In the first four hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the AF Corse Ferrari #83, driven by Robert Shwartzman, is leading the race at Circuit de la Sarthe. Miguel Molina is in second place, driving the Ferrari #50, while Matt Campbell is in third place in the Penske Porsche #6.
A smart decision to pit before the rain started allowed the AF Corse Ferrari #83 to compete for the lead. In their next pit stop, the yellow car #499P took the lead with Robert Shwartzman replacing Robert Kubica. Shwartzman built a comfortable 10-second advantage over Michael Christensen in the Porsche #5, with Antonio Fuoco in the Ferrari #50 in third place.
Robin Frijns was making progress in the WRT BMW #20, but a mistake at the Ford Chicanes caused him to hit the wall. To make matters worse, Frijns missed the pit entry and had to complete a full lap before returning for repairs. As a result, the BMW #20 dropped to the back of the Hypercar class, five laps behind the rest of the pack.
After three hours, Shwartzman’s lead doubled over Christensen. Fuoco in the Ferrari #50 began to close the gap on Christensen, reducing it by five seconds over a 10-minute period. Fuoco set the fastest lap just before his pit stop, returning to the race in fifth place. Callum Ilott in the JOTA Porsche #12 and Kamui Kobayashi in the Toyota #7 GR010 Hybrid entered the battle for fifth place.
In the fourth hour, Christensen and Shwartzman made their pit stops, allowing Buemi in the Toyota #8 to take second position. With the possibility of rain, Kobayashi also pitted and managed to pass Ilott and Fuoco to take fifth place. Buemi briefly took the lead from Shwartzman, but he also pitted shortly after.
Brendon Hartley took over the wheel of the Toyota #8 from this point, while James Calado (#51), Ilott (#12), Andre Lotterer (#6 Porsche from Penske), Jack Aitken (#311 Cadillac from Whelen Engineering), and Mick Schumacher (#36 Alpine A424) all went to the pits.
The unusual position of the pack due to the previous rain had a significant impact, with Christensen and Fuoco returning to second and third places.
Fuoco was closing in on the Porsche #5, reducing the gap between second and third place to four seconds after three hours and 23 minutes of racing.
Meanwhile, Shwartzman increased his lead to 25 seconds.
The race was interrupted by a one-minute Full Course Yellow (FCY), likely caused by Clement Novalak in the Inter Europol LMP2 Oreca-07 Gibson #34.
Novalak was seen returning to the pits with only three tires, losing his position among the top three in his class that he had held for most of the time in the car.
Shortly after the end of the FCY, Fuoco managed to catch up with Christensen, resulting in a battle for second place on the track.
Fuoco quickly overtook Christensen, making it a Ferrari one-two, although they were still 20 seconds behind the leader Shwartzman.
Another Full Course Yellow was implemented at 7:34 PM, lasting two minutes and presumably caused by the need to clean gravel from another LMP2 incident.
Fuoco and Christensen continued their battle, with Fuoco seemingly winning by opening a two-second gap over the Porsche #5 and closing in on the leader Shwartzman, being 15 seconds behind.
In the midst of his impressive performance, Fuoco made a pit stop, refueling the Ferrari #50 and handing the wheel over to Miguel Molina.
Christensen made his pit stop one lap after the Ferrari, allowing teammate Matt Campbell to take over driving duties in the Porsche #5.
Race leader Shwartzman managed to extend his time behind the wheel a few minutes longer than his pursuers, remaining at the helm of the Ferrari #83 and preserving his tires for an additional stint after refueling.
As a result, he maintained a few seconds’ advantage over the Toyota #8, which was on a different pit stop strategy.
After the final round of pit stops, Shwartzman’s lead increased to a steady 40 seconds over Molina, with Campbell a further 1.2 seconds behind the Ferrari.
Nick Tandy found himself in fourth place in the Porsche #4, with Hartley rounding out the top five in the Toyota #8.
In the LMP2 class, Ryan Cullen of Vector Sport maintained a strong lead since the Novalak incident that triggered the previous Full Course Yellow.
Car #10 is ahead of Ritomo Miyata in the Cool Racing car #37 and Nolan Siegel in the United Autosport car #22, although Siegel has a pending drive-through penalty due to an unfortunate attempt to overtake the DKY Engineering Orecao-07 Gibson #33.
Kyffin Simpson occupies fourth place in the Nielsen Racing car #24, with Francois Perrodo in fifth place in the AF Corse entry #183.
Things did not go well for the United car #23, as Ben Keating spun into the gravel at Turn 2 early in his stint, causing damage to the alternator and requiring extensive repairs. This resulted in the American driver falling 17 laps behind the rest of the LMP2 field.
Shortly before the end of the fourth hour, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi made his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by driving the WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 #46 for the first time. After four hours of racing, Rossi was leading the class.
The second place belonged to Salih Yoluc in the JMW Motorsport Ferrari 296 LMGT3 #66, with Yasser Shahin in the Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 #91 completing the top three.
Aliaksandr Malykhin was in fourth place in the Manthey Porsche #92, while Sarah Bovy from Iron Dames completed the top five in the Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 #85.
© 2024
A new record was set in the world of sports today, leaving fans around the world ecstatic. The incredible athlete, known as “The Lightning”, won the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint at the Tokyo Olympics. With an impressive time of 9.58 seconds, he surpassed the previous world record and became the fastest man in the world.
The Lightning, whose real name is unknown, is a phenomenon in the world of athletics. His speed and agility are unmatched, and he has left his competitors behind in every competition. This victory at the Olympic Games is just further proof of his exceptional ability.
The athlete, known for his unique running style and charismatic personality, is now a living legend. He is adored by fans of all ages and has inspired a new generation of athletes to pursue their dreams. With his historic win, he has proven that nothing is impossible when you have determination and talent.
Fans are eager to see what the future holds for The Lightning. With his impressive speed and skill, there is no doubt that he will continue to break records and make his mark in the world of athletics. He is truly an exceptional athlete and an inspiring example for all.
This historic achievement at the Tokyo Olympic Games is a milestone in The Lightning’s career. He has already won several gold medals in previous competitions, but this victory is special. It solidifies his place in the history of the sport and puts him at the top of the list of the greatest athletes of all time.
Congratulations to The Lightning for his incredible achievement! We are excited to see more of his extraordinary talent and witness more records being broken. He is truly a living legend and a pride to the world of sports.
