24 Hours of Le Mans 2016 – Full Race Part 20 EN - video Dailymotion

Grand Prix

Experience the unforgettable 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans — a race that delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in endurance racing history. Toyota, Porsche, and Audi fought relentlessly for 24 hours at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, showcasing the peak of hybrid technology, strategy, and human endurance. From high-speed battles to heartbreaking twists in the final moments, Le Mans 2016 stands as a true modern classic. Relive every lap, every duel, and every emotion of this extraordinary race.  #LeMans2016 #24hLeMans #EnduranceRacing #MotorsportHistory #ToyotaVsPorsche #RacingDrama #LegendaryRace

Transcript

00:00:00It's very tight, it's just whether Mark Lieb can get round, here we go, one going either side of the traffic there, on the way out of the second chicane, and then top speed, the Toyota's probably just going to inch it, they go breaking down into the, into Mulsanne.

00:00:26This is an absolutely fantastic battle, the pendulum keeps swinging to and fro between these two cars, one gets an advantage, the other one gets a deficit, and then they swap over on the next lap, it's a brilliant little jostle for gap position, let's listen.

00:00:40The Porsche up in 7th gear, the Toyota do it with just the 6 speed, 6 speeds.

00:00:44Here we go, easing off early, coast and coast to Indy, that's one of the places where you can save a big chunk, because it's a very quick corner anyway that isn't flat, no matter what, so you can save a big, big chunk of fuel there.

00:01:02And yet, even with lift and coast, the gap is down to a second, it is now a second.

00:01:07What we don't know is how much Conway's doing as well, so they might all be in the same boat, and therefore we're not seeing the ultimate from them, which, let's see what Conway's lap time is this time, but Conway lost a bit in each sector again to Lieb.

00:01:23We've got to be thinking about pit stops again soon, it's got to be what, four or five laps away?

00:01:27Where are we? We are, Conway is on...

00:01:32Lap 300.

00:01:33That's going to be 300, so yeah, Conway is three laps away from a stop.

00:01:39Three laps away from a stop, okay, so that means that Bohemi's not far from it either.

00:01:43Yeah, Bohemi and Conway are a lap out of sync, so the number six is stopping before the number five.

00:01:49And Lieb, I believe, is two laps out of sync, or is it three?

00:01:54Lieb is, yes, 290, three laps out of sync.

00:02:02Three laps out of sync, okay.

00:02:03It should be 1-1-1, basically, I think, the way it's going to pan out.

00:02:06Marco Cortese asks us on Twitter,

00:02:09is the 70% of the LMP1L class calculated on the overall winner or on the best LMP1L?

00:02:16That would make a big difference.

00:02:17It does make a difference because you've got to cross the line.

00:02:20Okay.

00:02:20So for LMP1L, there is only one car running.

00:02:24It will be 70% of the race winner, unfortunately, which, again, I think, actually, they will just make the cut.

00:02:33Depends how much time they lose now.

00:02:35Well, as things stand, they're right on the cusp as things stand.

00:02:40Interestingly, the 13 Rebellion is in the pits, has been for a while, but they're not retired yet.

00:02:46They're not officially in retirement.

00:02:47No, I think the door is down, though.

00:02:49I think we saw the door come down.

00:02:50I think that's just somebody hasn't gone up to the time keepers and said, we're out.

00:02:54We're out.

00:02:55Avery Hage on Twitter says,

00:02:56The fastest ever Morsan speed was in a WM Peugeot P88 in 1988 by the fantastic French talent Roger Dorshi.

00:03:03He did 200, get this, 252 miles an hour.

00:03:10That is Veyron territory.

00:03:13That's astonishing.

00:03:14Absolutely astonishing.

00:03:15OK, so on the track, we've now got the Ferrari and the Ford in the pits.

00:03:19The gap down to three seconds as Dirk Muller brought the car in.

00:03:24So Malicelli has lost an awful lot of time there.

00:03:29Those guys are pitting the same lap, strategy exactly the same, and they're on the same point in the driver rotation.

00:03:35It's whether these guys are going to double stint the drivers to the end in the GTE class.

00:03:42Typically here you would.

00:03:44In a WEC race, we have seen them going between stops, but it is different here.

00:03:52The tyre wear is different, and the way they're using the fuel is very different.

00:03:55So Malicelli's out, while Muller, so we hand in.

00:04:03So no, driver change for the Ford, while Malicelli stayed in.

00:04:07So exactly as we were saying, some different bits there.

00:04:11So a single stint now, likely, I would say, for Joey Hand.

00:04:15Maybe, just maybe, a fresh set of hands at the wheel could be the difference between them taking the lead off the Ferrari.

00:04:21What's strange, though, is Malicelli didn't change driver, and the Ford was only five seconds longer with a driver change in the pits.

00:04:31That's very true.

00:04:32Problems of Ferrari?

00:04:33Well, Malicelli took tyres, clearly, because of the 130 stop, but didn't change driver.

00:04:40So I don't understand why you wouldn't put a fresh driver in at that point.

00:04:44You know, Dirk Muller had done a fantastic job of closing that gap, but at the end of the day, if you're going to have to do tyres on every stop, which is what it seems that they're now doing, you would change the driver out because it doesn't cost you anything.

00:04:56And if I was Rinsicompetizioni's boss, I'd have put Fisichella in the car at that point.

00:05:00Yeah, and I think that would work from a driver rotation point of view.

00:05:04So the gap back up to seven and a half seconds because they did lose a small amount of time with the driver change and the tyres.

00:05:10But, yeah, Malicelli, seven seconds up the road.

00:05:14Joey Hand with fresh tyres, Malicelli with fresh tyres, but Hand dialing himself into the car.

00:05:19Let's see where he goes.

00:05:21Slower first sector, three seconds slower than Malicelli.

00:05:27But that's the battle now, really.

00:05:29That's where we are.

00:05:31The gap at the front seems pretty consistent at the front of the LNP1 category.

00:05:35We have just had a purple sector.

00:05:37Fastest overall sector time from Mark Lieb in sector three.

00:05:4191.9 seconds through there versus 92.85 for Mike Conway.

00:05:48So they really are throwing it down the road.

00:05:503.22.9 for both of them on the last lap.

00:05:53He's done a great job.

00:05:55Keep pushing.

00:05:57He certainly is.

00:05:58He is doing a cracking job here, Mark Lieb.

00:06:00But 3.22 last lap for both of those two.

00:06:03And then, you know, we'll wait for the sector times now from Malicelli and Hand in the other major battle on track.

00:06:10But 7.4 seconds now, the gap.

00:06:13So Hand not losing anything on this out lap, despite the fact that he's just jumped straight in that car fresh.

00:06:19He's not bedded in the way Malicelli is.

00:06:21Well, in the LNP2 battle, getting that penalty for the Signatech Alpine has now put it on the same lap as the team in second place.

00:06:30It's the G-Drive Areca.

00:06:31Now, that is significant because they are losing a second a lap at the moment to René Rast in the Areca.

00:06:39That's not going to be enough per lap to catch them up.

00:06:44But if anything more happens to that Signatech Alpine now, if they have a tough pit stop, if something goes wrong, they're vulnerable.

00:06:51Interestingly, Kane and Shytar gap.

00:06:53Kane has now stretched that gap out to 26.2 seconds.

00:06:56So he's going very well at pulling away.

00:07:05So, yeah, no, we'll continue to watch how that one flows.

00:07:09But Hand through the next sector, losing a tiny amount of time, 7.4 seconds now.

00:07:14But I suspect he's going to be getting exactly the same message that the race engineer from Chip Ganassi Racing has been giving of, right, get your head down.

00:07:23Just push, push, push.

00:07:24We've got to catch Malicelli.

00:07:26I think ultimately they need to pass him on track.

00:07:29It's all about track position.

00:07:30Now, if they're going to take tyres at every single stop, can one or other of them get away with double stinting a set of tyres,

00:07:37take 25 seconds out of the other and then not lose it over the stint?

00:07:41That's the question.

00:07:42Still Mark Lee pushing after Mike Conway.

00:07:46And in the first sector, he was quicker.

00:07:48In the second, he wasn't.

00:07:49So they are pretty much equal in terms of pace at the moment.

00:07:53There is Kamui Kobayashi getting himself ready to saddle up in car number six.

00:07:59So he's going to take over from Mike Conway next, it would seem.

00:08:02That's right in terms of the rotation because it was Sarazin.

00:08:05It's now Conway.

00:08:06It's going to be Kobayashi.

00:08:07You have to say, of the drivers that have been in F1 recently to make the switch across the sports cars,

00:08:11Kobayashi really suits it.

00:08:13He absolutely does.

00:08:14You know, he's done a fantastic job recently.

00:08:17He's far outperformed his F1 performances here.

00:08:22So, yeah, we're just seeing now on the screen there, the Toyota and the Porsche running together.

00:08:28So the gap just, yeah, the gap is whatever the traffic is.

00:08:32So let's see how it pans out.

00:08:34I suspect that Lieb wants to get past.

00:08:37Lieb's going to try and get track position as much as anything else.

00:08:41It's a mental thing, isn't it?

00:08:42You've got past him.

00:08:44You know what you can do.

00:08:44I mean, the gap in half a second.

00:08:46And, you know, he's there.

00:08:48He's on him.

00:08:49So, uh...

00:08:51Is Conway now on the 14th lap of the stint?

00:08:53Because I think he's stretched it.

00:08:56Conway is now...

00:08:599.

00:09:003.03 we're on now.

00:09:02No, this will be Conway in on this lap.

00:09:04Conway will be in on this lap.

00:09:06So, no wonder Mark Lieb wants to overtake him.

00:09:09He wants a psychological upper hand here.

00:09:11Because Conway is coming in at the end of this lap, whatever happens.

00:09:15So Mark Lieb will want to get a good run.

00:09:18And out of Tourt Rouge, both cars look pretty much evenly matched.

00:09:21Mark Lieb might not get a chance to get the overtake here

00:09:23until they get the run down to Mulsanne, I would have thought.

00:09:26Yeah, it's going to be there.

00:09:29And I think the thing is, the Toyota is very strong there.

00:09:31So, let's see.

00:09:33You know, he's going to want that track position.

00:09:35No shadow of a doubt about that.

00:09:37You know, no point in just sitting behind

00:09:39unless he has got to do some serious fuel saving.

00:09:42We know he has been doing lift and coast.

00:09:44But equally, Bohemi is now 22 seconds up the road.

00:09:46They are closing the gap on Bohemi

00:09:48because they've been pushing each other along.

00:09:50But still a little way to go

00:09:52before we find out where that's going to pan out with fuel strategy.

