Le Mans 24 Hours: Ferrari Takes Charge Amidst Caution and Controversy
In the early hours of the Le Mans 24 Hours, the atmosphere was competitive yet rife with incidents, notably affecting key contenders. Rahel Frey of Iron Dames experienced misfortune when her Porsche 911 GT3R was stranded in the gravel after a collision with Clemens Schmid’s #87 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3, leading to a Full Course Yellow. Schmid subsequently received a drive-through penalty for the incident.
Despite the setbacks for others, James Calado propelled the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P to the front as racing resumed, overtaking teammate Phil Hanson’s car just before Indianapolis. The #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid, piloted by Sébastien Buemi, positioned itself as the sole barrier against a Ferrari sweep, maintaining proximity to the leading Ferraris. Kevin Estre in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 held fifth position.
The cooler ambient temperatures during "Happy Hour" facilitated record lap times, with Norman Nato clocking the fastest time of the race at 3:27.043 in the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota V-Series.R.
In the LMP2 category, VDS Panis Racing, driven by Esteban Masson in the #48 entry, led with Nick Yelloly’s #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA and Jonas Ried’s #9 Iron Lynx-Proton ORECA closely trailing.
Among the Pro-Am class, AO by TF was initially leading until PJ Hyett incurred a drive-through penalty for a slow zone violation. The LMGT3 class saw a fierce competition with Richard Lietz in the #92 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3R currently in command, distancing himself from Francois Hériau’s #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296, with Tom van Rompuy’s #81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R in third.
The race also faced retirements, including the #31 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3, which suffered damage after an unusual track incident with wildlife, along with the #54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3, sidelined due to undisclosed mechanical issues.
As the race progresses, the battle intensifies across all classes, setting the stage for an unpredictable and thrilling continuation at Le Mans.
