02 BAMBER Earl (nzl), LYNN Alex (gbr), PALOU Alex (spa), Cadillac Racing, Cadillac V-Series.R #02, Hypercar, FIA WEC, action during the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, 4th round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship, on the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, from June 15 to 16, 2024 in Le Mans, France - Photo Javier Jimenez / DPPI
Hot News World Endurance Championship

Le Mans Hour 20: With 4 hours remaining it’s anyone’s race to win

Posted by AR1 staff

A rash of pitstops just before the 20-hour mark of the 24 Hours of Le Mans jumbled the standings and it’s anyone’s race to win.

It’s noon in Le Mans and the rain has finally cleared. With just over 4 hours left to run in the chaotic and wet race, the #50 Ferrari 499P led from the #8 Toyota of Sebastien Buemi and the privateer #83 Ferrari 499P of Robert Shwartzman, but they then pitted handing the lead to the #2 Cadillac of Alex Palou.

Soon thereafter, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari was pulled into the garage after smoke began billowing from its front corners during its pit stop. Its race appears over

The blue #2 Cadillac, now driven by Alex Palou, is about six laps longer into its stints than the leading group – half of the expected target of 12 laps per stint in the Hypercar class.

9 minutes before the 20 hour mark, Buemi’s Toyota passed Schwartzman’s Ferrari around the outside of Mulsanne Corner but then pitted handing 2nd back to the Ferrari.

10 Hypercars are still on the lead lap owing to all the safety car laps, but attrition is beginning to build.

The #3 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R  driven by Scott Dixon’s car suffered an oil leak and is now the fourth official retirement in the premier class.

Scott Dixon returned to the pits after the No. 3 Cadillac developed a mechanical issue. Following a thorough evaluation, the team is forced to retire the car

Pipo Derani slid off and crashed into the tire barriers at Indianapolis the lap after the restart. The battered #311 Whelen Cadillac Racing car limped to the pits and the garage for repairs.

LMP2

Inter Europol Competition has now taken the lead in LMP2, after a small mistake from Patrick Pilet in the #10 Vector Sport car at Indianapolis just before the end of the hour opened the door for Clement Novalak to breeze through in the green and yellow #34 ORECA 07.

LMGT3

Morris Schuring is back at the wheel of the leading #91 Manthey EMA Porsche, just three seconds ahead of the #31 Team WRT BMW of Augusto Farfus.

Hour 20 Standings of the 24 Hours of Le Mans

POS NO. CLASS TEAM DRIVER CAR LAPS BEHIND GAP
1 2 Hypercar H CADILLAC RACING PALOU Alex Cadillac V-Series.R 248 0.000 0.000
2 8 Hypercar H TOYOTA GAZOO RACING BUEMI Sébastien Toyota GR010 – Hybrid 248 1.802 1.802
3 7 Hypercar H TOYOTA GAZOO RACING KOBAYASHI Kamui Toyota GR010 – Hybrid 248 3.323 1.521
4 51 Hypercar H FERRARI AF CORSE CALADO James Ferrari 499P 248 13.845 10.522
5 50 Hypercar H FERRARI AF CORSE MOLINA Miguel Ferrari 499P 248 17.030 3.185
6 6 Hypercar H PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT VANTHOOR Laurens Porsche 963 248 23.896 6.866
7 83 Hypercar AF CORSE SHWARTZMAN Robert Ferrari 499P 248 4.685 0.000
8 38 Hypercar H HERTZ TEAM JOTA HANSON Philip Porsche 963 248 5.409 1:03.405
9 12 Hypercar H HERTZ TEAM JOTA STEVENS Will Porsche 963 247 1:02.155 1 lap
10 5 Hypercar H PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT CHRISTENSEN Michael Porsche 963 247 1:08.887 6.811
11 94 Hypercar H PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES DUVAL Loïc Peugeot 9X8 246 2 laps 1 lap
12 63 Hypercar H LAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX BORTOLOTTI Mirko Lamborghini SC63 246 1:43.224 10.772
13 19 Hypercar H LAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX GROSJEAN Romain Lamborghini SC63 246 2:02.737 20.146
14 93 Hypercar H PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES JENSEN Mikkel Peugeot 9X8 246 2:49.274 46.513
15 99 Hypercar H PROTON COMPETITION TINCKNELL Harry Porsche 963 242 6 laps 4 laps
16 11 Hypercar H ISOTTA FRASCHINI SERRAVALLE Antonio Isotta Fraschini Tipo6-C 242 3:15.876 2:18.380
17 34 LM P2 INTER EUROPOL COMPETITION NOVALAK Clément Oreca 07 – Gibson 236 12 laps 6 laps
18 10 LM P2 VECTOR SPORT PILET Patrick Oreca 07 – Gibson 236 1:00.164 0.822
19 22 LM P2 UNITED AUTOSPORTS SIEGEL Nolan Oreca 07 – Gibson 236 1:15.630 15.962
20 37 LM P2 COOL RACING MIYATA Ritomo Oreca 07 – Gibson 236 1:16.316 0.686
21 28 LM P2 IDEC SPORT VAN UITERT Job Oreca 07 – Gibson 236 1:17.218 0.902
22 183 LM P2 P/A AF CORSE VARRONE Nicolas Oreca 07 – Gibson 236 1:28.268 11.120
23 14 LM P2 P/A AO BY TF DELÉTRAZ Louis Oreca 07 – Gibson 235 13 laps 1 lap
24 33 LM P2 P/A DKR ENGINEERING BINDER René Oreca 07 – Gibson 235 34.074 3:12.088
25 25 LM P2 ALGARVE PRO RACING DE ANGELIS Roman Senna Oreca 07 – Gibson 234 14 laps 1 lap
26 65 LM P2 P/A PANIS RACING HUFFAKER Scott Oreca 07 – Gibson 233 15 laps 1 lap
27 47 LM P2 P/A COOL RACING BELL Matthew Oreca 07 – Gibson 232 16 laps 1 lap
28 24 LM P2 NIELSEN RACING SCHERER Fabio Oreca 07 – Gibson 231 17 laps 1 lap
29 311 Hypercar H WHELEN CADILLAC RACING DERANI Luis Felipe Cadillac V-Series.R 225 23 laps 6 laps
30 91 LMGT3 MANTHEY EMA SCHURING Morris Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 224 24 laps 86:30.179
31 31 LMGT3 TEAM WRT FARFUS Augusto BMW M4 LMGT3 224 23 laps 3.358
32 87 LMGT3 AKKODIS ASP TEAM MASSON Esteban Lexus RC F LMGT3 224 3:16.023 37.135
33 85 LMGT3 IRON DAMES FREY Rahel Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 224 3:19.560 5.182
34 88 LMGT3 PROTON COMPETITION OLSEN Dennis Ford Mustang LMGT3 224 3:29.948 10.388
35 78 LMGT3 AKKODIS ASP TEAM BOGUSLAVSKIY Timur Lexus RC F LMGT3 224 24 laps 32.519
36 44 LMGT3 PROTON COMPETITION TUCK Ben Ford Mustang LMGT3 224 43.893 18.524
37 86 LMGT3 GR RACING PERA Riccardo Ferrari 296 LMGT3 223 25 laps 1 lap
38 55 LMGT3 VISTA AF CORSE ROVERA Alessio Ferrari 296 LMGT3 223 24 laps 1:16.988
39 777 LMGT3 D’STATION RACING SØRENSEN Marco Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 223 25 laps 1:13.461
40 82 LMGT3 TF SPORT BAUD Sébastien Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R 222 26 laps 22.362
41 (+1) 155 LMGT3 SPIRIT OF RACE LAURSEN Conrad Ferrari 296 LMGT3 222 54.202 1 lap
42 70 LMGT3 INCEPTION RACING SCHANDORFF Frederik McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo 221 27 laps 1 lap
43 92 LMGT3 MANTHEY PURERXCING STURM Joel Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 219 28 laps 2 laps
44 23 LM P2 P/A UNITED AUTOSPORTS USA HANLEY Benjamin Oreca 07 – Gibson 212 36 laps 7 laps
45 95 LMGT3 UNITED AUTOSPORTS SATO Marino McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo 212 2:59.856 0.000
46 81 LMGT3 TF SPORT ANDRADE Rui Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R 211 37 laps 54:34.814
47 4 Hypercar H PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT NASR Felipe Porsche 963 211 3:24.668 1 lap
48 60 LMGT3 IRON LYNX PERERA Franck Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 203 45 laps 8 laps
49 77 LMGT3 PROTON COMPETITION ROBICHON Zacharie Ford Mustang LMGT3 171 77 laps 32 laps
50 20 Hypercar H BMW M TEAM WRT VAN DER LINDE Sheldon BMW M HYBRID V8 92 156 laps 79 laps
51 3 Hypercar H CADILLAC RACING DIXON Scott Cadillac V-Series.R 223 25 laps 720:15.883
52 59 LMGT3 UNITED AUTOSPORTS SAUCY Grégoire McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo 220 28 laps 2 laps
53 27 LMGT3 HEART OF RACING TEAM MANCINELLI Daniel Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 196 52 laps 24 laps
54 45 LM P2 P/A CROWDSTRIKE RACING BY APR BRAUN Colin Oreca 07 – Gibson 149 99 laps 47 laps
55 66 LMGT3 JMW MOTORSPORT YOLUC Salih Ferrari 296 LMGT3 112 136 laps 36 laps
56 30 LM P2 P/A DUQUEINE TEAM SIMMENAUER Jean-Baptiste Oreca 07 – Gibson 112 0.000 0.000
57 46 LMGT3 TEAM WRT AL HARTHY Ahmad BMW M4 LMGT3 109 139 laps 3 laps
58 15 Hypercar H BMW M TEAM WRT VANTHOOR Dries BMW M HYBRID V8 102 146 laps 6 laps
59 36 Hypercar H ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM LAPIERRE Nicolas Alpine A424 88 160 laps 14 laps
60 9 LM P2 PROTON COMPETITION RIED Jonas Oreca 07 – Gibson 86 162 laps 1 lap
61 35 Hypercar H ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM HABSBURG Ferdinand Alpine A424 75 173 laps 11 laps
62 54 LMGT3 VISTA AF CORSE FLOHR Thomas Ferrari 296 LMGT3 30 218 laps 45 laps