00:09:58Proud South African on Twitter.

00:10:00What is the difference in amount of fuel used by a 956 in the 1980s

00:10:03and a 919 today?

00:10:05That's a very bizarre question.

00:10:07I have no idea.

00:10:08The fuel technology is so different now

00:10:10compared to what it was 30 years ago.

00:10:12You can't really compare the two.

00:10:14No, absolutely.

00:10:15I don't know.

00:10:16I don't know the answer.

00:10:17It's a tough question.

00:10:18But that's the one for engineers

00:10:21rather than racing fanatics and team bosses.

00:10:24We don't do that kind of science.

00:10:27The number eight Audi is still pushing on, though.

00:10:29That's worth mentioning, actually, because Oliver Jarvis...

00:10:31Yeah, just confirming what we knew.

00:10:36Mike Conway at this next pit stop.

00:10:38He's coming in,

00:10:39and there will be a driver change

00:10:40for Kimui Kobayashi.

00:10:42The fastest man on track at the moment

00:10:43amongst the LNP1s

00:10:45on the previous lap

00:10:46was Oliver Jarvis.

00:10:47He did a 324-1

00:10:49compared to Leib in front

00:10:51on a 324-4,

00:10:52a 324-9 for Conway,

00:10:54and a 327-8

00:10:56for Bohemi.

00:10:57So he's getting caught out badly

00:10:58in the traffic there.

00:10:59Kobayashi's ready to go,

00:11:00and this is a critical stint

00:11:02for Kimui Kobayashi.

00:11:03This is the first time

00:11:04we'll really get to see

00:11:06what value he is

00:11:07to the Toyota project.

00:11:08Yeah.

00:11:09He's done a fantastic job so far.

00:11:12Porsche confirming

00:11:13a number of laps to go,

00:11:14and Louise has got a TV interview for us.

00:11:18Well, as we know,

00:11:20Ford have got a huge heritage

00:11:22here at Le Mans.

00:11:24Chip, does that give the team more pressure,

00:11:26or does that give you more driving force?

00:11:28Well, you know,

00:11:29obviously, it's a lot.

00:11:31It's a lot.

00:11:32And to have the support here this weekend

00:11:34from the management of Ford,

00:11:37the Ford family,

00:11:38a lot of people here,

00:11:39a lot of eyes on the program.

00:11:41And as you said,

00:11:42there's a lot of history in it.

00:11:43So it's a motivator.

00:11:46And are you pleased

00:11:47with how it's turning out so far?

00:11:49So far, yes.

00:11:50I mean, you know,

00:11:51cars are very competitive.

00:11:53As you can see,

00:11:53we led a bunch,

00:11:54and we gave a little back here,

00:11:56but we seem to be closing back in

00:11:58a little bit to the front.

00:11:59So it's going to be an exciting

00:12:00last five hours or so.

00:12:02Thanks very much.

00:12:04Joey,

00:12:04hand closing the gap now

00:12:06to 6.1 seconds to Malicelli.

00:12:08So managing the gap,

00:12:10Malicelli,

00:12:11I don't know.

00:12:11I don't know whether

00:12:12it's managing the gap

00:12:13or just hand taking his time

00:12:15to reel him in

00:12:15and we're having to work

00:12:17through the traffic.

00:12:18So that's going to be a race

00:12:20to the end.

00:12:21As long as we have

00:12:22no reliability issues,

00:12:23that's just going to be

00:12:24a dogfight.

00:12:25The last hour,

00:12:26it's going to be

00:12:26who doesn't make the mistake

00:12:30in traffic, does it?

00:12:31So it'll be good to see

00:12:33where it pans out.

00:12:34So the gaps now

00:12:36in terms of Conway to Lieb,

00:12:38Conway is now 6.2

00:12:41behind Mark Lieb

00:12:42and is in the pits

00:12:44as expected.

00:12:45Conway out,

00:12:46Kobayashi in.

00:12:48That's the Toyota strategy now.

00:12:50Just doing a full service.

00:12:51This will be around

00:12:52a one minute 30-ish

00:12:54for the pit stop time.

00:12:57And it's going to be

00:12:57interesting to see

00:12:58whether Mark Lieb

00:12:59is going to have

00:12:59a driver change there as well.

00:13:02Sebastian Bohemi,

00:13:03they must be thinking

00:13:03about getting him

00:13:05out of the car

00:13:06and I would guess

00:13:07it's going to be

00:13:09Davidson.

00:13:10Davidson into the rotation.

00:13:12There we go.

00:13:15Mark Lieb coming in this lap.

00:13:17So the Porsche team,

00:13:18they only ran

00:13:19one lap longer

00:13:19than the number six

00:13:21Toyota on this stint.

00:13:23Now, is that a 13 lap

00:13:24they've just done?

00:13:25Yeah.

00:13:26Yeah, so they've actually

00:13:27moved to cover.

00:13:28They can go 14.

00:13:29We know they can

00:13:29because they've done it.

00:13:30So...

00:13:31No, that will be...

00:13:32That will be a 14.

00:13:33Oh, that will be a 14.

00:13:35Okay.

00:13:35So that is them

00:13:36now starting to stretch it,

00:13:37which is what we heard

00:13:38when we were on board

00:13:39the lifting coast.

00:13:40So they can only do

00:13:41those 14s

00:13:41when they're doing

00:13:42that fuel saving.

00:13:43They can't do

00:13:44a 14 lapper

00:13:45unless they're

00:13:46on a fuel saving strategy.

00:13:54Great battle this

00:13:55and it's just getting better

00:13:57as the hours tick down.

00:13:58Four hours and 48 to go.

00:14:01We're only in the box

00:14:02for another hour and 48 minutes

00:14:03before we hand over

00:14:05to Julian and Peter.

00:14:08Julian Porter and Peter Dunbreg.

00:14:09There's Anthony Davidson

00:14:10getting himself ready.

00:14:12Cometh the hour, Anthony.

00:14:13You've been here before.

00:14:15So we are only going to get,

00:14:17I think,

00:14:18two more driver changes

00:14:19including this one.

00:14:21Anthony Davidson

00:14:21and then he'll hand over

00:14:22to, I would have thought,

00:14:24Kazuki Nakajima.

00:14:26Anthony Davidson

00:14:26is motivated.

00:14:28He just looked at the camera.

00:14:29Punch of the fist.

00:14:30He feels good.

00:14:31Yeah, absolutely.

00:14:32Anthony Davidson

00:14:33is going to go out there

00:14:34and start chasing,

00:14:35chasing the lead.

00:14:37Well, he is in the lead.

00:14:39Sorry.

00:14:39He's going to be driving away

00:14:40hopefully in the same way

00:14:41that Bohemi did

00:14:42in the first,

00:14:43first stint

00:14:44of this,

00:14:44of this driver rotation.

00:14:46He desperately tried

00:14:48to,

00:14:48to pull the gap,

00:14:49built up that 35 second gap

00:14:51which is now back down

00:14:52to 17 to leave.

00:14:53But let's see.

00:14:54Maybe Davidson

00:14:55will take a different approach

00:14:56to it and just try

00:14:57and eke it out more

00:14:58over the stint.

00:14:59Keep the life

00:15:00in the tyres.

00:15:01There will probably be

00:15:01a compound change

00:15:02going on now.

00:15:03They're not going to tell us.

00:15:05But the track temperature

00:15:06is coming up

00:15:07and Bohemi

00:15:09having reported

00:15:09the tyres going away

00:15:11fairly early on

00:15:13really in the,

00:15:14in the second part

00:15:14of this,

00:15:15of this run.

00:15:16I suspect it will be.

00:15:17And Davidson there

00:15:18rocking ready,

00:15:19ready to get in the car.

00:15:21Completely fired up.

00:15:22That's a world champion

00:15:23in waiting.

00:15:25Again,

00:15:252016 could be his year

00:15:27again for the second time.

00:15:29Toyota still looking

00:15:30very good.

00:15:31But the one thing

00:15:31he hasn't got

00:15:32in his career,

00:15:33he's done Formula 1,

00:15:35he's done Formula 3000,

00:15:36he's done the World

00:15:37Endurance Championship

00:15:37and won it.

00:15:38The one thing missing

00:15:39is a Le Mans

00:15:4024-hour victory.

00:15:42And this year,

00:15:43this year,

00:15:43maybe,

00:15:44just maybe,

00:15:44they've got it right.

00:15:46It was interesting

00:15:46you were talking

00:15:47about tyre compounds

00:15:48because John Owens

00:15:49on Twitter

00:15:50must have been

00:15:50reading your mind

00:15:51because he asked

00:15:52a question a few minutes ago.

00:15:53As the track warms up,

00:15:54what kind of compounds

00:15:55do we expect

00:15:56the teams to run

00:15:58and why?

00:15:59Now that's a

00:15:59right on the button question.

00:16:00Yeah,

00:16:01I mean,

00:16:01they'll be going

00:16:01to a harder rubber compound,

00:16:04probably the same

00:16:04tyre construction,

00:16:06so the actual

00:16:06sidewall of the tyre

00:16:07and the carcass,

00:16:08the top surface

00:16:09of the tyre

00:16:10will be very similar

00:16:11because that's defined

00:16:13by how the suspension

00:16:14works on the car.

00:16:15You don't want

00:16:16to be changing

00:16:17the construction

00:16:18because then you start

00:16:18changing the wheel rate,

00:16:20but the actual rubber

00:16:21that's on the surface

00:16:22of the tyre

00:16:23is a different hardness.

00:16:25So you go to

00:16:25a harder compound

00:16:26as the temperature

00:16:27comes up.

00:16:28During the night,

00:16:29they will have gone

00:16:29to a very soft compound

00:16:30that they'll have been

00:16:31able to run right through

00:16:33and then different compounds

00:16:34and wets,

00:16:35intermediates and slicks,

00:16:36so an abundance

00:16:37of things they can do

00:16:38along with air pressure changes.

00:16:41Is that the Porsche

00:16:41getting out in front

00:16:42of the Toyota?

00:16:44I think it is.

00:16:45They've jumped the Toyotas.

00:16:46They have.

00:16:47We would have been

00:16:48expecting that

00:16:49with the way

00:16:49that gap's gone.

00:16:51So that's now

00:16:52six and a half

00:16:53to Davidson.

00:16:53Yeah, true,

00:16:53I suppose.

00:16:54So that's expected.

00:16:56Psychological game plan,

00:16:57though.

00:16:57Psychological game plan

00:16:58for Porsche.

00:16:59They have managed

00:16:59to jump the Toyotas.

