2024 24 Hours of Le Mans 3 hours

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.

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.

2024 24 Hours of Le Mans leaderboard first car #83 Ferrari 499P, Robert Kubica

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.

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.

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#CLASSTEAMLAPSGAPSPITS
18Hypercar HTOYOTA GAZOO RACINGToyota GR010 - Hybrid#8505
283Hypercar HAF CORSEFerrari 499P#83501.4204
35Hypercar HPORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORTPorsche 963#55013.9544
451Hypercar HFERRARI AF CORSEFerrari 499P#515019.3885
512Hypercar HHERTZ TEAM JOTAPorsche 963#125026.3054
650Hypercar HFERRARI AF CORSEFerrari 499P#505027.9054
76Hypercar HPORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORTPorsche 963#65058.4325
84Hypercar HPORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORTPorsche 963#4501:00.1805
9311Hypercar HWHELEN CADILLAC RACINGCadillac V-Series.R#311501:00.7325
1038Hypercar HHERTZ TEAM JOTAPorsche 963#38501:07.1105
1136Hypercar HALPINE ENDURANCE TEAMAlpine A424#36501:25.3015
127Hypercar HTOYOTA GAZOO RACINGToyota GR010 - Hybrid#7501:32.4966
1319Hypercar HLAMBORGHINI IRON LYNXLamborghini SC63#19501:50.2994
143Hypercar HCADILLAC RACINGCadillac V-Series.R#3501:31.1026
1563Hypercar HLAMBORGHINI IRON LYNXLamborghini SC63#63501:53.5174
162Hypercar HCADILLAC RACINGCadillac V-Series.R#2492:04.5695
1735Hypercar HALPINE ENDURANCE TEAMAlpine A424#35492:17.2325
1893Hypercar HPEUGEOT TOTALENERGIESPeugeot 9X8#93492:24.5855
1915Hypercar HBMW M TEAM WRTBMW M HYBRID V8#15493:10.7975
2094Hypercar HPEUGEOT TOTALENERGIESPeugeot 9X8#94493:24.9146
2111Hypercar HISOTTA FRASCHINIIsotta Fraschini Tipo6-C#11482 laps5
2210LM P2VECTOR SPORTOreca 07 - Gibson#10481:37.2804
2334LM P2INTER EUROPOL COMPETITIONOreca 07 - Gibson#34481:27.5375
2437LM P2COOL RACINGOreca 07 - Gibson#37473 laps5
2522LM P2UNITED AUTOSPORTSOreca 07 - Gibson#22472:30.5035
2628LM P2IDEC SPORTOreca 07 - Gibson#28473:22.6755
27183LM P2 P/AAF CORSEOreca 07 - Gibson#1834742.5856
2824LM P2NIELSEN RACINGOreca 07 - Gibson#244743.2725
299LM P2PROTON COMPETITIONOreca 07 - Gibson#9471:27.5377
3014LM P2 P/AAO BY TFOreca 07 - Gibson#14471:35.4854
3130LM P2 P/ADUQUEINE TEAMOreca 07 - Gibson#30464 laps6
3265LM P2 P/APANIS RACINGOreca 07 - Gibson#65462:54.0285
3345LM P2 P/ACROWDSTRIKE RACING BY APROreca 07 - Gibson#45463:06.3725
3499Hypercar HPROTON COMPETITIONPorsche 963#99463:25.4176
3533LM P2 P/ADKR ENGINEERINGOreca 07 - Gibson#334621.2085
3625LM P2ALGARVE PRO RACINGOreca 07 - Gibson#25455 laps5
3791LMGT3MANTHEY EMAPorsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3#91446 laps4
3846LMGT3TEAM WRTBMW M4 LMGT3#46443:31.6594
3966LMGT3JMW MOTORSPORTFerrari 296 LMGT3#66445.0754
4087LMGT3AKKODIS ASP TEAMLexus RC F LMGT3#87444.2574
4186LMGT3GR RACINGFerrari 296 LMGT3#864410.6054
4285LMGT3IRON DAMESLamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2#854416.5244
4392LMGT3MANTHEY PURERXCINGPorsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3#924424.1135
4495LMGT3UNITED AUTOSPORTSMcLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo#954428.4045
4559LMGT3UNITED AUTOSPORTSMcLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo#594435.3954
4677LMGT3PROTON COMPETITIONFord Mustang LMGT3#774436.5034
4788LMGT3PROTON COMPETITIONFord Mustang LMGT3#88441:01.7055
4844LMGT3PROTON COMPETITIONFord Mustang LMGT3#44441:11.5464
4955LMGT3VISTA AF CORSEFerrari 296 LMGT3#55441:21.7874
5070LMGT3INCEPTION RACINGMcLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo#70441:33.2585
5181LMGT3TF SPORTCorvette Z06 LMGT3.R#81441:42.4064
5227LMGT3HEART OF RACING TEAMAston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3#27437 laps4
53155LMGT3SPIRIT OF RACEFerrari 296 LMGT3#155432:10.4745
5431LMGT3TEAM WRTBMW M4 LMGT3#31432:20.9904
5578LMGT3AKKODIS ASP TEAMLexus RC F LMGT3#78432:53.0464
56777LMGT3D’STATION RACINGAston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3#777433:11.7025
5782LMGT3TF SPORTCorvette Z06 LMGT3.R#82433:18.9434
5860LMGT3IRON LYNXLamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2#60434.2684
5920Hypercar HBMW M TEAM WRTBMW M HYBRID V8#20428 laps5
6047LM P2 P/ACOOL RACINGOreca 07 - Gibson#47419 laps5
6123LM P2 P/AUNITED AUTOSPORTS USAOreca 07 - Gibson#233515 laps5
6254LMGT3VISTA AF CORSEFerrari 296 LMGT3#543020 laps3

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Luca

Living the automotive way

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