Earl Bamber (NZL) / Alex Lynn (GBR) / Alex Palou (ESP) #02 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R.
12.06.2024. FIA World Endurance Championship, Round 4, Le Mans 24 Hours, Practice and Qualifying, Le Mans, France, Wednesday.
– www.xpbimages.com, EMail: [email protected] – The driver Alex Palau, from Chip Ganassi Racing team, was leading the race in the 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after 20 hours of intense competition.
In the 18th hour, Hiroshi Hamaguchi, in the United Autosports #95 McLaren 720S LMGT3, made an exciting overtaking maneuver on Michelle Gatting’s Lamborghini Huracan #85 at the Mulsanne corner, securing second place in the category.
A significant turning point occurred when the third safety car (SC) period was activated after Daniel Mancinelli’s Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage #27 flipped, forcing him to retire from the race.
A replay showed the cautious approach of car #27 towards the Hypercar traffic at the Indianapolis corner. However, due to the wet track conditions from the previous night’s heavy rain, the Aston Martin lost control, collided with the tire barrier, and flipped. Fortunately, Mancinelli emerged unharmed, and an Aston Martin spokesperson confirmed his release from the medical center.
After nearly an hour under the safety car, the race resumed with an exciting battle among the top eight Hypercars. Robert Schwartzman, in the AF Corse #83 Ferrari 499P, defended his position against Antonio Fuoco in the Ferrari #50, while Kamui Kobayashi in the Toyota GR10 Hybrid #7 challenged both drivers.
An intense side-by-side action between the three cars created an exciting spectacle. However, Kobayashi had a brief turbo problem, losing power and allowing Kevin Estre in the Porsche Penske #6 and his teammate Sebastien Buemi in the Toyota #8 to overtake him. Buemi then successfully maneuvered past Estre.
The group was reduced to seven cars after Pipo Derani’s Cadillac V-Series.R #311 made contact with the barrier, causing significant damage to the bodywork and suspension. Although Derani managed to return to the pits, he could no longer compete at the level of the leaders with less than six hours remaining.
A slow zone was implemented to clear the wreckage of car #311, momentarily pausing the intense battle between the leaders. Frederic Makowiecki took advantage of this situation and moved ahead of Fuoco and Schwartzman.
Shortly after, Fuoco executed a remarkable and daring maneuver on Schwartzman at the Indianapolis corner, securing third place. Schwartzman was instructed to continue using his soft tires for three consecutive stints, which proved to be unfortunate for him.
Despite his strong performance, Makowiecki received a penalty for passing through the slow zone procedures, causing him to lose ground.
As a result, pole-sitter Estre reclaimed the lead, with Earl Bamber taking over the Cadillac #2 in the pits. Kobayashi continued to exert immense pressure on Estre, but the Porsche Penske driver managed to stay ahead, resisting the persistent Toyota.
In the LMP2 category, Malthe Jakobsen maintained a consistent and strong pace in the Cool Racing #37 car, securing a prominent position in the class. Meanwhile, Clement Novolak drove the Inter Europol Competition’s Oreca #34, the team that achieved its first WEC and Le Mans victory at last year’s Centenary event.
There was a tense moment when Gregoire Saucy’s McLaren 720S LMGT3 EVO #59, which was competing for a podium position, had a brief stop on the track but managed to continue to the pit area from fifth position.
The Manthey EMA Porsche 911 #91 maintained a small advantage, with Morris Schuring at the wheel. The WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 #31, the only BMW in the race, battled hard in second place, driven by Augusto Farfus.
The debut of the Lexus RC F LMGT3, driven by Esteban Masson in car #87, showed an impressive performance. Rahel Frey kept the Iron Dames’ Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 EVO2 #85 in fourth place, aiming for her second WEC victory after last year’s Bahrain finale and her first Le Mans victory in the new LMGT3 class.
The fifth position was occupied by the highest-placed Ford Mustang LMGT3, with Dennis Olsen piloting the Proton machine #88.
© 2024
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