We are within the final hour here at Le Mans. With the battery technology, you don't want to use all the capacity of the Motor Generator Unit. But, the car is still harvesting the energy. The batteries can discharge too quickly, and they lose power, after a long period time, losing performance. It's very similar to your electronic devices like iPhones and computers. If the batteries get too hot, they'll wear down. It is Lena Gade's final race at Audi, and Brad Kettler is healing from illness. Kettler has been with Audi Sport Customer Racing at Le Mans for 18 years, and sadly, had to miss this year. But, he'll be back.
Based on time, we might have 15 laps left in this race, before the checkers fall. The #62 Ferrari just pitted and we have just 47 minutes remaining now. Toyota has had a horse for this race. We're not done yet. Toyota has guarded optimism that they'll win this thing. The #49 Mike Shank Racing Ligier JS P2 Honda, is off the road. Laurens Vanthoor was drafted in from GT racing. Vanthoor won the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring. The track was covered in hail during a red flag, and Mercedes finished 1-2. This was the race that was done on both sides of the Nordschleife. You saw highlights from the Nurburgring, of course, fans.
Ford GT #66 ran fastest lap at 3:51.5 with Billy Johnson at the controls. Dirk Mueller still leads LM GTE Pro. You win 24 hour races by spending the least amount of time in pit lane, not by being the fastest driver. These LMP1 Hybrids are 1,000 horsepower beasts between the internal combustion engine and the hybrid system. Neel Jani is pitting the Porsche 919 for the final time. Kazuki Nakajima has held Jani off and Jani has made no inroads on Toyota's lead. Toyota will do a splash and dash near the end of this race. Ford and Toyota have families who have been in this business. Frederic Sausset will finish the race.
You have to be invited to compete at Le Mans. You can't just sing an entry and someone stamps it and says, "you're in". Toyota pits. Splash and dash, done and dusted, as the car goes away on electric power. Toyota, is on it's way, to a Le Mans win. 35 minutes to go. Less than that now. It's been a race for the record books, including a safety car start for the first time in history, as well as a recorc 60 car field. David Heinemier Hansson just dropped a place in class. Ganassi on one pit stop, could not kill the motor in the pits, like the rules state, but they were not penalized completely and should win LM GTE Pro.
Corvette did not have the race they wanted this year. They'll rebound in the future. Algarve Pro Racing makes their final pit stop. Lena Gade, will move to Bentley, who may race in the U.S. in a few years. Nicolas Lapierre will take the Alpine to the flag. 25 minutes remain now as we keep counting down. The #82 Risi Competizione Ferrari has a mechanical black flag, or a meatball. The leader lights are not working. The #6 Toyota makes it's final pit stop. We have just over 20 minutes to go. Toyota will be the first Japanese brand to win Le Mans since 1991 when Mazda did it. Anthony Davidson, has been with this team all along. He broke his back in a savage wreck here at Le Mans in the 24 Hours, a few years ago.
Hughes de Chaunac will have winners in LMP1 and in LMP2 with the Alpine, as it is a re-branded Oreca. French, Japanese, and American flags, will be waving. With 17 minutes to go, there is supposed to be a penalty to serve on these leader lights. That would be insane. They have one side illuminated. One side is not. Stay with us, for the end, which is about 15 minutes away. 24 Hours has now become 12 minutes. Toyota and Ford squeeze each other. Oh dear! Porsche #2 makes it's final stop. Porsche will salvage some pride and finish second, trying to defend their overall victory of a year ago.
Stop/go penalty for the #82 Risi Ferrari. Dirk Mueller will finally win Le Mans. But, oh no! There's a problem with the Toyota! He's got power issues. Bring it home, sunshine. Bring it home! Neel Jani is coming. This is heartbreaking for Toyota, if he's lost power, and he has! Oh dear! It's all over for Toyota! Porsche, now will win their second straight Le Mans! Unbelievable! This is heartbreak for Toyota, and Porsche, will win, again, but it won't even begin to tell the story of this race! This is baffling!
This is the last lap. Porsche are sudden victors, for the 19th time, at Le Mans! But, spare feeling for the Toyota team. Marc Lieb, Neel Jani, and Romain Dumas, win Le Mans! Alpine and Signatech win LMP2 with Gustavo Menezes, Stephane Richelmi, and Nico Lapierre. Sebastien Bourdais, Joey Hand, and Dirk Mueller, win for Ford in LM GTE Pro. Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, and Jeff Segal win LM GTE Am.
Overall/LMP1: #2 Jani/Dumas/Lieb Porsche 919 Hybrid
LMP2: #36 Lapierre/Menezes/Richelmi Alpine A450 Nissan
LM GTE Pro: #68 Bourdais/Hand/Mueller Ford GT
LM GTE Am: #83 Sweedler/Bell/Segal Ferrari 488 GTE
384 laps, 3,252 miles. Holy cow! You cannot predict it. This race, chooses you. For the second year in a row, it chooses, Porsche and their 919 Hybrid. Toyota deserved to win. Gut wrenching for Toyota, joyous for Porsche. The next race, is in Germany at The Nurburgring, in July. But, we'll have to digest this race for a good few weeks. Unbelievable. Now, it's time to say goodbye. We'll see you next year.
It began in the rain, racing through the long afternoon racing through the setting sun. Night, flying in the darkness. Dawn, a battle between Audi, Porsche, and Toyota. Intensity, pass after pass. Ford dominating GT. It'll be a race known for ferocity and the headlines of the winners. Au revoir, everyone.
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