The Mission H24 project has unveiled details on a new prototype of their hydrogen-electric racer which aims to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the first ever zero-emission entry.

New images of the zero-emission hydrogen endurance racer has showcased a vastly different aerodynamic design language, as further technical details and future milestones have been outlined by H24.

It will utilise a 400 kW lithium battery, with the integration of a motor and drivetrain targeted at a maximum 872 hp output, plus two hydrogen fuel tanks which will collectively store 7.8 kg of hydrogen at 700 bars, for a total weight of around 100 kg.

The target weight will be 1300 kg and a top speed of 320 kph, on Michelin tyres, as the ongoing objective to match GT3 levels of pace remains.

President of the ACO and co-president of the H24 project, Pierre Fillon, said: “After introducing hydrogen to the racetrack, MissionH24 is now entering a new phase: bringing hydrogen to competitive racing.

“This new prototype clearly intends to rival the other forms of energy in the field. Hydrogen technology is safe, reliable and can perform.

“The ambition is now to provide the first zero-emission winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Jean-Michel Bouresche, president of the H24 project, added: “MissionH24 begins a new chapter today: the design, building and development of a brand- new electric-hydrogen prototype in association with our technical partners TotalEnergies, Michelin, Symbio and Plastic Omnium.

Both H24 drivers Norman Nato and Stephane Richelmi also shared their thoughts on the announcement.

“I’m delighted to reach a new milestone in the development of this hydrogen prototype, said Nato.

“I joined the project five years ago and the technology has progressed. Each stage is a new leap forward.

“This new prototype will, I am sure, be another big step. I can’t wait to drive it.”

Richelmi, who drove the outgoing version for a demonstration lap around La Sarthe prior to the Centenary Le Mans start, said: “I’ve been fortunate to play a part in MissionH24’s continual progress since I joined in early 2021.

“As a driver, it’s a great opportunity to develop electric-hydrogen technology in racing and assist this transition towards more sustainable forms of energy.

“This new prototype is evidence that hydrogen is indeed one of tomorrow’s mobility solutions.”

The project has undergone progression since its inception in 2018, including track outings in the Michelin Le Mans Cup – including all four events in 2022 – composed of GT3 and LMP3 cars.

The general design will be finalised in March 2024, followed by a mock-up for June 2024, which will be the month hosting the 101st edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

From October 2024, power unit assembly and bench-testing will take place for the drivetrain and motor components, as January 2025 will mark the car’s assembly and its maiden track tests.

In the meantime, H24 have said the name will be shared via their social media on 13 November.

Lotus’ Clive Chapman, son of founder Colin Chapman, and the British carmaker has revealed the Type 66, limited-edition retrospective Can-Am inspired track car which claims to match current GT3 performance.

This project was showcased at an exhibition called ‘The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering’ at the Monterey Car Week in California, USA.

Only 10 examples of the track-only Type 66 will be made, each set to cost in excess of £1 million, a number selected as the amount of sportscar Can-Am races it would have competed in 1970.

Marking the 75th anniversary this year, Lotus has claimed this ‘lost’ track car matches the performance of a modern GT3 car, owing to contemporary engineering feats.

Simon Lane, Executive Director, Lotus Advanced Performance, said: “The Type 66 perfectly blends the past and present. 

“It takes drivers back in time to the iconic design, sound and pure theatre of motorsport more than 50 years ago, with added 21st century performance and safety. 

“This is a truly unique project and in our 75th anniversary year it’s the perfect gift from Lotus, to fans worldwide and to a handful of customers.”

Aerodynamically, the combined effort of front and rear wings enables the Type 66 to generate more downforce than its 800 kg weight at full speed.

The engine is a period-characteristic mid-mounted V8 push-rod engine, which is targeted to produce in excess of 830 hp at 8,800 rpm and torque of more than 746 Nm at 7,400 rpm.

As part of modern advancements, aluminium has been used throughout the car such as within the engine’s Can-Am-inspired air intake ‘trumpets’, and the chassis’ extruded aluminium sections, bonded joints and aluminium honeycomb to ensure optimum handling.

