Updates from Owen Bradley, Evan Veer, Vyas Ponnuri, Sharifah Zaqreeztrina and Sean McKean
The FIA World Endurance Championship returns for the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend, starting at 15:00 UK time on Saturday and finishing exactly one day later. Here, you will find every single update in the race, along with the current running order at the end of each hour for all three classes of Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3. Here is the LIVE: Le Mans 24 Hours 2024 updates.
Many familiar names and faces add to a star-studded grid, the likes of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi makes his debut at Le Mans, starting from 12th in his #46 BMW in the LMGT3 class. Mick Schumacher also makes his debut at Le Mans, driving for the #36 Alpine team and starting from 9th. Jenson Button is also competing in the #38 Jota Porsche, starting from 17th.
REFRESH FOR LIVE UPDATES - Updates will be in UK time
LIVE: LE MANS 24 HOURS 2024 UPDATES HERE:
RECORD - Most Cars finished on the Lead Lap with 4 Cars on the Lead Lap - Previous record was 2 cars
LE MANS 24 HOURS RESULTS
Hypercar Top 10
1st #50 Ferrari
2nd #7 Toyota
3rd #51 Ferrari
4th #6 Porsche
5th #8 Toyota
6th #5 Porsche
7th #2 Cadillac
8th #12 Jota Porsche
9th #38 Jota Porsche
10th #63 Lamborghini
LMP2 Top 5
1st #22 United Autosports
2nd #34 Inter Europol
3rd #28 IDEC Sport
4th #183 AF Corse
5th #10 Vector Sport
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #91 Manthey Porsche
2nd #31 WRT BMW
3rd #88 Proton Ford
4th #44 Proton Ford
5th #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini
15:02 - FERRARI #50 WIN THE LE MANS 24 HOURS 2024 with 3% Remaining
14:58 - FINAL LAP - Ferrari #50 has 10% remaining with the gap just 19 seconds
14:54 - #50 Ferrari will have another 3 laps remaining with less than 20% of fuel remaining
14:50 - #50 Ferrari has 25% fuel remaining with around 3-4 laps remaining
14:49 - Ahead of the final 10 minutes - Your Hypercar leader is the #50 Ferrari who is conserving fuel heavily, losing multiple seconds to the #7 Toyota in second
14:47 - #6 Porsche is battling the #51 Ferrari for the final podium spot with just a handful of laps to go
14:42 - #50 Ferrari will NOT pit, they should be able to make it to the end of the race with heavy fuel management
14:39 - #6 Porsche and the #51 Ferrari are separated by just a few seconds as the #51 holds the final podium position with 20 minutes remaining
14:34 - HEAVY RAIN Falling in the back of the circuit
14:30 - 30 MINUTES REMAINING
14:28 - #50 Ferrari have saved a huge amount of energy, the #7 Toyota is now only 14% ahead on fuel - The Toyota #7 has some engine issues though
14:27 - #86 LMGT3 Ferrari is stopped on the racing line at Turn 2, a potential Full Course Yellow is due which would help the #50 Ferrari massively.
14:25 - #50 Ferrari stops every 12 laps on average, their last stop was 3 laps ago with a predicted 11 lap remaining. The Toyota #7 is chasing and hoping that the Ferrari needs to make another stop, as a dry line is now forming
14:21 - #50 Ferrari is on average about 2 seconds a lap slower due to fuel saving, the gap between them to the chasing #7 Toyota is 32 seconds with 40 minutes remaining
14:19 - #50 Ferrari leads but is trying to save fuel, the #7 Toyota is chasing them hard with over 30 minutes remaining.
14:18 - #7 Toyota comes into the pit lane for a fuel top up, followed by the #51 Ferrari and #34 Inter Europol LMP2
14:16 - #50 Ferrari is attempting to save fuel so that they don't have to make another pit stop, they are attempting to jump in front of the #7 Toyota without making another pit stop
14:15 - #51 Ferrari will swap places with the #50 Ferrari, the #50 has been unleashed in an attempt to go and take the victory, the #51 Ferrari skipping across the dunlop chicane
14:14 - #50 Ferrari is catching the sister #51 Ferrari for second place, the #50 Ferrari is 20 seconds from the lead.
14:13 - #37 LMP2 of Cool Racing is in the pit box, heartbreak for the LMP2 team that were in the Top 5 heading into the final hour.
14:12 - #7 Toyota leads Hypercar with the #51 Ferrari just 15 seconds behind - The entire Hypercar field needs to make another pit stop
14:10 - #50 Ferrari comes into the pits for some fuel, this is their final pit stop. They will lose the lead to the #7 Toyota in this final 50-minute sprint
14:09 - #37 LMP2 spins around, they've now gone out of the Top 5 in LMP2
14:06 - #50 Ferrari leads the race by 50 seconds but will need to make another pit stop
14:03 - #7 Toyota running second place has now spun around, losing them about 10 seconds of time to the leading #50 Ferrari.
14:00 - ONE HOUR REMAINING
14:00 - Le Mans 24 Hours Running Order
Hypercar Top 5
1st #50 Ferrari
2nd #7 Toyota
3rd #51 Ferrari
4th #6 Porsche
5th #8 Toyota
LMP2 Top 5
1st #22 United Autosports
2nd #34 Interpol
3rd #28 Idec Sport
4th #183 AF Corse
5th #37 Cool Racing
LMGT3
1st #91 Manthey Porsche
2nd #31 WRT BMW
3rd #88 Proton Ford
4th #44 Proton Ford
5th #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini
13:56 - Heavier rain expected as clouds are moving to the back half of the circuit
13:56 - 21,000 overtakes
13:54 - #34 Interpol LMP2 has cut the Dunlop chicane again
13:52 - Hypercars now struggling in the low speed areas of the circuit, with worn out tyres and wet conditions, the tyres are being burned in the dryer areas.
13:50 - #87 Lexus LMGT3 runs wide in Indianapolis with the wet conditions catching many drivers out.
13:50 - LMP2 cars still struggling for grip, cutting multiple chicanes
13:48 - #50 Ferrari under investigation for a pit stop infringement - unsafe release
13:47 - Sebastien Buemi jumps into the #8 Toyota, taking over from Brendon Hartley as they hope to re-take the lead.
13:45 - #34 LMP2 and the #28 LMP2 fighting over 2nd and 3rd - the pair cut the final chicane and then run wide at the Dunlop chicane, the field really struggling for grip.
13:42 - The #7 Toyota and #51 Ferrari are now in the pits, followed by the #6 Porsche, but the Ferrari has a 5-second penalty. This is your leading trio
13:41 - #51 Ferrari has a 5-Second penalty
13:40 - #51 UNDER INVESTIGATION for contact with the #8 Toyota earlier in the race about an hour ago.
13:38 - #38 Porsche comes in for another pit stop after serving their drive-through penalty earlier, the team now runs in 9th.
13:36 - BMW #31 LMGT3 now come in from second place as they hope to take LMGT3 victory.
13:35 - Cars beginning to aquaplane down the back straight - The #2 Cadillac now has to come into the pits for a wiper as visibility is limited
13:32 - #2 Cadillac still has a missing wiper blade, with heavy rain now coming down - visibility is exceptionally difficult. The team might have to come into the pits from 3rd
13:30 - Heavy Rain in the opening section of the circuit, but the back of the circuit is dryer.
13:28 - Brendon Hartley wants to stay in the #7 Toyota but is just one track extension away from a penalty. The Toyota team want Sebastien Buemi in the car, as he has much less track extension warnings.
13:27 - #38 Porsche of Rasmussen and Jenson Button has been given a DRIVE-THROUGH penalty for track limits, the team come in from just outside the Top 5
13:24 - With pit stops and chaotic crashes and spins, here is your Hypercar Top 5: 1st #7 Toyota
2nd #51 Ferrari +9.474
3rd #2 Cadillac +5.745
4th #6 Porsche +4.251
5th #50 Ferrari +8.358
13:20 - A dry line is now forming with more rain expected, the field is likely to be on a split tyre strategy. The back side of the circuit is drying, whilst the front is still wet.
13:18 - #50 Ferrari has now come into the pits due to their right side door issues, the #7 Toyota now leads the race.
13:16 - #50 Ferrari warned that if the driver is unable to close the door, the #50 Ferrari must come into the pits.
13:15 - #51 Ferrari and the #7 Toyota make contact, the Toyota attempting to dive down the inside into the Dunlop chicane, now slipstreaming down Mulsanne and overtaking the #51 Ferrari.
13:14 - #2 Cadillac has lost their windscreen wiper blade, with rain coming down heavily.
13:12 - #50 Ferrari has been warned by the FIA about their door, a potential mandatory pit stop for repairs seems imminent. Meanwhile, the #7 Toyota is all over the back of the #51 Ferrari
13:10 - #50 Ferrari has a door open, opposite the drivers side. The #51 Ferrari hit the #8 Toyota with a penalty expected, the #7 Toyota has now been put right back into the race.
Hypercars
LMP2s
LMGT3
1st #91 Manthey Porsche
2nd #31 BMW WRT
3rd #88 Proton Ford
4th #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini
5th #44 Proton Ford
Laurens Vanthoor leads for Porsche Penske, however, he hasn't stopped yet.
12:54 - #50 Ferrari and #8 Toyota pit. Molina jumps out of the car, with Nielsen taking over. The Toyota crew are slow at getting the wheel off. An unsafe release for the #50 Ferrari, however, he lets the #8 Toyota past.
12:53 - #12 Hertz Team JOTA pits for wet tyres too.
12:51 - #2 Cadillac comes into the pits for a scheduled stop, and puts on WET TYRES! Always worth a gamble, especially for Cadillac who have nothing to lose!
12:50 - #50 Ferrari advised of rain all the way from Indianapolis corner to the pit lane, as damp spots have started forming on the stretch down to Indianapolis corner.
12:46 - Track declared wet! Drivers have been advised to turn on their rain lamps.
12:42 - Intermittent rain expected at 13:46 local time, four minutes from now. Are we in for a late twist in the tale? Depends on how hard it rains.
At the head of the LMGT3 class, however, are the #31 WRT and the #91 Manthey EMA, as Sean Gelael holds a slender lead for WRT ahead of the chasing Porsche. Will the sister car make up for the team after the heartbreak of the #46 crashing out? Only two hours to find out.
12:34 - Elsewhere in the LMGT3 class, the #87 Akkodis ASP was battling with the #85 Iron Dames for fourth. However, the bonnet on the former is broken, and covers the windshield. Jack Hawksworth has dropped down the order, to seventh behind the #78 Akkodis SP Lexus of Kelvin van der Linde.
12:30 - The #38 Hertz Team JOTA pits, with Rasmussen continuing at the wheel, as the JOTA hypercar rejoins behind its sister hypercar, currently seventh and eighth on the road for the team from Tunbridge Wells.
12:28 - The #50 Ferrari pits from the lead! A top up of the tank as Molina continues at the wheel, he's having a cracking stint so far. #50 rejoins in the lead of the race.
Running out of sequence to the other competitors, the Cadillac sits fifth on the road, and looks to be falling back from the battle for victory.
12:25 - The #8 Toyota comes into the pits from second. Hartley will continue at the wheel of the #8. The #7 Toyota too comes in, as does the #12 Hertz Team JOTA.
12:24 - Only a technical reprimand for the Ferrari hypercars. No penalty, which means they're still in the running for a victory, and making it back-to-back Le Mans victories.
12:21 - The battling #51 Ferrari and the #6 Porsche are in for stops, as Vanthoor takes over for the latter, while Pier Guidi continues for Ferrari, rejoining in sixth. The #6 Porsche returns to the track in eighth.
12:18 - The leading LMGT3 of the #91 Manthey EX Racing pits for a fuel stop. In the meantime, the #22 United Autosports and the #183 AF Corse LMP2s come into the pits.
12:17 - The Ferrari #50 hypercar jumps the final chicane once again, with Molina cutting across the run off on the right hander.
12:15 - The #50 and the #51 Ferraris are under investigation for a technical infringement! Could this be a potential penalty coming their way?
12:10 - The #63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx is into the pits, with Bortolotti continuing on a stint for the team in green!
12:05 - #2 Cadillac is into the pits from the lead! Alex Palou swaps with Alex Lynn, as the team swaps tyres and gives the Cadillac a full tank of fuel. The #2 Cadillac is back out in ninth on the road.
With three hours to go, it's looking set to be yet another Toyota vs Ferrari battle for victory, however, ninth position is only a minute and a half behind the leader, which shapes up an interesting battle for victory in the hypercar class.
24 Hours of Le Mans - 21 Hours in:
Hypercar
LMP2s
LMGT3s
11:55 - The #2 Cadillac leads, with IndyCar star Alex Palou at the wheel, although Molina in the #50 Ferrari has narrowed the gap to 6.3s, while the #8 Toyota raced by Brendon Hartley sits third, 19 seconds off the lead. Remember, the Cadillac will be stopping before the other two behind.
And it was reportedly a front hybrid system failure that caused an electrical blackout for the #83 AF Corse Ferrari hypercar. A tough end for a team fighting so fiercely at the front for victory.
11:52 - In a race of attrition that saw the BMWs out early, the Alpine hypercars suffer engine failures, and the Isotta Franchini running down the order, the Lamborghini hypercars have been running solidly in the points, with the #63 now sitting in 11th, as the #19 pits. Former F1 racer Romain Grosjean leaps out, and Matteo Cairoli hops in now.
Lopez has been informed of a hole in the tyre for the #7 Toyota, preferably why he may have experienced a slow puncture.
11:40 - Slow puncture on the #7 Toyota! In the meantime, the #8 Toyota comes in from second, with Brendon Hartley hopping in for Buemi in the #8.
In the meantime, the #12 Hertz Team JOTA has come into the pits too, as Will Stevens gets out for Callum Ilott, as the #12 returns in eighth.
Hello all. Great news for those rooting for the #311 Cadillac, as the team have managed to get the car back on track. The car was initially in the barriers with a broken rear wing, which Pipo Derani managed to bring back to the pits.
11.17 - #92 of Strum is currently under investigation for not respecting blue flag lap.
11.05 - Smoke in the pits as #83 Ferrari faces brake disc issues.
Hypercar
LMP2s
LMGT3s
10.55 - #10 Vector Sport currently in the lead, with #34 Inter Europol and #22 United Autosport in 2nd and 3rd respectively.
10.51 - GREEN FLAG
10.47 - Full course yellow begins.
10:24 - #38 receives a warning flag for going over track limits.
10:07 - #65 is under investigation for not respecting the blue flag lap.
10:05 - #777 is under investigation for not respecting blue flag lap
10:03 - Rain lights are currently on low mode.
10:02 - #11 receives a warning flag for going over track limits.
