6AM in France. It should be dry to the end of this race. The #31 of Nathaniel Berthon is back on track after a brake pad change. Both Toyota's have made their latest pit stops. Kobayashi and Nakajima have both stayed in each of the cars. Kobayashi is starting his third stint, and Nakajima going out for the fourth stint. He is probably going out for the final time before Sebastien Buemi gets another shot. Porsche has not been touched all race, but the Ford GT's, and the third Ferrari 488 GTE, are all coming up through the order in GTE Pro. Three Ford's in the top six places. Ferrari #52 has dropped behind. It had a penalty as well, perhaps. It was either a stop/go or a stop and hold. Andy Priaulx is the top Ford. Now, Christian Ried is running his ninth Le Mans. He leads Giancarlo Fisichella, Jeff Segal, Luca Stolz, and Matteo Cairoli. Matteo Cairoli is a hot shoe. Laurens Vanthoor brings in the #92 "Pink Pig". Michael Christensen is waiting to get in. That's the bacon, ham, pork Porsche.
Paul Di Resta says he is making an impact and so is the United Autosports team. He will sleep and then go back into the race a little later on. Di Resta, and Phil Hanson, who did a quintuple stint in the European Le Mans Series race at Monza. Holy cow! Filipe Albuquerque has trained and coached Phil Hanson. The #69 Ford GT has had a lot of pressure, on the U.S. Ford GT team. Strategy is the key factor, and it's nerve racking for the crews and engineers. Ford #69 pits. Scott Dixon will replace Richard Westbrook. Dixon went head to head with Harry Tincknell. Jan Magnussen hopes there will be a way to change the balance of the Corvette, now that it is lightening into the daylight hours.
Patrick Lindsey has picked up a polystyrene marker board somehow. Ah. A lead change, as Toyota #8 passes it's team car. Missed a few details trying to find the onboard camera live stream. So, playing catch up here. The #7 car has led this race since 9:15 P.M. last night. The #54 Spirit of Race Ferrari sees Francesco Castellaci, after Giancarlo Fisichella drove. Now, Thomas Laurent has been in the pit lane for some time now. Both Toyota's have completed 253 laps. Jenson Button remains in 52nd spot, having put in a stint. Now, Billy Johnson has hit the wall in Indianapolis. The Ford GT had to have some rebuilding work. 15 and a half hours gone. Slow zone at Indianapolis. Toyota's lead, separated by 1.4 seconds.
Toyota is eight laps clear of the Rebellion with Thomas Laurent at the controls. The Rebellion's are ten laps adrift of the Toyota's. Andrea Pizzitola is still leading in LMP2. Porsche continues to lead LM GTE Pro, with Richard Lietz behind Kevin Estre. Joey Hand, Tony Kanaan, Antonio Giovinazzi, Scott Dixon, and Mike Rockenfeller, next. The CLM P1 has retired as well as the Paul Dalla Lana Aston Martin, Porsche #94, BR1 #17, Ginetta #6, #40 G-Drive Oreca, and also, the #34 Jackie Chan DC Racing Ligier of David Heinemeier Hanson, Ricky Taylor, and Come Ledogar. Track temperature has dropped to 14.4 degrees Celsius.
We have just had three incidents. The #47 Cetillar Villorba Corse LMP2 car has slammed the nose. The #84 Ferrari 488 GTE was stranded, and then lifted. Alex Sims, in the #82 BMW M8 GTE ran onto the gravel in the Porsche curves, spinning out, and... walllop! Straight into the barrier. It seems that it could be game over for the #82 BMW. Alexander Sims turned left into the barrier, and the, ker--runch! Backwards into the barrier! Jeff Segal flew into the air in the #84 Ferrari, and had his glove out the window telling the marshals, "put me down!"
Alexander Sims says he went through the first right hander in the Porsche curves, oversteered, and... bang!, straight into the wall. He had no idea. Three cars off the road, in succession, at different parts of the track, as Kazuki Nakajima pits. Sebastien Buemi is now in the #8 Toyota. The car sounds like a washing machine in spin cycle, or a remote control car, when it takes off from the lane. Now, Kamui Kobayashi will have one lap more in the lead before pitting, as he goes through a slow zone. Mike Conway will replace Kobayashi in the #7 Toyota. Earl Bamber in the #93 is coming. But, it's game over for the #82 BMW M8 GTE. That's heartbreaking.
Toyota #7 pits for fuel, and Kamui Kobayashi stays at the wheel.
Our retirements have been:
#94 Porsche GT Team, OUT
#34 Jackie Chan DC Racing, OUT
#4 ByKolles Racing, OUT.
#98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, OUT.
#17 SMP Racing BR1, OUT.
#6 CEFC TRSM Racing Ginetta, OUT.
#82 BMW Team MTEK BMW M8 GTE, OUT.
No changes in GTE Pro. Porsche, Porsche, Ford, Ford, Corvette. Jeff Segal has dropped to ninth in class in the WeatherTech Ferrari with Cooper MacNeil and Liam Griffin. Thomas Laurent is now into the lane, from third in the overall, being chased by it's sister car with Andre Lotterer at the wheel of it. Andre Lotterer is coming to Mulsanne corner. Liam Griffin and Cooper MacNeil are the other drivers in that car. Thomas Laurent is back into the race. We are very close to another hour done. We are nearly 2/3rds of the way through the race.
In sector two, when Nakajima pitted, and Kobayashi was on the road, there was a double zone slow zone. It was at the end of sector two. Before you hit the slow zone, there is a yellow flag. No speed limit, but, you can't overtake. Kobayashi got boxed in somewhere in one of those deals. The #8 car is pulling away. Fernando Alonso was lapping 2-3 seconds quicker than #7. Sebastien Buemi is also lapping much quicker. #8 can go quicker. But, the Toyota's are going somewhat slower, or at least one of them is. Hmmm.
Kamui Kobayashi just ran a 3:24 flat. He had a 3:24.2, 3:24.4, and 3:24 dead. Kamui Kobayashi must have a tiny issue with his car. Maybe the energy system isn't deploying properly. Scratching head.
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