Lane expanded on the retrospective aesthetics of the Type 66, which masked a contemporary substructure underneath.

“While the visual expression is strikingly similar to what could have been – including the period-correct white, red and gold graphics – the technology and mechanical underpinnings of the Lotus Type 66 represent the very best in today’s advanced racing performance.”

“The car would have shared many innovative features with our most successful F1 chassis, the Lotus Type 72, which was developed during the same era.

“These include side-mounted radiators which helped reduce front drag, increase front downforce and channel airflow through and over the car.”

Through ‘driver-in-the-loop’ simulator testing, Lotus has determined the Type 66 as competitive to current GT3 pace, setting lap times around Laguna Seca, Silverstone, Fuji and Spa which suggest its promising performance capabilities. 

The Lotus Type 66 also features a modernised driver compartment, inboard fuel cell, sequential transmission, an ABS and an anti-stall system, all contained within a full carbon fibre body shell as part of modern safety regulations.

“The rear of the car incorporates a distinctive tail section, resembling the Le Mans endurance cars of the period. 

“These features would have boosted its downforce considerably, compared to rivals, aiding high-speed stability and ultimately its lap times. 

“It would have been spectacular, as is the actual Type 66 we see today.”

Ferrari winning the 2023 centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a great story, as it beat Toyota and ended the Japanese-German team’s five-year winning streak at the event. But could the Italian manufacturer have achieved it without the pre-Le Mans week Balance of Performance (BoP)?

First, let’s take a step back. The ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) issued its initial 2023 season BoP before the 1000 Miles of Sebring, based on simulation data for all seven cars competing in this year’s championship. 

Using simulation data is a new way of determining BoP, with the “traditional” way being based on lap times. The simulated data was able to take in thousands of scenarios — more than could ever be gained by lap time data — and so it was based on a car’s ultimate potential, not its current performance.

This meant that the BoP would, theoretically, be set pre-Sebring. In addition, because of the Sebring track’s unique nature, a different BoP was set for the rounds at Portimao, Spa, and Le Mans. It could then be adjusted after Le Mans, for Monza, if any changes needed to be made, which was made clear to the teams.

While it may seem bizarre to set the BoP before any competitive action has taken place, there was good reason: to prevent any ‘sandbagging’ taking place and therefore getting a more favourable BoP for later rounds, namely Le Mans. This was possible because the BoP was based on simulation data, not lap times, which can be manipulated via sandbagging.

However, on the Wednesday before Le Mans race week, the ACO issued an updated BoP table, which it called a “correction”, as the performance gaps between teams were “greater than initially anticipated”.

This gave Toyota a 37kg weight penalty, and 24kg to Ferrari, while the LMDh-rules cars of Cadillac and Porsche received 11kg and 3kg respectively. The Peugeot 9X8, Glickenhaus 007, or Vanwall 680 did not receive any weight changes.

This change was done because the ACO deemed it necessary, without manufacturer agreement.

A source has told MotorsportWeek.com that for every 10kg of BoP weight in a Hypercar, it costs a car 0.2 seconds a lap. Doing the maths, it cost Toyota around 0.74s a lap, Ferrari 0.48s, Cadillac just over 0.22s a lap, and Porsche around 0.06s.

And, relative to each other, the Ferrari was 0.26 faster than the Toyota over a lap compared to the BoP used at Portimao and Spa. Over the race, 342 laps, this gave Ferrari an 88.920s advantage. The #50 Ferrari 499P prevailed over the the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid by 81.793s.

So, logic states that, if everything else was exactly the same, Ferrari would not have been able to beat Toyota at Le Mans this year.

However, if we take the best 100 laps — and thereby excluding any laps done under slow zones or the safety car — from the two leading cars, the #51 Ferrari 499P and #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, we get a different picture.

The #51 Ferrari’s average, comprised from those top 100 laps, was a 3:29.701. #8 Toyota’s was 3:30.154. This is a gap of 0.453 on average in Ferrari’s favour.

If we take away the time lost via the BoP weight penalty, Ferrari’s average comes down to 3:28.221, while Toyota’s is 3:29.414. This reduces the average gap down to 0.193 — again in Ferrari’s favour.

