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WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans

Le Mans practice and first qualifying

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First post-red flag improvement in GTE Pro: Catsburg sets a 3m54.258s to move up to P8. And that probably won't be the last one...
A sharp intake of breath had by Team Autosport as we see Van Eerd's car in the middle of the track, but to his credit the Dutchman performs a neat reversing manoeuvre and rejoins.
Toyota is still racking up the laps on the drying track, both the #7 and #8 car are heading towards the 40-lap benchmark.

Lopez is putting the #7 car closer and closer to an improved time. His latest effort is a 3m22.981s and it's within one second of the Toyota's benchmark time.
There's a yellow at the Mulsanne's first chicane again, this time its caused by the #49 of ARC Bratislava with Konopka behind the wheel.
We have a privateer on top as things stand, but will it stay that way come qualifying? Toyota insists it sees SMP - and potentially current pacesetter Rebellion - as a genuine threat for pole.
Toyota adamant SMP can challenge it for Le Mans 24 Hours pole
Just 30 minutes to go and we're still waiting on improvements in LMP1.
Speaking of which, Lopez has improved the #7 Toyota's best lap to send it second with a 3m20.355s, edging ahead of the sister #8 car.
A few drops of rain reported on the Mulsanne as the track becomes very busy in the dry conditions.
Giancarlo Fisichella breaks up the Proton Porsche 1-2 in GTE Am by going second-fastest in GTE Am, 0.729s away from Matt Campbell's current benchmark.
That Lopez improvement puts him 0.395s off the #3 Rebellion's class-leading time.
Here's the first instance of Van Eerd pointing the wrong way in the Racing Team Nederland Dallara (yes, it's the correct picture this time)

Here's the first instance of Van Eerd pointing the wrong way in the Racing Team Nederland Dallara (yes, it's the correct picture this time)

Every LMP1 car is on track now except the ByKolles of Webb.
There are a few cars making improvements at the moment. Defending LMP2 winner Nicolas Lapierre has gone sixth in LMP2 in the #36 Signatech-Alpine, while Alex Brundle and Paul-Loup Chatin have also posted personal bests in the #32 United Autosports Ligier and #28 IDEC Sport ORECA.
Into the final 20 minutes now and there's only been the Lopez improvement to report in LMP1.

Our report writers will be hoping it stays that way...
Another improvement in GTE Pro as Stefan Mucke goes seventh in the #66 Ford. Next time by, he improves to a 3m52.778s, good enough to go second. Still the #92 Porsche on top in class.
There's a yellow at the favourite spot of the first Mulsanne chicane.
Vandoorne has put the #11 SMP Racing machine on top of the times with a 3m19.931s effort.
The first chicane yellow flag was caused by the #60 Kessel Racing Ferrari. Claudio Schiavoni is behind the wheel.
So at the moment, the LMP1 leaderboard looks like:

#11 SMP Racing
#3 Rebellion Racing
#7 Toyota
#8 Toyota
#1 Rebellion
#17 SMP Racing
#10 DragonSpeed
#4 ByKolles
Whoops, another spin for Frits Van Eerd at the Dunlop Chicane has distracted us from a new fastest lap in LMP2 - it's last year's poleman Paul-Loup Chatin in the 28 IDEC Sport ORECA.
Chatin's time of 3m28.363 is still some way off last year's qualifying pace though. He clocked a 3m24.842s to take pole last year, so we've still got some way to go...
We're in for 10 minutes staring at the leaderboard looking out for new fastest laps. Will Vandoorne stay on top?
Vandoorne's pitted his SMP Racing machine, joining the ByKolles of Ruberti in the pitlane.
The #3 Rebellion of Menezes has been reported as exiting the Mulsanne slowly. Yet to known if it's a genuine problem for the car.
Aleshin's replaced Vandoorne in the #11 SMP Racing car, as Dillmann returns to the wheel of the ByKolles and heads out.
Menezes is now reported to be moving slowly through the Porsche Curves. It would suggest he's making his way back to the pits at a reduced pace.
Live footage shows he's nowhere near full-pelt pace as he enters the pitlane.
Menezes's Rebellion is now being pushed into the garage, looks like session over for that crew now that there's just five minutes remaining in the session.
All change in GTE Pro, barring the top time - Mathieu Jaminet has restored the earlier Porsche 1-2 by setting a 3m52.464s in the #94 machine, while Sam Bird has put the #71 Ferrari up into third ahead of the best of the Ford GTs.
The ARC Bratislava Ligier is reported to have stopped on the exit of Mulsanne Corner with gravel on the road. Team owner Miroslav Konopka, a 57-year-old multiple touring car champion in his native Slovakia, is behind the wheel.
There's just about enough time for a final flying lap for the LMP1 runners.
And there's one! Kobayashi puts the #7 Toyota on top with just one minute remaining.

His lap was completed in 3m18.091s and puts him 1.840s ahead of SMP driver Vandoorne's prior benchmark.
Julien Andlauer has set a new best time in GTE Am in the #77 Dempsey-Proton Porsche, a 3m55.304s.
Good improvement for Nakajima in the first and second sectors aboard the #8 Toyota.

By: Matt Beer

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