Renger van der Zande in the #3 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac. Callum Ilott on the radio but we do not hear the transmission of what is going on. Everyone is behind the safety car as we now have one of the McLaren 720S GT3's in the lane for service. #59 back on track. They are debuting in the FIA WEC in 2024 and of course, McLaren won the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans overall with the F1 GTR. The #59 Ueno Clinic entry with Yannick Dalmas, J.J. Lehto, and Masanori Sekiya. We welcome back Martin Haven and Anthony Davidson back in the booth. It has rained, and rained, and rained some more for an hour and a half. Boring! Felipe Drugovich at Action Express tells us that he is amazed to be with Action Express. It has been pretty extreme as far as conditions. Getting used to the big heavy Hypercars, t has been difficult. He says I would expect to get used to it but it is fast, and yet strange compared to anything he is used to.
Not much experience for the rain but in the dry he is comfortable. He is next into the car. He will get in behind the safety car and we will just have more rain. Good morning to Ben Constanduros and Alex Brundle bringing us into day two of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This intermittent rain is quite persistent. Everyone is just enjoying themselves. A game of ping pong going on in one of the garages. Kevin Estre is told to be in second gear and third gear for the #6 Porsche 963 in second spot. Toyota #8 of Brendon Hartley continues on in the lead. Brendon Hartley was told about more rain coming. His reply "I am cramping up in my leg. I have to keep them off he pedals and I don't think I can last another hour or hour and a half. Another safety car, and I will begin struggling."
Yes. It is hard to cram yourself into a small cockpit like these cars have. If you don't have the pedals adjusted, your ankles will cramp up like mad. With no airflow behind the safety car, Takeshi Kimura in the #87 is fogging up when the driver is exhaling through his or her helmet. Kimura is the reigning champion in SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia. The #60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini is coming out of it's pit box. Fuel and oil were topped up I believe on the Lamborghini. Frank Perera in the car sharing with Matteo Cressoni and Claudio Schiavoni.
Meanwhile, Miguel Molina is complaining about being bored as the blacklight shines to light up the controls, but they are not seeing that light all too badly. But the red light shining hin his face for the pit lane speed limiter, or if it is the rain light reflecting, is flicking the rain light on. Callum Ilott will return to the pit lane soon and Jota will put Norman Nato into the car for the next stint. A brake change going on at United Autosport and McLaren for the #95, buttoning it up. We are closing in on sunrise here at Le Mans but we won't have a beautiful golden sunrise this morning.
The safety cars are running out of gas and so they need to swap. Matthieu Jaminet is being told exactly that. The #311 Action Express Whelen Cadillac is in the pit lane for rain tires, more. If this were the Spa 24 or the Nurburgring 24, and the team is removing a bollard from under the car. We have a safety car switch underway for refueling the safety cars. Nico Varrone only saw spray and could not see anything in front of him but the AF Corse LMP2 team will keep going. Hiroshi Hamaguchi is now in the #95 United Autosport McLaren, after a brake change with ten and a half hours to go. Only two GT3 cars are currently on the lead lap. Both Manthey Porsche's are on the lead lap and everyone else is down a lap or more.
No futher action for drivers first accused of overtaking under the safety car. Brendon Hartley still leading over the #6 Porsche and the sister Toyota. Algarve Pro Racing is in with Roman De Angelis at the wheel of it, handing over to Matthias Kaiser. So, the Canadian hands over to the Lichtenstein driver. The third driver in the car is Olli Caldwell. There is a tail change at Algarve Pro Racing. The second tail has a wing with a bigger gurney flap on the back of it, with more downforce. Yifei Ye is told that they are running 1.4 kilos per lap on fuel for the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P as far as getting to zero on the virtual energy tank combining fuel and electrical power.
Feverish activity at Penske Porsche but I dont know what number it is. Two pneumatic rattle guns and three mechanics allowed along with the fueler I believe. The car is off the air jacks and more wet tires put onto the car. Teams must be scrubbing the mold release agent off the tires. There is no limitation on wet tires save for how many Michelin, have in their truck. We have gone through the safety car swap and they have another spare. The safety cars need refueling and need to be cycled and swapped because we have been under the safety car for two hours.
We should be under safety car for another hour and a half before making it to daylight for the #4 Porsche 963 of Matthieu Jaminet. That blows me away, their number panel isn't working. Loic Duval at the wheel of the #94 Peugeot 9X8 going for the pit lane with drive time concerns. There will be a driver hange in the car. You can only drive for four hours in a six-hour window. Teams are trying to get to daylight through all the rain. Clear the radiators and change the nose at Peugeot for the #94 team. Peugeot #94 are changing noses at least twice for the nose. The state of charge on the battery is so low that they fire the motor from the starter.
Felipe Drugovich is being told that things are getting lighter. Our mate, Peter Baron, trying to keep his driver entertained. No safety cars during the virtual Le Mans eSports video game situation. Safety Car A picks up it's original queue. Safety Car D picks up the original queue and safety car B needs fuel. We have been waltzing around for two hours. 1, 2, 3. 2, 2, 3. 3, 2, 3. 4, 2, 3. Peugeot want to keep going, but if they don't win something at Peugeot, Stellantis cannot keep going with these endurance racing programs according to CEO Linda Jackson.
Sunrise is coming soon as Yifei Ye is giving us that information in the #83 Ferrari 499P. Audi of course, and Allan McNish, still associated and working with Audi. 14 hours down and ten remaining. Toyota and Porsche leading Toyota, Ferrari, Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Ferrari, Cadillac, and Porsche. Outside the top ten are the other factory Porsche's followed by the Whelen Action Express Cadillac. In LMP2 it is still being led I think by Vector Sport with Manthey Pure Racing leading GT3. We have lost nine or ten cars. Alpine and BMW in Hypercar, Jonas Ried's LMP2 car, Dries Vanthoor had contact with Robert Kubica and then the sister #20 parked but has not retired yet.
We have lost a couple LMP2's and the #66 JMW Ferrari 296 GT3 is probably going to retire soon. The rain will disappear in another hour or so. Francois Perrodo at the wheel of the #183 AF Corse Oreca followed by Nolan Siegel at United Autosport and Ryan Cullen for Vector Sport. We close in on another hour completed and the safety cars A and B are going to cycle through. Happy Birthday to Yifei Ye, and soon, a Happy Fathers' Day. Le Mans usually is the second weekend in June. The sun is coming up now, but I don't know if we will see it. Vector Sport in the pit lane in LMP2 for a driver change.
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