Security cars (SC) were deployed early in the morning at 03:45:37 and remained on the track until 08:11:12, at which point the Toyota Gazoo Racing #8 took the lead with Ryo Hirakawa driving the Toyota GR010 Hybrid Hypercar #8.
However, when the track went green again, the top six cars were all on the same lap. This resulted in the 24-hour race being divided into two parts, with an eight-hour sprint to the finish line at 16:00 (CET) local time.
Hirakawa replaced Hartley as the driver of the leading Toyota. Hartley, a New Zealander, complained of leg cramps after the long period of the Safety Car.
The long Safety Car period began during the 13th hour of the race. The Cadillac Racing #311 Whelen, driven by Jack Aitken, spun in the gravel, causing the deployment of the Safety Car due to rain. The Safety Car remained on the track for a few more hours as the weather conditions worsened.
The Porsche 963 #6 is only a few seconds behind the leading car, the Toyota GR010 #8.
There could be a lot of action in the next seven hours! #WEC #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/aj0cog3NU7
– 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 16, 2024
In the pursuit of the top spot in the Hypercar category, the Porsche 963 #6 from Porsche Penske Motorsport, driven by Laurens Vanthoor, held the second position. The Ferrari AF Corse, represented by the Cavallino Rampante, was in third place with the Porsche #6 right behind. The Ferrari had previously lost time in the race due to tire strategy.
The Toyota #7, in fourth place, managed to avoid a penalty for a pit stop error. Nyck De Vries, who took over from teammate Jose Maria Lopez, joined the wrong Safety Car train. Robert Kubica was in fifth place driving the Ferrari #83, which had previously led the race but dropped down after receiving a 30-second penalty for causing a collision with the BMW M Hybrid #15 driven by Dries Vanthoor.
The Hertz Team JOTA’s Porsche 963 #38 was in sixth place, with Jenson Button behind the wheel for the restart. British compatriot Alex Lynn was one position behind in the Cadillac Racing V-Series.R #3. Next up were the Ferrari AF Corsa #51 in eighth place, the Cadillac Racing #2 in ninth place, and the Porsche Penske Motorsport #5 rounding out the top ten.
In the LMGT3 category, the Manthey PureRacing’s Porsche #92 was leading, followed by the Manthey EMA’s Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 #91 in second place. The United Autosports’ McLaren #95 occupied third place, while car #59, also from United Autosports, received a drive-through penalty for James Cottingham’s speeding during a yellow flag throughout the circuit.
In fourth place was the Akkodis ASP Team with the Lexus RC F LMGT3, and the Team WRT with Sean Gelael driving the BMW M4 LMGT3 completed the top five.
In the LMP2 category, the AF Corse’s Pro-Am #183 was in the lead, with Francois Perrodo completing his stint during the long Safety Car period. Ben Barnicoat was ready to take over the wheel as the race was set to resume shortly. In second place was the United Autosports’ #22, and the initial race leader, the Vector Sport’s #10, completed the top three.
The first half of the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans was marked by inconsistent weather conditions, with 12 hours remaining and thanks to a safety car intervention, the Porsche 963 from Porsche Penske Motorsport took the lead in the Hypercar category ahead of strong competitors such as Toyota Gazoo Racing, Ferrari AF Corse, and Cadillac Racing.
At the halfway point of the race, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Toyota Gazoo Racing, and Ferrari AF Corse are involved in an intense battle for the lead, with all nine leading Hypercars on the same lap!
Porsche Penske Motorsport held onto the lead at 04:00, but Toyota Gazoo Racing remains undeterred. Based on their extensive experience, the Japanese team is strategically maneuvering to overcome their rivals.
The team’s drivers are also performing exceptionally well. The GR010 Hybrid #8, driven by Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa, currently holds second place, followed by the Cadillac V-Series.R #3 from Cadillac Racing.
The race witnessed several unexpected twists in the last four hours: the AF Corse’s Ferrari 499P #83 received a 30-second penalty after colliding with the BMW M Hybrid V8 #15 from BMW M Team WRT, resulting in the retirement of the latter.
Earlier in the race, the Team WRT’s BMW M4 LMGT3 #46 suffered an incident that ended the race when Ahmad Al Harty lost control of the car between the Dunlop chicane and the “S” Tertre Rouge. Al Harty was sharing the car with Maxime Martin and nine-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi.
A second phase of neutralization began at 03:45 as the rain intensified, causing the Whelen Cadillac Racing’s Cadillac V-Series.R #311 to spin at the “S” Tertre Rouge. The two Toyotas quickly refueled and switched to rain tires, allowing the Porsche 963 Hypercar #6 to take the lead.
The LMP2 category also provided an exciting competition. The battle for first place intensified between the Nielsen Racing ORECA 07-Gibson #24 and the AF Corse #183, but at 02:44, the #24, driven by David Heinemeier Hansson, collided with the Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3 #77 at the Tertre Rouge “S” bend. This incident caused the British team to lose the lead to the Italians.
The engine of the Duqueine Team ORECA 07-Gibson #30, driven by John Falb, James Allen, and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, failed while approaching the Daytona chicane.
