Ferrari Dominates Le Mans as Race Enters Final Stages
As the 93rd edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours approaches its final five hours, Ferrari maintains a commanding presence with a 1-2-3 lineup. The #51 factory Ferrari 499P, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, leads a pack that includes the privately entered yellow #83 Ferrari and the #50 factory entry. The gaps between these top contenders have widened, establishing a clear lead for the Scuderia.
In fourth, Kevin Estre pilots the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, followed by Brendon Hartley in the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid. Alex Lynn in the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R and Raffaele Marciello in the #15 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 round out the top six.
Notably, Tom Gamble in the #007 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie faced a near incident with the guardrail on the Mulsanne Straight while navigating traffic. Fortunately, he escaped unharmed. Despite this scare, both Aston Martins appear on track for a strong finish in their inaugural race.
The event has been characterized by professional dominance and minimal drama, aside from a brief Full Course Yellow for debris.
In the GT field, the #92 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 LMGT3 R continues its strong performance, with Riccardo Pera having taken over from Richard Lietz, leading ahead of the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296. Mattia Drudi in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage remains competitive in third.
The LMP2 category is heating up, with Nick Yelloly in the #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA 07-Gibson leading. However, Esteban Masson in the #48 VDS Panis Racing ORECA is closing in, just under five seconds behind.
The remaining positions in LMP2 feature the #28 IDEC Sport ORECA and #9 Iron Lynx-Proton ORECA in third and fourth, with the #199 AO by TF leading the Pro/Am class comfortably in fifth overall among the P2 entries.
As the race nears its conclusion, all eyes remain on the potential battles, particularly in the LMP2 category, where strategy and timing will play crucial roles.
