James Calado says that he saw Alessandro Pier Guidi, his co-driver hit the gravel trap. The safety car has lasted a long time by now. The racing is so incredibly close. This is our third safety car intervention to clear the track or fix the barriers. This is the tenth hour of the race with Nico Muller leading in the #94 Peugeot 9X8 from the sole remainng #8 Toyota. Third, the #2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V Series R. Thenn come the Ferrari 499P's of Antonio Fuoco and Alessandro Pier Guidi followed by Sebastien Bourdais in the #3 Cadillac, Michael Christensen in the #5 Porsche 963 and the sister #6 Porsche 963 of Laurens Vanthoor. WRT and Rui Andrade of Angola leading in LMP2 on a lap of his own with Jakub Smiechowski next up in the #34 Inter Europol car, Kuba Smiechowski.
Paul Loup Chatin is fourth ahead of Daniil Kvyat at Prema Racing recovering from stone last in untroubled cars. Michelle Gatting and Iron Dames lead GTE Am over Francesco Castellaci and Matteo Cairoli driving "Rexy", the #56 Project 1 - AO Porsche 911 RSR-19 with the tyrannosaurus Rex on it. We have seen a lot of attrition. 12 retirements. Toyota #7 is the latest along with the #66 JMW Ferrari, after Kamui Kobayashi and Louis Prette crashed. Racing Team Turkey, out. The #75 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 out. The #72 TF Sport Aston Martin out of the race with the Robin brothers and Valentin Hasse-Clot.
Richard Mille AF Corse, the #83 LMP2 out with Lilou Wadoux. Proton Competition with Ryan Hardwick in the #16 Porsche who wrecked with the #60 Claudio Schiavoni Porsche and Gustav Birch in the #55 GMB Motorsports Aston Martin also out of the race. Two Porsche's wrecked in one fell swoop. The #3 Ganassi Racing Cadillac was delayed by that incident and Ricky Taylor in the #13 Tower Motorsports LMP2 car which had a wretched weekend all around. Nielsen Racing, the #14 LMP2 car of Rodrigo Sales was the very first retirement after crashing on marbles on the inside, sharp right, and... bang.
50 of the 62 starters still in the race. Ben Barnicoat in trouble under safety car in the #80 AF Corse LMP2 Oreca. Barnicoat sharing with Norman Nato and with Francois Perrodo. The #80 car's engine is running but he cannot select a gear. He has transmission or driveline troubles. You don't want some of these barriers to fail that are aged Armco barriers made out of steel. Safety car in this lap. #80 has to pull off to the lane and all the cars will pass. Green flag! Peugeot leads Toyota and five cars are trying to get through the Dunlop chicane all at once, look.
Cadillac #3, Sebastien Bourdais in the second Ganassi Racing Cadillac is trying to get a lap back. Both Peugeot's are in this fight but the #94 was the leader but now we are going to see a lead change as Ben Barnicoat has stepped from the #80 AF Corse car and the team manager is called to the Race Director. Sebastien Bourdais is now back on the lead lap. Cars #25 and #35 under investigation from an incident an hour and 20 minutes ago. Ryo Hirakawa leads Nico Muller, Antonio Fuoco, and Alessandro Pier Guidi.
Alex Lynn next up and the sister #3 Ganassi Cadillac is the last car on the lead lap. Ryo Hirakawa leads the motor race aboard the #8. The #38 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963, I wonder where it is because of course he hit the wall earlier in the race. Tom Kristensen is still here at Le Mans watching in the darkness. It looks like the #28 Jota Sport Oreca is off track. Slow zone and we don't know who took the #28 off the road. But the #25 ORT by TF Aston Martin has been pinged, Ahmad Al Harthy, fifth in GTE Am.
The Ferrari boys are fighting and team manager Justin Taylor says "OK, I am working on it, trying to get you guys switched." One of the two Glickenhaus cars pits. North American Racing Team was one of the original Ferrari teams that came here and won the race in 1949 after WW. II. The #88 Proton Competition Porsche has pitted and we see now that the #28 and the #65 Panis Racing Oreca came together as the #9 Prema Racing Oreca runs over the curbs running 18th in LMP2 and 46th in the overall standings.
Ryo Hirakawa leads the motor race in the #8 sole remaining Toyota in the race. Nico Muller and the #94 Peugeot 9X8 is three second back followed by both Ferrari 499P's which are just not as quick as the Peugeot is. Nobody is letting up. The #5 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 is wheeled back into the garage. They are taking the nose off. They are dealing with a water leak on the #5 Porsche. Take it easy, boys. Alessandro Pier Guidi trying to pass Antonio Fuoco. Through Mulsanne corner they go. Tom Blomqvist is fine and Josh Pierson has the #23 United Autosport Oreca in LMP2 still running. The #66 JMW Motorsports Ferrari is still in the garage being repaired.
Mikkel Jensen in the sister #93 Peugeot has moved up a place. No LMP2 cars will be a part of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship and they will continue in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and in the Asian Le Mans Series and European Le Mans Series, and 15 LMP2's will continue at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year. More Hyper Cars, LMP2, and LMGT3. No more LM GTE cars. GTE Am is in it's last race here at Le Mans as Rui Andrade, the Angolan leads LMP2 over Inter Europol. Then comes Duqueine Team, Panis Racing, and Cool Racing. The sister Cool Racing #37 of Malthe Jakobsen leading Pro-Am.
Jota Porsche team principal Dieter Gass says that Yifei Ye is next into the car. They are getting to grips with the car. The LMP2 team is close. Pietro Fittipaldi spun earlier of course. We don't quite know the dynamic of that incident. No major damage according to Dieter Gass. Big trouble and damage for the #63 Prema car of Daniil Kvyat. Wow! He spins and clobbers the barriers on both sides through the Porsche Curves. A hard wreck! No brakes on that car I don't think. Sebastien Bourdais is set to bring the #3 Ganassi Racing Cadillac to the lane. Full Course Yellow imminent. There could be barrier damage and Ryo Hirakawa in the single Toyota, Ryo Hirakawa into the lane for regular service.
Peugeot and Nico Muller in the #94 9X8 retakes the overall lead of this motor race. Game over for Daniil Kvyat, Doriane Pin, and Mirko Bortolotti. The #9 Prema Racing car is way down the order. James Calado will be next into the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P. Full Course Yellow. Toyota have totally confused their driver though. That is plain weird. The #5 Porsche 963 is still being worked on as far as their water leak and are now three laps down only.,
Nico Muller continues to lead the motor race. Ferrari #50 is in the garage with a water leak and now we see Alessandro Pier Guidi sweep past the Peugeot! Wow! Pier Guidi to the top of the shop. I was taking a short break and am back now. Alex Lynn is closing in the #2 Cadillac. Very near the end of the tenth hour. #50 still in the garage. They are going to lose a lap surely. Muller will retake the lead of the motor race now in the Peugeot and we see Ryo Hirakawa back to the pit lane in the #8 Toyota. Fuel, tires, and a driver change for the #51 Ferrari with James Calado getting in.
Sebastien Bourdais makes his move in the #3 Cadillac around the Ferrari and the #8 Toyota has also leapfrogged the Ferrari. It is game on now too for Bourdais but he has lost another lap. Alex Lynn now chasing Nico Muller. Sebastien Buemi now in Toyota #8 on his out lap chasing James Calado. Calado leapfrogged and we think the #50 Ferrari may still have a water leak. Peugeot, Cadillac, Toyota, Ferrari, the top four.
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