Hypercar
LMP2s
LMGT3s
9:53 - #2 Cadillac pits from the lead as the remaining top 4 are still within a single camera shot
9:48 - Slow zones have been called to clear up the debris left by the #311 Cadillac
9:46 - #50 Ferrari passes the #83 AF Corse despite previously being told to hold position, while the rapid #8 is approaching the Ferraris at a blistering pace
9:44 - Kobayashi is reporting strange sounds coming from his #7 Toyota
9:41 - #7 loses two positions and appears to have suddenly lost pace, while the #311's damage proves to be far more significant than it seemed at first and will likely end its race
9:39 - Kobayashi launches his #7 down the inside of the #50 Ferrari but is forced to back out due to yellow flags
9:37 - #311 Cadillac goes off at Indianapolis but manages to keep going, though with some significant damage
9:34 - #2 Cadillac leads at the restart while the top 7 are all within touching distance
9:29 - Safety Car will come in this lap
9:22 - On the other side of the Cadillac garage the #2 now leads the race as the final pass around ensues before the green flag
9:20 - #3 Cadillac is limping back while stuck in 7th gear, ending the team's hopes of a competitive finish
9:16 - the Safety Car ending procedure has already been started, so if the #3 makes its way home we should be going green soon
9:15 - #3 Cadillac pulls over on the Mulsanne straight with what looks like a hybrid power issue. Dixon manages to get the car moving again, though at a crawling speed
9:10 - #93 continues on its way, though the car appears to have picked up significant damage
9:06 - Müller beaches the #93 Peugeot in the gravel under the Safety Car! The car will have to be lifted out, thus once again delaying a return to green flag racing
9:05 - #81 TF Sport Corvette miraculously makes its way to its pit box, meaning the Safety Car can come to an end soon
9:01 - three quarters of the race has been completed while the barrier repairs appear to come to an end. The #81 Corvette attempted to use the Safety Car to return to the pit lane but has now once again grinded to a halt at the Porsche curves, delaying the restart
24 Hours of Le Mans - 18 hours in:
Hypercar
LMP2s
LMGT3s
8:48 - This safety car might take some time as the barriers need to be replaced. Meanwhile the gaps in the front of the field have been slashed as the overall top 3 are directly behind eachother
8:42 - Replays show the #27 ran slightly too wide and got onto the wet part of the track, causing it to lose control and smash into the tire wall
8:36 - SAFETY CAR: The #27 Heart of Racing car is on its roof at Indianapolis! The driver is fine, but it looks to have been a major impact with the barrier
8:27 - A three-way fight has broken out over third place between the #7 Toyota, #50 Ferrari, and #83 AF Corse
8:23 - #81 Corvette gets rolled behind the barriers while the #4 Porsche is lifted out of the barriers, confirming a retirement for both cars
8:19 - The slow zone triggered by the #4 helps out the #6 Porsche as its rivals have to slow down while the Penske takes its pitstop
8:17 - #4 Porsche Penske has crashed at Indianapolis! Nasr is okay, but the car is unlikely to make its way back into the pits
8:16 - #81 Corvette stops on the side of the track while the overall race leaders come in for slicks
8:13 - As De Vries slowly begins to pick up the pace an increasing number of Hypercars pit for dry compound tires, including the #83 AF Corse and #2 Cadillac
8:09 - #95 United overtakes the Iron Dames Lamborghini for second place in class
8:08 - #24 Nielsen spins and damages its rear end while the #7 struggles to get its slick tires to work
8:05 - Toyota’s #7 is the first Hypercar to pit for slicks as the track slowly starts to dry up
8:03 - #12 JOTA Porsche gets held up by an LMGT3, allowing the #51 to sneak through on the inside for 8th position
8:01 - Giovinazzi’s #51 Ferrari just skims the wall at the Porsche curves but appears to have come out without significant damage
24 Hours of Le Mans - 17 hours in:
Hypercar
LMP2s
LMGT3s
In what would be great signs for the drivers, the sun begins to peer through the scenery on the Mulsanne straight.
07:49 - Crucial pit stop for Laurens Vanthoor, as the #50 Ferrari and the #2 Cadillac comes into the pits too. As hard as he may have gunned it, Vanthoor rejoins three seconds behind race leader Hirakawa.
07:48 - The leading LMP2 of Ben Barnicoat too comes into the pits, for a top up and a change of tyres.
07:45 - The #8 Toyota pits from the lead! A tear off and he's underway. Meanwhile, the #83 AF Corse and the #5 Porsche come in too, with Frederick Makowiecki taking over from Matt Campbell.
Giovinazzi cuts the Ford chicane as he has a close call while lapping the LMGT3 Corvette.
07:38 - Another battle expected between the #51 Ferrari and the #12 Hertz Team JOTA for eighth on the road. Can Norman Nato hold off the chasing Giovinazzi for eighth? It will be a challenge looking at the straight line speed the Ferrari has had all race.
07:35 - Campbell moves up into sixth, passing Button into the second chicane along the Mulsanne straight, with a swift pass. The Porsche Penske cars look quick, how high can they climb? Only time will tell.
07:32 - Battle brewing for sixth on the road, between the #38 Hertz Team JOTA, with 2009 F1 champ Jenson Button at the wheel, while Matt Campbell is chasing him down in the #5 Porsche Penske. Button defends fiercely in the Porsche curves, though, holding firm.
The #92 Manthey Purexracing Porsche is also into the pits, the team effectively having to sacrifice a top position to fix a gearbox issue.
07:28 - The leading #8 Toyota of Ryo Hirakawa is warned against using wipers, the team worried about the same problem that de Vries fell foul of.
07:26 - The #51 Ferrari takes its drive through penalty, dropping down to ninth. Meanwhile, one Formula E racer swaps for another at the #93 Peugeot, as Nico Muller takes over from Jean-Eric Vergne.
Driver swap at the #63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx, as Edoardo Mortara takes over from Daniil Kvyat. The #63 Lamborghini drops down to 16th on the road, behind the #19 hypercar.
07:23 - Meanwhile, in the LMP2 class, a great switchback at the Dunlop chicane sees the #37 Cool Racing get past the #22 United Autosports for second in the LMP2 class, while Ben Barnicoat leads for the #183 AF Corse LMP2.
It's also been revealed that the #51 Ferrari hypercar has a drive through penalty, for speeding under the full course yellows.
07:16 - The #7 Toyota GR suddenly drops down the order! And de Vries comes into the pits. An onboard of the #7 Toyota reveals just how difficult it was for the Dutchman to see ahead. He took the conservative option to come into the pits, and rejoins down in 11th.
07:13 - Straight on the restart, the #7 Toyota of de Vries is challenging the #50 Ferrari of Nicklas Nielsen for third, as Nielsen shuts the door at Tertre Rouge.
07:11 - GREEN FLAG RUNNING, AFTER FOUR HOURS!
If you're falling asleep, wake up. We're almost there. Green flag running expected shortly.
No change in the order, with the pass-around and merging stages effectively not allowing any team to pit. We are almost at the restart, though. So, expect some racing action going into the final third of the race.
24 Hours of Le Mans - 16 Hours in (2/3 of the way through)
Hypercar Top 10:
1st. #6 Porsche - Estre
2nd. #7 Toyota - Lopez
3rd. #8 Toyota Hirakawa
4th. #3 Cadillac - van der Zande
5th. #51 Ferrari - Pier Guidi
6th. #50 Ferrari - Nielsen
7th. #2 Cadillac - Palou
8th. #83 AF Corse - Kubica
9th. #38 JOTA - Button
10th. #5 Porsche - Campbell
LMP2 Top 5:
1st. #183 AF Corse - Perrodo
2nd. #37 Cool Racing - Fluxa
3rd. #22 United - Garg
4th. #34 Europol - Smiechowski
5th. #10 Vector - Richelmi
LMGT3 Top 5:
1st. #92 Porsche - Malykhin
2nd. #91 Porsche - Shahin
3rd. #27 Aston Martin - James
4th. #85 Lamborghini - Bovy
5th. #87 Lexus - Kimura
06:57 - We move to stage three now, the pass-around. This is similar to Formula One's unlapping process. The drivers who are a lap or more behind the leader of their class will now be allowed to go at full pelt, and gain back a lap on the race leader. This will reduce the gaps within the classes at the restart.
06:53 - We are now into the merging stage. Under this stage, only one safety car will lead the entire pack of cars, as they close up, or as the stage name says, merge closer to the leader, to reduce the gaps between each class.
06:49 - More cars peel into the pits, including the #34 Inter Europol Competition LMP2, and the #37 Cool Racing LMP2
06:44 - UPDATE - We edge ever closer to green flag running, as the merging process is expected to begin. Safety car 3 will enter the pits, and allow the cars to merge closer to the leaders.
06:28 - The #85 Iron Dames Porsche comes into the pits, and a driver swap sees Michelle Gatting take over from Sarah Bovy at the wheel. The pink Porsche is currently fourth in the LMGT3 class.
06:21 - Heart of Racing's #27 Aston Martin comes into the pits, with Ian James continuing in his stint behind the wheel. The team are running third in the LMGT3 class.
06:18 - Safety Car has increased the speeds of the cars to 110 km/h, a good sign if you're looking forward to some green flag running. Perhaps, we are nearing the end of this lengthy safety car interruption in some time.
Morning, everyone. If you've just woken up back in the UK or in Europe, and you're wondering what has happened, we've been running behind the safety car for a while now, almost three hours in. It has been bucketing down, and while the rain seems to have abated for now, we are still yet to get underway.
06:00 - A running order update:
Hypercar Top 10:
1st. #6 Porsche - Estre
2nd. #7 Toyota - Lopez
3rd. #8 Toyota Hirakawa
4th. #3 Cadillac - van der Zande
5th. #51 Ferrari - Pier Guidi
6th. #50 Ferrari - Nielsen
7th. #2 Cadillac - Palou
8th. #83 AF Corse - Kubica
9th. #38 JOTA - Button
10th. #5 Porsche - Campbell
LMP2 Top 5:
1st. #183 AF Corse - Perrodo
2nd. #37 Cool Racing - Fluxa
3rd. #22 United - Garg
4th. #34 Europol - Smiechowski
5th. #10 Vector - Richelmi
LMGT3 Top 5:
1st. #92 Porsche - Malykhin
2nd. #91 Porsche - Shahin
3rd. #27 Aston Martin - James
4th. #85 Lamborghini - Bovy
5th. #87 Lexus - Kimura
05:34 - A swap for the lead has occurred. The #8 Toyota comes into the pits, temporarily handing the lead to the #6 Porsche.
05:24 - A bit of on-track action! The #86 Ferrari piloted by Riccardo Pera goes into the gravel at the end of the Mulsanne straight. They continued going.
05:00 - Little updates on the running order. However, Iron Dames have moved up to fourth in their class.
Hypercar Top 10:
1st. #8 Toyota - Hartley
2nd. #6 Porsche - Estre
3rd. #7 Toyota - Lopez
4th. #50 Ferrari - Molina
5th. #83 AF Corse - Ye
6th. #38 JOTA - Rasmussen
7th. #3 Cadillac - van der Zande
8th. #51 Ferrari - Pier Guidi
9th. #2 Cadillac - Palou
10th. #12 JOTA - Ilott
LMP2 Top 5:
1st. #183 AF Corse - Perrodo
2nd. #22 United - Siegel
3rd. #10 Vector - Cullen
4th. #37 Cool Racing - Fluxa
5th. #34 Europol - Smiechowski
LMGT3 Top 5:
1st. #92 Porsche - Malykhin
2nd. #91 Porsche - Shahin
3rd. #27 Aston Martin - James
4th. #85 Lamborghini - Bovy
5th. #87 Lexus - Kimura
04:37 - Multiple drivers are coming in for pit stops. Few notable swaps, mostly fuel.
04:23 - A swap of safety cars will happen within the next ten minutes
04:20 - "What happens when the safety car runs out of fuel?" This question maybe answered, as we remain under safety car for the rain.
04:01 - The #37 LMP2 of Lorenzo Fluxa is under investigation for overtaking under safety car.
04:00 - Update of the running order:
Hypercar Top 10:
1st. #8 Toyota - Hartley
2nd. #6 Porsche - Estre
3rd.#7 Toyota - Lopez
4th. #50 Ferrari - Molina
5th. #83 AF Corse - Ye
6th. #38 JOTA - Rasmussen
7th. #3 Cadillac - van der Zande
8th. #51 Ferrari - Pier Guidi
9th. #2 Cadillac - Palou
10th. #5 Porsche - Christensen
LMP2 Top 5:
1st. #183 AF Corse - Perrodo
2nd. #22 United - Siegel
3rd. #10 Vector - Cullen
4th. #37 Cool Racing - Fluxa
5th. #34 Europol - Smiechowski
LMGT3 Top 5:
1st. #92 Porsche - Malykhin
2nd. #91 Porsche - Shahin
3rd. #3 McLaren - Costa
4th. #95 McLaren - Pino
5th. #27 Aston Martin - James
03:23 - With the potential length of this safety car, pit stops may soon begin.
03:15 - The #19 Lamborghini piloted currently by Romain Grosjean is leaking water through the roof. The rain is really coming down.
03:07 - "We will be under safety car for longer than anticipated," from race control. It is out due to the rainy conditions
03:00 - While we wait under safety car, let's go over the running order at halfway:
Hypercar Top 10:
1st. #8 Toyota - Hartley
2nd. #6 Porsche - Estre
3rd. #2 Cadillac - Palou
4th. #51 Ferrari - Pier Guidi
5th. #7 Toyota - Lopez
6th. #50 Ferrari - Molina
7th. #83 AF Corse - Ye
8th. #38 JOTA - Rasmussen
9th. #3 Cadillac - van der Zande
10th. #5 Porsche - Christensen
LMP2 Top 5:
1st. #183 AF Corse - Varrone
2nd. #37 Cool Racing - Fluxa
3rd. #34 Europol - Novalak
4th. #22 United - Siegel
5th. #10 Vector - Cullen
LMGT3 Top 5:
1st. #92 Porsche - Malykhin
2nd. #91 Porsche - Shahin
3rd. #3 McLaren - Costa
4th. #78 Lexus - Boguslavisky
5th. #95 McLaren - Pino
02:48 - Overall leader #8 Toyota (Hartley) has gone into the pits. #6 Porsche (Estre) inherits the lead.
02:44 - Safety car comes out. Reason suspected is rain.
02:43 - The #24 Nielsen Racing LMP2 recieves a stop-go penalty for his incident at the beginning of the hour with the #77 Proton.
02:40 - Brief yellow comes out at Turn 3, as the #77 Proton piloted by Benjamin Barker goes off. It quickly lifts.
02:37 - The gap between the overall leaders have come down to six seconds. Estre in the #6 Porsche chases down Hartley in the #8 Toyota
02:34 - The rain is slowly picking up. Cars on the wets have an obvious pace advantage.
02:24 - "Only 20 more minutes of rain," per race control.
02:22 - The #83 AF Corse swaps drivers from Shwartzman to Yifei Ye, as does the #3 Cadillac from Dixon to van der Zande. Each put on the wets.
02:19 - James Calado in the #51 Ferrari is under investigation for speeding under the full-course yellow.
02:17 - Green flag is back out
02:16 - Jack Hawksworth is under investigation for speeding in the pit lane. He sits seventh in the LMGT3 class.
02:15 - FCY Out for recovery of Braun's vehicle and wheel.
02:09 - Slow Zone Begins: This is due to both Hansson's spin and Colin Braun in the #45 LMP2 having a wheel come off.
02:07 - The #24 Nielsen Racing LMP2, piloted by David Heinemeier Hansson, has spun off into the gravel
02:05 - The battle for the podium in the LMP2 class is heating up: Miyata is following Cullen closely throughout the lap.
01.58 - Possibility of light rain reportedly to occur in 10 minutes.
01.53 - Slow Zone lifted.
00.56 - A drive through penalty for #10 for slow zone procedures.
00.56 - #86 under investigation for slow zone procedures.
00.52 - Buemi and Vanthoor also into the pits, with Buemi still leading.