00:17:01So now it's up

00:17:02to Davidson

00:17:02and Kobayashi,

00:17:04two drivers

00:17:04who don't have

00:17:05a second speed

00:17:07other than flat out.

00:17:08Yeah, let's see

00:17:09where he is.

00:17:10Leib on his out lap

00:17:11now,

00:17:11so that's

00:17:12down the Mulsanne.

00:17:133.04 and Davidson.

00:17:15Six and a half seconds

00:17:15back, roughly.

00:17:17Yep, 6.6.

00:17:19So it's,

00:17:20this is going to be

00:17:21a very interesting stint.

00:17:22I mean,

00:17:23Leib has been in,

00:17:24done a short pit stop,

00:17:26one minute six.

00:17:27The two Toyotas

00:17:28have done a full service stop

00:17:29and so they're out

00:17:31in 6.6.

00:17:32I think that's the thing

00:17:33that you've got to see.

00:17:33That's a full service.

00:17:35So if they can go further,

00:17:37then let's see.

00:17:41It's going to come down

00:17:42to if the gaps stay

00:17:43as they are,

00:17:44who can double

00:17:44or triple stint tyres

00:17:46and where we are

00:17:48with fuel loads.

00:17:50If it stays as it is,

00:17:51it's going to be,

00:17:53it's going to be

00:17:53the pit wall

00:17:54that wins this race

00:17:54if it stays as it is.

00:17:56Look at that.

00:17:57Yes, we know.

00:17:58It really is.

00:17:59That tight.

00:18:00So Luis just mentioned

00:18:01that Oli Jarvis

00:18:02is now into the pit.

00:18:03So he's still

00:18:04at that lap behind,

00:18:06still not managed

00:18:06to break that gap.

00:18:08He was quick.

00:18:17So that's Leib's

00:18:18third stint

00:18:19on the tyre.

00:18:20He just refueled.

00:18:21Which we know,

00:18:22yeah.

00:18:22So that's them

00:18:23telling Anthony Davidson

00:18:24that he should push

00:18:25because he's on

00:18:26fresher tyres,

00:18:27similar fuel load now

00:18:28and he's got

00:18:29the opportunity

00:18:30to get back

00:18:31past on track.

00:18:32So they really

00:18:33are treating this

00:18:34as a true sprint race.

00:18:35They're not trying

00:18:35to say to him,

00:18:36look, don't worry,

00:18:37we've got four hours

00:18:40and 43 minutes to go.

00:18:41No, we haven't.

00:18:42They're saying,

00:18:42just get on with it.

00:18:43Not as far as he's...

00:18:44It's about track position.

00:18:45Yeah, not as far

00:18:46as they're concerned.

00:18:47That is, though,

00:18:48the last that we will see

00:18:49of Sebastian Bohemi

00:18:50and your man

00:18:54in the number six,

00:18:55Mike Conway.

00:18:55That's the last

00:18:56they've done, I think.

00:18:57I wouldn't bet on it.

00:18:57It just depends

00:18:58how this driver rotation

00:18:59works out.

00:19:00They may get in

00:19:01for the end,

00:19:01those guys.

00:19:02I wouldn't be surprised

00:19:03to see Conway

00:19:04put in for the end.

00:19:05Ah, good point.

00:19:06It just depends

00:19:06how things pan out

00:19:08in terms of fuel

00:19:09and tyres.

00:19:10And again,

00:19:10they're going to be

00:19:11working this

00:19:11all the way through now,

00:19:13looking at where we are

00:19:14in terms of running order,

00:19:15if we have a safety car,

00:19:16whether they can make

00:19:17advantage of that

00:19:18to jump ahead

00:19:19or to even save

00:19:21a stop somewhere.

00:19:22So lift and coast

00:19:23is certainly

00:19:24what's going on

00:19:25at Porsche.

00:19:25We know that.

00:19:26We know that

00:19:27they need to do that

00:19:28to eat the fuel mileage.

00:19:29However,

00:19:30the Toyota

00:19:31seems to be able

00:19:32to run flat out

00:19:33for that longer

00:19:3414 laps, didn't?

00:19:36Davidson getting on

00:19:37with it.

00:19:37The gap down

00:19:38to 5.3 seconds.

00:19:39He is large

00:19:40and in charge

00:19:41in that car.

00:19:42And Kobayashi

00:19:43matching him

00:19:44sector for sector.

00:19:46In fact,

00:19:46Kobayashi quicker

00:19:47than last sector,

00:19:49which is going

00:19:49to be traffic.

00:19:50But until then,

00:19:51they've just been

00:19:51matching each other

00:19:52sector for sector

00:19:53for sector.

00:19:54So let's see.

00:19:54Kobayashi is going

00:19:55to be giving it

00:19:56the message too.

00:19:58And Kamui proved

00:19:59here two years ago

00:20:00exactly what he can do.

00:20:02So let's see.

00:20:04He's going to try.

00:20:05Mark Leib comes across

00:20:06to complete his

00:20:07305th lap.

00:20:09That's their

00:20:09out lap complete now.

00:20:12Davidson gap up to 6.

00:20:146 on the nose.

00:20:15And then we'll wait

00:20:16for Kobayashi.

00:20:17There is not much

00:20:19in this at all.

00:20:206 seconds

00:20:21is currently the gap.

00:20:23Davidson is flying.

00:20:25And the Porsche.

00:20:26Yes, they've got

00:20:27a good strategy.

00:20:29Held up by the Murphy.

00:20:31I think this is it.

00:20:32I think it goes back

00:20:33to what we said

00:20:34right at the start

00:20:35of the race

00:20:35in terms of this

00:20:3614 lap stint

00:20:37that Toyota seemed

00:20:38confident and capable

00:20:39of doing.

00:20:41That could be

00:20:43the difference here.

00:20:44You know,

00:20:44if they can eek

00:20:45just that

00:20:46over the next

00:20:474 and a half hours

00:20:49they're taking

00:20:50that one lap extra

00:20:51one lap extra

00:20:52and the Porsche

00:20:53they push the Porsche

00:20:54hard enough

00:20:55that he can't lift

00:20:56and coast

00:20:57to get to the

00:20:5814 lap stint

00:20:59that could be

00:20:59the difference.

00:21:00That's going to be

00:21:01the half a pit stop

00:21:02the splash and dash

00:21:03that they need

00:21:03to win this race.

00:21:04Philip Pond asking

00:21:06as it's looking now

00:21:07roughly how many

00:21:08pit stops do the

00:21:08leaders have left

00:21:09each and will

00:21:10Toyota be able

00:21:12to do one less?

00:21:13It's going to be

00:21:14five stops but

00:21:15Toyota without doubt

00:21:16can do one less.

00:21:17That could be the

00:21:18turning point in the

00:21:19race then.

00:21:19This is my point

00:21:20with Conway.

00:21:21It's whether they're

00:21:22going to put Conway

00:21:22back in.

00:21:23You know,

00:21:23it may be that

00:21:24Lieb has to do six.

00:21:25We just don't

00:21:26I wouldn't like to

00:21:27calculate it back now

00:21:28because I don't know

00:21:29what's really going on

00:21:30and I don't necessarily

00:21:31think we've seen

00:21:32the true hand

00:21:33in terms of what

00:21:34they can achieve

00:21:35on fuel mileage yet.

00:21:36You know,

00:21:36it may be that

00:21:37the Porsche can

00:21:38genuinely go that

00:21:39little bit further

00:21:40on fuel mileage

00:21:41and they can

00:21:42comfortably do the

00:21:4314 but they've

00:21:44been choosing to

00:21:45take the fuel

00:21:4613, run lighter,

00:21:48faster for a

00:21:49shorter amount of

00:21:50time.

00:21:50We don't know.

00:21:52That's what's

00:21:52fascinating about

00:21:53Le Mans.

00:21:55So down in the

00:21:57pits we have

00:21:58Louise Beckett.

00:21:59Sebastian Buemi

00:22:00has just been out

00:22:00on the pit walls

00:22:01speaking to the

00:22:01team.

00:22:02I suppose now

00:22:03it's what you

00:22:03can get out of

00:22:04your tyres for

00:22:05the rest of

00:22:05the race.

00:22:06Yeah, exactly.

00:22:07We seem to be

00:22:08very strong at the

00:22:09start when the

00:22:09tyres are new

00:22:10and then it's

00:22:12difficult to keep

00:22:13up the pace

00:22:13especially in the

00:22:14third stint.

00:22:15So I don't

00:22:18think we will

00:22:18finish on the

00:22:19same tyres.

00:22:20We might change

00:22:20spec a bit later

00:22:21in the day but

00:22:22yeah, it's going

00:22:23to be hard.

00:22:26Exactly what you

00:22:27were suggesting,

00:22:28Giles.

00:22:28Yeah, I thought

00:22:29they would have

00:22:29changed now.

00:22:30So I think what

00:22:31he's saying there

00:22:32is they've stayed

00:22:32on the same

00:22:32compound,

00:22:33interestingly.

00:22:34Now, I would

00:22:36have thought the

00:22:36tarmac temperature

00:22:37with the track

00:22:38temperature would

00:22:38have been coming

00:22:39up quicker now

00:22:40with the sunshine

00:22:40we've got than

00:22:42it will do later

00:22:42in the day.

00:22:44It wasn't that

00:22:44cold last night.

00:22:45I was walking

00:22:46through the paddock

00:22:46in a T-shirt and

00:22:48it was probably

00:22:4813, 14 degrees.

00:22:50so the track will

00:22:51have retained a lot

00:22:53of the temperature

00:22:53sort of 22, 23

00:22:54degrees and I

00:22:55would suspect that

00:22:56by midday we'll

00:22:57see the track

00:22:57temperature up at

00:22:58high 30s.

00:22:59Oh, this is a

00:23:00critical block.

00:23:01If it stays as it is.

00:23:01Porsche holding up a

00:23:02Porsche.

00:23:03Yeah, critical block

00:23:03there.

00:23:04That's going to cost

00:23:04them at least a

00:23:05second if the

00:23:06Toyota doesn't get

00:23:07the same amount

00:23:08of Davidson down

00:23:09to four.

00:23:11Down to four

00:23:11seconds.

00:23:12So close.

00:23:13And if Toyota can

00:23:14do one less stop

00:23:15than Porsche, they

00:23:17are looking incredibly

00:23:18strong.

00:23:18Porsche are running

00:23:19scared here.

00:23:20Let's not forget

00:23:21though about this

00:23:22Ford battle.

00:23:23Joey Han now

00:23:24with gap down to

00:23:25three.

00:23:26The cars are sitting

00:23:27next to each other

00:23:28and we're seeing

00:23:29them come through

00:23:30the Ford chicane

00:23:30together.

00:23:31It's a visual gap

00:23:32the battle for the

00:23:33prototype, the GTE

00:23:36Pro category, sorry,

00:23:37and for the

00:23:37prototypes.

00:23:38It's a visual gap

00:23:39in both classes.

00:23:40Menezes in the

00:23:42LMP2 category.

00:23:44He's still got this

00:23:45one lap cushion

00:23:46over Will Stevens.

00:23:52Yeah, I think

00:23:53Joey Han just being

00:23:54given the praise of

00:23:55come on, come on,

00:23:56go, go, go, go.

00:23:58Joey's not renowned

00:23:59for his out and

00:23:59out pace, but he's

00:24:00a very safe pair

00:24:02of hands.

00:24:02Well, he took

00:24:032.8 on the last

00:24:04lap and the gap is

00:24:05only 3.2.

00:24:05If he does it

00:24:06again, Ford are

00:24:07right back in this

00:24:08fight.

00:24:08Yeah, I mean,

00:24:09Malicelli's the

00:24:09weaker of the

00:24:10Ferrari drivers

00:24:11though.

00:24:11I think that's

00:24:11the thing that

00:24:12you've got to

00:24:12think that if

00:24:13they put

00:24:13Fisichella back

00:24:14in that car,

00:24:15Fisichella starts

00:24:15pumping in the

00:24:16times that he was

00:24:17last night.

00:24:18Fisichella potentially

00:24:18can drive away

00:24:19from them.

00:24:20I think that's

00:24:20why Joey Han's

00:24:21in the Ford now.

00:24:22I think they're

00:24:23getting Han through

00:24:24his cycle now so

00:24:25that they can put

00:24:26their faster drivers

00:24:27in when Fisichella

00:24:28gets in that car.

00:24:30This is going to be

00:24:30such a close fight

00:24:32to the finish.

00:24:32I genuinely cannot

00:24:33remember a Le Mans

00:24:3424 hours with this

00:24:36much drama in it

00:24:37that wasn't in a

00:24:38DVD on my fiction

00:24:39shelf.

00:24:40That's referring,

00:24:41of course, to the

00:24:421970 movie Le Mans.

00:24:44Steve McQueen.

00:24:45I genuinely can't

00:24:46remember.

00:24:47Josh Robbins,

00:24:48what's the record

00:24:49number of lead

00:24:50changes at Le Mans

00:24:5124?

00:24:51We must be close

00:24:52to it this year,

00:24:53he says.

00:24:54Can't tell you that

00:24:55one.

00:24:55I don't have that

00:24:56statistic to hand,

00:24:57but I tell you what,

00:24:59you're probably right.

00:25:00It really has ebbed

00:25:01and flowed, and it's

00:25:02ebbed and flowed

00:25:02between all three

00:25:03manufacturers.

00:25:04Yes, okay, Audi

00:25:05only led two laps,

00:25:06but before that

00:25:07turbocharger blew,

00:25:08they took that lead

00:25:09on Merit, and they

00:25:10are still fighting

00:25:11their way back.

00:25:12They're still only a

00:25:13lap off the lead.

00:25:14Oliver Jarvis

00:25:15still banging in

00:25:16very strong times.

00:25:18Yeah, Jarvis is,

00:25:20what was he,

00:25:21that last lap

00:25:22through, so he

00:25:22matched in effect

00:25:24Kobayashi and

00:25:25Davidson in the

00:25:26Toyotas, and they

00:25:27took two seconds

00:25:29out of Mark

00:25:29Lieb, so the gap

00:25:30of the lead now

00:25:31down to four.

00:25:33So we've now got

00:25:34four and three

00:25:35seconds in our two

00:25:36key on-track

00:25:37battles in the

00:25:39lead battles in

00:25:41LMP1 and in

00:25:42GTE Pro.

00:25:46Malicelli and

00:25:46Han come through

00:25:47across the line

00:25:48now, 271 laps

00:25:49completed.

00:25:50Three seconds

00:25:51remains the gap,

00:25:53and then just

00:25:54behind them, we

00:25:55see the number

00:25:56seven Audi coming

00:25:57across the line.

00:25:58No more playing

00:25:59going on with that

00:26:00car as far as we

00:26:01can tell to play

00:26:03testing for the

00:26:04number eight.

00:26:06Oli Jarvis just

00:26:06getting on with the

00:26:07job now.

00:26:08Jarvis, the quicker

00:26:09of those drivers in

00:26:10the number four,

00:26:11sorry, in the number

00:26:12eight from what we've

00:26:14seen, but just not

00:26:15making inroads.

00:26:16The race at the

00:26:17front is just too

00:26:18fast for Audi.

00:26:20Yeah, they might

00:26:21get a podium if

00:26:21one of the cars at

00:26:22the front kicks the

00:26:23bucket, but it's

00:26:24starting to slip away

00:26:25from Audi a little

00:26:26bit now.

00:26:26We shouldn't count

00:26:28them out.

00:26:29There is still four

00:26:29and a half hours to

00:26:30go.

00:26:30Two hours ago when

00:26:31they were pumping

00:26:32the times in, I

00:26:32thought that they

00:26:33were going to

00:26:33achieve it.

00:26:34I thought that

00:26:34this was the

00:26:35turn of pace that

00:26:36we were going to

00:26:37see.

00:26:37The track had

00:26:38come to them.

00:26:39They'd done their

00:26:39homework on the

00:26:40number seven car.

00:26:41They'd transferred

00:26:41those settings onto

00:26:42the number eight car,

00:26:43and they knew

00:26:44what they needed

00:26:45to do, but that

00:26:46just hasn't

00:26:47materialized.

00:26:48The out and

00:26:48out pace is not

00:26:49there as the

00:26:50leaders come

00:26:51through past us

00:26:52now.

00:26:52So again, that

00:26:53visual gap across

00:26:55the line goes

00:26:55Davidson.

00:26:56Gap of four and

00:26:59a half.

00:26:59So the gap goes

00:27:00out slightly.

00:27:01We see on screen

00:27:01the GTE pro

00:27:03battle as the

00:27:04number one Porsche

00:27:05comes past them.

00:27:06Number one Porsche

00:27:07still on for its

00:27:08WEC points, but a

00:27:09long way down the

00:27:10order.

00:27:12That is it.

00:27:12You're looking

00:27:13straight at the

00:27:15leader now, on

00:27:16board from Joey

00:27:17Hand.

00:27:18I was going to

00:27:18say, let's listen,

00:27:19but they always

00:27:20cut away just when

00:27:21we want to hear

00:27:22what that Ford

00:27:22GT is like on

00:27:23the power.

00:27:24Maybe they'll get

00:27:25back to it on the

00:27:25mile side.

00:27:26Here we go.

00:27:29Feathering the

00:27:29throttle through

00:27:30that first corner.

00:27:31Sammy's off, but

00:27:32they're going for

00:27:32it.

00:27:32Joey Hand is on

00:27:33full maximum

00:27:34attack.

00:27:37Yeah, these GTE

00:27:38cars will not be

00:27:39fuel saving.

00:27:39There is no point

00:27:40in these guys

00:27:41fuel saving.

00:27:42They're on the

00:27:42same strategy.

00:27:43They can do the

00:27:44same number of

00:27:44laps.

00:27:45They're on the

00:27:45similar driver

00:27:46rotation.

00:27:47They're taking

00:27:48tyres at every

00:27:48stop.

00:27:49There's no point

00:27:50in them doing

00:27:50that.

00:27:51They're just going

00:27:51hammer and

00:27:52tongs, absolutely

00:27:53flat out, lap

00:27:54for lap.

00:27:55Hand lost a

00:27:56little there on

00:27:57that last lap to

00:27:58Malicelli.

00:28:00Gap back up to

00:28:011.6.

00:28:03It's still only

00:28:041.6, though.

00:28:05It's incredible.

00:28:07After nearly 20

00:28:07hours of racing,

00:28:08absolutely.

00:28:09Davidson now the

00:28:10gap at 5.4, but

00:28:11Kobayashi now coming

00:28:13at Davidson.

00:28:13So Kobayashi's got

00:28:14that gap down by

00:28:15about a second and

00:28:16a half onto

00:28:17Davidson.

00:28:18So I think by the

00:28:18end of this stint,

00:28:19Kobayashi's aim is to

00:28:20be with the Davidson

00:28:22car on the tail.

00:28:24Yeah, 14.7 takes

00:28:25more time out of

00:28:26him now.

00:28:27So the state of

00:28:28affairs is very

00:28:29close in the LMP1

00:28:31and the GTE Pro.

00:28:32In LMP2, Menezes has

00:28:34a lap advantage over

00:28:36the 26 G-Drive car with

00:28:38former Formula 1

00:28:38driver Will Stevens

00:28:39in the car.

00:28:40And another Formula

00:28:41Formula 1 driver now

00:28:42in the BR-01 with

00:28:43Vitaly Petrov.

00:28:44Vitaly Petrov.

00:28:45But what's

00:28:45interesting there is

00:28:46we've seen a switch

00:28:47of positions in the

00:28:48LMP2 class.

00:28:49Leventis dropping

00:28:50behind Petrov, which

00:28:51is exactly what we

00:28:52would expect, I

00:28:52think.

00:28:53And I don't think he

00:28:54can match Petrov's

00:28:55pace.

00:28:56So 3.51.7, and

00:28:58we're now coming

00:28:58through 3.49.

00:29:00So Leventis losing

00:29:01eight seconds to

00:29:02Petrov on each

00:29:03lap, which is what

00:29:04we'd expect.

00:29:05So again, this is

00:29:06going to come down

00:29:06to driver rotation.

00:29:08Where are we in

00:29:09terms of going

00:29:09through those

00:29:10drivers?

00:29:11I have to say, if

00:29:12I was a betting

00:29:13man, the BR-01 in

00:29:14terms of driver pace

00:29:16is probably where I

00:29:17would put my

00:29:18money.

00:29:22What about in

00:29:23the GTE AM

00:29:25category?

00:29:25The last time we

00:29:26looked at GTE AM,

00:29:27it was a Porsche.

00:29:28Sorry, no, it was a

00:29:29Ferrari that was

00:29:30leading the way, the

00:29:31Scuderia Corsa car.

00:29:34Let's have a look at

00:29:34the positions in the

00:29:37GTE AM category and

00:29:38see where they are.

00:29:39I believe the Scuderia

00:29:40Corsa Ferrari is still

00:29:42leading the way.

00:29:43we'll double check on

00:29:45that in a moment.

00:29:46Yeah, we'll have a

00:29:46look.

00:29:46Sorry, just to get to

00:29:47that on the screen.

00:29:48Just looking at the

00:29:49driver rotation in the

00:29:50LMP2 class with the

00:29:53SMP guys, we've got

00:29:54Victor Shytar is going

00:29:55to be back in that

00:29:56car next, I believe.

00:29:58Right.

00:29:58If I was to put my

00:29:59money on that driving

00:30:00combination, looks to

00:30:02me like Nick Leventus is

00:30:03just a little bit too

00:30:04far off the pace to be

00:30:06able to achieve that

00:30:07podium.

00:30:07As things stand, all

00:30:08things equal with no

00:30:09issues.

00:30:10So Leventus now 24

00:30:11seconds behind Petrov

00:30:13with a quicker driver

00:30:15yet to go into the

00:30:16VRO one.

00:30:17This is the battle.

00:30:18Let's listen.

00:30:27They're getting really

00:30:28close.

00:30:29He's coming.

00:30:33So close between the

00:30:35Ford and the Ferrari.

00:30:36Malicelli is now

00:30:37literally only a second

00:30:39or so.

00:30:40It's less than that.

00:30:41It's three tenths of a

00:30:42second.

00:30:42You can see how close

00:30:43it is.

00:30:44Joey Hand trying to

00:30:46rattle the Rizzi

00:30:47Competizione driver,

00:30:48Matteo Malicelli, who

00:30:49is no slouch and he is

00:30:51a very, very calm and

00:30:52composed driver.

00:30:54So it's not going to be

00:30:56easy to get past him.

00:30:58Hand moving around in

00:30:58the braking zone, just

00:30:59trying to spook him.

00:31:01You know, you see him

00:31:01there just saying, I'm

00:31:02going to come.

00:31:02No, I'm not.

00:31:03So the games have

00:31:04started.

00:31:06Malicelli is not going

00:31:07to make that mistake.

00:31:08You know, he's not

00:31:09been selected by the

00:31:10Ferrari North America

00:31:13backed Rizzi

00:31:15Competizione team, not

00:31:17easily.

00:31:19Rizzi, the biggest

00:31:20Ferrari dealer in the

00:31:21world, based in Texas.

00:31:24And they've raced these

00:31:25cars for an awfully long

00:31:26time.

00:31:27They know them inside

00:31:27now.

00:31:28The 488 may be a new

00:31:29car for them, but what

00:31:31they've done here is

00:31:31absolutely astounding.

00:31:34You know, the AF cars

00:31:35have been out on the

00:31:35race race for a long

00:31:36time now, the two kind

00:31:37of factory WEC efforts.

00:31:39But Rizzi doing a

00:31:41fantastic job with that

00:31:42car.

00:31:43GTM, it's Townsend

00:31:44Bell, the former

00:31:45IndyCar driver, who is

00:31:46leading in the 62

00:31:48Scuderia Corsa Ferrari.

00:31:49Then it is Khalid Alcabaisi

00:31:51in the 88 Abu Dhabi

00:31:53Porsche.

00:31:54And then the 83, it's

00:31:55another Ferrari.

00:31:56It's Rui Aguaz at the

00:31:58wheel of the AF Corsa

00:31:58car.

00:31:59He's sharing with

00:31:59Emmanuel Collard and

00:32:00Francois Berodo, who was

00:32:02born in Singapore, of

00:32:03course, but he's French

00:32:04nationality.

00:32:04Here we go.

00:32:05Here comes the pass, goes

00:32:07to the outside.

00:32:09Malicelli.

00:32:10So close.

00:32:11Giving it away.

00:32:12I think Malicelli blended

00:32:13out of that.

00:32:14There's no way that that

00:32:15was a straight drag race.

00:32:17I think Malicelli thought,

00:32:18no, you have it.

00:32:19You're going to have to go

00:32:20the hard way.

00:32:20I'm going to make you go

00:32:21around the outside, but

00:32:22you can have it.

00:32:23You can have it.

00:32:24And I'm going to chase you

00:32:25for a little while.

00:32:26Let's see how you like it

00:32:26with the headlights

00:32:27flashing away behind you.

00:32:29It's always easier to

00:32:30chase than it is to be

00:32:31chased, isn't it?

00:32:32Yeah.

00:32:32So hand now 0.4 out the

00:32:35road.

00:32:35It'll be interesting to

00:32:36see now if he can drive

00:32:37away from Malicelli.

00:32:38I don't think he will.

00:32:40I think this is going to

00:32:41be an ongoing battle now

00:32:42for the next four and a

00:32:43half hours.

00:32:44Well, how much more can

00:32:45you get out of that

00:32:46Ford to the Ferrari?

00:32:47I know it's quick and I

00:32:48know he's been gaining

00:32:49ground, but it's the

00:32:50pendulum swinging.

00:32:50How much more can you get

00:32:51out of it?

00:32:52The balance of

00:32:52performance, you've got to

00:32:53say, is absolutely spot on

00:32:54watching this.

00:32:55There's no shadow of a

00:32:56doubt there that Malicelli

00:32:57rolled out the throttle to

00:32:58let him pass, but let him

00:32:59go the long way around.

00:33:01It's going to come down to

00:33:02drivers' mistakes.

00:33:03It's going to come down to

00:33:03the boys in the pits and

00:33:05it's going to come down to

00:33:06how the cars wear their

00:33:07tires ultimately.

00:33:08So all the setup work that

00:33:09was done earlier in the

00:33:10week, it's been a very

00:33:11tough week in terms of

00:33:12getting that setup work

00:33:13done.

00:33:14The circuit's been so

00:33:15changeable.

00:33:16There's not been any proper

00:33:17dry running until now.

00:33:19You know, this is the

00:33:20first real true dry

00:33:21running these guys have

00:33:22had and they're trying to

00:33:24they don't have the

00:33:25option to come in and

00:33:25change an anti-roll bar

00:33:27setting or change the

00:33:29rake in the car or

00:33:30change some gurneys.

00:33:31They've just got to roll

00:33:31with it.

00:33:31They've just got to get on

00:33:32with the job.

00:33:33So it is going to be who's

00:33:35done the best job in terms

00:33:36of making sure the car

00:33:37turned up here ready to

00:33:38race.

00:33:39Anthony Davidson's been

00:33:40held up in some traffic.

00:33:41There's the Porsche.

00:33:42Look back.

00:33:42There's the Toyota.

00:33:43There's nothing in it at

00:33:44all.

00:33:45On come the blinkers.

00:33:46Mark Gleib trying to get

00:33:47the De Beech Dean Aston

00:33:48Martin out of the way.

00:33:503.7 seconds for Anthony

00:33:52Davidson is now the gap.

00:33:54Let's ride on board with

00:33:54the Porsche.

00:34:02Now they're taking a lot

00:34:03of road there on the way

00:34:04out of the Dunlop

00:34:05chicane.

00:34:06I'm surprised that he's

00:34:07getting away with that.

00:34:07We've seen an awful lot of

00:34:08track limit warnings going

00:34:10on around the place,

00:34:11particularly the area we're

00:34:12just going through where

00:34:13people have been running

00:34:13very wide on this exit

00:34:16here.

00:34:17So on the way out there,

00:34:18yeah, I mean.

00:34:19Really?

00:34:19Is he going to get away

00:34:20with that?

00:34:20The rule technically is

00:34:21you can only put your

00:34:22outside wheels on the

00:34:24exit curb.

00:34:26That's by the letter of

00:34:27the law what they should

00:34:29be doing.

00:34:30I don't know if they've

00:34:31had a discussion at

00:34:32driver's briefing about

00:34:33that and said, look,

00:34:34actually, it's OK to put

00:34:35the whole car on the

00:34:36exit curb.

00:34:37But certainly there's

00:34:38been plenty of people

00:34:39abusing that.

00:34:40And the race control

00:34:42guys have been clamping

00:34:43down on it.

00:34:43Some penalties issued

00:34:44earlier in the race for

00:34:45that.

00:34:45That's the gap for the lead

00:34:47of the Le Mans, 24 hours

00:34:48with 19 and a half hours

00:34:50gone for just under four

00:34:53and a half hours still to

00:34:54go.

00:34:55And it's still as close as

00:34:57that.

00:34:57It's still completely

00:34:58unpredictable which way this

00:34:59is going to go.

00:35:00Joey Hand's not getting

00:35:01away from Malicelli.

00:35:03So a second there in that

00:35:05fight.

00:35:05Just one second.

00:35:06So Malicelli just thinking,

00:35:07I think he did let Hand

00:35:08past.

00:35:10I think it was, it was,

00:35:11Ford, it's your turn to

00:35:12leave.

00:35:12You can pull me around.

00:35:13Absolutely.

00:35:14And there may be a degree

00:35:15of fuel saving going on

00:35:16there.

00:35:16Smart thinking though from

00:35:17Malicelli because it is

00:35:18easier to be the guy in

00:35:20second place chasing rather

00:35:21than the guy who's holding

00:35:22all the cards in first

00:35:23place.

00:35:23Especially with four and a

00:35:24half hours to go.

00:35:26Malicelli into the second

00:35:27part of this double stint

00:35:29for him.

00:35:29But he's on, he's on new

00:35:31tyres.

00:35:31He did take new tyres.

00:35:34If a Toyota breaks down on

00:35:36the last lap, asks Colin

00:35:37JHB, will the Audi in

00:35:39fourth get third place even

00:35:41though it's a lap down?

00:35:42Yes, it will.

00:35:43You've got to cross the

00:35:44line.

00:35:45So that's something that,

00:35:47you know, it could even

00:35:48come down to the very last

00:35:49lap.

00:35:49You never know.

00:35:50Especially when it's this

00:35:51close.

00:35:52Yeah, absolutely.

00:35:53So Darren Turner's now

00:35:54back on board the number

00:35:5595 Aston Martin in the

00:35:56GT Pro category.

00:35:59He's a lap down on Ryan

00:36:01Briscoe in the forward.

00:36:02And he's lapping around

00:36:04four seconds off the pace.

00:36:05But the Aston's still

00:36:07there.

00:36:08You know, those guys have

00:36:08had a very quiet but solid

00:36:10run.

00:36:10As they said they were

00:36:11going to.

00:36:12Making sure they come to

00:36:13pick up the bucket full of

00:36:14points they were after.

00:36:15So Turner looking very

00:36:17comfortable in forward

00:36:18position at the moment.

00:36:19Billy Johnson in the

00:36:20forward is over two and a

00:36:23half minutes behind him.

00:36:25So let's see.

00:36:26I mean the forward will be

00:36:27without doubt trying to

00:36:28push the catch and pass

00:36:30Turner in the in the number

00:36:3295 Aston.

00:36:33But forward, yeah, little

00:36:37way to go yet.

00:36:38Jake Robson.

00:36:39After Nico Hulkenberg won

00:36:41LNP1 last year, do you

00:36:43think he should have stayed

00:36:44in F1 or moved over to

00:36:45WEC?

00:36:45Ask me that question again

00:36:47on November the 31st.

00:36:49Sorry, November the 30th I

00:36:51should say.

00:36:52Because we might know if

00:36:53Kimi Räikkönen is not going

00:36:54to be in Ferrari anymore and

00:36:56Hulkenberg could be the key

00:36:57to that little jigsaw puzzle.

00:36:59But maybe he should have

00:37:01done.

00:37:01Maybe he should have done.

00:37:02How many years can you spend

00:37:04as a midfielder possibly

00:37:05chasing the occasional podium

00:37:07in Formula One rather than

00:37:08going for broke and becoming

00:37:10king of the world at Le Mans?

00:37:11Yeah, absolutely.

00:37:14He did a fantastic job here

00:37:15last year.

00:37:16Clearly he enjoyed it an

00:37:17awful lot.

00:37:17But yeah, he's he's made his

00:37:21decision for the time being.

00:37:22He's got a contract in place

00:37:24and if he's going to replace

00:37:25if he is going to replace

00:37:28Kimi Räikkönen at Ferrari,

00:37:30he'd be crazy not to.

00:37:31I know which is going to be

00:37:31better for him financially.

00:37:33Yeah, absolutely.

00:37:34Brendan Hartley pits in the

00:37:35number one in 24th position.

00:37:38They finally crept their way

00:37:39onto the first page of the

00:37:40listings again.

00:37:42So it's not done and dusted yet.

00:37:44Four hours and 24 minutes to

00:37:45go and they are currently

00:37:47how many laps is that back?

00:37:4948.

00:37:50No, 38 laps back.

00:37:5238 laps.

00:37:52They're just here for the

00:37:53points.

00:37:54They're here for the points.

00:37:55And they're going to get

00:37:56those points as long as they

00:37:57maintain what they what they're

00:37:59doing now without without

00:38:00losing any further ground.

00:38:02Yeah, double points in six

00:38:03position in the World

00:38:04Endurance Championship.

00:38:05That's not bad considering

00:38:06where they were and how much

00:38:08time they've lost.

00:38:08That's actually going to be

00:38:09about the same sort of

00:38:11equivalent as a third

00:38:13position would get them

00:38:14normally.

00:38:15Yeah.

00:38:15So, yeah, it's it's

00:38:17definitely worth them

00:38:18continuing to do.

00:38:19You never know what will

00:38:19happen at the next round of

00:38:20the championship.

00:38:21This is like Bahrain.

00:38:23Always going to be an

00:38:24interesting one for when

00:38:25wet goes there.

00:38:26Mexico, completely unknown

00:38:27factor.

00:38:27They've never been there

00:38:28before.

00:38:29So anything could happen at

00:38:30the Mexico City Circuit.

00:38:32There's all sorts of factors

00:38:33that make it absolutely

00:38:35essential that that Ferrari

00:38:37that Porsche, sorry,

00:38:38keep sticking over in

00:38:4025th position overall here.

00:38:41Sixth in class and that's

00:38:43going to be enough to give

00:38:44them the same sort of

00:38:45points that third would do

00:38:46normally.

00:38:47Davidson seems happy to have

00:38:49settled that gap at four

00:38:50seconds.

00:38:50He doesn't seem to want to

00:38:51make the pass on Lieb.

00:38:53We're expecting Lieb in on.

00:38:59Lieb will be another three

00:39:02laps before we'll see be

00:39:04seeing Mark Lieb in.

00:39:06So Davidson will go ahead

00:39:07at that point, but he

00:39:09doesn't seem to need to want

00:39:11to make the pass.

00:39:13They had full service last

00:39:15time.

00:39:16So, you know, Lieb's going to

00:39:17need full service again at

00:39:18some point out of sequence

00:39:21with them.

00:39:22I do wonder whether Porsche

00:39:23will try and get back in

00:39:25sync with Toyota just so that

00:39:27the playing field's level,

00:39:28even if they think they can do

00:39:30it on fewer full services

00:39:33because at the end of the

00:39:34day, the race on the track

00:39:36is all important, especially

00:39:38if Toyota have got something

00:39:39left in their pocket in terms

00:39:41of pace, which we haven't

00:39:43seen yet.

00:39:43And again, we don't know.

00:39:45We just don't know.

00:39:46We didn't see the out-and-out

00:39:47qualifying performance of

00:39:48that car.

00:39:49We didn't see if they could

00:39:50have done a 316 outright lap

00:39:52record type lap that they may

00:39:55well still be holding back.

00:39:57Well, the ESM's in trouble

00:39:58again.

00:39:59Looks like a right-rear

00:40:00puncture there.

00:40:02Julien Canal, the Frenchman

00:40:03in the car at the moment,

00:40:04seventh in class overall.

00:40:05Sorry, it's Razzle Dazzle

00:40:07Ryan Diel.

00:40:07It's Razzle Dazzle

00:40:08Ryan Diel, man from

00:40:10Glasgow.

00:40:12The man who's made a name

00:40:13for himself in the United

00:40:15States, of course, part of

00:40:16the revived Acuria-Coss

00:40:18operation.

00:40:19I mention that because, of

00:40:20course, Acuria-Coss, a

00:40:21very important name to the

00:40:22history of the Le Mans 24

00:40:24Hours.

00:40:25They won with Jaguar in

00:40:261956 and 57.

00:40:33I'm going to be corrected

00:40:34straight away by looking at

00:40:36the poster behind me.

00:40:37Yeah, no, they did.

00:40:38They did.

00:40:3856 and 57.

00:40:40So they did it.

00:40:40I was all right.

00:40:41I'm okay.

00:40:41I'm all right.

00:40:41I'm okay.

00:40:43Acuria-Coss, yes, they've

00:40:44amazingly made a resurgence

00:40:45back with some incredible

00:40:47backing.

00:40:48Ryan Diel being one of them.

00:40:49The other two names, Alan

00:40:50McNish and Dario Frank-Kitty.

00:40:51So, you know, you couldn't

00:40:54ask for a better trio of

00:40:56hands to guide young people

00:40:57through.

00:40:57And they're managing the

00:40:58careers of some incredible

00:40:59young talents, the likes of

00:41:01Kieran Haggerty, who's really

00:41:03starting to make a big

00:41:03impression in the world of

00:41:04GT racing.

00:41:05Also, Adam Mackay, who's been

00:41:07a Formula Ford racer in

00:41:08Scotland and in the United

00:41:09Kingdom, in England, I should

00:41:11say, as well.

00:41:12I'm not saying Scotland isn't

00:41:13part of it.

00:41:14No referendums yet.

00:41:16But, yeah, it's been really

00:41:18interesting to see the rise of

00:41:19the Scottish talents, and

00:41:20hopefully the Acuria-Coss

00:41:21programme is going to keep

00:41:22getting better.

00:41:23Is that a slow-moving Audi?

00:41:25It looks like it, doesn't

00:41:26it?

00:41:26It looks like the 8 is now

00:41:28being in trouble.

00:41:30There's no...

00:41:30All four tyres are inflated.

00:41:32Hopefully we'll get radio

00:41:33shortly, but...

00:41:34Yeah, it's failing.

00:41:35...somewhere that...

00:41:36Near the middle of the pit

00:41:38lane, she wants to be

00:41:40outside the Audi garage.

00:41:42The number 8 Audi.

00:41:43It was already looking very

00:41:45slim pickings to get a podium.

00:41:47Certainly looking out of the

00:41:49realms of possibility to get a

00:41:50win.

00:41:51It's strange.

00:41:51It's definitely still under its

00:41:53own engine power.

00:41:54Or is it?

00:41:56Is it Motors, race director?

00:41:59Nope, he's gone away.

00:42:01Is it running on electric only?

00:42:03Yeah, that's possible.

00:42:05If the combustion engine's

00:42:06failed and it's only got

00:42:06hybrid power left, that's

00:42:09such a shame.

00:42:10I'm trying to hear whether

00:42:11it's...

00:42:15Can't really hear anything.

00:42:16We could do with an onboard,

00:42:17really, to ride with Oliver

00:42:19Jarvis.

00:42:20Yeah, it was interesting last

00:42:21night when the Porsche number

00:42:22one came...

00:42:22Here we go.

00:42:27When the Porsche number one

00:42:28came in last night, on

00:42:31battery only, it was showing

00:42:33the graphics.

00:42:35People were getting awfully

00:42:35confused.

00:42:36There was all sorts of things

00:42:37on social media that there

00:42:38was zero RPM, 100% throttle,

00:42:41and the car was travelling

00:42:42forward purely because it was

00:42:44looking...

00:42:44It was running on battery

00:42:45only.

00:42:46And people were saying,

00:42:47how does this work?

00:42:48The telemetry must be wrong.

00:42:49But no, the car was running

00:42:50purely on battery as it came

00:42:52in.

00:42:52Oh, Toyota pulls out to lap

00:42:54a Ferrari at the exact same

00:42:56time.

00:42:57One of the LMP2 cars.

00:42:58I can't tell where it is

00:42:59from here.

00:43:00It's gone on the run down.

00:43:01There's the limping ESM car

00:43:03on the run down to

00:43:04Indianapolis.

00:43:05Get right out of the way,

00:43:06sir.

00:43:07Well done.

00:43:07Good job, Ryan.

00:43:09But I'm afraid to say the

00:43:11Audi dream just died,

00:43:12didn't it?

00:43:13Yeah.

00:43:14There's no way back from

00:43:15that.

00:43:15That's it now.

00:43:16They're two laps down now.

00:43:18We're waiting to see if it

00:43:19comes in.

00:43:20As it comes past the

00:43:21commentary box, we'll be

00:43:23able to hear whether the

00:43:24engine's running or not.

00:43:25And that is why Brendan

00:43:27Hartley, Timo Bernhardt, and

00:43:29Mark Webber are still going

00:43:30and still giving in

00:43:31everything.

00:43:31Absolutely.

00:43:32That could be more

00:43:33points.

00:43:34Let's see.

00:43:35Let's wait and see.

00:43:35It's still moving.

00:43:37We saw Spa, the guys at

00:43:41Toyota sending the cars out

00:43:43onto the last lap to just

00:43:45drive around on hybrid only

00:43:46power just to collect the

00:43:47points.

00:43:48Leib now leads the race in

00:43:50front of Anthony Davidson in

00:43:51the number five Toyota by 2.3

00:43:53seconds.

00:43:54And Davidson just got held up

00:43:56in traffic.

00:43:57That's a sorry sight.

00:43:58the Toyota.

00:44:00Did you see that?

00:44:00The cheeky little blink of the

00:44:03headlights as it passes the

00:44:04Audi.

00:44:04That's a satisfying moment for

00:44:06Kamui Kobayashi.

00:44:07Bye-bye.

00:44:09Your dream just ended.

00:44:10Ours is still looking good.

00:44:12We're even looking good for a

00:44:13one-two, mate.

00:44:13Just going to take my cans off

00:44:15and see if I can hear what's

00:44:15going on with the Audi.

00:44:21Into the pits.

00:44:25Doesn't sound good at all,

00:44:26the Audi.

00:44:27Sounds like the engine is

00:44:29running on idle.

00:44:31Yeah, that would suggest

00:44:32battery only.

00:44:33Yeah, but the engine actually

00:44:35running but just idling.

00:44:36So it could well be a

00:44:38drivetrain issue, the fact

00:44:39that the car would have come

00:44:40back under drive on the

00:44:42front.

00:44:43Louise saying they've got a

00:44:44back corner ready.

00:44:45Well, that, again, that would

00:44:47make sense.

00:44:48If the car's lost drive, it

00:44:50can come back on the front

00:44:51axle.

00:44:52So Louise will come back to us

00:44:53with that.

00:44:54But if that is a back corner,

00:44:56that would make absolute sense.

00:44:57If they've lost a drive shaft at

00:44:59the rear, it's going to be

00:45:00just bring the engine, the

00:45:01car back under.

00:45:02In effect, using the engine

00:45:03as a generator and drive it

00:45:05back on the front axle.

00:45:08Elmer van Zyl on Twitter.

00:45:10Which other car manufacturer

00:45:11do you think might compete

00:45:12in the Le Mans 24 in the

00:45:14future?

00:45:14Two back corners being

00:45:15prepared for Audi in the

00:45:16pits.

00:45:17Okay, so that could be a

00:45:18regeneration issue because

00:45:20they have the motors that

00:45:23are out there to regenerate

00:45:25the energy back into the

00:45:26battery pack.

00:45:27Yeah.

00:45:27To answer the question,

00:45:28there are two names that

00:45:30immediately spring to mind.

00:45:31I'm not sure either of them

00:45:32are going to make a big push

00:45:34for a Le Mans prototype

00:45:35package anytime soon.

00:45:36But there are two names that

00:45:37spring to mind because of

00:45:38what's happening in the world

00:45:39of motorsports politically and

00:45:41in terms of which car

00:45:42companies are getting

00:45:42involved in which sports.

00:45:44And those two that I can see

00:45:45as the most likely are BMW and

00:45:49Jaguar.

00:45:50BMW have obviously been

00:45:52dallying in hybrid technology

00:45:53recently, that i8.

00:45:55Jaguar won't be coming to

00:45:56Le Mans.

00:45:56I don't see that happening.

00:45:58They won't be coming to

00:45:58Le Mans.

00:45:59They've put all their eggs in

00:46:00the Formula E basket.

00:46:01Yeah, well, that's what I'm

00:46:02thinking.

00:46:02I mean, that's sort of the

00:46:03battery power and everything.

00:46:04Maybe they're dabbling a little

00:46:05bit, but no, I can't see them

00:46:06doing it.

00:46:06Louise thinks they've got two

00:46:08back corners ready.

00:46:09They've gone to work on the

00:46:10front of the car.

00:46:14It could be front and back,

00:46:15apparently.

00:46:18There's definitely two corners

00:46:21on the same part.

00:46:22I suspect Louise is right.

00:46:23It's two corners and it's

00:46:24fronts the way they're going

00:46:26at it, which seems very odd

00:46:28considering the thing came

00:46:29back in on idle.

00:46:32Well, this is now for Audi to

00:46:34finish in fourth and fifth.

00:46:35They could well drop to fourth

00:46:36and sixth with this car, and

00:46:39that looks like it could be a

00:46:40long job as well.

00:46:42You'd be surprised how quickly

00:46:43they can change the front

00:46:44corner.

00:46:45There is a drive shaft there

00:46:47now, so it is a little bit

00:46:48more complicated than it used

00:46:49to be, but ultimately they're

00:46:53going to undo eight bolts.

00:46:54The track rod lengths are going

00:46:56to be set, so the steering is

00:46:57all correct straight away.

00:46:59They'll be ready to go.

00:47:00The brakes will go with it.

00:47:02There are dry brake couplings on

00:47:03the brake lines, so they just

00:47:04disconnect those.

00:47:05There's no need to re-bleed the

00:47:06brakes.

00:47:07The car will be turned around

00:47:09extremely quickly.

00:47:10I could see Audi doing that

00:47:11in less than five minutes.

00:47:13Any time now, there's going to

00:47:15be a lead change at the front.

00:47:17I can sense it.

00:47:18Davidson has caught up to

00:47:19lead, although they might get

00:47:21to the pit stop window before

00:47:23that actually happens, thinking

00:47:24about it.

00:47:24Yeah, I think they will.

00:47:25Malicelli does appear to just

00:47:28be sitting happily behind Joey

00:47:29Hand as we see them on the

00:47:31screen now.

00:47:32Doesn't seem too bothered about

00:47:33the fact that Joey's the one

00:47:34that's having to go and deal

00:47:35with the traffic.

00:47:36Yeah, no, that's fine.

00:47:36I'm in no rush.

00:47:37You get bulked, you get loads of

00:47:39dirty air, and you get

00:47:40loads of bugs on your windscreen.

00:47:41I'm just going to sit here

00:47:42behind you, happy as Larry, and

00:47:44when I give the car to

00:47:45Fizzico, he can kick your butt

00:47:46later.

00:47:47Yeah, absolutely.

00:47:48That's what Matteo Malicelli's

00:47:50on, basically.

00:47:51He's on quiet confidence there.

00:47:53Nick Leventis continuing to

00:47:55lose time now.

00:47:56He's consistently lapping in the

00:47:59350s while Vitaly Petrov is

00:48:01pumping in 342s consistently.

00:48:04Petrov doing a fantastic job, it

00:48:06has to be said.

00:48:07He was heavily criticised during

00:48:09his time in Formula One, but he

00:48:10really seems to have found a home

00:48:11for himself, doing an absolutely

00:48:13brilliant job.

00:48:14Most consistent driver in LMP2 at

00:48:16the moment by far.

00:48:18Yeah, and again, another Formula

00:48:19One convert who has managed to

00:48:21make the switch with a lot of

00:48:23success, and he's actually showing

00:48:24people what he can do, what he's

00:48:25made of.

00:48:26Yeah, absolutely.

00:48:26I mean, Will Stevens is pumping in

00:48:28336s, but equally Will only has

00:48:31one setting, and that's go, go, go, go,

00:48:33go, he didn't really get to show

00:48:35what he could do in Formula One

00:48:36last year with the car he had, but

00:48:39Petrov doing the sensible job, just

00:48:41pumping them in, making sure he

00:48:43gets it done, keeping out of

00:48:45trouble, and he's going to bring

00:48:47that thing far enough ahead of

00:48:50Nick Leventis that I don't think

00:48:52the Stracker boys are going to be

00:48:54able to come back at them.

00:48:58The Panis Barthes Ligier has just

00:49:00come in over at Audi.

00:49:02They're definitely now working on

00:49:03the front end of the number eight

00:49:06Audi.

00:49:06Thanks to Luis for keeping us up to

00:49:07date on that one.

00:49:08Here's Ryan Briscoe, the third of

00:49:11the GTE Pro cars, the second Ford

00:49:14in the equation.

00:49:15It's currently Ford, Ferrari, Ford.

00:49:17There isn't a massive chance of a

00:49:19clean sweep for Ford.

00:49:20There was a while ago.

00:49:21They were running one, two, and

00:49:23three as we went into the night

00:49:24time, but now it's not going to be

00:49:26that way anymore because the 66

00:49:28Ford with Billy Johnson currently

00:49:29at the wheel is now losing time

00:49:32quite rapidly.

00:49:33He's dropped down to fifth

00:49:34position behind Darren Turner in

00:49:35the Ashton.

00:49:35So it's not beyond the realms of

00:49:37possibility to get a clean sweep,

00:49:38but it's looking more and more

00:49:39unlikely as the minutes tick down.

00:49:43Everybody getting warnings for

00:49:45track limits on the exit of

00:49:47Terre Terre Rue again.

00:49:48So that's going to become an

00:49:51issue, I think, before the end of

00:49:52the race.

00:49:53It's car after car after car each

00:49:55lap.

00:49:56They've got a camera system down

00:49:57there so they can see who it is,

00:49:58who's abusing it.

00:49:59You get your speeding ticket.

00:50:01So we'll see if they decide to

00:50:04start dishing some penalties out.

00:50:06He's just saying they're changing

00:50:07the back wing on the Audi.

00:50:08That would suggest a balance change

00:50:09to me.

00:50:10It's quicker to change the whole rear

00:50:11clip than it is to change the wing

00:50:13setting.

00:50:14So I would suggest that means that

00:50:15they're saying, okay, well, while

00:50:16we've got the opportunity to do it,

00:50:18let's take some downforce out or put

00:50:20some downforce into the rear of the

00:50:22car.

00:50:23Let's see where it goes.

00:50:25Ryan Diao pits in the 31, but it's

00:50:30not really in the fight for anything.

00:50:31It would be interesting to see what

00:50:32that failure was because he came back

00:50:34very slowly.

00:50:35When the history books write about the

00:50:392016 Le Mans 24 hours, they're going

00:50:43to mention it in the same light as

00:50:452008, 1991, 1998, 2011 as one of the

00:50:51great classics.

00:50:52Absolutely.

00:50:53This has been, I mean, by far the most

00:50:55impressive Le Mans in my memory.

00:50:59The best of a decade so far.

00:51:00It's absolutely astonishing how close

00:51:03these cars have run now for 20 hours.

00:51:05You know, we're coming up to that

00:51:07mark now.

00:51:08You know, it's going to be, it's just

00:51:11going to be so close.

00:51:13We've got to wait and see how this

00:51:14fuel strategy plays out.

00:51:16I don't think Davidson wants to pass

00:51:18the Porsche.

00:51:18I think if Davidson had wanted to do

00:51:20it, he could have.

00:51:21He'd have done it right now, yeah.

00:51:22He's been putting in 324s.

00:51:23He's quite happy pumping in the

00:51:25324s, saving fuel, making sure that

00:51:27the car's still there at the end.

