You have to cross the finish line to be a finisher at Le Mans. That is the fact of the matter. Le Mans chooses it's victors. The #7 Toyota has been so so close, but they still haven't gotten it yet. So many cars have retired, but, it doesn't really feel that way. It has been a race of attrition in certain classes. We still have 48 cars that are running, and they used to just start 48 cars here at Le Mans. Paul Di Resta really wants to move past one of the lapped LMP2 cars. He is chasing down Anthony Davidson. We are seeing a lot of artsy slo mo replays with the LMP2 cars. Paul Di Resta goes around a slow Ligier. Hello, Damien. We welcome Damien Faulkner back into the booth.
Paul Di Resta is being warned about engine temperatures and for good reason with less than two hours on the board. The Rebellion has a leg up on Toyota in top speed, but they don't have the peak horsepower out of corners. Charlie Eastwood leads GTE Am in the #90 TF Sport Aston Martin. Calm, collected, fast, and uneventful. That is what their race has been. Ben Barker is fifth in LM GTE Am in the Gulf Racing Porsche, #86. Aston Appears to be in the pound seats in GTE Pro and GTE Am. The #29 car with Giedo van der Garde, that car has been in the wars since the race began yesterday. Class winners stay out of trouble. Meantime we see the classic looking #61 Luzich Racing Ferrari with Come Ledogar driving. That car had great pace but it just hasn't been their race.
Jules Gounon who won the Bathurst 12 Hours in January, he has had a tough race. The cat was running well but then their wing and suspension dapmers, and wheel nuts, gave them issues. Rebellion in the lane, and I can't tell which one. Toyota #7 clobbers the curbs with Jose Maria Lopez giving it opposite lock into the Ford Chicane. Yikes! That was really close. Norman Nato makes a scheduled stop. The responses of a car, change as the race progresses and things have to be felt out by the driver. That's how the whole situation works. You feel in the seat of your pants for the most part.
Toyota #8 in the lane for scheduled service. Quick and easy pit stop. Alex Lynn takes over from Harry Tincknell in the #97 Aston Martin. Paul Di Resta is tussling with Anthony Davidson. The LMP2 Michelin/Goodyear tire war continues, but it is balanced out in the dry. The tire sizes in LMP1 are the same, but the hybrid tire compound for Toyota is totally different, as Daniel Serra struggles his way through the Porsche curves. No mistakes. Don't worry about odd noises from the motor. Wish time away. Don't be nervous. Keep going. A traffic jam at Indianapolis and the #22 car goes off the road into the gravel.
Paul Di Resta got shoved into the gravel. Kazuki Nakajima leads, and he has such acceleration out of the corners. You drive these hybrid cars so differently with the lift and coast technique. Wow. Toyota #7 is in the lane. When the Hypercars come in, they will have a bespoke Hypercar, ot the LMDh car, based on the existing LMP2 cars. A mid 3:24-3:25 will be the new norm for pace. LMP2 needs an amateur driver, a Silver. The intention is to have a really strong driver, but who is a businessman. Ferrari #51 pits from second in GTE Pro.
Porsche #91 in the lane. Porsche has been slogging it and suffering for a long 24 hours according to their radio transmission. The #63 WeatherTech Ferrari had a suspension failure. Charlie Eastwood continues on in the #90 car. Just an hour and 20 minutes left in the race. We are watching Matteo Cairoli in the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche in thre LM GTE Am class. Salih Yoluc has had a good race and he knows the race isn't done yet. Keep calm, wait for the end. Norman Nato has quite the gap over Louis Deletraz.
James Calado is over a minute behind Alex Lynn. Aston got stung by BoP adjustments, but they kept their powder dry in qualifying this year. Take a lot of apex curb in the Ford Chicane. Mark Cole rejoins the team and Louise Beckett will go watch the last hour and ten minutes of the motor race. The WeatherTech Ferrari was hit of course by the Racing Team Nederland car, and we have another big crash in the Dunlop esses. That's the #89 Team Project 1 car of Andreas Laskaratos, the Greek driver. The bad stuff always happens at the beginning of the lap Laskaratos is the first Greek driver to race at Le Mans. How can he get the car back home without damage? He has obliterated the polystyrene circuit furniture, the braking marker meter signs, that evaporate when you smash them. Amazing oscillation on the Aston Martin's tire, as Louis Deletraz slaps the wall in Indianapolis! Oh dear!
He locks up over the gravel trap and slams the wall and one of the Gant signboards. That was a long brake pedal. The car didn't stop, and maybe the pedal went to the floor. So now he has made it into the pit lane. Lots of dirt, clag, and marbles spread out onto the white line. Paul Di Resta is out of the #22 car, the LMP2 class leader, giving way to Phil Hanson. Louis Deletraz speeds into the left hander and he couldn't stop without the car pointing to the wall. Heat soak for the car in first gear and the car won't start. It was almost put into the garage, he got it running, and you can't spin the wheels on the air jacks. You can stand it on the jacks as long as you start it under it's own steam, as we get Mark Cole back in the booth and now, both Rebellion's are in the pit lane and now they push it back into the garage, the #3 car.
#1 is struggling to get away as well. The Am class Porsche is still limping home as Jose Maria Lopez remains third and might just get on the podium. He is struggling with the G force. Rebellion #3 in the pits and a scheduled stop for the #8 Toyota. Deletraz is back on track and out of the pit lane. Will Deletraz close on the Toyota?
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