24 Hours of Le Mans: AF Corse Leads with 17 Hours Remaining
As the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans approaches its final hours, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P has surged into the lead. Piloted by Phil Hanson, the privateer entry overtook the factory squads, positioning itself ahead of the #50 and #51 Ferrari team entries driven by Nicklas Nielsen and James Calado, respectively.
Hanson’s strategic comeback followed a strong performance from Ye Yifei, who successfully erased a substantial deficit to the factory Ferraris before the pivotal pit stops. The current standings see the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 in fourth, with Kevin Estre now at the wheel, followed closely by the #12 Cadillac of Norman Nato in fifth.
In a notable shift, Rene Rast maneuvered the #20 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 past Sebastien Buemi’s #8 Toyota, securing sixth place. The #36 Alpine Hypercar has also made its mark, entering the top ten for the first time.
In LMP2, the #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA 07-Gibson, led by Jakub Smiechowski, is aiming to regain lost time from an earlier pit setback, holding the lead over the #48 VDS Panis Racing car. Both the #11 Proton Competition and #199 AO by TF cars sit solidly in the Pro/Am class, currently positioned fourth and fifth overall.
In the LMGT3 category, Kelvin van der Linde continues to extend the gap in the #46 Team WRT BMW M4, now well ahead of the second-place #92 Manthey Porsche. The remainder of the top five includes the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari and the #81 TF Sport Corvette.
Three cars have officially retired, including the #60 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG due to a catastrophic engine failure and the #95 United Autosports McLaren following a terminal rear axle failure.
In race incidents, Paul-Loup Chatin’s #35 Alpine A424 engaged in a collision with Loic Duval’s #94 Peugeot, prompting a steward’s investigation. Additionally, the #33 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette experienced a significant setback in the garage, losing two laps due to a stubborn wheel nut during a tire change.
Nine cars are currently facing scrutiny for a yellow flag infringement, including the already penalized #50 Ferrari and the #38 JOTA Cadillac. Ford Performance confirmed that the #88 Ford Mustang crashed due to a loose wheel nut, though driver Giammarco Levorato was unharmed.
As the clock ticks down, the dynamics of the race continue to evolve, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion at Le Mans.
