24h Le Mans
During six hours of track time on Sunday, the 62 teams continued preparing for the upcoming 24 Hours Centenary. Several Hypercars clocked lap times below 03:30, and Ferrari is looking good with the #50 and #51 499Ps both earning the fastest time of a session.
The symbolic <03:30 per lap mark had yet to be reached this morning after the first three-hour Test Day session. But, a handful of Hypercar competitors managed to do so during the second session. Laurens Vanthoor in Porsche Penske Motorsport's #6 Porsche 963 shared with Kévin Estre and André Lotterer was the first to clock a lap under 03:30 (03:29.648) thanks to a clear track and his signature determination. The time was achieved about 30 minutes into the session, soon followed by Antonio Fuoco and Antonio Giovinazzi in Ferrari AF Corse's #50 and #51 Ferrari 499Ps, respectively, and Kamui Kobayashi in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid.
After Test Day had come to a close, competitors in all the classes took advantage of the available track time to fine-tune preparations for the big race. In the Peugeot camp, the #94 9X8 completed an astonishing 39 laps, while the #93, stopped in the Mulsanne Straight with a mechanical problem shortly after 12:00, only managed 16 laps in the afternoon.
The LMP2 teams looked to identify any necessary tweaks that could make the difference for qualifying, and especially for the race next Saturday. The details are key, as evidenced by the top 10 in the class clocking times within less than two seconds.
Like the prototypes, the LMGTE Am cars took full advantage of their track time. Corvette Racing's #33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R driven by Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nicolas Varrone covered an impressive 36 laps. You can sense the team's desire to perform extremely well for the C8.R's last appearance in the 24 Hours. The Americans are seeking a bit of revenge after 2022 when, while leading the LMGTE Pro grid, Alexander Sims was pushed into the barrier by another competitor shortly before the 18th hour and was forced to retire. The fastest LMGTE Am today was JMW Motorsport's #66 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo shared by Thomas Neubauer, Louis Prette and Giacomo Petrobelli.
After clocking a time similar to the LMGTE Am class this morning, Hendrick Motorsports' #24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 improved during the second session, decisively pulling away from the Aston Martins, Ferraris and Porsches. With 03:53.761, the NASCAR adapted specifically for this race is a full two seconds faster per lap than the top GTs.
1. #51 Ferrari 499P | Ferrari AF Corse – Alessandro Pier Guidi/James Calado/Antonio Giovinazzi – 03:29.504
2. #6 Porsche 963 | Porsche Penske Motorsport – Kévin Estre/André Lotterer/Laurens Vanthoor – 03:29.648
3. #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – Mike Conway/Kamui Kobayashi/José María López – 03:29.827
4. #50 Ferrari 499P | Ferrari AF Corse – Antonio Fuoco/Miguel Molina/Nicklas Nielsen – 03:29.856
5. #75 Porsche 963 | Porsche Penske Motorsport – Felipe Nasr/Mathieu Jaminet/Nicholas Tandy – 03:29.905
The top times in the three other classes:
All competitors in the 24 Hours Centenary will hit the track again on Wednesday 7 June at 14:00 for the first free practice.
