Hot News World Endurance Championship

Le Mans Hour 1-3: Toyota leads overall after wet start

Posted by AR1 staff

After one hour of racing, the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid driven by Mike Conway is leading the race, some 55 seconds ahead of Antonio Felix Da Costa in the #38 JOTA Oreca 07-Gibson and 56 seconds ahead of the #8 Toyota driven by Sébastien Buemi.

The 61 cars were released after three formation laps under safety car. As soon as the cars arrived at the Dunlop chicane, Sébastien Buemi in the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid and Richard Westbrook in the #708 Glickenhaus Racing 007 LMH touched. The #8 spun out and landed in the gravel trap, while the #708 suffered front body work damage. Race control determined that the #708 was responsible for this incident, resulting in a ten second stop-and-go penalty.

The #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid driven by Mike Conway drove ahead of the #36 Alpine Elf Matmut Gibson driven by Nicolas Lapierre, yet the latter soon spun at Indianapolis and lost several positions. In the meantime, the #8 stopped on the Mulsanne Straight for a moment, returned to the track – only to go off track again, this time at Arnage. Cars in the lead then stopped for dry compound tires.

Meanwhile in LMP2, after one hour of racing, the #38 Jota Oreca 07-Gibson driven by Antonio Felix Da Costa leads the class, some twenty four seconds ahead of the #26 G-Drive Aurus Oreca 07 and thirty six seconds ahead Nyck de Vries in the #29 Racing Team Nederland Oreca 07-Gibson.

There was a lot of drama in this class as well. Before the race even started, the #20 High Class Racing Oreca 07 Gibson driven by Dennis Andersen was left on its jacks while the other cars started their first formation lap. The #20 was eventually able to start the race from the back of the grid.

Once the green light was illuminated, one of the candidates for victory, the #48 IDEC Sport Oreca 07-Gibson driven by Patrick Pilet, went off track at the first chicane in the Hunaudières and lost significant time in the gravel trap.

The race somewhat settled in and the three cars who had dominated the practice sessions – that is, the #38 Jota Oreca 07 Gibson, the #26 G-Drive Racing Aurus 01-Gibson, the #65 Panis Racing Oreca 07-Gibson and the #41 Team WRT Oreca 07 Gibson – regained the lead.

GTE Pro

Tommy Milner resumed the lead the #64 Corvette C8.R held briefly before the tire stops, with conditions beginning to improve. The #64 Corvette took a bump from one of the AF Corse Ferraris as it left the echelon grid, but soon found itself in the lead of the GTE-Pro as more experienced Le Mans entries found difficulty.

It was a Corvette 1-2 at the end of the first racing lap, Milner leading Garcia, Molina and Calado’s Ferraris were tucked in tight, a second covered the top four. Maxime Martin had spun the pole sitting HubAuto Porsche, now bringing up the rear of the Pro field. Molina overtook Garcia, followed by Calado as the AF Corse 488 GTE Evos started to find grip as the track started to show signs of drying, and had soon made it a Ferrari 1-2 before the change for slicks.

Porsche struggled at the start, but were fighting back. Kevin Estre spun the rebuilt #92 car at Mulsanne Corner, both Porsches generally out of early contention and clawing back through the Am runners. The WeatherTech Porsche was running fourth, Laurens Vanthoor having had his turn at the front in the melee, but was now third, splitting the Ferrari pair, Calado having fallen to fourth having spun at the Forest Esses.

Nicklas Nielsen currently leads GTE Am for AF Corse in the #83 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo.

Hour 3 Standings

POS No. CLASS TEAM CURRENT DRIVER CAR LAPS BEHIND GAP STOPS
1 7 Hypercar H TOYOTA GAZOO RACING KOBAYASHI Kamui Toyota GR010 HYBRID 45 -0.000s 0.000s 4
2 8 Hypercar H TOYOTA GAZOO RACING BUEMI Sébastien Toyota GR010 HYBRID 45 10.224 10.224 3
3 36 Hypercar ALPINE ELF MATMUT NEGRÃO André Alpine A480 – Gibson 45 1:54.291 1:43.975 3
4 26 LM P2 G-DRIVE RACING COLAPINTO Franco Aurus 01 – Gibson 44 1 lap 1:49.242 4
5 29 LM P2 P/A RACING TEAM NEDERLAND VAN UITERT Job Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 5.335 5.335 4
6 708 Hypercar GLICKENHAUS RACING MAILLEUX Franck Glickenhaus 007 LMH 44 12.905 8.886 3
7 28 LM P2 JOTA BLOMQVIST Tom Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 27.122 13.539 4
8 65 LM P2 PANIS RACING ALLEN James Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 29.992 2.870 4
9 23 LM P2 UNITED AUTOSPORTS BOYD Wayne Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 35.618 5.626 4
10 22 LM P2 UNITED AUTOSPORTS USA HANSON Philip Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 36.835 1.217 4
11 70 LM P2 P/A REALTEAM RACING DUVAL Loïc Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 43.543 5.229 4
12 41 LM P2 TEAM WRT YE Yifei Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 56.111 12.568 4
13 709 Hypercar GLICKENHAUS RACING DUMAS Romain Glickenhaus 007 LMH 44 1:20.788 24.677 3
14 34 LM P2 INTER EUROPOL VAN DER ZANDE Renger Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 1:23.492 2.704 4
15 31 LM P2 TEAM WRT MILESI Charles Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 1:25.386 1.894 4
16 24 LM P2 P/A PR1 MOTORSPORTS AUBRY Gabriel Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 2:25.419 1:01.004 4
17 21 LM P2 P/A DRAGONSPEED USA HEDMAN Henrik Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 3:15.373 50.008 4
18 32 LM P2 UNITED AUTOSPORTS ABERDEIN Jonathan Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 3:21.160 5.787 4
19 82 LM P2 RISI COMPETIZIONE CULLEN Ryan Oreca 07 – Gibson 44 3:22.385 1.225 4
20 49 LM P2 P/A HIGH CLASS RACING FJORDBACH Anders Oreca 07 – Gibson 43 2 laps 7.270 4
21 48 LM P2 IDEC SPORT CHATIN Paul Loup Oreca 07 – Gibson 43 4.578 4.578 4
22 1 LM P2 RICHARD MILLE VISSER Beitske Oreca 07 – Gibson 43 6.976 2.452 4
23 44 LM P2 P/A ARC BRATISLAVA KONOPKA Miroslav Oreca 07 – Gibson 43 37.575 31.221 4
24 38 LM P2 JOTA DAVIDSON Anthony Oreca 07 – Gibson 43 1:04.734 28.125 4
25 20 LM P2 P/A HIGH CLASS RACING ANDERSEN Dennis Oreca 07 – Gibson 43 2:52.430 1:46.515 5
26 25 LM P2 P/A G-DRIVE RACING MERHI Roberto Aurus 01 – Gibson 43 3:00.155 7.756 4
27 39 LM P2 P/A SO24-DIROB BY GRAFF CAPILLAIRE Vincent Oreca 07 – Gibson 43 3:19.627 18.808 3
28 52 LM GTE Pro AF CORSE SERRA Daniel Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 42 53.433 1:33.605 3
29 51 LM GTE Pro AF CORSE PIER GUIDI Alessandro Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 42 20.653 20.653 3
30 79 LM GTE Pro WEATHERTECH RACING BAMBER Earl Porsche 911 RSR – 19 42 23.073 2.340 3
