The battle for supremacy at the Le Mans 24 Hours is heating up, with Ferrari taking the lead and Porsche fighting to stay in the race. In a stunning turn of events, Ferrari’s trio of 499P LMHs have dominated the first quarter of the race, leaving their competitors in the dust. The #50 Ferrari surged ahead, closely followed by the #83 customer car, showcasing Ferrari’s undeniable power on the track.
However, Porsche is not going down without a fight. The #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 LMDh, driven by Julien Andlauer, quickly claimed the top spot early on, shaking up the leaderboard. Despite a rocky start due to disqualification in qualifying, the #6 Porsche driven by Kevin Estre made an impressive comeback, climbing up to third place by the end of the second hour.
Meanwhile, Cadillac, initially a strong contender, started to lose ground as the race progressed. The #50 Ferrari solidified its lead, with the #6 Porsche hot on its heels but still trailing by nearly 30 seconds. BMW also showed promise, holding fifth and sixth positions after a strong start.
In the midst of the hypercars’ battle, the LMP2 division saw intense competition, with the #48 VDS Panis Racing ORECA-Gibson 07 leading the pack after six hours of racing. However, the #43 Inter Europol entry faced setbacks, including a pit stop mishap, causing them to slip down the rankings.
In the LMGT3 category, the #46 WRT BMW M4 led the charge, closely followed by the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 and the #92 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R, as teams jostled for position throughout the race.
Despite the fierce competition, the #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang became the first casualty of the race, crashing out early on. The #95 United Autosports McLaren 720S also encountered issues, stalling on the track during the sixth hour.
As the Le Mans 24 Hours unfolds, the battle for supremacy rages on, with Ferrari asserting its dominance and Porsche vying for a chance to reclaim the lead. Stay tuned as the drama continues to unfold on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe.
