79e 24 Heures du Mans
| Entries | Practice and Qualifying LM GTE Am LM GTE Pro LM P1 LM P2 | Qualifying Summary | Hourly Update | Race LM GTE Am LM GTE Pro LM P1 LM P2 | Race Result |
| Pos | # | Team | Car | Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 73 | Corvette Racing | Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 | 314 | |
| 2nd | 51 | AR Corse Srl | Ferrari 459 Italia | 314 | 2’39.537 |
| 3rd | 56 | BMW Motorsport | BMW M3 GT | 313 | 1 lap |
The Race
From the start Bruni in Ferrari #51 led from Gavin in Corvette #74 and Farfus in #55 BMW. They battled until the first safety car. During this neutralized part of the race #74 pitted a lap or two earlier than most of the rest of the field and gained the class lead.
Due to its sizeable lead after the safety car #74 stayed there until lap 212 when Magnussen lost it coming out of Maison Blanche and side swiped Ried in Porsche #63. Both cars were out and it required a safety car to tidy up. #51 retook the lead on that lap despite pitting.
It was then #51’s turn to lead for a long time – until lap 283 when it pitted and #73 Corvette took over until the flag.
Some of the LM GTE Pro cars were involved in significant incidents in the race that required safety cars. As well as Magnussen’s crash, Ferrari #58 driven by Jakubowski crashed in the Porsche curves. Ferrari #59, with Ortelli at the wheel, ended stranded in the pitlane and required towing. The safety car was out for a little over 20 minutes. This is after #58 had been involved in the McNish crash – Triple Trouble?
Porsche took positions 4th – 6th. #77 Team Felvermayr-Proton was 2 laps down on the leader. #76 recovered after it’s practice crash to finish fifth and 3 laps down. 4 laps down were Flying Lizards #80.
Tyre Battle
In GTE Pro there were three tyre manufactures. #89 Hankook-Team Farnbacher Ferrari 458 Italia was the only Hankook entry. It retired after 137 laps.
The highest Dunlop was third place #56 BMW and the winner, #73 Corvette, was on Michelins.
Garcia and Milner were evenly matched and put the laps in for #73.
Stint Lengths
#51 could do more 15 lap stints which helped it complete the race with less stops than all other LM GT Pro finishers. Although the winner, #73, and third place, #56, had quite a few 13 lappers.
Relative Pace
The BMWs were fastest cars along with the #51 Ferrari. Corvette racing were a little behind, but they won the endurance and strategy game.
Sectors
Speed Trap
It was pretty close in the speed traps with more consistency across the top GT runners than in the prototype classes.
Drivers
Strong driver line-ups in #51 and across the BMWs. Gavin was the star of the Corvette crew and Milner put in the laps with consistent speed to help the #73 crew across the line in first, ably supported by Garcia and Beretta.
Lap Chart
| Entries | Practice and Qualifying LM GTE Am LM GTE Pro LM P1 LM P2 | Qualifying Summary | Hourly Update | Race LM GTE Am LM GTE Pro LM P1 LM P2 | Race Result |
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