In the LMGT3 category, the Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 #46 faced an incident that ended the race when Ahmad Al Harty lost control of the car between the Dunlop chicane and the Tertre Rouge “S” bend. Al Harty was sharing the car with Maxime Martin and nine-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi.
The LMGT3 category witnessed an impressive duel between Porsche and McLaren for the first position. The Manthey PureRacing Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 #92, driven by Aliaksandr Malykhin, Joel Sturm, and Klaus Bachler, currently holds the lead, ahead of the #91 Porsche and the United Autosports McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo #59. The top eight cars in the category are on the same lap.
During the night at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, an intriguing battle unfolded involving the Ferrari 499P #83, driven by Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman, and Yifei Ye. They set the pace while being closely pursued by Porsche and Toyota, as well as the other two Ferraris.
Kubica, a former Formula 1 driver, briefly took the lead during the opening stint as the “underdogs” in the defense of the 2023 Le Mans title with three Ferrari cars. The third privateer car for Le Mans stole the show. Here is the official report after four hours by the FIA WEC media team:
As darkness fell over Le Mans, the top ten teams in the Hypercar class remained on the same lap. A brief period of rain in the second hour of the race caused a reshuffle in the standings, as some competitors opted for rain tires to play it safe. However, sticking with slick tires proved to be the right choice in this case.
[This report will be updated as necessary throughout the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. Refresh this page for the latest version. Enjoy the race!]
On the second pit stop, the Porsche Penske team equipped car #6 with soft tires. However, when the first drops of rain fell at 17:37, followed by a downpour at Porsche Curves one minute later, several cars decided to switch to rain tires. Others postponed the decision, as several parts of the 13.626 km circuit were still dry.
A captivating battle unfolded between Robert Kubica in the AF Corse team’s Ferrari 499P #83, leading on soft slick tires, and the factory team’s Ferrari #50 on medium tires. The Polish driver showcased his experience by resisting several attacks from Nicklas Nielsen. However, the Danish driver eventually overtook Kubica to regain the lead shortly before the 6-hour mark.
Due to the sequence of pit stops, the AF Corse Ferrari #83, now driven by Robert Shwartzman, found itself in the lead, ahead of the factory Porsche #5 and the Toyota #8.
Robin Frijns found himself forced to complete a full lap with three wheels. The Dutchman could not go to the pits after crashing the BMW M Hybrid V8 #20 “art car” at the final chicane. The mechanics from BMW M Team WRT spent 22 minutes attending to the car before it returned to the race.
The French football icon Zinedine Zidane proudly waved the flag of France to kick off the 92nd edition of the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans today at 16:00, local time. This marked the beginning of an intense competition with one of the most formidable lineups in the history of this enduring motor racing event.
In the opening hour, the three Ferrari hypercars showed their dominance, with Nicklas Nielsen in the factory team’s Ferrari 499P #50 surprising his teammate in car #51, while Sébastien Bourdais in the Cadillac V-Series.R #3 made a remarkable start, gaining ground in the early moments.
Demonstrating exceptional skill, the Danish driver quickly overtook Laurens Vanthoor in the pole position Porsche 963 #6 at the Indianapolis section, securing the overall lead. Meanwhile, Antonio Giovinazzi, driving the Ferrari 499P #51, displayed impressive speed on the second lap, clocking in at 3:30.347, which propelled him to third place. Giovinazzi skillfully maneuvered to pass Bourdais at the first chicane of the Mulsanne straight.
After a few hours of intense racing, Ferrari secured the top two positions in the standings, with the Italian driver surpassing Vanthoor’s position. However, the top eleven competitors remained fiercely competitive, all on the same lap.
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We eagerly await the final at 16:00 tomorrow to witness the crowning of the victorious team in the 92nd edition of this thrilling race. #WEC #LeMans pic.twitter.com/GHnlZ9veMe
– 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 15, 2024
Meanwhile, during the same time period, former Formula 1 champion Robert Kubica made significant progress in the AF Corse Ferrari 499P #83, starting from 12th position on the grid and leading for a period close to two hours.
In the Hypercar class, the first setback occurred with the BMW M Hybrid V8 #15. Marco Witmann lost control at Esses da Floresta and collided with the barrier. Although Witmann was able to continue after spinning, he had to make a pit stop to change the car’s nose.
Vanthoor in the Porsche #6 briefly regained the lead after leaving the pits, but it was short-lived as Nielsen quickly reclaimed it. However, Ferrari #50 will receive a ten-second penalty during its second pit stop due to an unsafe release.
The Porsche 963 #99 was forced to go to the garage after officials reported a possible problem with Neel Jani’s car door.
After the second hour, Nielsen was leading in the factory Ferrari, closely followed by Kubica in the yellow AF Corse Ferrari. Ferrari’s intentions are evident at this stage.
At the same time, approximately two hours after the start of the race, certain parts of the track became wet due to rain, leading to divergent opinions in the pit lane regarding the choice between rain tires or slicks.
