24 Hours of Le Mans

Le Mans 24 Hours LIVE at Planetlemans - Chapter 12

© Planetlemans - Gabriel Portos

We are in the final two hours of the race. Will Audi stay ahead or will Peugeot get it ‘back’? It is still too close to call. The gaps between cars in other classes are huge but still, two hours can change everything. Follow the last two hours all the way to the finish here at Planetlemans

13:02- The times of the top diesel cars are all in the 3.30 range with no major differences which means the finish is in sight, the most important now is to see the chequered flag even if we have more than one grand prix distance to cover!

13:08- Clearly the van Merkstein team is nursing the Spyder to the finish lapping around 3.50 which is 16 seconds slower than their best race pace.

13:09- Pit stop for Audi 1 while number 3 goes into the garage, the battle is not over yet!!

13:10- Biela takes over from Werner while the rear cover has been lifted on the other car and feverish work is being performed….

13:12: In GT1 Corvette still pushing Aston but the gap is a lap between the 009 and the 63, it won’t be easy to catch up…

13:13- A lot of cruising to the finish in GT2, espcially from the top 3, clearly Virgo in 4th now is much slower (about 10 secs)

13:14- Audi 3 with Luhr on the wheel is back racing

13:16- Gené is lapping in 3.26 and pushing the leader Audi, Kristensen is doing 3.30 and is still a lap ahead of the 7 Peugeot

13:18-The pit stop figures seem more similar now, Audi number 2 has done 30 while the 7 Peugeot has done 32.

13:19- The 9 Peugeot had a regular pit stop and now is the turn of number 7, Minassian takes over from Gené

13:21- The GT1 leader is in the pits which means fellows on the 63 is less than a lap behind, still too much of a distance to gain on the Aston

13:25- The top petrol car is in the pits, another very good job from Primat-Tinseau this time with a fantastic drive by Treluyer as the perfect complement

13:26- Peugeot giving everything, Minassian laps in 3.25 which is 6 seconds quicker than Mr. Le Mans Tom Kristensen who is in the lead

13:27- A new nose for the remaining Oreca which has landed in the garage

13:28- Fellows brings the 63 Corvette for a pit stop while, amazingly enough the 4 Saulnier Pesacarolo has just put their best lap of the race in 3.44.289. As a reference, the best lap on the LMP2 car of the same team is 3.44.293

13:31- Kristensen lapping in 3.28, Minassian in 3.26….

13:32- Bleekemolen doing the job on LMP2 and lapping consistently, our guess is the car will cross the line driven by the team owner Peter van Merksteijn

13:33- Montagny on the 9 Peugeot also showing he can lap fast in 3.26, where’s the 3.30 race pace??

13:34- Magnussen for Fellows on the 63 car now

13:35- Salo on the Risi car is lapping in 4.10, unfortunately for Virgo JMB has overtaken them now and they are only 5th, a huge effort, let’s hope they see the finish in their first ever Le Mans 24 Hours

13:37- The Larbre Saleen is in the pits again. The Dome is also in the garage.

13:38- Only 36 cars left with 80 minutes to go

13:39- Minassian continues to lap 3 to 5 seconds quicker than Kristensen , he is 2 mins 13 secs behind so he’d need more time than what is available to catch up. It is fantastic however that they do not give up and keep the pressure on

13:43- The crowd starts gathering on the main straight, not even the weather has kept the fans away from this magnificent race and luckily it is now dry but overcast

13:44 - Minassian in 3.24, Kristensen 3.30

13:47- And once more 3.25 from the Peugeot, 3.30 from the Audi

13:49- Bleekemolen still nursing the Porsche home around 3.50 while the two top GT1 cars (Aston and Corvette) are running identical times, Corvette over 3 minutes behind the Aston

13:51- In GT2 Salo on the Risi car has 7 laps advantage from second place BMS Scuderia Italia

13:55- And the rain is back at Le Mans…..

13:57- If there was one more ingredient needed here it is. After its decisive appearance at 4.20 AM here we go again…

13:58 -Minassian enters the pits like a possessed and almost runs his mechanics over. A frantic tyre change and off he goes to play the last card in this game.

14:00- Lots of nerves, Wurz was not ready to jump on the 8 and the 9 is completely across the pit space in front of its box… the difference between Audi 2 and Peugeot 7 is 1 min 59 secs. Audi 3 and Peugeot 9 go into the garage….

14:01- It rains hard on the main straight but other areas of the track are (still) dry

14:03- Peugeot number 9 rejoins

14:05- Now it’s raining on practically the whole circuit

14:06- A substantial off from Minassian coming into Dunlop, he recovers with no problem but now he’s slower than Kristensen and is 2 mins 39 secs behind

14:07- official spectators figure: 258.500, another record

14:10- 50 minutes to go… still Audi 2, 34 van Merksteijn Porsche, 009 Aston Martin and 82 Risi Ferrari in the respective class leads, Audi clearly leads overall

14:12- Kristensen lapping now quicker than Minassian, rain has been a good thing for Audi until now

14:15- Still work going on in the Dome garage, trying to get to the finish

14:18- Vanina Ickx on the Rollcentre Pescarolo, the gap between Audi 2 and Peugeot 7 is 2 mins 32 secs

14:20- Biela in for what should be Audi 1’s last pit stop of the race

14:21- With the Virgo Ferrari standin still for a while already now Felbermayr is 5th in GT2, the Lizards could still be 7th, disappointment for the Virgo team as it is now a confirmed retirement….

14:23- Audi 1 ends up in the gravel bed at the Playstation chicane!!! Biela is able to find the track again and races further

14:26- Both Peugeot and Audi preparing their last pit stops….

14:30- We enter the last half an hour…. will Audi make it yet again? Will we see Tom kristensen take his eighth victory at Le Mans?

14:32- Huge cheer from the Dutch fans as the LMP2 leader enters for their last pit stop. As expected Peter van Merksteijn will bring the car to the finish line.

14:37- Now everyone cruises to the finish but Peugeot 7 still needs some diesel to make it to the end

14:40- 20 minutes to go and all fans gather at the main straight, the rain has stopped so let’s hope it stays that way

14:42- Something amiss with number 7…

14:44- The car is undriveable under braking and has severe steering issues, a puncture?

14:45- New tyres for number 9 with less than 15 minutes to go

14:46- The race leader is in the pits!

14:47- And as Kristensen rejoins in comes Minassian on the 7 peugeot, he also rejoins after a tyre change

14:50 -We enter the last 10 minutes of the 76th edition of the Le Mans 24 hours with Audi firmly in the lead (Capello-McNish-Kristensen)

14:53- Peugeot 8 enters the pits unexpectedly…

14:56- The Dome S102 is also on the track, it will finish its Le Mans debut!

15:00- Audi’s eighth Le Mans victory as well as Tom Kristensen’s , a well deserved crown after a fair battle with Peugeot!!
van Merksteijn becomes the first Dutch team to win at Le Mans , a return for a Porsche prototype victory in the smaller class
A brilliant second Aston Martin title in GT1 beating Corvette by a narrow margin and the first GT2 victory of Ferrari thanks to Giuseppe Risi’s team