WEC 2024 Le Mans

And this is Ferrari's 2nd year at LeMans and 2nd time at winning LeMans while partnering with AFCorsa.....after a 53 year hiatus from LeMans....giving Toyota's GR times at LeMans and "winning."

Speaks volumes. I wouldn't change a thing with AFCorsa and Ferrari. Keep it like it is. Both have a very good chemistry.

 

A few impressions...

Fastest car in the dry...ferrari
Fastest car in the wet...toyota
Most impressive stint...nielsen bringing it home on fumes
Most brutal turn of speed...schwartzman on saturday evening...his stint in the 83 was something to behold
Best sound....cadillac by a mile...you always knew when the v8 was in the neighborhood
Most agricultural car...the aston martin lmgt3 ...function before form

I regularly attend F1 races (my first 24 was this year), but the organization of this event was next level. Full credit to the organizers and the community around the track.

Bill

 

Everyone seems to have forgotten the "old days" of the last lap being a "formality" where the car leading (usually by several laps) would just cruise around and anyone who wanted to be in the winners picture was stuck to him like hot glue....

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_24_Hours_of_Le_Mans_records

in case you ever find yourself at a bar with "LeMans trivia"

 

Like, maybe, have AF Corse run the F1 team?

 

AF Corse have made almost as many mistakes in the last two seasons as the F1 team. Imola anyone? They're still a great team.

Ferrari as an organization have been turned around. They've won the biggest race in the world two years in a row, Monaco, and are the team most consistently with Red Bull for race wins. I think the humiliation Ferrari suffered during the 2022 F1 season was the kick in the ass the whole organization needed.

Yeah, they have gotten that elusive return to the F1 title, but they've gotten the next best things, and the same people who we've criticized at corporate, now deserve praise for the teams they've got going.

 

Yes, I remember the last laps at Le Mans in the 60s and 70s, which were more or less a parade, with all the marshalls lining up the track and waving all the flags they could find. Cars of the same brands used to wait each other to pass the finishing line together for group photos. The track was often invaded near that area !
The closest finish I witnessed was in 1969 when Jacky Ickx crossed the line on his Ford GT40, 120 meters before Hans Hermann on a Porsche 908. They raced to the end and passed each other several times during the last lap.
Porsche lost because Hermann's car didn't have any brakes left ! Ickx had started LAST 24 hours before !!!
Qualifs didn't mean much in those days ... but there was a lot of mechanical attrition.

 

There is a rule now that the last lap can't take more than 6 minutes. I think part of the concern is the cars creeping along for either photos or to keep from doing another lap and some cars still racing for position.

 

Correct the last lap cannot take more than 6 minutes and you MUST complete the last lap to be considered a finisher. You must also complete at least 70% of the race. Being classified as a finisher is a big thing so it is not uncommon for cars that completed more than 70% distance but had big mechanical issues to be brought into the pits and worked on for hours only to be released on track with a few mins left to complete one last lap. If you are ever at LeMans in person right near the finish you will notice that there are more cars on track. These are literally just held together enough to do the last lap and be considered a finisher. One of the many charms of LeMans

 

Well before with pre war open wheel, Alfa with the P3 and Monza, and Lemans with the 2.3.

 

Going back home.

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It was not the real car, but a model they had in their hospitality.

 

The Lamborghini Iron Lynx efforts may not be overlooked either.

Both cars finishing, 10th and 13th, and ran trouble free according to reports and now reading
Lamborghini is sufficiently satisfied with their results to carry on development and commit to
2025 and further.

So, they've got the reliability just now need to find some more pace which they're working on
through the software.

BHW

 

Looks like the Porker is sulking facing backwards after it's defeat

 

Last race coming up. With the Lemans win can Ferrari put even more icing on the cake? They have to finish 1, 2, 3 too clinch which is asking a lot.

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I'd like to see the 51 get a win so all 3 Ferraris win a race this year

I think the 6 car/Porsche is going to be tough to steal the championship from

 

glad someone is paying attention....jeez...this one snuck up on me.....

MAX is showing quali at 8:50am today.

Race coverage starts at 630 am. green at 7.

 

Quali: Toyota, toyota, 51 ferrari, proton porsche, 50 ferrari

 

True in 1971 but NOT in 2015.

 

Here we go!!!

 

The 50 got shuffled backward, but is on a harder tire.

The 6 got pushed way to the back and will have a long road ahead....but there's 7 hrs 45 to go

 

Running order in hypercar:

8 toyota
51 ferrari
99 proton porsche
7 toyota
12 hertz jota porsche

 

The Porsche in 1971 (establishing the record at the time) ran 5,335 km, and the new record established by Audi in 2010 is 5,410 km for 397 laps.
The 1971 record is also reported with 397 laps, which apparently means that the lap was shorter in 1971 than in 2010 (when there was already added chicanes).

 

FIA live timing is here:

https://live.fiawec.com/en/live

Go #51 he is staying close to the lead Toy!...actually he just took the lead!

 

The corvette hits Buemi (leading) and spins him. #8 toyota now 7th. 51 Ferrari to the lead.