24 Hours of Le Mans

2016 24 Hours of Le Mans – Hour 10 Update: Porsche Crumble

2 Mins read

Mike Conway in the #6 Toyota GAZOO Racing Car leads the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A slow zone caused by the #47 KCMG Oreca-05 brought many of the front runners into the pits as the #6 Toyota maintained its lead with the #2 closing in. Meanwhile the #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid left the pits only to return a lap later with further issues.

A safety car was called as the #91 Porsche Motorsport car blew its engine in the corners it’s named after.

LMP1

It was quickly turning into a three car battle for the lead as the two Toyota’s held off the attacks of the #2 Porsche Team car.

The #8 Audi Sport Team Joest came into the pits of an eight lap stint with a suspected slow puncture, choosing to also fill up on fuel. The crew had done an amazing comeback to get back into the race still only two laps down despite all their delays.

One car who will be happy to be out of the pits will be the #1 Porsche driven by Brenden Hartley. After spending an hour and a half in the pits they finally emerged only to have the motor fail on the Mulsanne Straight on the opening lap.

LMP2

The hour started with news of the #40 Krohn Racing car spinning. They continued, but it wasn’t looking like a strong result for the American crew.

The #47 found himself stuck in the barrier, causing a slow zone at the Porsche curves, the other cars pushed to close the gap but many of the front runners decided to pit. Meanwhile the seemingly dominant #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing car dropped to third after issues with new driver Mathias Beche.

The #25 Algarve Pro Racing found themselves in the barrier after the safety car was deployed.

GT Pro

While the top three in GT Pro seemed fairly rigid, the battle for fourth seemed to be getting more intense with Nicki Thiim pulling out a 45 second gap in the #95 Aston Martin Racing.

As the hour ended, the #91 Porsche Motorsport car completed their race after blowing their engine in zone 30 and 31. A safety car was called as a result. Elsewhere, the #66 Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK was pushed back into the garage.

GT Am

As the race went on, it proved to be the story of the #88 Abu Dhabi-Proton Racing car who extended its lead after second place #62 Scuderia Corsa, driven by William Sweedler was forced to complete a scheduled pitstop. They were already two minutes behind and kept second in front of the #55 AF Corse.

Credit: Nick Smith / TheImageTeam.com
1347 posts

About author
Single-Seater Specialist who worked for TCF from 2015-19. Come finding me wandering the paddock.
Articles
Related posts
24 Hours of Le MansDakar

Rene Metge, 1941–2024

2 Mins read
The legendary René Metge, three-time winner of the Dakar Rally and 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner, passed away Wednesday at the age of 82.
24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of SpaFIA WECIMSA

Aston Martin Racing Unveils All-Star Works Driver Lineup for 2024

2 Mins read
Aston Martin’s powerhouse of drivers for 2024 promises an exciting journey ahead, combining seasoned champions and rising stars for race success.
24 Hours of Le MansFIA WEC

TF Sport Unveils Corvette Z06 GT3.R #82 Driver Lineup

2 Mins read
TF Sport introduces Hiroshi Koizumi, Sébastien Baud, and Dani Juncadella for a promising FIA WEC 2024 season.