This race is not over by a long shot. Time backwards from the end of the race. Audi has had 13 overall wins. Toyota, looks like they'll make history, becoming only the second Japanese brand to win Le Mans. But... we'll see. Romain Rusinov has gotten around Stephane Richelmi in LMP2. There are lots of what ifs, Toyota #6 is in pit lane. Hughes de Chaunac from Oreca, helps Toyota, logistically. Ford and Ferrari have both executed. Three of the four Ford's have been bulletproof except for the #67 car which had transmission gremlins right from the start. The Ford seems to have a slight edge again, over the Ferrari. Tire compounds suit the two cars differently, depending on the weather, as has been explained throughout this race.
Scott Dixon is at the keyboard of the #69 Ford GT, and he is on debut at Le Mans, who is platinum rated. He didn't have to do the test day before the race, due to that status. It has been a memorable running of Le Mans, and we're not done yet. Ford originally wanted to buy Ferrari. Mr. Ferrari said, "no way!" and then Ford built their own car, the legendary GT40, which won four straight times at Le Mans between 1966 and 1969. Should a Ford win happen, how will it be perceived? We have had a two-tiered race, in GTE the whole race. Ferrari and Ford are running heads up, and Chevrolet, Corvette, and Aston Martin, have been left in the dust. Take the rule book as a racer, and bend it to your advantage, within the rules.
It's been a whale of a race today, ladies and gentlemen. In some ways, for Toyota, when they made the commitment for this year, they were totally committed to building this new car, since the past couple cars of theirs, totally flopped. Porsche have found the extra lap, but did so a bit late. They might not need an extra stop, and can go on long runs. They have to do that, but also, close the gap. Go faster, but save fuel. Huh? Toyota has thrown tremendous resources at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since the 1980s. Stephane Sarrazin has been on the podium so many times. Sarrazin, he will be on the podium, but not win.
Bob Wollek, won a class win here in 2000, but it didn't mean too much to him. Bourdais and Dixon race with Chevrolet in IndyCar. Race drivers don't race enough these days, because you've got nine or ten races, and there aren't enough test sessions. Porsche #2 pits. With the Ford GT program, drivers are contracted to Ganassi, and not to Ford, even though it's a Ford factory effort. An hour and a half remains. In 1994, Toyota was in the lead, with an hour and a half to go. The car, driven by Mauro Martini, Jeff Krosnoff, and Eddie Irvine, had a shift linkage issue. In 1999, all three cars had tire blowouts.
History might not repeat itself this time. Neel Jani just did a thirteen lap stint on fuel. In GTE Pro, the top seven cars are Ford, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Corvette. Toyota pits, for fuel only. No one has to do anything to the car. Fuel, or fuel and tires, and that's it. #28 is off again. These boys and girl have had a fraught race. The girl is Innes Tattinger, and her family, is in the champagne business. Audi #8 pits with Lucas di Grassi at the wheel. Scott Dixon almost goes off the road chasing the Ferrari. The #68 car got caught out at the slow zone in Mulsanne while the Risi Ferrari is in the pit lane. The slow zone is still active, and it's a long one.
Hughes de Chaunac is a great team manager. He's a big part of the Toyota team. Oreca is quite the enterprise. The #1 Porsche 919 goes back to the garage. Innes Tatinger has a flat tire on her car and she hasn't even reached Indianapolis yet. Oh dear! The car is on fire. Innes jumps to safety. Limping on the rim maybe cut an oil line. Innes Tatinger has to be in the marshal's faces, asking, "why didn't you throw that fire extinguisher on my race car sooner?! You're burning my money!" The slow zone is still in effect and teams pit to top off fuel. Many teams will need only one more pit stop.
71 minutes to go. All eyes on the clock. Scuderia Corsa still leads LM GTE Am. The SMP Racing BR01 has run well. They had a fraught race at the Daytona 24 Hours back in January. This has been the biggest contingent of American drivers, at Le Mans, in recent memory. Are we witnessing a new chapter in Le Mans history? Maybe. The speed and the mechanical grip of these cars, is incredible. These are wonderful days if you're a sports car racing fan. Frederic Sausset, again, will finish his national race, and as mentioned, he is a driver, due to medical reasons, who is a quadruple amputee, and fulfilled his dream of racing at Le Mans.
Frederic Sausset, Jean Bernard Bouvet, and Christophe Tinseau, are going to finish this race. Sausset wanted to get into the car. Benoit Treluyer texted him and said, "you're one of us, Frederic. You can do this." The #48 Murphy Prototypes/Gas Monkey car has had episodes in this race. Bean Keating, Marc Goossens, and Jeroen Bleekemolen. Jochen Rindt tried breaking the car, and the team said that they were leading, and they finished. This is a public road. So, lots of people use it.
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