So, really, it’s down how you interpret the data as to whether Ferrari could have beaten Toyota without the BoP change. Total race? No — but it would have been very very close. Average lap time? Yes, with a gap of just under two tenths per lap on average in Ferrari’s favour.

Charles Leclerc says that he has a desire to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future.

Leclerc was present at the French venue last weekend to witness Ferrari win the famous race on its debut with the 499P car.

Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Ferrari F1 reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi were behind the wheel throughout the event and ended Toyota’s five-year streak of wins at Le Mans.

When asked by Eurosport if he would be interested in taking part in the race at some point in his career, Leclerc said: “I mean, why not? Why not?

“I would love to, it’s an incredible event. For sure, one day in my life I want to tick that box. When will it be I don’t know.”

On the current F1 grid, two drivers have prevailed at the race – Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg.

Leclerc’s F1 rival Max Verstappen has also spoken of his desire to compete in endurance championships once he calls time on his F1 career.

Ferrari’s victory at the 2023 Le Mans race offers the Italian manufacturer a chance to celebrate amid a difficult start to its F1 campaign.

“It feels absolutely amazing,” Leclerc added, speaking about Ferrari’s victory.

“Obviously, especially having a Ferrari winning, it’s incredible. It’s incredible, a return after so many years.”

Leclerc will be back competing this weekend at the Candian Grand Prix, the eighth round of the 2023 F1 season.

James Calado told a packed 24 Hours of Le Mans post race press conference that he was “properly on the limit” in the morning when the #51 Ferrari 499P driver was battling with Brendon Hartley in the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid.

“Yeah, well, I think Brendan will tell you also — we were properly on the limit,” said the Brit.

“There was nothing spared there. We were pushing sd hard as we could and that time, both cars were very, very similar in terms of pace,” he added.

Calado had a hard fought bought with Kiwi, and two-times Le Mans winner Brendon Hartley, in the morning hours of the 24 hour race, where the gap came down at one point to just 1.5 seconds to the leading cars, after more than 19 hours of racing.

“I think we are quite surprised we made it to the end, because that was our biggest fear,” he continued.

“I’ve got to say the team did an amazing job, also strategy wise. It’s only our fourth race with this car. So it’s an amazing achievement. Whatever happened, I was proud of the guys, these two didn’t amazing job as well. So thankful to Ferrari and yeah, it was a great race.”

Asked in a Q&A session after the press conference about when Hartley was catching him, Calado told media he realised he had to risk it or risk losing the lead.

“The gap was coming down to Brendon and I thought, okay this is it,” he said.

“I just need to risk a little bit more and push as much as I can. He was gaining a lot in the slow zone areas. I don’t know how but he did, because I was properly on the limit.

“I don’t think we could have gone any quicker to be honest with you. That was pretty much all we had. They put pressure on us to whole time and it made a good show. So yeah, they’re very very strong.”

Speaking to MotorspoirtWeek.com after the press conference, Calado expanded on the pace similarities and differences with Toyota. 

“i think it’s very close in terms of pace, it’s especially when Brendan was buying me. It was very, very equal. At times they were faster in the warmer conditions and at times, we were quicker in the cooler conditions. So yeah, it was very equal,” said the Brit.

Calado’s teammate Antonio Giovinazzi was then asked where Ferrari found the pace they had at Le Mans compared to the other rounds.

Ii think we showed in the previous races that we had fast car,” said the Italian. 

“We put the car on pole in Sebring,” he continued. “And in Spa for a few minutes. But maybe we miss a little bit of experience from Toyota, especially on tyre degradation and everything. 

“Maybe Le Mans was not the worst track for tyre degradation, and this helps us to be more fast and and put more together. We were worried just about a long distance, 24 hours, reliability and everything. But we were lucky and we put all together,” concluded the Italian.

Calado agreed with his teammate’s assessment. “Our car is definitely still hard on tyres. But Le Mans is a track with very low energy, which goes through these tires. So we were able to use, the soft, the medium, without any big deg issues.

“Here, it was still not easy. I mean to do triple stinting, for us was really on the limit,” he concluded.

Ferrari have won the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Italian manufacturer’s 10th win and their first in 50 years, in the 499P’s debut year, plus the centenary of the Le Mans race itself.

Alessandro Pier Guidi brought the car across the line to send the Ferrari team, and his teammates in the #51 Ferrari 499P, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado, into raptures. 

While Ferrari did take pole for the race, it was the sister car, the #50 of Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen, and Miguel Molina. What ensued after the start was a crazy, crazy race — one that will surely go down in history as one of the great Le Mans races.

Calado started the #51 second, but soon dropped down to fourth as Toyota showed their pace, with Sebastien Buemi in the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid taking the lead with Nielsen second, Buemi’s teammate, Mike Conway, in the #7 Toyota third, and Calado fourth.

However, the race was soon neutralised as Jack Aitken crashed the #311 Action Express Cadillac V-Series.R on the opening lap at the first chicane.

When the race restarted after the new safety car procedure had been used for the first time, Conway soon took Nielsen. However, the Dane attacked back and took the position off him at Mulsanne Corner the following lap.

At the end of the first hour, Buemi led from Calado. Buemi soon pitted, however, promoting Calado to the lead of the race for the first time.

Nielsen’s undercut worked a treat, meanwhile, and once the pitstop cycle had shaken out, with Calado pitting last, the order was Nielsen, with Sebastien Bourdais a surprise second in the #3 Cadillac V-Series.R. Buemi was third with Calado fourth, but had Earl Bamber in the sister #2 Cadillac right on his gearbox and threatening to take fourth off the Brit.

A spate of crashes then occured, which required slow zones situated around the track to assist in clean up and car recovery. Rodrigo Sales crashed his #14 Nielsen Oreca 07-Gibson heavily at the Dunlop curve, making the car the race’s first retirement. Ricky Taylor then came acropper in the #13 Tower Oreca 07-Gibson on the Mulsanne Straight, requiring another slow zone.

Amid this, Calado led by 3.7 seconds from Bamber — but not for long, as another slow zone was required again at Dunlop curve, as three cars were involved in a crash entering the slow zone. 

Bourdais, Ulysse de Pauw in the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, and the #55 GMB Aston Martin Vantage AMR with Gustav Birch onboard were all involved in the crash, with Bourdais’ Cadillac requiring new rear bodywork. However, the other two GTE-Am cars were instant retirements.

At this point, the #51, now with Antonio Giovinazzi behind the wheel, slipped out of the top 5 in the Hypercar class. It would return to the top 3 at the end of the third hour, in second, behind teammate in the #50 car Antonio Fuoco.

While both Ferraris had pace, especially the #50, the two would flit in out of the lead, as almost every car in Hypercar cycled round to lead the race at some point in the opening hours of the French endurance classic.

At the end of the seventh hour, Pier Guidi would lead the race having taken over from Giovinazzi sometime earlier. However, the Italian spun the car intop the gravel at the first chicane, requiring the marshals to lift him and the car out.

While normally this would have cost them at least a few laps, luck was on their side. One of their major challengers, the #7 Toyota, with Kamui Kobyashi at the wheel, came together with the #66 JMW Ferrari, the #35 Alpine, and the #39 Graff at Tertre Rouge, in a curious incident that was, by this point, cloaked almost completely by darkness.

The result of this incident, which may have been caused by the slow zone to recover Pier Guidi’s stricken, beached Ferrari, was that a driveshaft in the #7 Toyota broke, making it impossible for Kobyashi to get it back to the pits.

The safety car then came out to recover the four cars involved in the Tertre Rouge incident, ensuring Pier Guidi’s mistake didn’t cost him anything other than a few positions, lying fifth in the safety car queue.

However, drama for the teamcar soon ensued, with an ERS cooling problem caused by a stone puncturing the radiator. It was pushed back into the garage and lost 20 minutes while the leak and radiator was fixed, taking them out of contention.

At this point, the contenders for the race were emerging: the #51 Ferrari, the #94 Peugeot of Loic Duval, Gustavo Menezes, and Nico Muller, and the remaining #8 Toyota.

