Hour 22: Kristensen Pushing On
The 73rd 24 Hours of Le Mans looks to have swung in the favour of the #3 Champion Racing Audi R8 at the end of the 22 hours, despite the second placed Pescarolo of Jean-Christophe Boullion getting back onto the same lap as the leader at one stage during the hour
Boullion continued to lap faster than Tom Kristensen, however it did not appear to be fast enough to catch the Dane by the end of the 24 hour race. At the end of the hour, Kristensen had more than one-lap margin, and Boullion's four seconds per-lap gain does not look enough to overhaul the Dane.
The GT1 class also looked to have swung in the favour of an American team. Corvette's #64 C6-R.
The #58 Aston Martin suffered an identical puncture as their car had two hours earlier, on its right-rear side while Corvette were running smoothly. The Aston limped back to the pits for a replacement tyre and ended the hour in third in class behind the other Audi.
Such was the pace of the Corvette that it moved up to fifth place overall.
In GT2, the Alex Job Racing Porsche led for the 17th successive hour, with Mike Rockenfeller at the wheel.
The LMP2 chase appears to be all but over, with the #37 Paul Belmondo Racing Courage continuing to lead. Rick Sutherland currently holds a comfortable five lap lead over Tommy Erdos.
About this article
| Series | WEC |
| Author | Tim Redmayne |
How 'Brilliant' Bob Wollek lived up to his nickname
Sportscar racing lost one of it's greatest talents 20 years ago today when Bob Wollek was knocked from his bicycle prior to the Sebring 12 Hours. The enigmatic Frenchman never won the Le Mans 24 Hours, but many still remember today why 'Brilliant Bob' became a legend
Top 10 moments of an underrated British great
Brian Redman was one of the best sportscar drivers of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as a three-time champion on the fearsome American Formula 5000 scene. To celebrate his 84th birthday Autosport contacted him about his best races – and he decided to write the piece himself…
How an endurance racing boom could help one of LMP2's top teams
The G-Drive squad has been a mainstay of endurance racing in recent years, and has linked up with Russian manufacturer Aurus in recent years to promote its brand. With a change of rules in endurance racing's top tables, the team could be well-placed to take advantage of a potential boom...
How Ferrari’s Hypercar project could bolster Leclerc’s legacy
OPINION: Ferrari's planned return to the top category at the Le Mans 24 Hours has further heightened anticipation for the 2023 race. Few concrete details are currently known, but already it has a high-profile superstar angling for involvement, which would make a refreshing change
Why Ferrari is ending its 50-year top-flight sportscar exile
Making a return to top-flight sportscar racing after 50 years away, Ferrari will enter the Le Mans Hypercar ranks in 2023. The Italian marque denies the link with Formula 1's new cost cap that frees up resources, but it's certainly no coincidence...
The ground-up refresh behind Toyota's new Le Mans challenger
Toyota's new GR010 contender for the World Endurance Championship's Hypercar era has little in common with the LMP1 TS050 that preceded it. But within the confines of the scaled back new rules, its latest challenger will be no less formidable a prospect
The Porsche icon that forged sportscar racing's greatest era
Porsche is returning to the top class of Le Mans with an LMDh prototype that it hopes will write its next successful chapter in sportscar racing. But it will have to go some to emulate its 956/962, a car which defines the Group C age more than any other
How Kristensen forged the Mr Le Mans legend
He is synonymous with success at the Circuit de la Sarthe, but Tom Kristensen's sportscar legacy amounts to much more than his record-breaking nine Le Mans wins, as the most successful driver ever at Sebring and a world champion to boot
