The pageantry is nearly complete, as members of the French military bring in the tricouleur. The new H24 Hydrogen prototype which is a future automobile to run at Le Mans is making it's parade lap. We've seen Grand Marshal Hurley Haywood, as well as Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver, drive the 1969 race winning Ford GT40 that won this race, 50 years ago. The hydrogen prototype makes its way down the Mulsanne straight, with a silent whoosh. This is the future of endurance sports car racing. Will we see the car on the grid at Le Mans in the coming years? It is very likely. How will the weather be for the start? We don't know. But, we can't wait for this race. Aston Martin has had their turbo boost turned down for GTE Pro pole. Proton Racing is on the pole in LM GTE Am.
Jean Todt and Pierre Fillon, both reflect how they came to Le Mans to see the race, back in the 1960s, and how they caught the racing bug. Princess Charlene of Monaco is experiencing Le Mans for the first time in her life. She's amazed by the circuit and the race. She says "I have a whole new respect for motor racing now." Clear the grid, ladies and gentlemen. Clear the grid, ladies and gentlemen. The new season starts again in a couple of months. But, we're ready to race here at Le Mans, now. The grandstand is buzzing, fans are doing the wave, as we get ready to race. Here's the flyover with La Patrie de France. The French air force.
Le Mans is packed. The grandstands, the campsites, it's amazing. The cars roll off the grid, and get ready for the formation lap. It's a special moment for the drivers as they are going onto the formation lap, ready to get started. The drivers have their release. Car and driver, as one. The way to win Le Mans is the least time spent in the pit lane. That's how you win. We say au revoir to BMW and Ford as factory teams. But lets hope they will be back. This is the end of the "Super Season" of course as we've mentioned. Fernando Alonso has to finish seventh or better to win the championship as we look at the grid. Corvette has weight back and Aston Martin had weight taken off. They've lost loads of their turbo boost in BoP as we are five minutes away from the start of this motor race.
The LM GTE Pro cars are split by tenths of a second. That part of the race will be something to watch out for. The clouds and the temperatures mean the tires need heat. One of the two Porsche teams will win the LM GTE Pro championship, and Toyota will win the LMP1 World Championship. Tje safety car slows down and will pack the field together. The safety car pace makes getting residual heat into the tires, really tough. Tires out of the ovens, and blueberry muffins in. The non hybrid LMP1 cars will be slower, but they might be the rabbit at the start. Look out for SMP Racing, the #11 car and the #17 car. Here we go. The field forms up.
They are coming through the Ford Chicane. The 87th 24 Hours of Le Mans, is about to begin. This is going to be awesome! May the best cars win! There's the Troius Couleur, and away we go! Th two Toyota's lead into the Dunlo0p curvwes and there's some sliding around look down into the right, left, right corners. We're in good shape as Sebastien Buemi wants by Mike Conway. Onto the Mulsanne straight they fly for the first time. Tom Dillman in the ByKolles went off the road a little bit. Aston Martin in GTE Pro is being harried by Ford and Corvette! Nicki Thiim is being harried by the Harry Tincknell driven Ford GT. Tincknell wants to go for it. He wants a bite of the cherry, instantly.
It's like a NASCAR pack race at Daytona or Talladega as they go through Mulsanne for the first time and scream towards Indianapolis! Nicki Thiim has room as Tinckenell slams the door in Antonio Garcia's face. Nick Tandy in the first of the Brumos liveried Porsche's is going for it as well. 35 overtakes so far and there will be loads more. The two Toyota's are steaming away as Mike Conway leads Sebastien Buemi. This is a 24 hour sprint race. 3:22 for Mike Conway as best lap. The GTE Pro battle is really steaming along wonderfully at the moment, look. Race pace isn't too far from qualifying pace as Ford and Porsche battle. Alessandro Pier Guidi in the Ferrari is going for it. We've got some rain coming. The clouds are dark above the speedway.
Double yellow flag? Hmmm. It's out of Tertre Rouge. We don't know which car went off. Ah. No problems. We're back at full steam. Matthieu Jaminet passes Olivier Pla and here's Martin Tomczyk in the BMW M8 GTE. Gianmaria Bruni is flying in one of the Porsche's. 3:17.910, fastest lap so far by Mike Conway in Toyota #7. Poor old Ford is being left behind by Corvette. Mike Conway heads through the Mulsanne chicane. This is a torrid pace already. Conway is motoring right now. The other LMP1 cars in their own battle. Vitaly Petrov chasing Gustavo Menezes. The SMP cars are fastest of anyone. Rebellion has 38 more horsepower from their 4.2 liter Gibson V8's. The engines went bang in qualifying, but now, they might have the reliability to last the distance.
The driver's can finally settle in, or can they? Nick Tandy is being monstered by Kevin Estre at the moment. The Porsche blokes are free to race, but respect each other as well. The Brumos liveried Porsche's are not in it for the FIA WEC. They are from the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship of course. The Corvette's are dialed in, too. 14 laps is the target, but it is not mandatory this year. They can go as far on fuel as they need. It's been a frantic start here ladies and gentlemen. Now, we can kind of relax and see how the race unfolds. Conway resets fast lap at 3:17.425. Mike Conway wants to win Le Mans. He's flying right now and has no one to worry about in terms of traffic.
Nick Tandy wants to pass Kevin Estre. It's the battle of the two Porsche's in GTE Pro. He's playing mind games with his team mate, as Conway resets fast lap at 3:17.297. Jeepers creepers! Nicki Thiim is defending from Antonio Garcia, and Garcia makes the move. Done and dusted, look. Through Arnage, and the Ford and Porsche's are in this game, too. BMW is back there but they've not got a look in just yet. Aston Martin boss Paul Howarth, looks on. Corvette have won Le Mans seven times. They want eight. Rebellion Racing is the bun, and the SMP cars are the meat in the sandwich as far as the non hybrid LMP1 class that does not include the Toyota's. This track is not too bad physically, but it is mentally taxing as the stints accumulate.
Some argy bargy in GTE Pro already it seems. The Corvette really wants by the Ford. Side by side in GTE Pro again, look. Well done. Kevin Estre leads Nick Tandy for Porsche. Davide Rigon, jeepers, he's right on it. Nicki Thiim's tires could be busted by now. He is indeed being monstered by the Ford, the #67 car, painted in the red and white scheme of the 1967 Ford GT40 that was driven to a win here at Le Mans by Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt. Rebellion and SMP are still fighting each other. Gustavo Menezes, the America, is slicing by GTE Am cars, and Luis Perez Companc is swallowed up in his #61 Ferrari he shares with Matteo Cressoni and Matt Griffin.
The sheer power of the Toyota's and four wheel drive, gives them fabulous traction of course. Gustavo Menezes cuts one of the Dunlop chicanes, and Menezes is going out on all the exits of all the corners. We've got drops of rain at marshal post 20. Bruno Senna slides through the second chicane on the Mulsanne straight. Through the second chicane, and there's light rain down at Mulsanne. We've got mixed conditions at least for the start of the race here. Mike Conway is on a Saturday afternoon cruise. But the LMP1 non hybrid battle between Petrov and Menezes, but Menezes slams the door in Petrov's face from Indianapolis and into Arnage.
Petrov though he had enough time, but Menezes said, "no way, sunshine." Antonio Garcia still leads GTE Pro. We've got a long, long way to go, and yet, the race has been a sprint. Dempsey Proton leads LM GTE Am, with Matt Campbell sharing with Christian Ried and Julien Andlauer. The battles have raged for 25 minutes so far and it shows no signs of slowing down yet. We love this race, way too much. It is an obsession. The traffic is backing up the cars as these blokes continue to race, Harry Flatters. Pit stop time for the BR and the Rebellion. Stephane Sarrazin runs wide, and they are bumper to bumper for their first pit stops. This is really early. We weren't expecting pit stops this early, but the crews planned it this way.
Toyota can do 11 laps. This is the last race we will see refueling and pit work at the same time. It will go back to the old formula, where you can't work on the car until you refuel it, in the 2019-2020 season which will just be eight races in a regular season. More argy bargy in GTE Pro, look, as its Corvette vs. BMW vs. Ford vs. Porsche. Someone has barged into the party, uninvited. Their having a little party, and they didn't invite me! Ford, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari. The action is frantic. Toyota #8 in the lane, and so are the sister Rebellion and SMP cars into the pit lane.
If you are able, watch this race on Eurosport, or, on Motor Trend on TV or the app on your mobile device. This is great racing thus far. It's the Sebastien and Mike show for Toyota, still. It's the Nicki and Kevin show in GTE Pro. Kevin Estre puts the whole car over the inside curb, and don't tear into the sidewalls of the Michelin tires. Balance of Performance, as dreaded as it is, is actually working. It's implemented by the FIA and ACO to put the cars on an even playing field. Mike Conway dives for the lane. He's in for his first stop in Toyota #7. Fuel only? That's what it appears. Things are starting to settle into a rhythm on the track.
Mike Conway wants to win this race. Sure, so does Fernando Alonso who has already won, last year. But, Conway is the chap who is really chomping at the bit. He wants to become immortal by winning Le Mans. When you win Le Mans, you become a legend. Now then, tires may make four stints before they have to be changed for the LMP1 boys. Nicolas Lapierre has passed Ben Hanley in the DragonSpeed LMP2 car. Hanley is not handling the way he wants to in that car at the moment. In GTE Am, you have to have one Bronze seeded Am driver in your driver's strength. Kevin Estre continued to monster Nicki Thiim. Estre looks around. He's looking, probing, trying to make a move.
The long run down to Indianapolis, is the fastest part of the road after the chicanes were put in on the Mulsanne almost 30 years ago. Patience is a virtue. Discretion is the better part of valor at this time in the race. Don't throw it away. Patrick Dempsey, won this race, last year. He is the team leader,. Nico Jamin is slowing in the #30 Duqueine Engineering Oreca 07. Jamin is sharing with countrymen Romain Dumas and Pierre Ragues. Niki Thiim is at risk of being dinged by the stewards for track limits, and poor old Nico Jamin is trundling 'round the circuit, headed for the pit lane. Box, box, box. Kevin Estre is being driven crazy by Niki Thiim, and he puts the car on the curb through the chicane on the Mulsanne straight, and these twop blokes are slamming each other as they head for Mulsanne corner. This is bonkers!
Nick Tandy is all over Nicki Thiim. This is the Brumos tribute liveried Porsche that we've seen in IMSA all year. Nick Tandy at the wheel of it, still. We've had an announcement on LMP2, but we'll check in on that in a bit. Jean Eric Vergne, from Formula E, has control of the G-Drive car. But, gosh, the GTE Pro race is an absolute cracker at the moment. ByKolles want a finish here at Le Mans. Oliver Webb from England is the lead driver, sharing with Tom Dillman of France and Paolo Ruberti of Italy. Is the Gulf liveried DragonSpeed car, smoking? It could be. There may be fluid leaking out of that automobile. Oh yes. The smoke is getting worse as into the lane comes the #30 car.
The suspension on that car is down on the deck. The LMP cars can't slam the curbs, because the suspension will be compromised then. GTE Pro pit stops on tap. Porsche #91, one of the Corvette's, one of the Ford's. The ACO got rid of the hands off until the fuel is in rule. Ford #66 in the lane, too, the black Ford GT, with Olivier Pla at the wheel of it. Pla is driving the car in the livery of the black and white Ford GT40 that won Le Mans with Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren in 1966. Rebellion in limp mode as one of their cars is slow on the circuit. They could be revving that motor a tad too high? Just going by what the blokes on Eurosport are saying, the British commentary team that is covering this wonderful motor race.
Grip is not a worry, but power might be a bit of a bugaboo at this moment. Great racing as we are ready to get into the meat of this motor race. It's very slippery on this circuit, because Le Mans, recall, is made up of public roads. Porsche #92 in the lane, and so is #94. One of the Corvette's, and one of the Aston Martin's, and the red #67 Ford, all of them have made stops. Rain is in the forecast. We have many available configurations for dry and wet tires. Bruno Senna, has finally made it to the pit lane. The car looks fine cosmetically. Maybe he ran out of petrol. He had to put it on fuel save mode to get back to the lane.
The clouds are darkening. Will we see rain? Nick Tandy might have some superficial damage on that Brumos liveried Porsche. Harry Tincknell wants by the Aston Martin. Thiim vs. Tincknell. Full Course Yellow on the track., Pit entry is closed. Porsche #88 has spun off the road! He's spun in circles. Did he collect an LMP car? The car seems fine. He spun a full 360 like a top. Matteo Cairoli at the wheel of it, with flatspotted tires. Ther tires on Cairoli's car may come off in the shape of cubes after that little fracas. That could have been a lot worse than it was, having an LMP1 car clatter into the Porsche. Cairoli sharing with countryman Giorgio Roda, and Satoshi Hoshino of Japan.
Gianmaria Bruni barges the Corvette, making the move now that we're back under green. Could the drivers hear Edoardo Freitas' call on the radio to go back to green? Maybe not. The field has been compressed a bit. The battle resumes again. Golly! This is incredible! Hoshino in the lane to change tires after his mega sized spin. All four tires changed, and Hoshino is a lucky chap to get away with that little mishap.
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