However, at the half way mark, Menezes also took the Peugeot out of contention, nosing into the barriers at the first chicane and trundling slowly back to the pits for new bodywork and suspension repair.

With others falling by the wayside, including the Porsches, this put the race between the #8 Toyota, and the #51 Ferrari.

Over the next half of the race, the two contenders duked it out, trading places and gaps when the other got the upper hand. At one point the Toyota, with Ryo Hirakawa at the wheel, had a large — for this race – 40 second lead.

However, in the full darkness with only headlights to light much of the track, Hirakawa hit something — maybe debris, possibly a squirrel — and damaged the nose on his Toyota. This caused Pier Guidi to close in, and by the time both stopped, on the same lap, Pier Guidi was able to jump the Japanese driver, with Tioyota changing their car’s nose at the stop.

From this moment on, 14 hours into the race, Ferrari were able to control the pace of the race., leading at the top of every remaining the hour. Toyota got close, with Brendon Hartley catching Giovinazzi at one point and closiung the gap to 9 seconds in the last couple of hours.

However, Hartley, who’d been in the car for a triple stint, was replaced at the wheel of the Toyota by Hirakawa. Before he climbed out of the car for the final time at Le Mans in 2023, the Kiwi told his teammate that the rear brakes had a tendency to lock up the rear wheels. He handed over the car to the Japanese driver with a gap of around 15 seconds after Hirakawa exited the pit lane.

However, Hirakawa wasn’t able to treat the brakes as well as his teammate, and just a few laps into his stint, he locked the rear wheels braking for Arnage, nosing the barrier then also hitting it with the rear of the car for good measure. He managed to get it back to the pits, where the team replaced the front and rear bodywork, but it dropped them over two minutes back from the Ferrari, ending Toyota’s 2023 challenge.

For the rest of the race, with an hour and a half remaining, Ferrari controlled the pace, and despite a scare at the final pitstop where the car would not refire in the pitlane, Alessandro Pier Guidi crossed the line to win his, James Calado’s and Antonio Giovinazzi’s first overall Le Mans win, in the race’s centenary year.

Second was the #8 Toyota GR010 of Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa, and Brendon Hartley. They challenged for the lead throughout the race after starting fifth, with Buemi moving up from there at the start to lead at the end of the first lap when the safety car came out for the barrier repair at the first chicane, as a result of Aitken’s accident.

While Toyota had pace over the majority of their Hypercar rivals, they couldn’t quite challenge Ferrari, with the 499P being especially fast in a straight line. As early challengers Porsche and Peugeot fell away, with the latter finishing ninth, 22nd, and 54th, while Peugeot finished eighth and 27th, the Toyota challenge came to the fore in the second half of the race, taking the fight to Ferrari.

Hirakawa had a 40 second lead at one point, earned through pit stop strategy and luck in slow zones, but Giovinazzi was able to reel the Japanese driver back in, chipping away at the lead until it was just 1.5 seconds when they stopped. Hartley replaced Hirakawa at the stop, and he tried to chase Giovinazzi’s replacement Pier Guidi, as the Ferrari had jumped Toyota to the lead while the Toyota crew fitted a new nose to the car.

And that was how it finished, Ferrari confidently controlling the pace at the front and never letting the gap get below 9 seconds. Hirakawa’s spin did briefly put Toyota on tenterhooks as it looked like the car might need to be pushed into the garage, but in the end they were able to fix the car on the pit apron and send Hirakawa back out, to finish third, a minute and 21 seconds behind Ferrari.

In third was the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R of Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook, a lap down on Ferrari and Toyota. The Cadillac team was strong all race – the sister car, #3 Cadillac, finished fourth, in the hands of Scott Dixon, Renger Van der Zande, and Sebastien Bourdais — but the Chip Ganassi-run cars did not have the pace to challenge the LMH-rules cars of Toyota and Ferrari.

The two cars started sixth and eighth, and diced with the Porsches, two of which started ahead of them, early on. As the Porsches fell away with reliability issues, the Cadillacs – with the same spec hybrid units and gearboxes — managed to have a mostly trouble-free race, taking third and fourth in a good display for the American team.

Fifth was the delayed #50 Ferrari of Fuoco, Nielsen and Molina, five laps down on their winning teammates. The #50 had provided ample competition to the teamcar early on, but the radiator damage put paid to any serious challenge, with fifth the best that could be managed after leaving the pits with the damage repaired.

With just two hours to go at Le Mans, Antonio Giovinazzi leads at Le Mans for Ferrari – but Toyota’s Brendon Hartley is just 14 seconds behind.

The #51 Ferrari 499P, which currently has Giovinazzi behind the wheel, has led the race solidly since early this morning, when the Italian’s teammate, Alessandro Pier Guidi, reined in Hartley’s #8 Toyota GR010 hybrid teammate Ryo Hirakawa and jumped him in the pits.

However, the #8 Toyota, with Hartley, Hirakawa and Sebastien Buemi at the wheel throughout the race, haven’t been far behind. Giovinazzi is currently being caught by Hartley, with the gap coming down by a tenth or two at least every lap, and has gone from 14 seconds to under 10 in around 40 minutes.

They both have at least another two stops to make, with strategy sure to play a part at each team to get their car to the finish first.

As if to prove a point, Hartley set the car’s fastest lap, a 3:27.855, a few minutes ago, then improved it by a few thousands a couple of laps later, with a 3:27.847.

Richard Westbrook sits third, a lap down on Giovinazzi, with the Brit behind the wheel of the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R. It has been in third since the darkness hours of the night, but doesn’t seem to have the pace of the two cars ahead to challenge for the win.

Westbrook’s teammate Renger van der Zande is fourth in the sister #3 Cadillac, a further lap down on its teamcar.

Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari is fifth, six laps down after ERS issues caused by a stone hitting the radiator and causing a cooling leak.

The leading Porsche is sixth, with Fred Makowiecki roughly 40 seconds down on Nielsen.

Albert Costa leads LMP2 in the #34 Inter Europol Oreca 07-Gibson. The car had a drivethrough penalty for a safety car infringement about an hour ago, but managed to keep the lead, with a 1:19 gap to Robert Kubica in second in the #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson. Polesitter Paul Loup Chatin is third in the #48 IDEC Sport Oreca 07-Gibson, a further lap off Scherer and Kubica.

In GTE-Am, Nicky Catsburg leads in the #33 Corvette C8.R, with a gap of 54 seconds to the #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR-19. The #25 ORT by TF Aston Martin Vantage AMR is third with Charlie Eastwood at the wheel.

Two hours to go and Le Mans is set up for a nailbiting finale

With just two hours to go at Le Mans, Antonio Giovinazzi leads at Le Mans for Ferrari – but Toyota’s Brendon Hartley is just 14 seconds behind.

The #51 Ferrari 499P, which currently has Giovinazzi behind the wheel, has led the race solidly since early this morning, when the Italian’s teammate, Alessandro Pier Guidi, reined in Hartley’s #8 Toyota GR010 hybrid teammate Ryo Hirakawa and jumped him in the pits.

However, the #8 Toyota, with Hartley, Hirakawam abnd Sebastien Buemi at the wheel throughout the race, haven’t been far behind. Giovinazzi is currently being caught by Hartley, with the gap coming down by a tenth or two at least every lap.

They both have at least another two stops to make, with strategy sure to play a part at each team to get their car to the finish first.

As if to prove a point, Hartley set the car’s fastest lap, a 3:27.855, a few minutes ago, then improved it by a few thousands a couple of laps later, with a 3:27.847.

Richard Westbrook sits third, a lap down on Giovinazzi, with the Brit behind the wheel of the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R. It has been in third since the darkness hours of the night, but doesn’t seem to have the pace of the two cars ahead to challenge for the win.

Westbrook’s teammate Renger van der Zande is fourth in the sister #3 Cadillac, a further lap down on its teamcar.

Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari is fifth, six laps down after ERS issues caused by a stone hitting the radiator and causing a cooling leak.

The leading Porsche is sixth, with Fred Makowiecki roughly 40 seconds down on Nielsen.

Albert Costa leads LMP2 in the #34 Inter Europol Oreca 07-Gibson. The car had a drivethrough penalty for a safety car infringement about an hour ago, but managed to keep the lead, with a 1:19 gap to Robert Kubica in second in the #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson. Polesitter Paul Loup Chatin is third in the #48 IDEC Sport Oreca 07-Gibson, a further lap off Scherer and Kubica.

In GTE-Am, Nicky Catsburg leads in the #33 Corvette C8.R, with a gap of 54 seconds to the #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR-19. The #25 ORT by TF Aston Martin Vantage AMR is third with Charlie Eastwood at the wheel.

Antonio Giovinazzi leads at Le Mans for Ferrari with six hours to go, holding almost a minute gap to Sebastien Buemi in the #8 Toyota.

Cars are setting fastest laps all over the place in the cool morning conditions, with teams beginning to use their tyre allocations towards the end of the race.

Both Buemi, inm the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, and Giovinazzi, behind the wheel of the #51 Ferrari 499P, have set their fastest laps in the last few laps, Giovinazzi a 3:28.423 and Buemi a 3:29.328. 

However, the outright fastest laps belong top Giovinazzi’s teammate Antonio Fuoco in the delayed #50 Ferrari, with the Italian setting a blistering 3:27.434 as he charges forward from seventh to make up for lost time.

Ferrari took the lead a couple of hours ago with Antonio Giovinazzi at the wheel of the #51 Ferrari 499P. The former F1 driver has then extended the gap all the way out to a minute lead.

The #2 Cadillac V-Series.R of Richard Westbrook is third, 3:07 behind Giovinazzi. Teammate Scott Dixion is fourth in the sister #3 Cadillac, while the #5 Peugeot 9X8 is fifth, with Paul di Resta at the wheel.

Alvert Costa leads LMP2 in the #34 Inter Europol Oreca 07-Gibson, with a lap gap to Rui Andrade in #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson. Third is Neel Jani in the #30 Duqueine Oreca 07-Gibson.

In GTE, Charlie Eastwood leads behind the wheel of the #25 ORT by TF Aston Martin Vantage AMR. Ben Keating is almost two minutes back in the #33 Corvette C8.R, while Rahal Frey is third in the #85 Iron Dames porsche 911 RSR-19.

James Calado is leading Le Mans for Ferrari, with the Toyota of Ryo Hirakawa just 12 seconds behind, as daylight breaks at Le Mans and ‘Happy Hour’ is well underway for drivers and teams.

Calado, in the #51 Ferrari 499P, has just climbed into the car int the last half an hour or so. Before that, his teammate Alessandro Pier Guidi chased down Hirakawa, closing a 20 second plus gap to just a few tenths by the time both pitted on the same lap.

Ferrari’s quick pitstop work then enabled them to take the lead, with Toyota needing to change the #8 GR010 Hybrid’s nose, as the car hit “something”, according to the team, possibly debris or maybe a squirrel, earlier in the stint. Toyota confirmed that the subsequent damage, plus a slow right rear puncture, was the reason Pier Guidi was able to catch the Japanese driver.

However, Calado is still managing to pull out the gap to Hirakawa, by a at least a few tenths every lap.

In third is the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R of Alex Lynn, who recently replaced Earl Bamber at the wheel of the car. Lynn is over 2 minutes behind Calado, but most importantly is still on the lead lap.

The first car not on the lead lap is Sebastien Bourdais in the sister #3 Cadillac, a further two minutes behind Lynn. In fifth is Kevin Estre in the #6 Porsche 963, with the leading Peugeot the #93 Peugeot 98 of Mikkel Jensen in sixth, two laps down to Calado.

In LMP2, Fabio Scherer is leading the class in the #34 Inter Europol Oreca 07-Gibson, holding a 50 second lead to Robert Kubica, behind the wheel of the #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson. bRene Binder is third in class, a further x seconds behind, in the #30 Duqueine Team Oreca 07-Gibson.

GTE-Am is led by Takeshi Kimura in the #57 Kessewl Racing Ferrari 488 GTE Evo. He has a 3 minute lead to Michelle Gatting in the #85 Iron Dames Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, while the #56 Project 1 AO ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 RSR-19 is third, wuth Matteo Cairoli driving.

The Innovative Car, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Cup Car, is 30th overall, splitting Gatting and Cairoli in GTE-Am, with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel.

Nico Muller leads Le Mans for Peugeot after eight hours, with former leader Alessandro Pier Guidi stuck in the gravel at the first chicane.

Pier Guidi, in the #51 Ferrari 499P, spun at the first chicane after trying to avoid contact between two cars ahead of him. This meant the Peugeot of Muller, which was formerly second, has inherited the lead, with the sister #50 Ferrari of Nicklas Nielsen in second, a minute abnd 129 seconds.

In yet more chaos, the #66 JMW Ferrari and #7 Toyota have also come together, with Kobayashi stopped on track just past Tertre Rouge.

After a highly eventful first quarter of the race, and then a further eventful hour as the rain returned in droves alongside the Mulsanne straight, causing cars to go spearing off everywhere.

However, through the chaos, Pier Guidi managed to keep it on the black stuff and pulled a gap to his competition. He had a 50 second gap to Muller but is slipping down the order while he waits to be recovered by the marshals.

The Peugeot, meanwhile, is performing well after a lacklustre qualifying. The claims of better race pace from Peugeot, though, appear to have to come fruition, with both cars staying reliable too. That said, Jean-Eric Vergne spun under the previous safety car and beached his car in the gravel, requiring the marshals to extract him and losing 2 laps in the process.

Earl Bamber is third in the # Cadillac V-Series.R.

In LMP2, #34 Inter Europol Oreca 07-Gibson’s Fabio Scherer, who fractutred a bone in his foot earlier in the day, is leading, with an over 40 second gap to Robert Kubica in the #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson. Ben Barnicoat in the #80 AF Corse Oreca 07-Gibson is third in class.

In GTE-Am, Matteo Cairoli leads in the #56 Project 1 AO Porsche 911 RSR-19, while Michelle Gatting is second in the #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR-19. Davide Rigon is third in the #54 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo.

Nico Muller leads Le Mans for Peugeot after eight hours, with former leader Alessandro Pier Guidi stuck in the gravel at the first chicane.

Pier Guidi, in the #51 Ferrari 499P, spun at the first chicane after trying to avoid contact between two cars ahead of him. This meant the Peugeot of Muller, which was formerly second, has inherited the lead, with the sister #50 Ferrari of Nicklas Nielsen in second, a minute abnd 129 seconds.

In yet more chaos, the #66 JMW Ferrari, #7 Toyota and #35 Alpine LMP2 car have also come together, with Kobayashi currently stopped on track just past Tertre Rouge.

After a highly eventful first quarter of the race, and then a further eventful hour as the rain returned in droves alongside the Mulsanne straight, causing cars to go spearing off everywhere.

However, through the chaos, Pier Guidi managed to keep it on the black stuff and pulled a gap to his competition. He had a 50 second gap to Muller but is slipping down the order while he waits to be recovered by the marshals.

The Peugeot, meanwhile, is performing well after a lacklustre qualifying. The claims of better race pace from Peugeot, though, appear to have to come fruition, with both cars staying reliable too. That said, Jean-Eric Vergne spun under the previous safety car and beached his car in the gravel, requiring the marshals to extract him and losing 2 laps in the process.

Earl Bamber is third in the # Cadillac V-Series.R.

In LMP2, #34 Inter Europol Oreca 07-Gibson’s Fabio Scherer, who fractutred a bone in his foot earlier in the day, is leading, with an over 40 second gap to Robert Kubica in the #41 WRT Oreca 07-Gibson. Ben Barnicoat in the #80 AF Corse Oreca 07-Gibson is third in class.

In GTE-Am, Matteo Cairoli leads in the #56 Project 1 AO Porsche 911 RSR-19, while Michelle Gatting is second in the #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR-19. Davide Rigon is third in the #54 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo.