2024 Le Mans race thread

[Catweazle]

As qualifying has started and we usually don't have a race thread until people start asking "Where's the race thread?" I thought we should get one underway earlier than usual.

[TCEvo]

[df76]

Looks great there this evening. Hope the weather forecast for the second half of the weekend is wrong.

Lack of Porsche pace is a surprise?

[TCEvo]

Blimey - wasn't expecting that from the BMW.

Shame #7 binned it at the end.

One of the 'Vettes through to Hyperpole - good stuff.

[Catweazle]

I wouldn't have expected Kobayashi to make a mistake, he's been around the Circuit de la Sarthe more times than he's had hot dinners.

[freedman]

So all the journos predicting Porsche dominance, way off the mark

Doesn’t mean they won’t feature in the race, but a distinct lack of pace, especially from the No4 Tandy car

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Toyota were running 1+2 this afternoon. They are much quicker than this. I'm pleased the Cadillac pair are right up there. Porsche and BMW is a bit of a surprise.

I wonder how much longer teams like Alpine and Peugeot throw money at running around at the back? WEC/IMSA can't sustain this many Hypercars.

[MiniMan64]

Well that was unexpected. What happened to Porsche?

[VladD]

Estre had done two purple sectors before he went of at Mulsanne corner avoiding a Lamborghini.

[freedman]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Toyota were running 1+2 this afternoon. They are much quicker than this. I'm pleased the Cadillac pair are right up there. Porsche and BMW is a bit of a surprise.

I wonder how much longer teams like Alpine and Peugeot throw money at running around at the back? WEC/IMSA can't sustain this many Hypercars.

Alpine got a car through to Hyperpole

Peugeot are being bitten by trying to be too clever last year with a concept no one else saw fit to try

Whilst obviously not as bad they remind me of the Nissan shambles from a few years ago,

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Only just got a car through to Hyperpole.

Neither business is seeing a decent return on investment.

[MiniMan64]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Only just got a car through to Hyperpole.

Neither business is seeing a decent return on investment.

Somebody has to be at the back? With a field this big running at the front it’s a bit of a change to what we’re used to.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

I think you're missing my point.

Big companies go racing for the kudos of winning. That's how they sell cars. Nobody wants a Peugeot based on their endurance racing pedigree. How long are Peugeot (and others) going to throw millions of Dollars/Euros at this to come at the back? It isn't the same as F1.

[freedman]

7 Toyota out of Hyperpole for causing the red flag

12 Jota 963 now in

[TCEvo]

freedman said:

7 Toyota out of Hyperpole for causing the red flag

12 Jota 963 now in

Damn. V.costly mistake. Will it start @ back of HC field or back of the whole field?

[freedman]

TCEvo said:

Damn. V.costly mistake. Will it start @ back of HC field or back of the whole field?

Rear of the Hypercar grid

[TCEvo]

freedman said:

TCEvo said:

Damn. V.costly mistake. Will it start @ back of HC field or back of the whole field?

Rear of the Hypercar grid

Cheers.

[airbusA346]

Additional penalties following qualifying.

Ferrari's #51 & #83; 10 seconds added to first pit stop in the race for not correctly stopping the cars in their dedicated stopping areas in the pitlane.

[freedman]

Plenty of cars/teams shooting themselves in the foot so far

[Leithen]

Dare we say that it’s looking quite unpredictable?

Toyota, Porsche, Ferrari, Cadillac, Alpine, BMW….