00.51 - #93 now heading into the pits.
00.50 - #155 of Jordan Taylor finally gets the car to resume.
00.48 - #19 currently holds the fastest lap record.
00.42 - A Slow Zone ensued, lasts less than a minute.
00.40 - #27 Heart of Racing now heading into the pits.
00.36 - #94 Di Resta under investigation for slow zone infringement.
00.33 - #46 BMW is confirmed OUT of the race.
00.32 - No investigation for #12 for Safety Car procedure infringement.
00.24 - Slow Zone lifted.
00.16 - #4 attempts an overtake, and loses out.
00.15 - #66 to race control immediately.
00.15 - #94 currently under investigation for slow zone procedures.
00.10 - Slow Zone is out again.
00.06 - #37 Cool Racing spins off, temporarily before regain control.
00.03 - Several drivers heading into the pits for slick tyres, including the GT3 leader. Meanwhile, some struggled to remain on track.
Hypercar Top 10
1st #8 Toyota
2nd #5 Porsche
3rd #7 Toyota
4th #2 Cadillac
5th #50 Ferrari
6th #64 AF Corse
7th #51 Ferrari
8th #38 Jota Porsche
9th #3 Cadillac
10th #5 Porsche
LMP2 Top 5
1st #22 United Autosports
2nd #24 Nielsen Racing
3rd #37 Cool Racing
4th #10 Vector Sport
5th #14 AO TF
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #92 Manthey Porsche
2nd #87 Akkodis Lexus
3rd #87 Akkodis Lexus
4th #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini
5th #83 Proton Ford Mustang
23.58 - A car spins off
23.57 - #8 Toyota retains the lead.
23.52 - #4 Porsche. #12 JOTA and #23 United Autosports receives a drive through for slow zone violations.
23.47 - Alex Lynn overtakes the #50 Ferrari, moves up to 4th place.
23.46 - The front left radiator of #46 BMW reportedly facing issues, the car now being recovered. Another Slow Zone is out.
23.43 - The #46 BMW loses control, ends up stuck on the gravel.
23.34 - #8 Toyota is currently leading the race.
23.30 - #83 Ferrari of Kubica heads into the pits to serve his stop/go penalty , now down to sixth position.
23:29 - Slow Zone down the back straight
23:28 - Huge smoke pouring out of the #30 LMP2 down the back straight, bringing out the yellow flags
23:26 - Porsche #5 have gone from 1st place to now 7th
23:23 - Toyota #8 will inherit the lead of the race in Hypercar
23:21 -CAR #83 Leader of Hypercar given a 30-SECOND STOP AND GO PENALTY for contact with the #15 BMW
23:20 - #8 Toyota now takes second place, the #5 Porsche sinking further and further behind in the field.
23:19 - #83 Ferrari of Kubica now re-takes the lead of the race, overtaking the #5 Porsche, the Porsche staying out once again on slick tyres, despite the wets being nearly 20 seconds a lap quicker
23:14 - #5 Porsche leader now stays out, wet tyres are 19 seconds a lap quicker, but the rain is easing
23:12 - #92 Manthey Porsche LMGT3 leader spins, #46 BMW of Valentino Rossi now takes back the lead of the race
23:11 - Almost every single Hypercar has come into the pits and is moving onto the wet tyres
23:10 - LEAD CHANGE, #83 Ferrari comes in for wet tyres as the Porsche #5 seizes the race lead, but is alone on track on the slick tyres, every Hypercar moving to full wets.
23:08 - SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP
23:06 - We have spent an hour and a half behind the Safety Car, tyres will be cold and the field bunches. Restart will happen soon.
23:00 - 24 Hours of Le Mans Running Order - 8 Hours Gone
Hypercar Top 10
1st #83 Ferrari
2nd #5 Porsche
3rd #8 Toyota
4th #50 Ferrari
5th #6 Porsche
6th #2 Cadillac
7th #51 Ferrari
8th #12 Porsche
9th #7 Toyota
10th #311 Cadillac
LMP2 Top 5
1st #22 United Autosports
2nd #24 Nielsen Racing
3rd #37 Cool Racing
4th #10 Vector Sport
5th #14 AO TF
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #92 Manthey Porsche
2nd #46 BMW WRT - Valentino Rossi
3rd #87 Akkodis Lexus
4th #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini
5th #83 Proton Ford Mustang
22:52 - Hard Rain around the pit lane and opening corners
22:52 - SAFETY CAR PHASE 3/4 Pass Around
22:42 - SAFETY CAR PHASE 2/4 - Merging
22:41 - Light rain now coming down
22:39 - Expected restart in 20 minutes, after an hour under the SAFETY CAR
22:36 - DOG HAS BEEN RESCUED -Still under SAFETY CAR conditions
22:29 - Rain expected in 10 minutes
22:25 - THERE IS A DOG ON THE TRACK
22:24 - #46 BMW is coming back into the pits, the team checking the car briefly before sending it back out again.
22:18 - Still under Safety Car conditions, in Phase 1/4
22:01 - VALENTINO ROSSI climbs back into the #46 BMW LMGT3 which will close back up to the leading #92 Manthey Porsche, regaining an entire pit stop.
22:00 - LE MANS RUNNING ORDER - 7 Hours IN
Hypercar Top 10
1st #83 Ferrari
2nd #5 Porsche
3rd #8 Toyota
4th #50 Ferrari
5th #6 Porsche
6th #2 Cadillac
7th #51 Ferrari
8th #12 Porsche
9th #7 Toyota
10th #311 Cadillac
LMP2 Top 5
1st #37 Cool Racing
2nd #22 United Autosports
3rd #10 Vector Sport
4th #24 Nielsen Racing
5th #183 AF Corse
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #46 BMW - Valentino Rossi
2nd #92 Manthey Porsche
3rd #87 Akkodis Lexus
4th #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini
5th #66 JMW Ferrari
21:49 - SAFETY CAR STAGE 1/4 - INTERVENTION, Picking up the leaders
21:42 - 3 Safety Cars, 1 for Each Class. Your leaders in each class are: Hypercar leader - #83 Ferrari of Robert Kubica
LMP2 Leader - #10 Vector Sport of Stephane Richelmi
LMGT3 Leader - #46 BMW of Maxime Martin (Valentino Rossi's car)
SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
21:40 - Barrier dislodged from the contact between Hypercar leader #83 Ferrari Robert Kubica and the #15 BMW of Dries Vanthoor - SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
21:38 - #70 Inception McLaren LMGT3 Polesitters have been wheeled back into their pit box, the car smoking
21:37 - SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
21:37 - The crash from the #15 BMW had involvement from the #83 Ferrari, who made contact as the BMW got sent violently into the barrier.
21:35 - #15 BMW struggles for grip, running wide through the chicane on the back straight, the BMW now crashing heavily at Turn 15
21:34 - #50 Ferrari now close to within half a minute of the leading #83 Ferrari after a long and painful run on slicks in the wet.
21:33 - #38 Porsche come in for their stop, Jenson Button at the wheel and now moving onto the slicks.
21:30 - #8 Toyota come in for their stop, also moving to the slicks
21:29 - #83 Ferrari of Robert Kubica lead the race, coming in for another stop and onto the slick tyres.
21:28 - #35 and #36 Alpines have officially retired from the Le Mans 24 Hours, Mick Schumacher's debut is unfortunately over before half distance.
21:26 - Wet tyres coming off the #5 Porsche who move to slicks, the team currently running in 3rd place.
21:24 - #3 Cadillac has run wide into the gravel by Sebastien Bourdais at Indianapolis, a lock-up of the rear axel on his new tyres.
21:23 - Jenson Button #38 Porsche closes on Nyck De Vries' #7 Toyota as the pair battle for 8th place. Button has managed to overtake three cars on his stint so far.
21:22 - 100 LAPS GONE - Hypercar
21:22 - #83 Ferrari of Robert Kubica has been given a gearbox warning, the Hypercar leaders potentially in trouble
21:21 - #99 Proton Porsche has been wheeled back into the pit lane after more trouble
21:20 - #92 LMGT3 Leaders come in for their stop, as the #46 BMW currently driven by Maxime Martin take the lead.
21:19 - #46 BMW LMGT3 hits the #23 LMP2 with the LMP2 struggling on slicks, potential penalty for Valentino Rossi's #46
21:12 - #47 LMP2 has run off the road at Indianapolis, multiple cars stationary on the circuit
21:12 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
21:10 - #60 Iron Lynx LMGT3 have hit the barriers after sliding off and struggling in the cold wet conditions.
21:09 - Ferrari #51 2023 Le Mans winners have gone a full lap down
21:08 - Amidst all the tyre strategies and rain chaos - Robert Kubica currently leads Hypercar in his #83 Ferrari
21:04 - #51 Ferrari comes into the pits for the DRY tyres after struggling around the circuit on slicks already - Ferrari #51 on dry tyres despite the rain
21:04 - Valentino Rossi jumps out of his #46 BMW as Maxime Martin takes the wheel
21:03 - #50 Ferrari stays out on the dry tyres despite the rain, not wanting to lose track position but struggling so much and losing a lot of time, hoping for the rain to stop
21:00 - LE MANS 24 HOURS RUNNING ORDER - 6 HOURS IN
Hypercar Top 10
1st #83 Ferrari
2nd #5 Porsche
3rd #50 Ferrari
4th #8 Toyota
5th #51 Ferrari
6th #7 Toyota
7th #311 Cadillac
8th #6 Porsche
9th #12 Porsche
10th #2 Cadillac
LMP2 Top 5
1st #37 Cool Racing
2nd #10 Vector Sport
3rd #22 United Autosports
4th #24 Nielsen Racing
5th #183 AF Corse
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #92 Manthey Porsche
2nd #46 BMW Valentino Rossi
3rd #91 Manthey Porsche
4th #66 JMW Motorsport
5th #59 United Autosports
20:57 - #95 United Autosports LMGT3 has spun out into the gravel
20:55 - Jenson Button's #38 Porsche just came in for dry tyres and will need to make another pit stop, as a lot of cars begin to come into the pits for the wet tyres
20:55 - #2 Cadillac of Alex Palou comes in for the wet tyres and for their pit stop
20:53 - #50 Ferrari came in for the soft compound tyre, but on the same lap there was heavy rain. The #50 Ferrari have made the wrong choice of tyres.
20:53 - HEAVY RAIN
20:52 - #50 Ferrari comes into the pits, with rain beginning to fall heavier
20:51 - Rain spitting at the Dunlop chicane
20:50 - #6 Porsche runs wide through the Dunlop chicane, the team currently running in 9th place
20:50 - Rain Forecast in the next few minutes
20:45 - #9 LMP2 Proton Competition grinds to a halt at the Porsche curves, bringing out the yellow flag
20:44 - First spots of rain in the pit lane
20:43 - #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini comes into the pits to refuel, the team frustrated to be involved in an accident with the #4 Porsche Hypercar earlier
20:42 - As light begins to fade around the circuit, rain is on course soon and will hit Mulsanne straight and all the way down to Indianapolis at the back half of the circuit
20:38 - #65 Panis Racing LMP2 has a door problem, the door not shutting as the car now comes down the pit lane, the team has gone from running at the lead of LMP2, to now outside the Top 10
20:37 - RAIN FORECAST IN 30 MINUTES
20:34 - #36 Alpine is now in the pit box, Mick Schumacher's Alpine with potential engine troubles
20:29 - Valentino Rossi re-takes the lead of LMGT3 for the #46 BMW as the #92 Manthey Porsche serves their pit stop
20:27 - #4 Porsche has lost their right hand side racing number, regulations say that this number must be shown on the car and lit up.
20:25 - Leading #8 Toyota Hypercar comes into the pits, the #83 Ferrari now takes the lead of the race.
20:24 - #7 Toyota comes back into the pits after some more trouble, however the team is still inside the Top 10 as the temperatures are beginning to cool with night time racing upon us.
20:23 - Brendon Hartley #8 Toyota leads Hypercar after making 8 pit stops, the team seize the overall race lead as Ferrari must now play catch-up
20:20 - 9,000 overtakes so far in the Le Mans 24 Hours
20:17 - #92 Manthey Porsche have seized the lead of LMGT3, overtaking Valentino Rossi at the tight right hander before Indianapolis
20:15 - #83 Ferrari comes in for their stop, followed by the #5 Porsche as the #8 Toyota now leads the race in Hypercar.
20:14 - #38 Porsche runs in 12th - now driven by 2009 F1 Champion, Jenson Button
20:11 - Valentino Rossi brings the #46 BMW LMGT3 into the pits from the lead of the race
20:09 - #4 Porsche has a Drive-Through penalty after contact with the #85 LMGT3 Iron Dames Lamborghini
20:04 - Valentino Rossi leads the LMGT3 field by 80 seconds, but is 2 pit stops down on the car behind, a pit stop shortly imminent/
20:01 - #7 Toyota has a Drive-Through penalty after climbing to 5th place - slow zone infringement
20:00 - LE MANS 24 HOURS UPDATE - 5 HOURS GONE
Hypercar - Top 10
1st #83 Ferrari
2nd #50 Ferrari
3rd #5 Porsche
4th #8 Toyota
5th #7 Toyota
6th #51 Ferrari
7th #38 Porsche
8th #4 Porsche
9th #12 Porsche
10th #2 Cadillac
LMP2 - Top 5
1st #37 Cool Racing
2nd #10 Vector Sport
3rd #22 United Autosports
4th #14 AO TF
5th #24 Nielsen Racing
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #46 BMW - VALENTINO ROSSI
2nd #92 Porsche
3rd #91 Porsche
4th #27 Aston Martin
5th #31 BMW
19:58 - Iron Dames #85 has spun at the Dunlop curves, losing some valuable time as they currently run 6th.
19:51 - Slow zone in Indianapolis for the #35 Alpine which is now being taken off the circuit.
19:47 - #35 Alpine has pulled off to the side with fire pouring out Ferdinand Habsburg has got out of the car and this will be a retirement for the #35 Alpine.
19:46 - #311 Cadillac and #6 Porsche battle it out for 11th in Hypercar, the pair running side by side into Indianapolis
19:42 - #51 Ferrari now come in for another stop, using the medium compound tyre and looking to come back into the leading battle alongside their sister #83 and #50 Ferrari's
19:39 - #3 Cadillac comes into the pit lane for some repairs, the team now drop to outside the Top 15
19:37 - #3 Cadillac runs wide heading into tertre rouge and hits the barrier, some damage on the left-rear of the car as Renger Van Der Zande hit the wall, fresh out of the pit lane
19:36 - contact between the #2 Cadillac Hypercar and #47 LMP2, as the Cadillac moved under the braking zone.
19:34 - #19 Lamborghini now spins after coming out on fresh tyres, both Lamborghini's have now spun. Both cars are running a Soft compound front and Medium compound rear, meaning more front end grip, however the rear has been able to get away from them, with the Mediums taking longer to heat up, especially as we approach the cooler evening temperatures
19:32 - #50 Ferrari overtakes the #5 Porsche around the outside of the slow right hander before Indianapolis for 6th place on the track
19:31 - That brief yellow flag was for the #63 Lamborghini Hypercar as Daniil Kvyat spun coming out of the pits
19:30 - #8 Toyota takes the Lead of Hypercar, currently driven by Le Mans Legend Brendon Hartley
19:30 - A brief yellow flag for debris
19:29 - #83 Ferrari of Robert Schwartzman comes in from the lead of Hypercar, followed by the #5 Porsche currently driven by Matt Campbell
19:26 - #50 Ferrari come in for their pit stop
19:24 - Alex Palou jumps into the #2 Cadillac for his first stint of the race, the #2 Cadillac squad currently running in 9th place
19:18 - Rain is falling in the first sector of the circuit, drivers struggling to get the tyres up to temperature as the Porsche come in for another stop.