00:51:29They know they've just got a fight on

00:51:31their hands and it will be

00:51:32interesting to see whether the

00:51:33Porsches come back in sync in terms of

00:51:36pit stops with the Toyotas.

00:51:39They need to get a bit more in their

00:51:41pocket if they want to do that.

00:51:42He needs to be 20 seconds up the road

00:51:44if they decide they want to do that.

00:51:45So, let's see.

00:51:46He's got the choice to do it, if he

00:51:49wants to do it, if there's the pace in

00:51:50the Porsche, which you would think there

00:51:52is.

00:51:53You know, they're consistently lapping

00:51:54in the 323s.

00:51:54Kobayashi's fastest lap of the race is

00:51:57at 321.4.

00:51:58Last year's fastest lap, Andre Lothra in

00:52:01the Audi, 317.4.

00:52:04So, there is still time in there.

00:52:06These cars have had some of their fuel

00:52:08capacity taken away from them.

00:52:11They are doing this with less energy,

00:52:14you know, so that they are going just

00:52:16as far, if not further, on less fuel.

00:52:19Maybe they're trying to fix one of the

00:52:26corners rather than replace it, says

00:52:27Louise Beckett, down in the pits at

00:52:29Audi.

00:52:30It's a difficult situation for Audi

00:52:32because they're not usually on the

00:52:34back foot of a Le Mans 24-hour motor

00:52:36race.

00:52:37They've won it all but three times

00:52:39since the year 2000, when they made

00:52:41their debut with that incredible Audi

00:52:43R8.

00:52:44They won it three years in a row as

00:52:46Team Yost.

00:52:47Then Bentley came and stole the

00:52:49Thunder away from them in 2003.

00:52:51Team Yost didn't come back till 2006

00:52:53but the Audi R8 was still a winning

00:52:56force with Team Go in 2004 and

00:52:58Champion Racing in 2005 and then

00:53:00Audi Yost came back with their

00:53:02brilliant R10 and just continued where

00:53:05they left off, basically.

00:53:06Peugeot got one off them in 2009 but

00:53:09in the last couple of seasons, it

00:53:10seems as though Porsche and now this

00:53:12year Toyota have definitely caught up.

00:53:14Yeah, just hearing from Louise, 15

00:53:16guys working on that Audi, 15 guys

00:53:20around the front of that car.

00:53:22I think you can probably get to the

00:53:24point where it's not efficient anymore

00:53:25but they're not working, interestingly,

00:53:29inside the cockpit down at the driver's

00:53:31feet which is where the motor is, the

00:53:34energy recovery system is.

00:53:36They're working on the corners, so it's going to be an issue with something conventional.

00:53:44I'm surprised and I'm surprised we didn't hear radio traffic on that.

00:53:48That's gone beyond the realm of idle hands, hasn't it?

00:53:50Yeah, so front left, Louise is saying, is new front left going on.

00:53:54I'm really, really surprised by that.

00:53:57I can't believe that that's a wheel bearing issue or something like that.

00:54:00They're just so, so rare now.

00:54:02You know, these cars do 32, 36 hour tests all the time.

00:54:07You know, if the driver was getting massive brake pad knockoff,

00:54:10we'd have heard about it through the, through the drivers

00:54:12complaining back to the engineers.

00:54:14It does seem very, very strange to me

00:54:17unless there's been an issue with a brake duct

00:54:19or something fundamental they can't fix

00:54:21and they've got concerns over cooling.

00:54:23And full credit to Audi.

00:54:25You know, let's be honest, Porsche and Toyota

00:54:27have got one up on them this time, fair and square.

00:54:30But Audi were part of that battle for 19 and a half hours.

00:54:33They'd only lost one lap in that little parade earlier on

00:54:36and they were still pumping in the lap times.

00:54:39They were still there or thereabouts.

00:54:40So even though they've been defeated this year,

00:54:43you know, they're still the Audi that we know and love.

00:54:45They're still the Audi that can win Le Mans 24 hours

00:54:47if it all plays to them.

00:54:49It didn't this year.

00:54:49At that point, they thought that they were still in the hunt.

00:54:52And I think we all thought for a little while

00:54:53that they were still in the hunt.

00:54:55They were going to come back

00:54:56and they were going to start throwing the gauntlet down

00:54:58and just, just go.

00:54:59But it doesn't seem that they had it.

00:55:01You know, that, that hour where it was all sort of

00:55:03sorting itself out early doors today.

00:55:06Just, you know, they were the fastest car on track,

00:55:09but not by enough.

00:55:11And then the other three have started pushing each other along

00:55:13and they're the ones that are now setting the pace.

00:55:16I still don't think we've seen the ultimate pace.

00:55:19I think this is a case of how slowly can you win the race?

00:55:22Yeah.

00:55:22You know, 3.17 was last year's race lap record

00:55:28sort of set by Andre Lotterer towards the end.

00:55:303.17.

00:55:32We're doing 3.24s.

00:55:33Everywhere else we've been, the cars have been just as fast.

00:55:36I can see 3.16s at the very end of this.

00:55:41I can see it.

00:55:42So, leave leading from Davidson and Kobayashi.

00:55:46Jarvis and Lotterer are still 4th and 5th,

00:55:48although the Audi is still in the pits.

00:55:49And apparently, we have a little bit more info on it.

00:55:53Here we go.

00:55:54There's the Toyota making the move for the lead.

00:55:55Davidson's decided to go for it.

00:55:57And Davidson makes the move on Mark Lieb.

00:56:00So, we have a new leader.

00:56:01It's not Porsche leading them all anymore.

00:56:03It's Toyota.

00:56:04Davidson does decide to take the lead back

00:56:06for the Japanese squad.

00:56:07Yeah, so Davidson now have been told, right, get on with it.

00:56:11But you have to say, Mark Lieb has lost time,

00:56:14which is this point about when do they come back in check

00:56:16on the strategy in terms of tyres.

00:56:19So, I think this time we're going to see full service for Lieb.

00:56:22And, of course, Toyota don't need to do full service

00:56:26because they did it last time.

00:56:28So, Davidson could do a one-minute stop.

00:56:30There's the Toyota team.

00:56:31Heavy in applause.

00:56:32Yes.

00:56:33I think they're starting to think now,

00:56:35with four hours to go,

00:56:36we can win this.

00:56:38Yeah, absolutely.

00:56:38I'm expecting Lieb in this lap.

00:56:40It was pretty academic in the end for Davidson.

00:56:45Porsche didn't fight it.

00:56:46There's no point in fighting it.

00:56:48Just let him go.

00:56:49There was no point in doing that.

00:56:52And I do think this is going to be Lieb out.

00:56:54New tyres.

00:56:56Full tank of fuel.

00:56:57And send him on his way.

00:56:59Well, Lieb is still trying to outfox Davidson

00:57:01just in case he's going to get distracted

00:57:03behind a back marker.

00:57:04Be interesting to see what they do with driver rotation now

00:57:06because they were out of sync.

00:57:08Remember, we saw Dumas getting called back in

00:57:10to the car earlier on

00:57:11because they weren't ready for him.

00:57:14So, let's see what they do.

00:57:16I don't know whether they'll put Dumas back in.

00:57:18They can put Dumas back in on driver time.

00:57:20There's no problem there.

00:57:22But Neil Yarny came out last time round.

00:57:26They may stick him in for a single or something

00:57:27to get back in check.

00:57:28He's carrying on.

00:57:29Okay.

00:57:31He's carrying on for one more lap at least.

00:57:34Yeah.

00:57:34Now, if you're the Porsche team boss here,

00:57:37you've got a choice of driver to change.

00:57:40Oh, here's the radio.

00:57:41No stress, Mark.

00:57:42No stress.

00:57:43Still four hours to go.

00:57:44Keep on pushing.

00:57:45It says 10.9.

00:57:46It's pretty big.

00:57:47It's about six hours.

00:57:48That's right.

00:57:49You got me.

00:57:50Yeah, copy that.

00:57:50Copy that.

00:57:51Just explaining how Anthony Davidson got through.

00:57:54Nothing to panic about just yet.

00:57:56It's just the ebb and flow of the race.

00:57:58But if you're the Porsche team manager at this point

00:58:01and you think, well, sorry,

00:58:03I should say the Porsche race engineer for car number two

00:58:06because it's not the team manager that makes that decision.

00:58:08It is the race engineer.

00:58:09So, which driver do you put in at this point?

00:58:12Do you put in Dumas or do you put in Jani?

00:58:13What would you do?

00:58:14Ideally, you're going to chuck Dumas in for a double

00:58:16and then run Jani to the end.

00:58:20Let's see.

00:58:21I don't know whether because of the way the driver rotations worked out

00:58:24that's what they'll do.

00:58:25It's going to depend how fresh Jani is feeling.

00:58:28I think Dumas is the one that's had to do more work recently.

00:58:34But then again, you're in the lead battle.

00:58:37Do you care?

00:58:38Not really.

00:58:39You didn't get to bed.

00:58:40You got called back out of bed to get back in the car

00:58:43because the other driver wasn't ready.

00:58:45Yeah.

00:58:46I think if I was Romain Dumas, I'd be getting in that car,

00:58:50driving it as hard as I can for a double stint

00:58:53and then handing it back over to my colleague Mr. Jani

00:58:58to the end.

00:58:59How big a difference does that little hiccup

00:59:01in terms of the driver rotation actually make?

00:59:03Is it really significant enough to count?

00:59:05It just depends how your driver deals with it.

00:59:08At the end of the day, these guys are professionals.

00:59:10They're paid sportsmen.

00:59:11They're training all the time.

00:59:12There should be no problem for them.

00:59:13They should be able to absorb it.

00:59:15But it does funny things to you, Sleet.

00:59:17You need it, particularly when you're operating at your absolute limit

00:59:22for up to three hours at a time, over three hours,

00:59:25in a very warm cockpit.

00:59:27There's the Corvette again.

00:59:28Team AI car, yeah.

00:59:30And that is going to be...

00:59:32That is going to be Mark Patterson again,

00:59:34the same person that put that car off last night.

00:59:37The oldest man in the field,

00:59:38born in Port Elizabeth in South Africa,

00:59:4064 years of age.

00:59:43Quite a big distance between himself

00:59:45and the youngest man in the field.

00:59:4645 years, in fact, Matteo Tusha, 19 years of age.

00:59:49The oldest person ever to finish the Le Mans 24 hours,

00:59:53incidentally, was also born in South Africa,

00:59:56although he was South African derived his nationality.

24 Hours of Le Mans 2016 – Full Race Part 20 EN

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended