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WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans

Le Mans 24 Hours Live Commentary and Updates

Updates and live commentary throughout the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Live Standings

Stopped

Summary


    • #7 Toyota finally wins the Le Mans 24 Hours with the #8 Toyota second and Alpine third
    • #41 WRT ORECA stops on the final lap, handing sister #31 car the LMP2 win by just 0.7s in unbelievable finish
    • Ferrari and AF Corse on top in GTE Pro (#51) and in GTE Am (#83)

Live Text

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Hello everyone, and welcome to our Autosport Live update feed for the 2021 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours!
In 20 minutes' time, we'll be settled in for the world-famous 24-hour endurance extravaganza. Hope you've got snacks and supplies handy.
Rain
It's currently raining over the La Sarthe circuit, which should spice things up at the very beginning if it's not a safety car start.
Breaking news
The #7 Toyota starts at the front of the LMH category, with Mike Conway kicking off the action ahead of Sebastien Buemi in the #8.
Nico Lapierre will do the first stint for Alpine, with Olivier Pla and Richard Westbrook starting for Glickenhaus.
Rain
It's been declared a wet start, so we're anticipating a rolling start.

In LMP2, Antonio Felix da Costa will take the reins first for the #38 Jota team on pole, with Robert Kubica first up for the #41 WRT squad.

Stevens, de Vries, Jamin, Lynn, Gelael, Nato, Trummer, Pilet, Frijns, Albuquerque, Hanley, Jarvis, Rojas, van der Garde, Brundle, Merhi, K. Magnussen, Andersen, Webb, Calderon, Lahaye, A. Robin and Cloet kick off the other LMP2 runners.

GTE Starting drivers:

GTE Pro: Martin, Molina, Milner, Calado, Bruni, Estre, Vanthoor, Garcia.

GTE Am: Andlauer, Barker, Cairoli, Fuoco, Barnicoat, Fraga, Cressoni, Jensen, Tincknell, Fisichella, Nielsen. Ried the first Bronze starting in P12, then Seefried, Bleekemolen, Gunn, Thiim, Gatting, Schiavoni, Watson, Olsen, Griffin, Fannin, Renauer.

Green flag
The formation lap is away.
LMP2: The #20 High Class car is stuck in the blocks as the cars get away! That's the Andersen/Taylor/Sorensen car.

GTE - The battle for honours in GTE Pro and GTE Am is likely to be a closely fought affair.

Factory squads from Porsche, Corvette and Ferrari feature in an eight car tussle for the Pro victory. However, privateer squad Hub Auto Racing (Porsche 911 RSR) upset its works rivals by snaring pole position in qualifying following a stunning 3m46.882s lap from Dries Vanthoor.

Meanwhile, 23 cars will feature in GTE Am with Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin represented.

The Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR of Juilien Andlauer, Dominque Bastian and Lance David Arnold will start from pole.    

Some familiar faces in attendance; FIA president Jean Todt is watching on, while two-time Le Mans winner Fernando Alonso is also casting an eye on events.
Extra formation lap called. The 61 car field will go around again but technically the race has started.
Lights out
The 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours has officially begun!
Decent crowd packed into the circuit despite the weather. Let's hope we get a belter of a race.
GTE: The field has dropped a fair way back from the pack. Rain has stopped which should help the drivers a tad.
Quote
LMH: "Is it going to rain again?", asks Buemi. "Some slight rain expected, but no more than that," he's told by his Toyota team.
Visibility is a bit...iffy at the moment. More spray than a Lynx Africa gift set.
We have another formation lap. Race director has asked the leading car to increase the speed.
LMP2: There's only one non-ORECA chassis in the second-tier prototype class; the #74 Racing Team India Eurasia is running in a Ligier. The Aurus-branded G-Drive duo are both ORECAs in disguise.
We are about to go racing proper! No more formation laps.
Green flag
Here we go!
Off track
LMH: The #8 is already put into a spin at the first corner! Lapierre in the Alpine got past, and Buemi might have got touched by one of the Glickenhauses!
Off track
LMP2: The #48 IDEC car of Pilet was also off at the Tertre Rouge corners too.
LMH: Buemi had to pull to one side on the straight, but he's got going again after a quick power-cycle. But he's well-down the order...
Yellow flag
LMP2: Pilet's stuck in the gravel at the second chicane on the back straights, bringing out a yellow. The nightmare continues for the #48 squad.
GTE Pro: #64 Corvette leads with Tommy Milner at the wheel. There is a fierce fight going on the GT ranks.
LMH: That's Buemi again! He was off the track at Arnage, with the #74 LMP2 car too. Westbrook in the #709 Glickenhaus also had an off later in the lap.
GTE AM: The pole sitting Dempsey Porsche leads. Andlauer at the wheel.
LMH: So it was the #708 Glickenhaus that got into Buemi at the opening corners, Olivier Pla currently driving that entry.
LMP2: The #48 IDEC car got out of the gravel, but is now a lap down. Pilet having a difficult start to the race.
GTE Pro: Kevin Estre has a spin in the #92 factory Porsche but has got going again. Hectic opening lap up and down the field in slippery conditions .
Off track
LMH: That's the #36 Alpine! He's had a spin at the Indianapolis corner, and Lapierre goes around. He's dropped deep into the LMP2 pack now.
GTE Pro: The pole-sitting Hub Auto Porsche 911 RSR has dropped to eighth in class. Maxime Martin in the hot seat currently.
GTE Pro - The reason the Hub Auto Porsche is down the order is due to a spin at the Dunlop Chicane on the opening lap. There was contact from Ligier LMP2.
LMP2: A small skirmish between the #20 High Class of Andersen and the #39 SO24 Graff car of Arnold Robin, with Andersen managing to get away from the French driver.
LMH: Conway in the #7 Toyota is now 20s clear of the #708 Glickenhaus.
LMP2: The #20 High Class is in the wars AGAIN, having a spin. It'd currently be Bottom Class if the #48 IDEC car wasn't also having a mare.
LMH: Buemi is charging through the GTE order now, looking to atone for a miserable start to the race for the #8 squad.
Seems to be starting to calm down now after that mad incident-packed start.

By: Loris Capirossi

Published: