Le Mans Hour 9: Peugeot leads Toyota

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The #94 Peugeot Hypercar with Nico Muller aboard led the #8 Toyota Hypercar driven by Ryo Hirakawa by 14 seconds at the 9-Hour mark of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, since then, the Toyota has closed the gap and it ready to retake the lead.

The #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 HYBRID is out of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a bizarre, multi-car accident at Tertre Rouge.

It began right at the top of the hour when Giedo van der Garde in the #39 Graff Racing Oreca 07-Gibson and Charlie Eastwood in the #25 ORT by TF Aston Martin Vantage GTE slowed down approaching a Slow Zone.

Kamui Kobayashi brought the #7 Toyota to a near-complete stop behind them. But out of nowhere, he was hit in the left rear by the #66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 488 GTE EVO of Louis Prette and simultaneously in the right-rear by the #35 Alpine Elf Team Oreca of Memo Rojas – both trailing cars came to the scene carrying way too much speed.

Prette’s Ferrari was left stranded in the middle of the road and Kobayashi’s beaten #7 Toyota crawled slowly to a stop not far from where it was struck. Van der Garde went back to the pits for his team to repair the damages, while the #35 Alpine was in and out in just under 20 minutes.

The #2 Cadillac is still on the lead lap, 22 seconds back.

Team WRT now leads LMP2 as Rui Andrade pilots the #41 Oreca.

The #85 Iron Dames Porsche has taken the lead of GTE-Am, with the lengthy Safety Car to recover the #66 JMW Ferrari and #7 Toyota GR010 scrubbing the almost 80-second gap held by the #56 Project 1 – AO Porsche.

14 GTE cars still in the race, with the #33 Chevrolet Corvette, two laps down.

The Garage 56 Camaro has had a trouble-free run this hour, sitting in 37th overall, a lap behind the GTE-Am leaders.

Hour 9 Standings

Pos	No./Team	Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Behind	Gap
1	94 Peugeot TotalEnergies	L. DUVAL / G. MENEZES / N. MÜLLER	Peugeot 9X8	HYPERCAR H	112	0.000	0.000
2	8 Toyota Gazoo Racing	S. BUEMI / B. HARTLEY / R. HIRAKAWA	Toyota GR010 HYBRID	HYPERCAR H	112	14.760	14.760
3	2 Cadillac Racing	E. BAMBER / A. LYNN / R. WESTBROOK	Cadillac V-Series.R	HYPERCAR H	112	22.266	7.506
4	50 Ferrari AF Corse	A. FUOCO / M. MOLINA / N. NIELSEN	Ferrari 499P	HYPERCAR H	112	23.858	1.592
5	51 Ferrari AF Corse	A. PIER GUIDI / J. CALADO / A. GIOVINAZZI	Ferrari 499P	HYPERCAR H	112	26.415	2.557
6	3 Cadillac Racing	S. BOURDAIS / R. VAN DER ZANDE / S. DIXON	Cadillac V-Series.R	HYPERCAR H	111	1 Lap	1 Lap
7	6 Porsche Penske Motorsport	K. ESTRE / A. LOTTERER / L. VANTHOOR	Porsche 963	HYPERCAR H	111	1 Lap	7.299
8	5 Porsche Penske Motorsport	D. CAMERON / M. CHRISTENSEN / F. MAKOWIECKI	Porsche 963	HYPERCAR H	111	1 Lap	13.516
9	93 Peugeot TotalEnergies	P. DI RESTA / M. JENSEN / J. VERGNE	Peugeot 9X8	HYPERCAR H	110	2 Laps	1 Lap
10	709 Glickenhaus Racing	F. MAILLEUX / N. BERTHON / E. GUTIERREZ	Glickenhaus 007	HYPERCAR	109	3 Laps	1 Lap
11	708 Glickenhaus Racing	R. DUMAS / R. BRISCOE / O. PLA	Glickenhaus 007	HYPERCAR	109	3 Laps	10.093
12	38 Hertz Team JOTA	A. DA COSTA / W. STEVENS / Y. YE	Porsche 963	HYPERCAR	108	4 Laps	1 Lap
13	41 Team WRT	R. ANDRADE / L. DELÉTRAZ / R. KUBICA	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	1 Lap
14	34 Inter Europol Competition	J. SMIECHOWSKI / A. COSTA / F. SCHERER	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	6.459
15	65 Panis Racing	M. MALDONADO / T. VAN DER HELM / J. VAN UITERT	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	6.285
16	48 IDEC Sport	P. LAFARGUE / P. CHATIN / L. HÖRR	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	5.313
17	63 Prema Racing	D. PIN / D. KVYAT / M. BORTOLOTTI	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	2.691
18	30 Duqueine Team	N. JANI / R. BINDER / N. PINO	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	13.903
19	80 AF Corse	F. PERRODO / B. BARNICOAT / N. NATO	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	1.776
20	28 JOTA	D. HEINEMEIER-HANSSON / O. RASMUSSEN / P. FITTIPALDI	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	3.457
21	37 COOL Racing	N. LAPIERRE / A. COIGNY / M. JAKOBSEN	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	2.837
22	47 COOL Racing	R. DE GÉRUS / V. LOMKO / S. PAGENAUD	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	107	5 Laps	17.819
23	36 Alpine Elf Team	M. VAXIVIERE / C. MILESI / J. CANAL	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	106	6 Laps	1 Lap
24	10 Vector Sport	R. CULLEN / G. AUBRY / M. KAISER	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	106	6 Laps	38.220
25	31 Team WRT	S. GELAEL / F. HABSBURG / R. FRIJNS	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	106	6 Laps	2.841
26	45 Algarve Pro Racing	G. KURTZ / J. ALLEN / C. BRAUN	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	105	7 Laps	1 Lap
27	23 United Autosports	J. PIERSON / T. BLOMQVIST / O. JARVIS	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	105	7 Laps	30.266
28	35 Alpine Elf Team	A. NEGRÃO / O. CALDWELL / M. ROJAS	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	104	8 Laps	1 Lap
29	85 Iron Dames	S. BOVY / M. GATTING / R. FREY	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	104	8 Laps	9.531
30	54 AF Corse	T. FLOHR / F. CASTELLACCI / D. RIGON	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	LMGTE Am	104	8 Laps	4.951
31	56 Project 1 – AO	P. HYETT / G. JEANNETTE / M. CAIROLI	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	104	8 Laps	14.563
32	911 Proton Competition	M. FASSBENDER / M. RUMP / R. LIETZ	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	104	8 Laps	1:04.156
33	57 Kessel Racing	T. KIMURA / S. HUFFAKER / D. SERRA	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	LMGTE Am	104	8 Laps	0.197
34	25 ORT by TF	A. AL HARTHY / M. DINAN / C. EASTWOOD	Aston Martin Vantage AMR	LMGTE Am	104	8 Laps	2.511
35	4 Floyd Vanwall Racing Team	T. DILLMANN / E. GUERRIERI / T. VAUTIER	Vanwall Vandervell 680	HYPERCAR	103	9 Laps	1 Lap
36	98 Northwest AMR	I. JAMES / D. MANCINELLI / A. RIBERAS	Aston Martin Vantage AMR	LMGTE Am	103	9 Laps	7.503
37	24 Hendrick Motorsports	J. JOHNSON / M. ROCKENFELLER / J. BUTTON	Chevrolet Camaro ZL1	INNOVATIVE	103	9 Laps	8.279
38	86 GR Racing	M. WAINWRIGHT / B. BARKER / R. PERA	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	103	9 Laps	23.141
39	88 Proton Competition	H. TINCKNELL / D. YOUNT / J. RIED	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	103	9 Laps	17.809
40	33 Corvette Racing	N. CATSBURG / B. KEATING / N. VARRONE	Chevrolet Corvette C8.R	LMGTE Am	103	9 Laps	17.266
41	22 United Autosports	P. HANSON / F. ALBUQUERQUE / F. LUBIN	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	102	10 Laps	1 Lap
42	100 Walkenhorst Motorsport	C. HULL / A. HARYANTO / J. SEGAL	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	LMGTE Am	102	10 Laps	52.990
43	77 Dempsey – Proton Racing	C. RIED / M. PEDERSEN / J. ANDLAUER	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	101	11 Laps	1 Lap
44	74 Kessel Racing	K. COZZOLINO / Y. TSUJIKO / N. YOKOMIZO	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	LMGTE Am	101	11 Laps	3.046
45	777 D’Station Racing	S. HOSHINO / C. STEVENSON / T. FUJII	Aston Martin Vantage AMR	LMGTE Am	100	12 Laps	1 Lap
46	39 Graff Racing	R. LACORTE / G. VAN DER GARDE / P. PILET	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2 P/A	98	14 Laps	2 Laps
47	9 Prema Racing	B. VISCAAL / J. CORREA / F. UGRAN	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2	98	14 Laps	7:27.082
48	311 Action Express Racing	L. DERANI / A. SIMS / J. AITKEN	Cadillac V-Series.R	HYPERCAR H	95	17 Laps	3 Laps
49	32 Inter Europol Competition	M. KVAMME / J. MAGNUSSEN / A. FJORDBACH	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2 P/A	94	18 Laps	1 Lap
50	43 DKR Engineering	T. VAN ROMPUY / U. DE WILDE / M. MARTIN	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2 P/A	94	18 Laps	9.108
DNF	Retired 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing	M. CONWAY / K. KOBAYASHI / J. LOPEZ	Toyota GR010 HYBRID	HYPERCAR H	103
DNF	66 JMW Motorsport	T. NEUBAUER / L. PRETTE / G. PETROBELLI	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	LMGTE Am	89
DNF	923 Racing Team Turkey	S. YOLUC / T. GAMBLE / D. VANTHOOR	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2 P/A	87
DNF	75 Porsche Penske Motorsport	F. NASR / M. JAMINET / N. TANDY	Porsche 963	HYPERCAR H	84
DNF	72 TF Sport	A. ROBIN / M. ROBIN / V. HASSE-CLOT	Aston Martin Vantage AMR	LMGTE Am	58
DNF	83 Richard Mille AF Corse	L. PEREZ COMPANC / A. ROVERA / L. WADOUX	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	LMGTE Am	33
DNF	60 Iron Lynx	C. SCHIAVONI / M. CRESSONI / A. PICARIELLO	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	28
DNF	16 Proton Competition	R. HARDWICK / Z. ROBICHON / J. HEYLEN	Porsche 911 RSR – 19	LMGTE Am	28
DNF	55 GMB Motorsport	G. BIRCH / M. SØRENSEN / J. MØLLER	Aston Martin Vantage AMR	LMGTE Am	21
DNF	21 AF Corse	S. MANN / J. PIGUET / U. DE PAUW	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	LMGTE Am	21
DNF	13 Tower Motorsports	S. THOMAS / R. TAYLOR / R. RAST	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2 P/A	19
DNF	14 Nielsen Racing	R. SALES / M. BECHE / B. HANLEY	Oreca 07 – Gibson	LMP2 P/A	18