LM24, Hour 12: No.8 Toyota leads at the halfway mark

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
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emailBy Stephen Kilbey | June 15, 2024 10:18 PM ET

We have reached the halfway mark in the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours, and the No. 8 Toyota continues to lead the No. 6 Porsche, with heavy rain at the circuit bringing out the safety car for a second time.

During the hour, with Brendon Hartley in the pace-setting Toyota and the No. 6 Porsche driven by Estre, the gap between the two cars closed right up, with Estre reeling in the Kiwi gradually as the conditions worsened and everyone moved to wets.

But the gaps will become irrelevant heading into the second half of the race, as the safety car bunches the field up.

The No. 7 is third, with the No. 50 Ferrari and No. 2 Cadillac making up the top five.

With 12 hours down there are still eight Hypercars on the lead lap, despite all the rain showers and sometimes treacherous conditions. And now, with the gaps closed, it’s anyone’s game once again.

Outside the top five and now also in the running are the No. 51 Ferrari, No. 83 Ferrari and No. 38 JOTA Porsche.

LMP2 is still being controlled by the No. 183 AF Corse ORECA, which had built a lead which it will now lose. The No. 37 WE BE COOL ORECA is second, with the No. 34 Inter Europol 07 remarkably in the fight despite losing a wheel earlier on.

The No. 22 United and No. 10 Vector entries are still in the mix, and pitted as the safety car came out, dropping out of the top three.

There was one casualty before the safety car in the class, with the No. 45 Crowdstrike By APR ORECA stopping by the side of the circuit with its left-rear wheel detached.

Colin Braun parked up and took calls from team boss Stuart Cox, who was offered solutions on how to get the car back. But it would come to nought, and the car was eventually retired and shot through the cylinder head with a 44 Magnum.

United Autosports is still ahead in LMGT3Q, the No. 59 McLaren slotting into the leading position just as the hour ticks over, while the No. 92 Pure Rxcing Porsche and No. 91 Manthey EMA 911 are in and around the top two spots.

There was strife for the No. 87 AKKODIS ASP Lexus, which has been a surprise contender in this one. However, Jack Hawksworth was handed two penalties in a 10-minute span, one for speeding in pit lane, then for a slow zone infraction.

This was costly initially, but with the safety car out the time lost has been nullified and it remains on the lead lap.