LeMans Hour 22: Alonso’s Toyota now up 1 lap on sister car

It will be an easy win for the #8 Alonso Toyota
It will be an easy win for the #8 Alonso Toyota

After 22 hours of racing it's now a foregone conclusion that Fernando Alonso will win the 24 Hours of LeMans in his first try as Kazuki Nakajima now holds a 1-lap lead over the #7 Toyota with Kamui Kobayashi at the wheel. The two Toyota TS050 HYBRIDS are now 100 miles ahead of the nearest LMP1 competitor.

Throughout the race Alonso has showed how much faster an F1 driver is than the regular sportscar drivers, consistently turning laps 1/2 to 1.0 seconds faster. It underscores the fact that sportscar drivers are a step below F1 and IndyCar drivers in terms of outright speed.

Not much has changed since our last report in terms of standings.

Porsche continues to dominate LMGTE Pro with the No.92 Porsche GT Team 2m09s ahead of the No.91 911 RSR as the clock went past the 22-hour point. The No.68 Ford GT of Joey Hand was lying in third position, but now a lap behind the leading Porsche and still ahead of the sister #67 Ganassi Ford GT car of Harry Tincknell.

Mike Rockenfeller was a lap down in fifth in the sole remaining Corvette entry, the #63.

G-Drive Racing’s No.26 ORECA 07 Gibson holds the lead in the LMP2 class over 3 laps ahead of the second placed car in this class, the No.36 Signatech Alpine A470.

The No.77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR is still out in front of the LMGTE Am class, now a lap ahead of the No.85 Ferrari 488 GTE.

Hour 22 Standings

POS NO. DRIVER CAR GAP LAPS PITS CAT.
1 #8 NAKAJIMA Kazuki Toyota TS050 – Hybrid 0.000s 354 34 P1
2 #7 KOBAYASHI Kamui Toyota TS050 – Hybrid 1 Lap 353 33 P1
3 #3 MENEZES Gustavo Rebellion R13 – GIBSON 12 Laps 342 35 P1
4 #1 JANI Neel Rebellion R13 – GIBSON 13 Laps 341 37 P1
5 #26 RUSINOV Roman Oreca 07 – Gibson 18 Laps 336 33 P2
6 #36 NEGRAO Andre Alpine A470 – Gibson 20 Laps 334 33 P2
7 #39 HIRSCHI Jonathan Oreca 07 – Gibson 21 Laps 333 38 P2
8 #32 DE SADELEER Hugo LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 36.382 333 33 P2
9 #28 VAXIVIERE Matthieu Oreca 07 – Gibson 1:37.148 333 34 P2
10 #37 JEFFRI Nabil Oreca 07 – Gibson 26 Laps 328 36 P2
11 #31 MALDONADO Pastor Oreca 07 – Gibson 27 Laps 327 36 P2
12 #29 LAMMERS Jan Dallara DALLARA P217 GIBSON 29 Laps 325 32 P2
13 #44 JONSSON Niclas LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 30 Laps 324 34 P2
14 #33 NICOLET Pierre LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 31 Laps 323 33 P2
15 #38 RICHELMI Stphane Oreca 07 – Gibson 1.023 323 33 P2
16 #23 BURET Timoth LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 35 Laps 319 31 P2
17 #35 NATO Norman Dallara P217 – Gibson 36 Laps 318 32 P2
18 #92 ESTRE Kevin Porsche 911 RSR 41 Laps 313 22 Pro
19 #91 LIETZ Richard Porsche 911 RSR 2:09.829 313 22 Pro
20 #68 HAND Joey Ford GT 42 Laps 312 22 Pro
21 #67 TINCKNELL Harry Ford GT 1:07.590 312 24 Pro
22 #63 ROCKENFELLER Mike Chevrolet Corvette C7.R 1:40.434 312 22 Pro
23 #51 SERRA Daniel Ferrari 488 GTE EVO 43 Laps 311 23 Pro
24 #52 GIOVINAZZI Antonio Ferrari 488 GTE EVO 2:44.559 311 25 Pro
25 #69 WESTBROOK Richard Ford GT 44 Laps 310 23 Pro
26 #47 SERNAGIOTTO Giorgio Dallara DALLARA P217 – GIBSON 7:43.568 310 34 P2
27 #66 PLA Olivier Ford GT 45 Laps 309 22 Pro
28 #95 TURNER Darren Aston Martin VANTAGE AMR 46 Laps 308 22 Pro
29 #71 MOLINA Miguel Ferrari 488 GTE EVO 47 Laps 307 24 Pro
30 #77 CAMPBELL Matt Porsche 911 RSR 48 Laps 306 22 Am
31 #54 CASTELLACCI Francesco Ferrari F488 GTE 49 Laps 305 22 Am
32 #85 BLEEKEMOLEN Jeroen Ferrari F488 GTE 50 Laps 304 23 Am
33 #81 ENG Philipp BMW M8 GTE 29.575 304 25 Pro
34 #56 LINDSEY Patrick Porsche 911 RSR 34.966 304 23 Am
35 #99 PUMPELLY Spencer Porsche 911 RSR 1:04.885 304 23 Am
36 #93 BAMBER Earl Porsche 911 RSR 1:48.027 304 23 Pro
37 #61 GRIFFIN Matthew Ferrari F488 GTE 51 Laps 303 22 Am
38 #80 NIELSEN Christina Porsche 911 RSR 1:27.006 303 23 Am
39 #84 SEGAL Jeffrey Ferrari F488 GTE 52 Laps 302 21 Am
40 #50 DAGONEAU Thomas LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 54 Laps 300 31 P2
41 #11 PETROV Vitaly BR ENGINEERING BR1 – AER 56 Laps 298 29 P1
42 #90 EASTWOOD Charlie Aston Martin VANTAGE 57 Laps 297 21 Am
43 #97 LYNN Alexander Aston Martin VANTAGE AMR 32.332 297 22 Pro
44 #70 CHEEVER Edward Ferrari F488 GTE 59 Laps 295 22 Am
45 #86 WAINWRIGHT Michael Porsche 911 RSR 74 Laps 280 26 Am
46 #5 ROBERTSON Charles Ginetta G60-LT-P1 – MECACHROME 82 Laps 272 30 P1
47 #48 LAFARGUE Paul LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 42 Laps 312 35 P2
48 #22 DI RESTA Paul LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 66 Laps 288 28 P2
49 #64 GAVIN Oliver Chevrolet Corvette C7.R 95 Laps 259 21 Pro
50 #10 HANLEY Ben BR ENGINEERING BR1 – GIBSON 110 Laps 244 26 P1
51 #25 PATTERSON Mark LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 117 Laps 237 25 P2
52 #88 CAIROLI Matteo Porsche 911 RSR 129 Laps 225 17 Am
53 #82 SIMS Alexander BMW M8 GTE 131 Laps 223 17 Pro
54 #40 GUTIERREZ Jose Oreca 07 – Gibson 157 Laps 197 20 P2
55 #34 LEDOGAR Côme LIGIER JSP217 – Gibson 159 Laps 195 20 P2
56 #6 ROWLAND Oliver Ginetta G60-LT-P1 – MECACHROME 217 Laps 137 15 P1
57 #17 ISAAKYAN Matevos BR ENGINEERING BR1 – AER 231 Laps 123 11 P1
58 #94 DUMAS Romain Porsche 911 RSR 262 Laps 92 8 Pro
59 #98 DALLA LANA Paul Aston Martin VANTAGE 6:08.912 92 7 Am
60 #4 KRAIHAMER Dominik ENSO CLM P1/01 – Nismo 289 Laps 65 6 P1