19:09 - Valentino Rossi currently leads the LMGT3 field after starting from 12th on the grid
19:00 - Le Mans 24 Hours update - Four hours in:
Hypercar Class:
LMP2 Class
LMGT3 Class
Keating has another off at Indianapolis, triggering a brief yellow flag.
18:55 - Molina charges past Matt Campbell in the #5 Porsche Penske to get up into fifth, as the #23 United Autosports runs off the track at the first of the Mulsanne chicane.
18:54 - #23 United Autosports of Ben Keating has a spin at the final corner, as his tough race continues, bringing up the rear in the LMP2 class.
With the #46 WRT running in second behind the #91 Manthey EMA McLaren of Yasser Shahin, you could expect Rossi to have some fun chasing down the car ahead for the lead.
18:49 - The #83 AF Corse Ferrari pits from the lead, with Shwartzmann continuing at the wheel. A quick top up of fuel, and he rejoins in the lead. The privateer Ferrari is running strong, nearly four hours in.
It will definitely be interesting to see how The Doctor goes around the track, as he could be racing into the night stages too. That's another challenge for any driver, as it becomes even more important to concentrate on the track, and not make a mistake.
18:46 - The #5 Porsche Penske is in the pits now, a driver change sees Christensen climb out, and Matt Campbell climbs in.
Elsewhere, LMGT3 leader #46 WRT pits, and a much-awaited moment sees MotoGP legend and GTWCE racer Valentino Rossi jump in for the first time at Le Mans, as Ahmad Al-Harthy jumps out.
Close call on the pit exit, as the Inter Europol just goes by. Molina initially appears slow going through the esses and Tertre Rouge, but he's going at full pace now.
18:42 - The #50 Ferrari pits, with Fuoco leaping out after a strong stint. Spaniard Miguel Molina takes over, with the trio of drivers having taken to the car now.
Immediate battle for second place, as Christensen challenges Fuoco. The Italian remains ahead though, despite a close call on the restart.
18:36 - A minute of running behind yellows, and we're back to green!!!
18:35 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
In the meantime, the #50 Ferrari of Antonio Fuoco has moved up into second, passing the #5 Porsche Penske of Michael Kristensen.
18:32 - The #22 United Autosports LMP2 car of Nolan Siegel went for an overtake on the #33 DKR Engineering of Rene Binder at the final chicane, as the latter came off worse from their incident.
18:30 - A slow-moving LMP2 on the Mulsanne straight.... the #25 Algarve Pro LMP2 car is the car in question.
It's brightening up once again, after a short rain shower!
Debris at the pit lane entry, and the #34 Inter Europol car has limped into the pits, with a left-front wheel missing! Yellow flag remains though.
18:26 - FULL COURSE YELLOW
18:24 - EXCELLENT PASS from Jack Aitken in the #311 Whelen Cadillac car! A slight lock up from Lotterer in the #6 Porsche Penske leaves him vulnerable going into the Porsche curves, as Aitken pulled off a move around the outside with aplomb! He moves up to 13th on the road.
The #5 Porsche of Michael Christensen has been informed of light rain which will evolve into steady rain soon.
18:19 - Rain has been reported in the pit lane. This 24 hour race will have many twists and turns. We saw the #8 Toyota go in for wets, while the #50 and #83 stayed out on dry tyres. How will the teams decide what tyre to be on? An interesting dilemma the teams will face.
It's been an excellent showing for Lamborghini so far, the Italian team's hypercars running tenth and 11th at the moment. How much higher can they go? It will be an exciting development to keep an eye on.
Giovinazzi too hands over the baton to Alessandro Pier Guidi. The #51 have some work to do if they need to get back up front, sitting in ninth at the moment.
18:12 - The #8 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari peel in, along with the #6 Porsche and the #311 Cadillac. 51 takes on new tyres, while Buemi gets out of the Toyota after an excellent stint.
18:09 - LEAD CHANGE: The #8 Toyota gets past the long-time leader, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari. Buemi is at the wheel of the Toyota, and expect him to pit soon though, running low on energy.
18:07 - A quick yellow which quickly disappears!
18:05 - A three-way battle for fifth, between the #51 Ferrari, #7 Toyota, and the #12 Hertz Team JOTA, and Kobayashi is through into fifth!
It's been an exciting race so far, with the rain spicing up things ever so slightly. However, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari looks to be firmly in the run for victory. Could we see another Ferrari win here? Only time will tell.
18:00 - RACE UPDATEHypercar Top 10
1st #83 AF Corse
2nd #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing
3rd #5 Porsche Penske
4th #51 Ferrari AF Corse
5th #50 Ferrari AF Corse
6th #12 Hertz Team JOTA
7th #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing
8th #19 Lamborghini Iron Lynx
9th #4 Porsche Penske
10th #6 Porsche Penske
LMP2 Top 5
1st #34 Inter Europol
2nd #10 Vector Sport
3rd #37 COOL Racing
4th #22 United Autosports
5th #183 AF Corse
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #91 Manthey EMA
2nd #46 Team WRT
3rd #87 Akkodis ASP
4th #66 JMW Motorsport
5th #86 GR Racing
17:55 - #20 BMW WRT emerges from the pits, but several laps behind in 59th place
17:48 - Fuoco is quickly gaining on the #5 Porsche and #83 AF Corse ahead, but the #50 still has a lot of time to make up to get in front
17:42 - #54 AF Corse LMGT3 becomes the first official retirement of the day after its second crash
17:34 - #9 Proton, #94 Peugeot, and #95 McLaren each receive a drive through for slow zone violations
17: 31 - Both slow zones have been cleared while Frijns finally makes his way into the garage
17:28 - Cars are pouring into the pits as both the pit entry and exit are now covered by a slow zone, significantly reducing the time lost during a pitstop
17:26 - WRT tell Frijns to slow down to prevent more damage to the bodywork. After making its way up the order the #20 now drops all the way to the back of the Hypercar field
17:23 - Frijns loses control of the #20 BMW art car in the final chicanes and puts his car in the barrier. He is able to continue on his way but will have to do the entire 13 kilometer lap with major damage
17:22 - Despite some teams predicting more rain race control has now declared the track to be dry again
17:19 - After the last pit cycle it appears the slowzone helped #83 gain a full 30 seconds on the #50 as Schwartzman takes the wheel of the yellow ferrari
17:13 - a slow zone has been called to clear up the #54 as the leading Hypercars come in for pitstops
17:11 - The #54 Ferrari LMGT3 crashes again, this time with a far bigger hit and major damage
17:10 - Nielsen pits the #50 from the lead on what looks like a planned stop, however the onboard reveals that its rear view mirror has come loose
17:03 - as the rain begins to disappear it's becoming clear that a few cars have made some big jumps forward by not using wets, including both Lamborghini Hypercars and the #20 BMW
17:00 - RACE UPDATEHypercar Top 10
1st #50 Ferrari AF Corse
2nd #83 AF Corse
3rd #12 Hertz Team JOTA
4th #5 Porsche Penske
5th #19 Lamborghini Iron Lynx
6th #63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx
7th #20 BMW Team WRT
8th #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing
9th #4 Porsche Penske
10th #51 Ferrari AF Corse
LMP2 Top 5
1st #34 Inter Europol
2nd #10 Vector Sport
3rd #24 Nielsen Racing
4th #37 COOL Racing
5th #14 AO by TF
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #66 JMW Motorsport
2nd #87 Akkodis ASP
3rd #46 Team WRT
4th #77 Proton Competition
5th #91 Manthey EMA
16:59 - LEAD CHANGE: Nielsen puts the #50 back in the lead despite a fierce defence from Kubica
16:56 - the leading cars on wets now return to the pits to put on dry tires
16:52 - As the track begins to dry up the cars who stayed out appear to have made the right call, though there is still a chance of more rain...
16:50 - #54 Ferrari crashes while trying to navigate the increasingly wet track while one of the Corvettes appears to have hit mechanical trouble after pulling over
16:47 - the leading #6 pits for wets while Nielsen is told to stay out as Ferrari expects the rain to stop very soon. Could we see a repeat of Imola or did Ferrari make the right call today?
16:43 - Kubica defends from Lotterer's #6 Porsche behind while the leading #51 pits for wets. While rain starts to pour around the start/finish straight, the other half of the track is still bone dry...
16:40 - the first drops of rain are starting to come down in the Porsche curves as the #8 Toyota immediately jumps in to take wet tires
16:38 - Race control has declared the track wet, meaning teams will now have the option to put on wet compound tires - though there is currently no visible rain
16:34 - AF Corse's team manager is called to the stewards for an incident relating to the #50 Ferrari
16:30 - Giovinazzi leads in the #51 following the second pit cycle after only taking fuel, saving time on those swapping tires
16:28 - Most of the leading Hypercars pull into the pits, with some performing their first driver changes of the race
16:26 - Rain is expected in roughly 10 minutes from now...
16:24 - Our Hypercar leading #50 Ferrari comes in for its second stop and will have to serve its 10 second penalty for an unsafe release
16:22 - The #47 Cool Racing LMP2 spins into the Dunlop chicane
16:21 - Proton Competition confirm the #99 Hypercar is suffering from the same door problem that ruined its run at Spa
16:18 - Milesi runs his #35 Alpine wide into turn one, which now puts him under attack from the #83 Ferrari behind
16:04 - The #99 Proton Porsche pulls back into the garage for the second time within an hour with what looks like a problem with one of the cockpit doors
16:00 - RACE UPDATE Hypercar Top 10
1st #50 Ferrari
2nd #6 Porsche
3rd #3 Cadillac
4th #8 Toyota
5th #51 Ferrari
6th #35 Alpine
7th #83 Ferrari
8th #36 Alpine
9th #5 Porsche
10th #38 Porsche
LMP2 Top 5
1st #9 Proton
2nd #65 Panis Racing
3rd #22 United Autosports
4th #37 Cool Racing
5th #28 IDEC Sport
LMGT3 Top 5
1st #70 Inception Racing
2nd #77 Proton
3rd #66 JMW Motorsport
4th #88 Proton
5th #59 United Autosports
15:58 - #50 Ferrari - 10 SECOND PENALTY for Unsafe Release
15:57 - Valentino Rossi's #46 BMW is now up to 8th place in the LMGT3 class as they move with the Hypercar traffic and pick a couple of the LMGT3 drivers off
15:55 - #8 Toyota now close right onto the leading trio of the #50 Ferrari, #6 Porsche and #3 Cadillac
15:54 - #99 Porsche is now back out on track after a lengthy stop in the pit box
15:53 - LEAD CHANGE in Hypercar #50 Ferrari overtakes the #6 Porsche down the back straight and now leads going into Indianapolis
15:52 - Slow zone removed, Green Flag running
15:51 - #46 BMW LMGT3 of Rossi, currently driven by Maxime Martin, is now up to 10th position as they begin to hunt down the leaders, currently around 20-30 seconds down on the class leaders.
15:50 - #50 Ferrari is now under investigation for an unsafe release
15:49 - Neel Jani #99 Porsche is in the pit box
15:48 - A slow zone in the opening corners as we wait for the LMP2 to be cleared
15:47 - #23 LMP2 has spun at the Dunlop corners, bringing out the Yellow flag
15:45 - Ferrari are losing oil in the #83
15:44 - LEAD CHANGE IN HYPERCAR, as the #6 Porsche overtakes the #50 Ferrari, meanwhile the #51 Ferrari has come out in 5th place after coming in from 2nd
15:43 - Both Ferrari's come into the pits, the #6 Porsche also comes in with the #3 Cadillac and #83 Ferrari also coming in, the Ferrari's have all come in followed by the rest of the Hypercar field
15:41 - Most of the Hypercar field now initiating their first pit stops as the LMGT3's also come in
15:40 - #65 Panis Racing have found their way into LMP2 2nd place as they chase down the #9 Leaders who are yet to stop
15:37 - Along with Hypercars due into the pit lane soon, the LMGT3 field will be coming in too in the next few laps, a busy pit lane is expected
15:37 - The #311 Cadillac has come in for their first pit stop, as the field is running into their final 25% of energy
15:34 - #51 Ferrari and the #50 Ferrari are battling it out for the lead of the race, the #50 Ferrari made a mistake by running wide and losing the rear, as the #6 Porsche now catches back up.
15:33 - 734 Overtakes so far with 586 of those overtakes coming from Hypercar
15:32 - #50 Ferrari lead the Hypercar field but will have a 10 second penalty to serve.
15:30 - #36 Alpine overtake the #2 Cadillac for 9th place in Hypercar, the Cadillac being slowed down in the LMGT3 traffic.
15:27 - The #50 Ferrari has to go off track to avoid LMGT3 traffic as the #51 follows through, both cars held up slightly as the #51 is now much closer to the #50 which leads the race.
15:26 - #70 Inception Racing currently lead LMGT3 as the Hypercars now filter their way through the field.
15:24 - #28 LMP2 manages to stay ahead of Panis Racing's #65 LMP2, they currently run in 2nd and 3rd
15:23 - #15 BMW comes into the pits, a disaster for the BMW who spun and hit the barrier on the entry to Tertre Rouge
15:22 - Hypercars are now catching the first LMGT3 traffic with a lot of shakeups due in both classes.
15:19 - #15 BMW has spun around in the opening part of the track - dropping to the back of the Hypercar field
15:18 - 3-wide in the LMGT3 class as the field from 7th-14th all duel for position with Rossi's #46 BMW involved in the fight
15:17 - #2 Cadillac attacks the #15 BMW for 7th in Hypercar, the #35 Alpine makes it through on the Cadillac as the BMW is being attacked by both cars.
15:15 - #47 LMP2 is in the pit box for either repairs or a potential retirement
15:11 - #46 BMW of Rossi, currently driven by Maxime Martin, overtakes the Ford Mustang #44 for 11th as the pair battle for position.
15;11 - #47 LMP2 car has made it back into the pit lane, meanwhile the #35 Alpine Hypercar is struggling with their front windscreen.
15:10 - #35 Alpine and a few other Hypercars have poor visibility on their windscreens
15:08 - #46 BMW LMGT3 of Valentino Rossi currently sits 12th in their class, close behind the #59 McLaren and behind a very packed up LMGT3 field.
15:08 - #51 Ferrari has the Fastest Lap with a 3:30.000
15:07 - #47 LMP2 is running slowly down the back straight
15:05 - #51 Ferrari make an overtake on the #3 Cadillac for 2nd place - the Cadillac's struggling on the race start here at Le Mans
15:02 - #50 Ferrari makes a charge and overtakes the #6 Porsche for the lead of the race on the OPENING LAP!
15:01 - #51 #10 #83 cars have been given 10 second penalties to serve after qualifying infringements
15:01 - The #50 Ferrari has managed to come through from 4th to 2nd as the #2 Cadillac struggles on the start line
15:00 - GREEN FLAG for the 92nd Running of the Le Mans 24 Hours
A HUGE Thanks to everybody who tuned in to our LIVE coverage - We hope you enjoyed this iconic race!!!
Brilliant work guys! 😎