24 Hours of Le Mans 2021
17h
This is the end of these first free practices. Find the report of the session on our site and see you this evening at 19:00 p.m., still on AUTOhebdo, for the qualifications!
17h
The checkered flag marks the end of this first free practice session where the teams did not hesitate to send their drivers onto the track. After three hours of driving, it is the No. 7 Toyota which dominates the timesheet. With a lap in 3’29”309, she is ahead of theAlpine A480 and the other GR010 from the Japanese manufacturer by less than a tenth. First in LMP2, United Autosport's No. 07 Oreca 22 finished 4th overall, just over a tenth from the lead. In GTE Pro, the No. 52 Ferrari dislodged the No. 64 Corvette on its last attempt thanks to a 3'50"123 lap by Daniel Serra. In control of the GTE Am from the first laps of the track, the No. 56 Porsche of Team Project 1 finished these first tests in the lead. You have to go down to 5th row and the N°57 Kessel Racing Ferrari to find any trace of a car other than a Porsche
16h
Things are moving in GTE Pro. Once deprived of its best time, the Ferrari No. 52 regains its right when the checkered flag is waved. Daniel Serra put on the gas one last time to beat the No. 64 Corvette by only 4 hundredths. The No. 911 Porsche 91 of the official team finished 3rd, more than 3 tenths behind
16h
End of neutralization and resumption of the session. There are just under 8 minutes left before the checkerboard is presented
16h
While the session is under Full Course Yellow, no changes should be noted in the categories. The No. 7 Toyota is still in the lead in Hypercar, and overall. Ditto for the No. 22 Oreca of United Autosports in LMP2, the No. 488 Ferrari 52 of AF Corse in GTE Pro and the No. 911 Porsche 56 RSR of Team Project 1 in GTE Am
16h
Full Course Yellow a quarter of an hour from the checkerboard. Pilots are invited to reduce their pace
16h
For the first time all day, the No.7 Toyota took first place in the session. At the wheel of the GR010, Kamui Kobayashi stole the best mark from Alpine. 3’29″309 which takes over time, reference to a quarter of an hour from the end
16h
Only 30 minutes of driving at Le Mans in this first free practice session!
16h
Resumption of the session. With the Tertre Rouge bend cleared, the stables can resume the work started
16h
« Plan, act, learn, improve », this is the motto of Glickenhaus who is gradually discovering Le Mans. The American team is working hard in this first practice session of the week. Between them, the 007s have already completed 44 laps
Plan, do, learn/improve, repeat. Every lap, every pit, every corner. Crunching millions of data points. Finding patterns and anomalies. We are constantly improving. Traction control/ABS, set up for Le Mans, tires, pit stops….. pic.twitter.com/FW9I8mI1si
— Glickenhaus_eu (@Glickenhaus_eu) August 18
16h
Up close and personal at Tertre Rouge! 🤳# LeMans24 #GoHyper #ToyotaGAZOORacing @FIAWEC @ 24hoursoflemans pic.twitter.com/6wFgJkpZRX
— TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC (@TGR_WEC) August 18
16h
New red flag displayed for a double exit from the track at the Tertre Rouge corner. The No. 38 Jota and the No. 47 Ferrari of Cetilar Racing touched each other, ending their race in the gravel. The session is interrupted
16h
At the end of this 2nd hour of driving in Sarthe, it is Alpine who leads the dance. At the wheel of the A480, André Negrão beat the Toyota mark by a thousandth thanks to a time of 3'29"395. The Top 3 is completed by an LMP2 and not a Hypercar. It is the No. 22 of United Autosport which follows the two leading horses, being less than 5 hundredths behind. In GTE Pro, Ferrari monopolizes the first two places with the No. 52 ahead of the No. 51 by a little more than a tenth. In Am, the No. 911 Porsche 56 of Team Project 1 remains in the lead with a lap of 3'50"193.
15h
Alpine wakes up. André Negrão propels the A480 to the top of the general classification with a lap of 3'29"395, a thousandth faster than the No. 8 Toyota
15h
In LMP2, United Autosports remains at the top of the hierarchy thanks to the No. 22 of the Hansen-Scherer-Albuquerque trio. With a mark of 3’29″441, it is the only car in the category under 3’30. It follows behind the Aurus 01 No. 26 of G-Drive and the Oreca 07 No. 41 of Team WRT
15h
Without too much delay, the No. 52 responds to its sister, the No. 51, in GTE Pro. At the wheel of another Ferrari 488 from AF Corse, Sam Bird steals the best time from Alessandro Pier Guidi thanks to a time of 3'50"614
15h
Things are moving in GTE Pro. It is no longer the N°911 Porsche 79 but the N°488 Ferrari 51 from AF Corse which monopolizes the top of the table. The Italian mount now holds the best reference in its category: 3’30″777. The 911 from the official Porsche team completes the Top 3
15h
The Glickenhaus 007 No. 709 makes its appearance in the Top 3. Third provisional time for Richard Westbrook who swallowed the 13 kilometers of asphalt in 3’30”216, 8 tenths behind the No. 8 Toyota
15h
Short interruption after a yellow flag but the session resumes its course
15h
End of this first hour of driving at Le Mans. The No. 8 Toyota is temporarily in control with a fast lap of 3’29”396. In LMP2, the No. 07 Oreca 22 from United Autosports dominates the hostilities and is also in 2nd place overall thanks to a time of 2'29"441. In GTE Pro and GTE AM, the Porsche 911 RSR No. 79 of WeatherTech Racing (3'50"884) and No. 56 of Team Project 1 (3'50"193) respectively topped their category.
General classification after the first hour of driving
