Seven hours remain at Le Mans. Everyone and their brother, has gone off the road. The you know what, has hit the fan, at certain times. Oh. buddy! What just happened there? Does Edoardo Freitas have direct ability to speak with the drivers? He might. The Toyota's have been running like trains as of late. Some of these boys are the walking wounded right now. There's been a lot of argy bargy out there. If your car is still out there, you've been lulled to sleep, by the engine noise. It's taking it's toll on you. Your trying to catch a nap. You make it to sunrise, and then you realize, wait... seven hours to go? Ugh! You know what needs to happen. So, you are rewinding from the end of the race.
The #82 Ferrari pits. What will the next stint be like for Ferrari and Ford in GTE Pro. The #68 needed a steering wheel change. What issue was Sebastien Bourdais having with the old wheel? Neel Jani continues to chase down the Toyota's. Scaling down the manufacturer's efforts, have changed the strategies. It depends on the year, and on racing luck. Matteo Malucelli continues to run strongly, with the Ford's chasing them down. Dirk Mueller and Richard Westbrook are the two top Ford's at the present time. It is cool and overcast at Le Mans at the moment. We watch Frederic Sausset. He is an amazing individual.
The Porsche 919 seems a little nervous to Neel Jani. The car is washing away in the turns a little bit, losing some grip. Matteo Malucelli remains at the wheel of the #82 Risi Competizione Ferrari. Drivers know exactly where they are at. These 24 hour races come down to mere seconds by the end of the race. The Ferrari is very much improved even over what it was at Daytona back in January, a race that was also covered, on this blog, of course. Stephane Richelmi in the #36 Alpine continues to lead LMP2. Mike Shank Racing, could still finish well in LMP2. Sebastien Buemi was given a warning for exceeding track limits.
Toyota looks to be prepping for another pit stop. The crews look as if they've flown in from mars, as the Ferris wheel is brightly lit. Cars have dropped out. Eight hours to go, now four, as you feel a magnetic force, an honor to cross the line, and plenty of glory, if you are the winner. Drive through penalty for the #68 Ford GT, for having the engine running, during refueling. That's elementary, and you cannot run the motor during pit stops. Shut the engine off. They'll have to pit and stop and hold for the penalty. This is HUGE for Ford, losing time.
Wishing a Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there. Matteo Malucelli leads in GTE Pro. The #2 Porsche pits. Marc Lieb takes over from Neel Jani. G Drive pits their car. Did Ford make a mistake? Did they in fact leave the engine running, on a pit stop? Is their chance for glory on their return to La Sarthe, over? A massive effort goes into this race, and if you fall out, again, if you are the driver, who is paid to go fast, and a mistake is made, you are gutted.
The #62 Ferrari has pitted. Can the Ford's turn the wick up? The #68 car has served it's penalty. There's plenty of time left. Come in, take your medicine, and keep going. It affects your strategy, but you can't let it affect you negatively. Use what you have left in the locker. Filipe Albuquerque runs for Audi, and is paid by Audi, for privateer teams such as Blancpain Endurance Series for example.
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