Live text
WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours
Live AppleTV Race Audio
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
Live Text
Sort by
The No.3 Audi has been in the pits for the 23rd time in the race so far. That car is running in a very comfortable, almost lonely third place, one lap down on the leaders. Mike Rockenfeller stays on board and rejoins the race.
Gene continues to bear down on McNish at a rate of up to ten seconds per lap. The No.7 Peugeot will be on the tail of the leader within a few laps at this rapid rate of progress
Rockenfeller took on a fresh set of full wet tyres. The set he just got rid of will have been well-worn, having run for several laps on a damp and drying surface before this latest heavier pulse of rain came over.
Gene closes McNish to 15 seconds, as the Peugeot relentlessly heads back towards the front.
The light increases all the time as we tick through 06:30 local time with just under eight-and-a-half hours remaining in the race.
The rain continues to fall on the circuit and the racing line is becoming wetter again.
Offline the track surface is fully wet.
The rain continues to fall on the circuit and the racing line is becoming wetter again.
Offline the track surface is fully wet.
With rain falling harder again, McNish has responded to the change in conditions, lapping two seconds quicker than Gene to put the gap at 17.1 seconds.
The cars are once again kicking up balls of spray as they head down the Mulsanne straight.
The No.16 Pescarolo remains in the garage and the team do not look in much of a hurry, with the garage door now down.
McNish sets a 4:01 lap in the leading No.2 car.
Marc Gene comes over the line in four minutes, edging the gap back in his favour at 16 seconds.
Marc Gene comes over the line in four minutes, edging the gap back in his favour at 16 seconds.
In GT1 the gap is extending and the 009 Aston Martin DBR9 with Darren Turner at the controls has got the lead up to in excess of three minutes.
The Turner-driven car has just made a pitstop though - its 19th stop in the event so far, and the lead will decrease as a result.
The Turner-driven car has just made a pitstop though - its 19th stop in the event so far, and the lead will decrease as a result.
The No.7 Peugeot is in lapped traffic - including an Audi.
The gap opens out again to 18.5 seconds from leader Allan McNish.
The gap opens out again to 18.5 seconds from leader Allan McNish.
The No.23 Creation Judd has a right rear puncture with a long way to go for recovery back to the pits.
The No.45 Embassy Racing Zytek has crashed exiting one of the Mulsanne chicanes, hitting the guardrail backwards and suffering extensive damage to the rear of the car.
Joey Foster was in the car at the time. He was running fourth in the LMP2 category.
Joey Foster was in the car at the time. He was running fourth in the LMP2 category.
The Peugeot team continue to prepare a complete rear wing assembly in their garage. It is unclear at this stage which of their challengers may require this replacement part.
The No.23 Creation Judd is crawling towards Mulsanne corner with the reported puncture.
The No.45 Embassy car is still on track and returning to the pits under its own power. There is heavy damage to the rear wing and what looks like a flapping engine cover, but the car was pointing in the right direction, steering straight and should make it back to pitroad in the next couple of minutes.
Jos Verstappen is now ninth overall in the LMP2 RS Spyder. They are now solidly ahead of the Team Essex entry for class honours.
The track remains lightly wet on the racing line and fully wet with patches of standing water off the line. The rain has eased again. We will let you know when the track condition changes from wet to a damp condition.
The No.45 Embassy Racing Zytek machine has made it all the way back to the pits in the hands of Joey Foster. The mechanics immediately wheel the car into the garage and they will set to work on the necessary repairs.
The Charouz Lola Aston No.10 is running well again with Stefan Mucke at the wheel. They are now up to 12th overall.
The No.97 Ferrari, third in LMGT2, has had another spin. Both were harmless and the car is laps ahead of its closest rival.
Ferrari No.82 continues to lead the class with Mika Salo driving.
Ferrari No.82 continues to lead the class with Mika Salo driving.
The No.4 Saulnier car has collided with the barriers ...
We tick through 16 hours completed in the 24 Heures du Mans.
Allan Mcnish driving Audi R10 No.2 leads the race. The car has completed 256 laps and is embroiled in a huge fight with the second-placed No.7 Peugeot 908 HDi which is currently piloted by Marc Gene. The gap stands at 18 seconds, and has been close over the last three-to-four hours.
Franck Montagny runs in third in the No.9 Peugeot, two laps behind the leader.
The No.3 Audi is in fourth position, just over a minute behind Montagny. Mike Rockenfeller is behind the wheel in that car.
Frank Biela runs in fifth place in the No.1 Audi, three laps off the pace, with Alex Wurz driving in the No.8 Peugeot, which has been beset by minor problems throughout the event, in sixth.
Allan Mcnish driving Audi R10 No.2 leads the race. The car has completed 256 laps and is embroiled in a huge fight with the second-placed No.7 Peugeot 908 HDi which is currently piloted by Marc Gene. The gap stands at 18 seconds, and has been close over the last three-to-four hours.
Franck Montagny runs in third in the No.9 Peugeot, two laps behind the leader.
The No.3 Audi is in fourth position, just over a minute behind Montagny. Mike Rockenfeller is behind the wheel in that car.
Frank Biela runs in fifth place in the No.1 Audi, three laps off the pace, with Alex Wurz driving in the No.8 Peugeot, which has been beset by minor problems throughout the event, in sixth.
Richard Hein has spun the No.4 on the run to Tetre Rouge. Although the car is running, he is struggling to get the car pointing in the right direction in an armco-lined section of circuit.
The pit stop sequence is underway again with the No.7 and No.9 Peugeots having already been in for service.
Allan McNish now comes to the attention of Audi and the No.2 resumes in the lead.
Allan McNish now comes to the attention of Audi and the No.2 resumes in the lead.
Ron Fellows has locked up and gone straight on at Mulsanne corner. This is a gift for the leading Aston Martin DBR9 in GT1.
Fellows in the second-in-class No.63 Corvette gets going again, but has lost some time. Darren Turner - a magnificent 12th overall now has a one lap advantage over Fellows.
The Luc Alphand adventures No.73 entry which we have hardly mentioned throughout the race, now lies third in the GT1 class, demoting the 007 Aston Martin into fourth in class.
Fellows in the second-in-class No.63 Corvette gets going again, but has lost some time. Darren Turner - a magnificent 12th overall now has a one lap advantage over Fellows.
The Luc Alphand adventures No.73 entry which we have hardly mentioned throughout the race, now lies third in the GT1 class, demoting the 007 Aston Martin into fourth in class.
Marc Gene is replayed having a moment in the Dunlop Chicane. The No.7 ran a bit deep under braking and was forced to take the run off area but continued without damage.
Allan McNish has the significantly drawn out the gap to the No.7 Peugeot - now over 40 seconds. The leading Audi has had a better run through that last pit stop sequence.
Weatherwise it is still raining at La Sarthe, albeit lightly.
The latest rain radar suggests that these dull, damp conditions could remain in play for another hour or two yet. The track condition is just wet enough to cause surface spray to be thrown up from the cars on the racing line. Offline the track is properly wet.
The latest rain radar suggests that these dull, damp conditions could remain in play for another hour or two yet. The track condition is just wet enough to cause surface spray to be thrown up from the cars on the racing line. Offline the track is properly wet.
The No.8 Peugeot is in the pits and it is not going to be a quick stop ...
The No.8 Peugeot is in the pits and this is not routine service. Pedro Lamy now takes the seat as Alex Wurz climbs out. However the team are taking the opportunity to change the front nose section of the car.
The sixth-placed car is dropped to the floor and Lamy makes his way back out onto the track.
The sixth-placed car is dropped to the floor and Lamy makes his way back out onto the track.
McNish's lead is clocked at 46.023 seconds over the No.7 Peugeot.
The Risi Competizione Ferrari with Mika Salo continues to lead in LMGT2, one lap up on the No.96 currently driven by Tim Sugden.
With the rain easing off significantly, the track is getting ever drier.
In the GT1 race, the 009 Aston Martin continues to hold the lead over the No.63 Corvette. The race in this class has bee between these two cars since before nightfall - that seems like an age ago now.
The gap between the two cars is 2 minutes 12 seconds. Darren Turner for Aston and Ron Fellows for Corvette have been behind the wheels of those cars for some time.
On the last lap Fellows takes a couple of seconds out of Turner's lead, reducing it down to 2 minutes 10 seconds.
The gap between the two cars is 2 minutes 12 seconds. Darren Turner for Aston and Ron Fellows for Corvette have been behind the wheels of those cars for some time.
On the last lap Fellows takes a couple of seconds out of Turner's lead, reducing it down to 2 minutes 10 seconds.
The lead gap is down to 40 seconds as Gene begins to close in on McNish once again.
The laptimes of the front runners are coming down under the four minute barrier again, as the rain has all-but stopped.
The racing line is drying all the while and the general track condition is now damp.
The racing line is drying all the while and the general track condition is now damp.
Lucas Luhr is the new man at the wheel of Audi No.3, running in fourth overall after a recent pit stop.
With yet more traffic coming in to play, Gene has lost some time recently and the gap is back out to 46 seconds.
The No.63 Corvette - second in GT1 - has pitted and Ron Fellows vacates the cockpit after a very long stint at the wheel. The 009 Aston Martin now leads it by a lap.
Jan Magnussen has taken over the Corvette and will aim to keep the pressure on the leading Aston as much as possible.
Jan Magnussen has taken over the Corvette and will aim to keep the pressure on the leading Aston as much as possible.
By: Geoff Creighton, Emlyn Hughes
Published:
Lap:
