A couple of days after the sensational Hyperpole, where fans witnessed Kévin Estre’s remarkable lap to secure the first spot, the long-awaited race, the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans start, finally began at 16:00 CEST. Text: Luca W. © Images: 24h-lemans
Tensions were palpable across every field. In the Hypercar category, the top 5 featured a diverse lineup with Porsche, Cadillac, Ferrari, and Alpine all vying for supremacy. In LMP2, the AO by TF team and IDEC Sport secured the first row with their experienced crews. The LMGT3 field was led by Inception Racing’s Aston Martin and Manthey PureRxcing’s Porsche 911 GT3, setting the stage for an intense competition.
2024 24 Hours of Le Mans start: intense with no big trouble
Millions of spectators have one anticipation: for Zinedine Zidane to signal the start, unleashing 62 drivers (186 in total) to fiercely battle on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe for the next 24 hours, under the watchful eyes of the legendary Jacky Ickx in person.
Tension is rising everywhere: in the media center, where journalists take a deep breath before writing millions of lines; in the grandstands, where fans pray for their favorite team or driver to win; and especially in the pits, where mechanics, engineers, and strategists have given their best over the past year for this very moment.
And then, the greatest French footballer of all time waves the flag, and the race begins. The #50 Ferrari sets the tone by overtaking Sébastien Bourdais’ #3 Cadillac at the Dunlop chicane, leaving Laurens Vanthoor’s #6 Porsche Team Penske in the dust on the Haunaudières straight. Robert Kubica’s #83 Ferrari makes the best start so far, climbing from 13th to 5th position within a single lap.
In the LMGT3 category, the Manthey Pure Rxcing Porsche 911 GT3 suffers a setback in the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans start, being overtaken by the #66 Ferrari 296 GT3 and the #77 Ford Mustang GT3. Over the following laps, Manthey Racing’s lack of pace sees them fall to 6th position.
15 minutes into the race, Antonio Giovinazzi, driving the #50 Ferrari 499P, follows his teammate’s lead by overtaking the #6 Porsche 963, transforming the leaderboard with a Ferrari 1-2. Ferrari’s straight-line speed proves to be a decisive advantage.
The #15 BMW continues to struggle with handling, as evidenced by multiple off-track excursions in previous sessions. At the Esses de la Forêt, Marco Wittmann loses control of his Munich machine, crashing into the barrier and relegating the BMW M V8 Hybrid to the last place in the Hypercar category.
Minute 20 to 40
Second position isn’t enough for Giovinazzi, who becomes increasingly menacing to his teammate, narrowing the gap to just 300 milliseconds. The extra pressure on Nielsen’s shoulders causes him to lock the front wheels while braking at the Mulsanne curve, allowing Giovinazzi to seize the lead. Also allowing the #6 Porsche, currently in third, to close the gap.
Meanwhile, in LMP2, the #9 Proton Competition car maintains a comfortable lead, while Panis Racing is under intense pressure from Oliver Jarvis in the United LMP2 entry.
In LMGT3, the battle for the lead is fierce, with Benjamin Barker’s #77 Ford Mustang LMGT3 closely tailing Frederik Schandorff’s pole-sitting McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo.
Minute 40 to 60
40 minutes into the 24-hour race, every car pits for refueling, a crucial determinant of track position beyond intrinsic performance. The 7 hypercar leaders pit simultaneously, relying on their crews to return them to the front. The #6 Porsche crew performs exceptionally well, enabling Laurens Vanthoor to reclaim the lead. Frustrated Ferrari driver Antonio Giovinazzi, along with the #83 Ferrari, incurs a 10-second penalty during the first pit stop, dropping him to 5th place and narrowly avoiding a collision with the #3 Cadillac while exiting the pits.
Meanwhile, the leading pack, consisting of the #50 Ferrari 499P, #6 Porsche 963, and #3 Cadillac V-Series.R, continues to battle for the lead, with the #8 Toyota GR010 of Sébastien Buemi and #51 Ferrari 499P joining the fray.