24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans 2010 : Hours 16-18

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

Early in the sixteenth hour the #83 Risi Ferrari came into the box with smoke pouring out of the car from the left rear. Unfortunately for the American team it’s not from the tires but from the engine. Upon arrival the car was pushed backwards into the box. Down the pitlane an other car returned, the #11 Drayson Lola.

Quifel-ASM’s Olivier Pla went straight at Arnage. Fortunately for the French driver the marshals quickly pushed him back an he rejoined the race.

Shortly after rejoining the race the Drayson Lola went off into the gravel at Indianapolis. Cocker was towed out of the gravel trap and returned to the pit for a check, before rejoining the race once more.

Standings after 16 hours:
P1: Peugeot (2) – Audi (9) – Audi (8)
P2: HPD (42) – HPD (26) – Pescarolo (35)
GT1: Saleen (50) – Corvette (73) – Aston Martin (52)
GT2: Corvette (64) – Corvette (63) – Porsche (77)

Five minutes past seven is the moment many Peugeot fans will not forget quickly. Having just made another regular pit stop Montagny took the leading Peugeot back on the track, only to suffer an engine blow-out coming to Tertre Rouge.

The #9 Audi R15 of Timo Bernhard, Mike Rockenfeller and Romain Dumas inherited the lead, ahead of the sister car driven by Benoit
Treluyer, Andre Lotterer and Marcel Fässler.

In the GT2 category the #63 Chevrolet Corvette also suffered an engine failure, leaving the door open for the Team Felbermayr Proton Porsche to move into second place.

The race of attrition began to increase again. At 7.15 the KSM car smacked into the barrier at Arnage. The IMSA Performance Matmut car went into the pit box, which meant it lost valuable ground. The #97 BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche 997 suffered a rear puncture, smoke billowing from the wheel arch.

Quifel ASM Team’s Miguel Amaral then went straight at Arnage and damaged the left front of his Ginetta-Zytek. On his way back to the pit he understeered straight into the wall, causing even more damage to the left front of his car.

Next up to hit trouble the #007 Lola Aston Martin. The team frantically working on the rear of the car. And the Drayson Lola is also back in.
Just minutes before the end of the 17th hour Tom Coronel spun his Spyker. A perfect 360 apparently. He was then followed by the ProSpeed Porsche spinning at Tertre Rouge, followed by a brief impact on the wall. Even though little damage was visible Tom Coronel, driving behind him, reports damage on the rear wheel of the Porsche.

Standings after 17 hours:
P1: Audi (9) – Audi (8) – Peugeot (1)
P2: HPD (42) – HPD (26) – Pescarolo (35)
GT1: Saleen (50) – Corvette (73) – Aston Martin (52)
GT2: Corvette (64) – Corvette (63) – Porsche (77)

Into the 18th hour and it was the Quifel ASM Team car still in the box. As a result the Bruichladdich car moved up. Davidson meanwhile was flying in order to get back in the fight for the lead.

The second placed GT1 Corvette came to a halt on the track on the kink between Mulsanne and Indianapolis. The stranded car was pushed to safety by the marshals, it was retired at the spot.

At the Porsche Curves bad luck struck again. This time it was the #64 Corvette that was taken out by Davidson. After what looked like a small contact the Corvette spun and slammed into the wall backwards, heavy damage to the back of the car. Yet the Frenchman managed to get going again and returned to the pit, where the crew started to work instantly.

With the barrier and catchfence damaged the safety car is sent out once again. For some bizarre reason it came out just as the Peugeot left the box. Only a brief safety car period though.

After 18 hours:
P1: Audi (9) – Audi (8) – Peugeot (1)
P2: HPD (42) – HPD (26) – Pescarolo (35)
GT1: Saleen (50) – Aston Martin (52) – Corvette (72)
GT2: Porsche (77) – Ferrari (95) – Ferrari (89)