31 63 LM GTE Pro CORVETTE RACING TAYLOR Jordan Chevrolet Corvette C8.R 42 37.510 14.437 3
32 92 LM GTE Pro PORSCHE GT TEAM CHRISTENSEN Michael Porsche 911 RSR – 19 42 43.232 5.686 3
33 91 LM GTE Pro PORSCHE GT TEAM LIETZ Richard Porsche 911 RSR – 19 42 1:09.622 26.390 3
34 64 LM GTE Pro CORVETTE RACING TANDY Nicholas Chevrolet Corvette C8.R 42 1:23.813 14.188 3
35 33 LM GTE Am TF SPORT PEREIRA Dylan Aston Martin Vantage AMR 42 2:10.755 46.271 3
36 74 LM P2 P/A RACING TEAM INDIA EURASIA CORBETT John Ligier JSP217 – Gibson 42 2:12.815 2.060 4
37 98 LM GTE Am ASTON MARTIN RACING GOMES Marcos Aston Martin Vantage AMR 42 2:27.363 14.477 3
38 47 LM GTE Am CETILAR RACING SERNAGIOTTO Giorgio Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 4 laps 2.900 3
39 83 LM GTE Am AF CORSE PERRODO François Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 4.269 4.269 4
40 95 LM GTE Am TF SPORT HANCOCK Oliver Aston Martin Vantage AMR 41 18.272 14.313 3
41 72 LM GTE Pro HUB AUTO RACING VANTHOOR Dries Porsche 911 RSR – 19 41 19.009 0.737 4
42 57 LM GTE Am KESSEL RACING ANDREWS Scott Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 21.157 2.469 3
43 80 LM GTE Am IRON LYNX MASTRONARDI Rino Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 33.837 12.680 3
44 54 LM GTE Am AF CORSE CASTELLACCI Francesco Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 34.757 0.920 4
45 388 LM GTE Am RINALDI RACING BLEEKEMOLEN Jeroen Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 38.511 3.754 2
46 30 LM P2 DUQUEINE TEAM BINDER René Oreca 07 – Gibson 41 42.046 3.390 7
47 56 LM GTE Am TEAM PROJECT 1 PERA Riccardo Porsche 911 RSR – 19 41 43.817 1.771 3
48 55 LM GTE Am SPIRIT OF RACE PEREL David Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 1:30.620 46.227 3
49 66 LM GTE Am JMW MOTORSPORT NEUBAUER Thomas Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 2:04.377 33.663 3
50 85 LM GTE Am IRON LYNX BOVY Sarah Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 2:25.200 20.830 3
51 71 LM GTE Am INCEPTION RACING IRIBE Brendan Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 41 3:08.543 43.758 3
52 77 LM GTE Am DEMPSEY – PROTON RACING RIED Christian Porsche 911 RSR – 19 41 3:32.195 24.393 3
53 46 LM GTE Am TEAM PROJECT 1 FOLEY Robert Porsche 911 RSR – 19 41 3:33.087 1.393 3
54 60 LM GTE Am IRON LYNX SCHIAVONI Claudio Ferrari 488 GTE Evo 40 5 laps 25.206 3
55 69 LM GTE Am HERBERTH MOTORSPORT INEICHEN Rolf Porsche 911 RSR – 19 40 23.306 23.306 3
56 777 LM GTE Am D’STATION RACING HOSHINO Satoshi Aston Martin Vantage AMR 40 48.465 25.296 4
57 88 LM GTE Am DEMPSEY – PROTON RACING BASTIEN Dominique Porsche 911 RSR – 19 40 1:49.117 59.933 3
58 99 LM GTE Am PROTON COMPETITION LATORRE Florian Porsche 911 RSR – 19 40 2:05.124 16.007 3
59 18 LM GTE Am ABSOLUTE RACING HARYANTO Andrew Porsche 911 RSR – 19 40 3:11.018 1:04.046 4
60 84 CDNT ASSOCIATION SRT41 AOKI Takuma Oreca 07 – Gibson 40 3:18.193 7.175 4
61 86 LM GTE Am GR RACING WAINWRIGHT Michael Porsche 911 RSR – 19 36 9 laps 4 laps 4