended up with its rear end buried in the barriers
Things look a little bleaker now as the crane is extended to retrieve the #17.
Isaakyan appears to be trying to loosen the engine cover to pull it off before he gets going again.
Yellow flag
There is a yellow flag in place while Isaakyan tries to get going again.
LMP1
Unsurprisingly, that's dropped the #17 down to fourth - for now, at least. Laurent is a clear third in the lead Rebellion.
LMP2
In comes Vergne, just before the hour mark for that car's 12th stop. He'll rejoin in the lead.
GTE AM
Lead change in GTE Am - Christian Ried has pitted the #77 Porsche, handing back to Julien Andlauer, which means Jeff Segal leads the class in the #84 Ferrari now.
Crash
Replays show Isaakyan losing it and skating over the gravel at the second part of Porsche Curves. He's attempting to get going again, but it looks a bit mangled at the rear.
Crash
Real shame. The #17 SMP car that was running third has stopped.
LMP2
Newey has made it back to the pits and rejoins after a lengthy stop to replace the rear deck on his #35 Dallara. Norman Nato takes over behind the wheel in 13th position, four laps down.
Pit stop
Kobayashi has been in and out of the pits in the leading Toyota. There's no major fluctuation between the leading two cars now, just a gradual increase in the gap. It's now at 10s for the first time in a while.
The latest story in GTE Pro, where the #91 has made up ground after plummeting down the order with a pitstop made during a safety car period earlier in the race.
LMP2
No surprise that Lafargue hasn't quite been able to match Chatin's pace. He's not really making any inroads into Stevens ahead, although the Panis-Barthez Ligier is expected in for it's 12th stop soon. Meanwhile Ledogar makes a mistake at Arnage, but gets the #34 Jackie Chan DC Ligier back on the black stuff.
LMP1
Isaakyan has now been into the pits and rejoins with 13s in hand over Laurent, who took over the #3 from Menezes at the Rebellion's recent stop.
Newey limping back to the pits. It's a long way back from there
LMP1
Jani has pitted the #1 Rebellion and handed it back to Lotterer. The car's a pretty lonely fifth - two laps behind the fourth-placed sister car and one-and-a-bit ahead of the leading LMP2 car.
GTE PRO
Another change in the Pro order is Sebastien Bourdais (taking over the #68 Ford from Muller) is now clear of the #63 Corvette, in which Magnussen has replaced Garcia, in the battle for P5.
LMP2
Apologies, Newey was only coming out of Mulsanne Corner when his right-rear went flat. He's now reached Indianapolis, so will have a bit further to get back to the pits than we thought.
GTE PRO
The rest of the GTE Pro runners have been in for their eighth stops. Frederic Makowiecki, taking over the #91 Porsche from Bruni, has moved up to second ahead of Nick Tandy, who replaces Pilet.
Nine seconds, by recent standards, is a big lead for either Toyota
LMP2
Could there be trouble ahead for G-Drive? Vergne's pitstop is currently under investigation, according to a bulletin from the stewards. Meanwhile, Harrison Newey has slowed on track in the #35 SMP Dallara coming out of Arnage. Looks like it's a right-rear puncture.
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LMP1
Menezes heads for the pits, so an on-track battle for third is off the cards for a little bit now.
LMP2
Lapierre continues to gamely chase after Vergne, but the gap is nearing the two-minute mark now, despite the pursuing #36 Signatech-Alpine going quicker on each of the previous two laps. Stevens is 2m33s off the lead in third, with Paul Lafargue 20s further back in fourth for IDEC after Chatin's treble stint.
GTE PRO
Christensen pits the pink piggy Porker (slang for Porsche, apt in this case) from the GTE Pro lead. The Dane hops out, Laurens Vanthoor back at the wheel of the #92 now.
LMP1
Kobayashi is continuing to pull away from Nakajima, but the battle for third is as close as its been for a while. Just 1.4s separates Isaakyan and Menezes.
LMP1
Button's next target currently is the Algarve Ligier LMP2 car, which is 14 laps up the road and in the pits.
GTE AM
Worth noting is that second-placed GTE Am runner Jeff Segal is closing on leader Christian Ried. The #77 Dempsey-Proton Porsche was 1m35s ahead not so long ago; the margin is now 1m07s.
By: Matt Beer
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