Le Mans 24 Hours: Tandy extends #19 Porsche lead in 11th hour

The Briton had the measure of the chasing Audis of Andre Lotterer and Marco Bonanomi, extending his lead over the former to more than one minute before making a pitstop.

He emerged from that stop still 18 seconds clear of Lotterer, with Bonanomi another 40 seconds back.

Bonanomi moved up to second towards the end of the hour when Lotterer made his latest scheduled stop, leaving both Audis more than a minute behind the leading Porsche.

There was more drama for the polesitting #18 Porsche as Neel Jani completed a replica of team-mate Romain Dumas's off at Mulsanne Corner, locking up and nudging the tyre barrier.

However, unlike Dumas, Jani got stuck in the gravel when reversing away from the tyres, costing him a lot of time and promoting the #8 Audi to fifth place.

Jani, like Dumas, then pitted at the end of the lap, where Porsche again completed a driver change as well as fitting new front bodywork to the car for the second time.

LMP2: KCMG IN CONTROL

In LMP2, the #47 KCMG ORECA, now in the hands of Nicolas Lapierre, maintained its comfortable advantage at the head of the field.

After taking over from Richard Bradley, the Frenchman inherited a 1m45s lead and a series of fast laps ensured the long-time leaders remain in control.

A pitstop for #46 TDS Racing's Ludovic Badey meant Lapierre's advantage was close to three minutes by the end of the hour.

Badey retains second in class, with Briton Sam Bird occupying third in the #26 G-Drive Ligier.

GTE: THREE TEAMS IN THE HUNT

Aston Martin, Corvette and Porsche continue to occupy the top three places in GTE Pro, with different pit cycles keeping all three in contention as the first half of the race draws to a close.

The #99 Vantage enjoys the biggest lead when it hits the front, as it did in the second half of the 11th hour when Oliver Gavin pit the Chevrolet.

But the C7.R was baulked slightly behind a crocked LMP2 making its way into the pitlane and that, coupled with team fitting new tyres, dropped it from first to third.

Porsche's Manthey-run 911 RSR continues to prove a fly in the ointment for the AMR/Chevy fight, and it split the two cars until Michael Christensen stopped the #91 at the end of the hour.

An investigation into a pitstop is the only blot on the #98 AMR Vantage's copybook, as the Pedro Lamy/Paul dalla Lana/Mathias Lauda car continues serenely at the front of GTE Am.

A puncture for the #83 AF Corse Ferrari has dropped that car out of the podium battle, leaving the #72 SMP car alone in second ahead of the #77 Dempsey-Proton Porsche.

POSITIONS AFTER 11 HOURS