Toyota will just have to keep pushing. The top three are getting spread out. Everything is close in LMP2 and in GTE Am. Rahel Frey is flying in the Iron Dames Porsche. Charlie Eastwood in the #25 ORT by TF Sport Aston Martin he is sharing with Michael Dinan and with Ahmad Al Harthy. This is going to be a true sprint for the last five, six hours. That is for sure. Pit stop time at Duqueine with the #30 car. Sebastien Buemi is looking today for his fifth Le Mans win which would put him in company I believe with Derek Bell and with Emmanuele Pirro. Buemi can only push so hard before he knows the tires are going to be totally knackered as we see Ferrari having just pitted the #50 499P. Make that the #51. Antonio Giovinazzi vs. Sebastien Buemi.
Anything can still happen. Keep your head in the game. Toyota are here to fight Ferrari and try to maintain their winning streak. If Ferrari did win it would be the first time since 1965 with Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt I believe. Rui Andrade, Neel Jani, Tijmen van der Helm, are some of the LMP2 contenders but Andrade is falling away. Ferrari, Toyota, Cadillac, Cadillac, Peugeot, the top five. Action Express turns into the first corner and locks up just a bit. I think that is Pipo Derani in the car right now. We have had a tough race this weekend but AXR, we are taking it in stride. That is all we can really do.
We will be saying goodbye to LMP2 in FIA WEC in years to come with the Hyper Cars and the GT3 machinery coming. Less than six hours remaining. Ferrari are going for a win. Antonio Giovinazzi kept as a Ferrari driver when Formula 1 did not work out for him. Could Ferrari win the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in almost six decades? Richard Westbrook in the #2 blue Ganassi Racing Cadillac is in the pound seats as well. Two of the three Cadillac's are contenders. Again, I wish for Action Express, that we were higher in the order, but we have learned a ton over this weekend for the future.
United Autosports in LMP2 have also had a fraught race for both cars. Josh Pierson was fished out of bed when Tom Blomqvist had to go to the medical center when after his wreck the G force sensor light in the car was turned on. We have a pit stop going on now for the #43 car I think, the LMP2 car for DKR Engineering but I could be wrong. The #38 Jota Sport Porsche 963 is in trouble as well and has just spun off, had a clatter with the barrier, and lopped the whole nose off! Antonio Felix Da Costa has found the wall, again. He just lost it and there's debris at the exit of Indianapolis activating slow zone six which also extends to Mulsanne and Arnage.
New front clip for the Jota Porsche. Fabio Scherer has also taken over the #34 Inter Europol Competition LMP2 car and of course he has a severely injured foot he has to deal with. Louis Deletraz has taken over from Rui Andrade in the #41 WRT Oreca, the Swiss driver replacing the Angolan. Ferrari #51 closing up on Cadillac #2. This slow zone will require guardrail repair. The barriers have been slammed constantly during this year's Le Mans race. Five hours and 40 minutes to go with a slow zone. A great big hole, look, in the guardrail. Antonio Felix Da Costa hits the curb with the legality plank on the bottom of the car, the skid block, and he is in a world of pain from there.
Lubin and Jarvis running liner stern at United Autosports with five and a half hours of racing remaining before we crown a Le Mans champion for another year, actually, three of them. Slow Zone in force. We had the slow zone and I went down and ate me breakfast and had a cup of tea, and oh... how things change! Trouble in paradise for Ferrari! We don't know why or how yet. Therefore, Toyota, and the sole #8 entry goes back to the top of the shop. Under five an a half hours remaining. We also heard a great interview from Spaniard Albert Costa at Inter Europol and he is loving being a part of Le Mans. The barriers are still being repaired according to Edoardo Freitas, Race Director.
Leigh Diffey rejoins us in commentary. Power cycle needed at Ferrari for Alessandro Pier Guidi and the #51. Ferrari had to do a power cycle and now, it comes down to how the team handles the information and what to do with it to restart the car that has to be dealt with. Ferrari looking for their first win in almost 60 years at Le Mans and as for Toyota, they are aiming for the sixth consecutive win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the #6 Porsche 963 is pushed back into the garage for more repairs with Laurens Vanthoor at the controls. We have Leigh Diffey, Alex Jakes, and Lena Gade in the broadcast booth. The slow zone is still active due to the barrier repairs.
Ferrari, Toyota, Cadillac, and Peugeot have all led Hyper Car. Four LMP2 cars on the lead lap, Fabio Scherer, Louis Deletraz, Fabio Scherer, and Nico Pino. Rahel Frey continues leading GTE Am for Iron Dames followed by Charlie Eastwood and Ben Keating for Aston Martin and Corvette. Toyota #8 blocked twice! This is Ferrari vs. Toyota. Buemi will hear the Ferrari engine right on his six. What does Alessandro Pier Guidi have for the four-time Le Mans winner Alessandro Pier Guidi? Pier Guidi is pushing.
Ferrari believed they'd have one lap pace but now they know they have race pace. Toyota had 37 kilos of weight added and I wonder if that has hurt Toyota. Pier Guidi right on Buemi's six! Out of the first chicane! The Ferrari has the speed, he is moving up! Pier Guidi reclaim the lead at Le Mans and he does! Oh my! Antonello Coletta is pumped! The Tifosi will be going bananas! Five hours to go yet. A long way. Alessandro Pier Guidi, let him get by and he knows what he has to do. Quoting Kimi Raikkonen "leave me alone, I know what I'm doing." There's still five hours on the board. Let's see of Ferrari can hold on.
In car strategy from Sebastien Buemi. He knows that in a fair fight, the Ferrari has the edge. So, he is looking for a way they can use their experience to do a strategy undercut over the Ferrari. Aha. Buemi will hit the lane for fuel and then get a green track and the Ferrari will have to go through the slow zone giving Buemi the buffer. Holy cow. Are you ready? Are you ready? Cinch down the belts as we peel back the next layer of the onion. Ferrari can go for pace. Toyota might just be able to play the strategy game. We have not seen competition like this at Le Mans in a quarter century. Toyota know how to be as cool as a cucumber. You still have to make it to the finish line before everybody else.
Antonello Coletta, Ferrari Sporting Director. Slow zone again as the mechanics are getting short naps. A short kip as it were. Removal of the slow zone and Buemi has a better reaction time than Pier Guidi in some areas. We have quite the LMP2 battle but I don't know if we talk about it just yet because this Hyper Car battle is going to be mega! Jenson Button is behind the wheel of the Garage 56 NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet Camaro. You've got to love that car! It's wild, it's weird, but it's awesome! Sebastien Buemi is driving his socks off, giving it both barrels. He wants to join the five-time club with Biela, Pirro, and Bell.
A distant third is Earl Bamber in the #2 Ganassi Racing Cadillac while we see Gustavo Menezes in the #94 Peugeot 9X8 with it's special livery. This race began with a damp track, rain, and safety cars. Marino Franchitti is at Le Mans while brother Dario is watching on TV just like we are. Will we see Ferrari winning for the first time since 1965? Will it be Toyota for the sixth time in a row? More than 300,000 people are here to watch.
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