Autosportfoto

24H Le Mans - Hour 11

There have been some notable retirements and changes to class leaders in the last hour. Significantly, the No.7 has retired with engine problems and, despite a fantastic debut effort, the Toyota Hybrid Racing team has started to pack up. In the LM P1 class, there is a lap separating the first three cars, but the No.3 R18 ultra has hauled itself back up the order after its earlier troubles and is now hunting down the Rebellion Racing Lola Toyotas. No.1 is still at the head of the pack.

Long-time LM P2 leader the No.24 Oak Racing Morgan Judd has retired with an engine problem, and the lead of the class is now held by the No.44 Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX-03b - which is currently one place ahead of the LM P1 HPD of JRM Motorsport.

Corvette Racing's No.74 had enjoyed a trouble free run for the first 10 hours but it all went wrong in the 60 minutes. Richard Westbrook had just left the pits when he lost the left rear wheel at the Dunlop Esses, and he then had to travel an entire lap of the circuit on three wheels to return to the pits. A rapid repair job was carried out but he later returned to the pits with a gearbox problem. The two Ferrari 458s of AF Corse (No.51) and Luxury Racing (No.59) are lapping well and the No.73 Corvette is now third in class.

In GTE Am, the No.58 Luxury entry has been retired with accident damage after newcomer Frankie Montecalvo was caught out by the cooler conditions. The No.67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche continues to lead the class ahead of the No. 50 Larbre Corvette.

01:01:00 No 80 Flying Lizard Porsche has retired

#80 PORSCHE 911 RSR (997)

01:04:14 No 70 Larbre Corvette spun at Arnage, rejoins.
#70 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1 (Christophe BOURRET)
01:07:44 No 49 Pecom Oreca - Nissan takes 2nd place in LM P2 as Signatech makes a pit stop
#49 ORECA 03-NISSAN (Pierre KAFFER)
01:09:30 Puncture for No 74 Corvette - going slowly at Tertre Rouge
#74 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1
01:13:06 Wheel off No 74 Corvette at Arnage as it limps back with puncture
#74 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1 (Richard WESTBROOK)
01:14:37 No 74 Corvette lost left rear wheel
#74 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1
01:17:09 No 74 Corvette regains pit lane and now in pit garage being repaired
#74 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1
01:20:43 No 21 Strakka HPD pushed back into garage again.
#21 HPD ARX 03A - HONDA (Jonny KANE)
01:25:54 Temperatures falling: Track 17.8 C Air 13.5 C
01:35:18 No 7 Toyota back into pit garage
#7 TOYOTA TS 030 - HYBRID
01:41:43 Toyota #7 repairs appear to be abandoned.
#7 TOYOTA TS 030 - HYBRID
01:49:02 Anthony Davidson has tweeted from the hospital that he has a broken back from the earlier incident in the No.8 Toyota.
#8 TOYOTA TS 030 - HYBRID (Anthony DAVIDSON)
01:50:21 The No.7 Toyota has now officially retired from the race.
#7 TOYOTA TS 030 - HYBRID (Nicolas LAPIERRE)
01:56:21 No.15 Oak Pescarolo - Judd comes in with a front left puncture. Pushed into garage.
#15 OAK PESCAROLO - JUDD
01:58:40 30s stop and go penalty for JMW Ferrari No 66 for refuelling irregularity
#66 FERRARI 458 ITALIA (Jonny COCKER)

Photo: CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES DU MANS (LE MANS, SARTHE), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 17TH JUNE 2012. The No.7 Toyota TS 030 Hybrid was retired in the 11th hour.