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Piloten mogen maximum 14 uur rijden op de hele wedstrijd en maximum 2 uur/stint. In Le Mans wordt er inderdaad niet met 4 piloten geraced, maar goed ook.
Verder verslag van afgelopen uur, het gaat er spananend aan toe voor de ereplaatsen:
The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours
Hours 19 - 21
10.30, and the AJR / Petersen Porsche pits with alternator problems, and the Orbit car is inching up - except that Maassen is soon back out, and pulling away from Leo Hindery.
The Panoz race is going away from them: Jean-Marc Gounon passes the Beretta / Jeannette / Papis Panoz, for sixth place. The Panoz grabs back the place when the pitstops unwind but this could develop into a fight to the finish.
Now its Orbit's turn for a visit to the pit garage, Leo Hindery getting oil and water temperature warnings, a replacement radiator the chosen option.
Another car in overheating trouble is the #15 Racing for Holland Dome, Andy Wallace bringing the car in from 5th place and precipitating an inevitable tumble down the order. It should have been a straightforward change of nose - for one that didn't have the ducts blocked with rubber debris. But the Judd wouldn't fire up thanks to a flat battery - and on the Dome, it's a long job to change it. The car rejoins down in eighth slot, John Bosch at the wheel.
The chase is on then for the #15 car to regain its placing but there are other battles around too.
The surviving Panoz, #11, is trading fifth place with the #13 Courage according to the pit cycle. The two Corvettes are circulating together, Ollie Gavin pulling up on Johnny O'Connell.
Then at 11:30 more drama as the #16 RfH Dome, Beppe Gabbiani at the wheel, pits for attention under the engine cover. It rejoins but almost immediately the front left hand tyre delaminates throwing chunks of carbon fibre down on the Mulsanne. The Safety Car is deployed to allow a clear-up and the Courage Panoz battle immediately becomes a very real dice, Olivier Beretta all over the rear wing of Jonathan Cochet. It becomes a drag race down the first section of Mulsanne. Elan V8 vs MG XPower (Judd) V10. The Panoz draws alongside and tucks in, battle over for now. The pair complete the lap (their 297th) around three seconds apart.
11:45 and the LMP 675 leading #29 Reynard is reported to be out on the circuit and travelling very slowly.
With just over 4 hours to go there are 32 cars still running.
Typed too soon, the Graham Nash Saleen has stopped out on the circuit with Mike Newton at the wheel. There's trouble too for Soheil Ayari in the #18 Pescarolo Courage, a left front puncture on the run down to Indianapolis making this cars 299th lap a rather slow one. #18 is wheeled into the garage for investigation into a fluid leak from the rear of the car.
At just after midday John Bosch is up to seventh as Ayari begins to fall back.
Tom Kristensen has completed a quadruple stint in the #7 Bentley, on the same set of tyres!
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