GALLERY - 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Pro

For our second gallery of images from the SpeedChills.com photographer Craig Robertson we look at the most controversial of the classes. At the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, the LM GTE Pro class came with regulatory arm wrestling as standard. From the start of the week there was rule based controversy as the new for 2016 Ford GT cars tipped all the sand they had been carrying all season out on the race track and set times no-one could match.

Unsurprisingly this led to the ACO taking the rare step of adjusting the Balance of Performance between qualifying and the race. Still the Fords and the only other completely new car, the Ferrari 488 GTE were the class of the field. Disaster over night for the AF Corse run 488s left GTE Pro a battle of the American teams with Risi Competizione the only car which could hope to break a Ford lockout on the podium. In the dying minutes of the race the Houston based team were doing just that, sitting second and hoping to catch the leading #68 Ford.

Que protest and counter protest, the issuing of trophies, followed by the revocation of trophies and the re-issuing of trophies. The LM GTE Pro race was a good one, spoiled by playground fighting at the flag. None of which detracts from the thrill of seeing cars we could one day hope to own slogging it out for a full day on one of the worlds most impressive racing facilities. Here are Craig’s best photos from the LM GTE Pro class, with a couple of Drivers Parade images for good measure.

: There were officially two Ford teams at Le Sarthe, The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing USA and Ford Chip Ganassi Racing UK teams.

: Unofficial factory team AF Corse were Ferrari’s main hope but both their Pro cars retired during the night.

: Fifty years on from Ford’s first LM24 victory, a Ford GT took the top step of the podium again.

: In the corners the Ford GT was impressive but it was on the straights that the new car excelled.

: The Porsche Motorsport team did their best but the 911 GTE just didn’t have the pace. A new car, rumoured to be mid engined, will debut in 2017.

: Le Mans without at least one Velocity Yellow machine is almost unthinkable, there were four Corvette C7.Rs at Le Sarthe, two in Pro and two in Am.

: Corners are the most dangerous part of the circuit for a GT car as Prototypes carry much more speed at the apex.

: The UK Ford which was everyones hope for the win, the #66 marked the first ever win for the Blue Oval at Le Mans.

: The Corvettes battled hard with the Astons and Porsches but couldn’t match the pace of the new cars.

: Even LMP2 cars struggled to get past the Ford GTs in a straight line.

: The #97 Aston Martin Vantage tried hard but finished in 6th place behind its team mate.

: A crash ended the hopes of the #64 Corvette crew.

: Both of the factory Porsche GTEs retired, the Prototypes did better.

: No one but the Fords could touch the pace of the 488s.

: The Dempsey-Proton Racing #77 machine saved the day for Porsche in Pro after both the factory cars retired overnight.

: The #69 Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA car took third, only to be given second and then returned to third.

: Though both Aston Martins were pushing to stay as close to the leaders as possible, they proved remarkably reliable.

: Risi Competizione were the little team that could, taking the fight to the might of Ford througout the race.

: The Proton Porsches have long been fan favorites at Le Mans.

: Stormy clouds graced the circuit more than once during the race but once the track dried it stayed that way.

: Aston Martin returned British Racing Green to Le Sarthe but couldn’t keep with the pace.

: Many say the Ford GT has much in comon with the brands Riley Daytona Prototypes, which could explain why the P2s and P1-L cars struggled to pass them.

: The new 488 is a very striking machine but even the Ferrari couldn’t take the fight to Ford.

: The one which should have won, though the leading Team UK car did better than its team mate which started the race from the pit lane with gearbox problems.