In a heart-stopping turn of events at the Le Mans 24 Hours opening practice, the Iron Lynx team faced a daunting challenge as they were compelled to swap the chassis of their #63 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 following a massive crash involving driver Stephen Grove. The incident, which occurred at the Dunlop Chicane, marked a tumultuous beginning for Mercedes’ return to Le Mans after over two decades.
The catastrophic crash, caused by Grove pushing the limits on his first proper lap, resulted in substantial front-end damage, rendering the car unfit for Wednesday’s qualifying sessions. The team had to resort to replacing the chassis with the one utilized in the European Le Mans Series to get the vehicle back on track for the prestigious endurance race.
Despite the setback, Mercedes’ head of customer racing, Stefan Wendl, noted that a significant portion of the car remained intact, with approximately 80% of the parts salvageable. Wendl explained, “It was a short, heavy impact with a concrete wall unfortunately and the car overall percentage was not so massively damaged but the significant parts of the front beam, of the aluminium chassis was so heavily damaged that we couldn’t repair it here without any tooling kit to align and get it repaired.”
The diligent efforts of the Iron Lynx team saw the completion of the chassis replacement, allowing the #63 car, piloted by Grove, his son Brenton, and factory driver Luca Stolz, to make a triumphant return for Thursday’s FP3 session.
Reflecting on the crash, Stephen Grove admitted to misjudging the track conditions, leading to the loss of control of the vehicle. He shared, “As I went to the corner with the same lines, the same amount of throttle, the same lift, I just lost the rear and it just snapped.”
In a series of unfortunate events for Iron Lynx, another one of their Mercedes, the #60 car driven by Andrew Gilbert, encountered trouble during qualifying due to refueling equipment failure, resulting in insufficient fuel. However, amidst the challenges, there was a glimmer of hope as Lin Hodenius in the #61 Mercedes secured a spot in Hyperpole, marking Mercedes’ first advancement in the 2025 WEC season.
The Le Mans drama continues to unfold as teams navigate the treacherous circuit, facing adversity and triumph in equal measure on the quest for endurance racing glory.
