93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans: Crucial Developments in Final Hours
As the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans enters its final stretch, critical moments have unfolded that could shift the race’s outcome. With just four hours and 50 minutes remaining, the leading #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, faced a setback during a Full Course Yellow due to debris. After a quick emergency service, Pier Guidi spun while re-entering the pits after the yellow period ended, losing valuable time but avoiding sanctions from the stewards regarding a potential pit entry violation.
This incident allowed Ye Yifei in the privately entered #83 AF Corse Ferrari to seize the overall lead, followed closely by the factory #50 car of Nicklas Nielsen and the recovering #51 Ferrari, now driven by James Calado. Laurens Vanthoor in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 remains competitive, trailing the #51 by only ten seconds in pursuit of the podium.
In a catastrophic turn for Toyota Gazoo Racing, Ryo Hirakawa suffered a left-wheel nut failure during his out lap, forcing the #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID to a slow crawl back to the pits, contributing to a significant loss of time and positioning. Consequently, the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R has now advanced to fifth overall.
In the LMP2 category, Nick Yelloly in the #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA 07-Gibson is expanding his lead over Esteban Masson in the #48 VDS Panis Racing car. The #28 IDEC Sport car maintains third, while the #199 AO by TF car continues to dominate the LMP2 Pro/Am class.
In LMGT3, the #92 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 LMGT3 R holds the lead despite the #78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F suffering a left-rear suspension failure, prompting its retirement. Riccardo Pera in the leading Porsche fends off challenges from Alessio Rovera’s #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296, currently in second. The competition within the top five is intense, with the #81 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette and the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage both actively contending.
With dwindling time, the remaining hours promise to deliver further twists as teams push to secure their podium positions.
