Sunday, June 16, 2024

24 Hours of Le Mans: Hour 19

The barriers are now fixed.  How will the LMP2 class, with the same cars, and tires on each car, shake out?  Tom Kristensen is showing us how Race Control is working.  This is where the race is managed, the human element of a technical sport with cameras, GPS sensors, communication with marshal's posts and so forth.  Any infringement will be given to the stewards' room behind the Race Control nerve center.  Everything from weather to the human element of being focused.  There are people also meteorologically.  It is like a study room, a library.  Be very quiet in the Race Control room.  It is a very studious place.  The #81 TF Sport Corvette is being pushed out of the way and it could be game over for them in GT3.

The leaders are in pit lane, the #6 Porsche 963 of Laurens Vanthoor and the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Ryo Hirakawa.  A driver change at Penske and Kevin Estre will get in, the driver who took pole.  The #81 Corvette is now perhaps reset and getting back into the race.  If you leave the car, you are disqualified.  Toyota #8 in the lane.  This is the last lap of safety car A before we begin merging the field.  Peugeot #93 of Nico Muller has locked up and hit the wall.  He has turned the engine off.  He goes in on the right front corner at Indianapolis.  That's strange.  

Ben Barnicoat out of the #183 AF Corse LMP2 leader.  Nico Varrone into the car.  The Peugeot has been in 15th.  Oil down on the circuit and both he and the Vector Sport LMP2 car slid around through Indianapolis.  There's fluid on the road down in Indianapolis.  You'd best get the marshals down there to clean it up.  More queues in the pit lane.  Muller is back on course, but he has damage to the car.  The right front wheel was cattywampus, briefly.  There were stones in the brake discs between the disc and the caliper.  Peugeot just wants to finish as Le Mans is still a race of attrition.  Five hours and 50 minutes to go, almost an entire regular WEC race at six hours.  A potential hybrid issue too, for Peugeot when applying reverse.

Hello, again, to Ben Constanduros.  So, the Porsche has now pitted and the two Ferrari's take over the lead.  

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