2024 24 Hours of Le Mans: leaderboard after 3 hours

The initial hour of the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans was marked by fierce competition across the hypercar category, featuring numerous lead changes without any major crashes reported. However, the #15 BMW M V8 Hybrid encountered significant issues, relegating it to the last position on the grid. Text: Luca W. © Images: 24h-lemans ©

From 17:00 to 18:00

In the hypercar category, the battle for supremacy unfolded among 4 contenders: the #50 and #51 Ferraris 499P, the #6 Porsche 963, and #83 Robert Kubica’s Ferrari. The competition predominantly played out in the pits rather than on the track, exacerbated by sporadic rain showers, particularly at the challenging Porsche curves. Some teams opted for wet tires to play it safe.

In a strategic bold move, that might recall the Imola race, the #83 Ferrari and its trailing #50 counterpart chose not to pit, placing their bets on staying out longer. This decision seemed advantageous as they built a comfortable lead over the #6 Porsche driven by André Lotterer, trailing by 1 minute and 8 seconds.

The #50 Ferrari and #83 AF Corse are still jostling for the lead. What a battle!#LeMans24 #WEC pic.twitter.com/kRQGhgsx54

— 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 15, 2024

Meanwhile, at the Porsche curves, the #54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 squeezed out the LMP2 #47 COOL Racing entry, resulting in both cars skidding into the gravel and prompting yellow flags. This incident was the main accident so far, underscoring the remarkable racing skills and discipline displayed across the field.

From 18:00 to 19:00

Niklas Nielsen started the second hour by finally overtaking Robert Kubica’s Ferrari, adorned in a striking yellow livery inspired by classic Spa liveries. Nielsen seized the lead and began trying to widen the gap. However, the Polish driver kept the pressure on the Danish driver, forcing the leading car to pit for medium tires and repair its rear-view mirror.

In the LMP2 category, there was a change in hierarchy as #10 Vector Sport took the lead from #34 Inter Europol.

Meanwhile, in the LMGT3 category, the Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F LMGT3 surged to the front, with the #46 BMW M4 LMGT3 of Team WRT trailing by a mere 10 seconds.

Shortly after, a major crash involving the #54 AF Corse Ferrari GT3, driven by Thomas Flohr, added to the drama. The incident at the Dunlop chicane resulted in the car’s heavy damages and triggered the first slow zone of the race and the first DNF (Did Not Finish) of the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. Sad moment for the crew.

Following this accident, the #50 Ferrari made a pit stop, changing drivers to Antonio Fuoco and opting for soft tires, without repairing the damaged rear-view mirror.

Big impact for #54 Vista AF Corse at turn one which causes a yellow flag.

Watch live on https://t.co/IPZa0nvsLu.#WEC #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/KCVd0kFoBO

— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) June 15, 2024

The #54 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 indirectly triggered another incident when the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 hypercar, running on soft tires, gets overly ambitious by hopping the curb at the Raccordement curve, leading to a loss of control and a hard impact with the barriers. Since the crash occurs just 20 meters after pit entry, the car has to limp around the entire circuit on three wheels to reach the pits for repairs. This leaves the mechanics of Belgian Team WRT scrambling to prepare for extensive repairs. The car will return on track 22 minutes later.

#20 BMW Motorsport driven by Robin Frijns runs off the track and has a huge collision with the tyre wall.

Driver is ok.

Watch live on https://t.co/IPZa0nvsLu.#WEC #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/L8r6pSeloa

— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) June 15, 2024

The slow zone triggered by the #20 BMW hypercar was not properly respected by the #9 Proton Competition LMP2, the #94 Peugeot 9×8 Hypercar, and the #95 United Autosports LMGT3, resulting in all three receiving drive-through penalties.

Robert Schwartzman, the Ferrari Driver Academy member replacing Robert Kubica in the #83 Ferrari 499P, laps the #94 Peugeot 9×8 after just 1 hour and 45 minutes into the race. This is a tough pill to swallow for the French manufacturer, whose 2cars are dead last among the official manufacturers, with Isotta Fraschini and Proton Competition being either independent or customer teams.

In LMP2, #34 Inter Europol’s French driver, Clément Novalak, takes the lead from #10 Vector Sport.

2024 24 Hours of Le Mans leaderboard after 3 hours

Virtually, it’s a fight between #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, which gained 11 positions, #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P, and #6 Porsche Team Penske Porsche 963.

POS	#	CLASS	TEAM		LAPS	GAPS	PITS
1	8	Hypercar H	TOYOTA GAZOO RACING		50	–	5
2	83	Hypercar H	AF CORSE		50	1.420	4
3	5	Hypercar H	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT		50	13.954	4
4	51	Hypercar H	FERRARI AF CORSE		50	19.388	5
5	12	Hypercar H	HERTZ TEAM JOTA		50	26.305	4
6	50	Hypercar H	FERRARI AF CORSE		50	27.905	4
7	6	Hypercar H	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT		50	58.432	5
8	4	Hypercar H	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT		50	1:00.180	5
9	311	Hypercar H	WHELEN CADILLAC RACING		50	1:00.732	5
10	38	Hypercar H	HERTZ TEAM JOTA		50	1:07.110	5
11	36	Hypercar H	ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM		50	1:25.301	5
12	7	Hypercar H	TOYOTA GAZOO RACING		50	1:32.496	6
13	19	Hypercar H	LAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX		50	1:50.299	4
14	3	Hypercar H	CADILLAC RACING		50	1:31.102	6
15	63	Hypercar H	LAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX		50	1:53.517	4
16	2	Hypercar H	CADILLAC RACING		49	2:04.569	5
17	35	Hypercar H	ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM		49	2:17.232	5
18	93	Hypercar H	PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES		49	2:24.585	5
19	15	Hypercar H	BMW M TEAM WRT		49	3:10.797	5
20	94	Hypercar H	PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES		49	3:24.914	6
21	11	Hypercar H	ISOTTA FRASCHINI		48	2 laps	5
22	10	LM P2	VECTOR SPORT		48	1:37.280	4
23	34	LM P2	INTER EUROPOL COMPETITION		48	1:27.537	5
24	37	LM P2	COOL RACING		47	3 laps	5
25	22	LM P2	UNITED AUTOSPORTS		47	2:30.503	5
26	28	LM P2	IDEC SPORT		47	3:22.675	5
27	183	LM P2 P/A	AF CORSE		47	42.585	6
28	24	LM P2	NIELSEN RACING		47	43.272	5
29	9	LM P2	PROTON COMPETITION		47	1:27.537	7
30	14	LM P2 P/A	AO BY TF		47	1:35.485	4
31	30	LM P2 P/A	DUQUEINE TEAM		46	4 laps	6
32	65	LM P2 P/A	PANIS RACING		46	2:54.028	5
33	45	LM P2 P/A	CROWDSTRIKE RACING BY APR		46	3:06.372	5
34	99	Hypercar H	PROTON COMPETITION		46	3:25.417	6
35	33	LM P2 P/A	DKR ENGINEERING		46	21.208	5
36	25	LM P2	ALGARVE PRO RACING		45	5 laps	5
37	91	LMGT3	MANTHEY EMA		44	6 laps	4
38	46	LMGT3	TEAM WRT		44	3:31.659	4
39	66	LMGT3	JMW MOTORSPORT		44	5.075	4
40	87	LMGT3	AKKODIS ASP TEAM		44	4.257	4
41	86	LMGT3	GR RACING		44	10.605	4
42	85	LMGT3	IRON DAMES		44	16.524	4
43	92	LMGT3	MANTHEY PURERXCING		44	24.113	5
44	95	LMGT3	UNITED AUTOSPORTS		44	28.404	5
45	59	LMGT3	UNITED AUTOSPORTS		44	35.395	4
46	77	LMGT3	PROTON COMPETITION		44	36.503	4
47	88	LMGT3	PROTON COMPETITION		44	1:01.705	5
48	44	LMGT3	PROTON COMPETITION		44	1:11.546	4
49	55	LMGT3	VISTA AF CORSE		44	1:21.787	4
50	70	LMGT3	INCEPTION RACING		44	1:33.258	5
51	81	LMGT3	TF SPORT		44	1:42.406	4
52	27	LMGT3	HEART OF RACING TEAM		43	7 laps	4
53	155	LMGT3	SPIRIT OF RACE		43	2:10.474	5
54	31	LMGT3	TEAM WRT		43	2:20.990	4
55	78	LMGT3	AKKODIS ASP TEAM		43	2:53.046	4
56	777	LMGT3	D’STATION RACING		43	3:11.702	5
57	82	LMGT3	TF SPORT		43	3:18.943	4
58	60	LMGT3	IRON LYNX		43	4.268	4
59	20	Hypercar H	BMW M TEAM WRT		42	8 laps	5
60	47	LM P2 P/A	COOL RACING		41	9 laps	5
61	23	LM P2 P/A	UNITED AUTOSPORTS USA		35	15 laps	5
62	54	LMGT3	VISTA AF CORSE		30	20 laps	3