In the LMP2 class, the COOL Racing Oreca 07-Gibson #47 encountered a problem and slowly headed to the pits at the end of the first lap. It was later reported that the problem was a radiator leak. The DKR Engineering #33 car also had a slow puncture and had to make a pit stop. The first car to go off track and into the gravel in this class was the United Autosports USA Oreca #23, driven by American veteran Ben Keating.
During the first hour, the Inception Racing McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo #70, driven by Frederik Schandorff, had the fastest qualifying time in the LMGT3 category. Ben Barker in the Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3 #77, starting from fourth position on the grid, was very close. Larry Ten Voorde in the JMW Ferrari 296 LMGT3 #66 was also in contention for the lead.
This report will be periodically updated throughout the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. Refresh this page for the latest version. Enjoy the race!
Let the competition begin! Psychological warfare, tactics, weather conditions, speed, and endurance will be tested as 23 Hypercars, representing motorsport giants like Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac, Peugeot, Alpine, Lamborghini, and BMW, compete for the top prizes in the most important race of the 2024 WEC season.
Furthermore, the presence of 18 former Formula 1 drivers, the world’s best sports car drivers, and all the ingredients are gathered for an extraordinary race that will last twenty-four hours, potentially making it one of the most remarkable races ever witnessed, at least on paper.
Before we proceed, it is important to acknowledge that as magnificent as the Le Mans race is, it also has a tragic history. A total of 22 drivers have lost their lives at this venue. The most recent fatality was Aston Martin driver Allan Simonsen, who died while driving an Aston Martin during the 2013 edition of the race. This number does not include track marshals, spectators, or other race participants, including the 1955 catastrophe that claimed the lives of 83 spectators.
Le Mans continues to be one of the most dangerous motorsport events, so we sincerely hope for the safety of all drivers, team members, officials, volunteers, spectators, and everyone involved in this extraordinary endurance race. Our wish is for everyone to return home happily on Sunday night after what we anticipate to be an unforgettable race.
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing suffers damage during collision in warm-up session!! #WEC #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/ywDPu1K5AA
– FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) June 15, 2024
With only 15 minutes to warm up on the 13.626 km Le Mans track before the scheduled start time at 16:00, teams were in a frenzy to prepare their cars for the race, especially as the weather conditions proved to be unpredictable.
The Race Direction declared the track as “wet” and instructed the drivers to turn on their rain lights as a few raindrops began to fall. Scott Dixon from Cadillac Racing reported that the main wet spot on the track was located at Mulsanne.
While many cars made pit stops to change tires or even drivers during the warm-up session, the Toyota GR010-Hybrid #7 and the Lexus RC F LMGT3 #78 had no choice but to return to their respective garages after Nyck de Vries, in the Japanese Hypercar, collided with Kelvin van der Linde from the Akkodis ASP LMGT3 team.
The Porsche 963 #12 was on the track alongside the other 61 cars. The mechanics from Hertz Team Jota accomplished a remarkable feat by completely rebuilding the car from scratch after the original chassis was damaged in Callum Ilott’s accident during Wednesday night’s practice. The car quickly found its race pace and recorded the fifth fastest time in the session.
However, the warm-up lap times reflected the cautious approach of the drivers on the slippery track, with only Robert Kubica in the AF Corse Ferrari 499P #83 managing to complete a lap in under 3:30. AF Corse also recorded the fastest time in the LMP2 category.
Before the official start at 16:00, a series of ceremonies take place. The vehicles line up in diagonal formation, a helicopter carries the French flag, there is a captivating performance of the French national anthem with audience participation, and the Patrouille de France aerobatic team performs a flyover.
As time passes, the anxiety builds among the drivers. When the race director gives permission to release the 62 cars, the excitement intensifies and the competitors embark on a relentless 24-hour battle.
© 2024
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo surprised everyone by announcing his retirement from the field. The Portuguese star, known for his incredible skills and success with various clubs, has decided to end his career at its peak. At 39 years old, Ronaldo stated that he feels it is the right time to take a step back and spend more time with his family.
Ronaldo had a brilliant career, winning numerous titles and awards over the years. He shone at Manchester United, where he won the Champions League and several Premier League titles. He then moved to Real Madrid, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer and won four Champions League titles.
After his time at Real Madrid, Ronaldo joined Juventus, where he continued to showcase his talent and leadership on the field. He helped the Italian team win the Serie A title, but decided it was time to bid farewell to professional football.
The news of Ronaldo’s retirement shocked fans and teammates. Many expressed their admiration for the player and thanked him for all the memories and incredible moments he provided throughout his career. The world of football will certainly miss his presence in the matches.
Despite his retirement, Ronaldo made it clear that he will continue to be involved in the sport. He plans to dedicate himself to charity projects and help develop young talent in football. His influence and impact on the sport will be remembered forever.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy is undeniable. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and his name will be etched in the history of football. His skill, determination, and dedication have inspired millions of people around the world.
While fans mourn the end of Ronaldo’s career, they are also eager to see what the future holds for the star. With his passion for the sport and his desire to make a difference, there is no doubt that he will continue to leave his mark in the world of football, even off the field.
