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Le Mans Live: Non-stop text, photo, and video updates

Hello everyone, I'm Nick DeGroot and welcome to Motorsport.com's non-stop coverage of Le Mans! Enjoy the text, photo, and video updates we are utilizing to tell the story of this great race as it unfolds!

#2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer

#2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer

Eric Gilbert

24:00:00 That's it! The 24 Hours of Le Mans is over! This has been Nick DeGroot & thank you for joining me! CLICK TO SEE RACE REPORT

Audi goes 1-2 in the 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Fassler, Lotterer, & Treluyer each earning their 3rd overall win!

13 out of the last 15 Le Mans races have gone to Audi....incredible. Five in-a-row too!

LMP2 - The No. 38 JOTA Sport Zytek-Nissan team wins with Dolan, Tincknell, & Turvey behind the wheel.

GTE Pro - The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari team of Bruni, Vilander, & Fisichella win it over Corvette & Porsche.

GTE Am - Allan's Aston, with a team full of his countrymen in Poulsen, Heinemeier-Hansson, & Thiim win. Too cool.

Checkered flag
Checkered flag

Photo by: PhotoJo Motorsports Photography

23:52:00 The #14 Porsche rejoins to finish the race. Cool. Aston Martin is doing the same with the #97.

23:45:00 The LMP2 leader makes his final stop; no issues.

23:40:00 The #35 LMP2 entry has suffered a puncture.

23:31:00 The two Audis are now running together, setting up for the photo at the finish...wish they were setting each other up for what could be a photo finish instead though!

23:24:00 Porsche on the issues that plagued both of their cars...

23:22:00 New Motorsport.com photo of the Le Mans dream ending for the #20 Porsche...

Porsche Team  members work on the #20 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid
Porsche Team members work on the #20 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

23:20:00 Guess who just moved into 4th place overall? The #12 of Rebellion Racing!

23:17:00 JOTA's #38 holds a rather small lead over the Thiriet by TDS Racing #46 in LMP2.

23:10:00 The #95 Aston Martin is back in the race and maintains the GTE Am lead.

23:08:00 Drama! The leading GTE Am car (#95 Aston Martin) is in the garage with just over 50 minutes remaining!

23:07:00 A JMW Ferrari has gone into the gravel at Indianapolis and prompted a local yellow.

23:05:00 LMP2 is going to be a class to watch at the end of this race...

23:00:00 Just one hour remains in the 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Hour Twenty-Three Update With just one hour remaining, it's the #2 Audi that leads LMP1 over the #1 Audi and #8 Toyota. The #38 JOTA Sport Zytek-Nissan leads LMP2, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari heads GTE Pro, and the #95 Aston Martin enjoys a large margin in GTE Am.

22:52:00 Kristensen will take the #1 Audi to the Checkered flag as Di Grassi steps out.

22:43:00 A lengthy stop where they went under the hood of the #92 Porsche will most likely cost them 2nd in GTE Pro; handing it over to the #73 Corvette.

22:42"00 As they should be!

22:37:00 Now the second LMP1 Porsche goes to the garage...they were running 4th.

22:35:00 Benoit Treluyer has jumped behind the wheel of the race-leading Audi and will drive it to the end.

22:24:00 The #2 Audi holds a three lap lead over the sister #1 Audi. And this is impressive...the #8 Toyota is now 3rd. Yes, the Toyota that crashed in the rain yesterday is now 3rd.

22:22:00 Yes, the Le Mans bid for the #20 Porsche is over...all that's left is to sign the green form.

22:20:00 The issues on the #20 Porsche appear to be terminal...Webber is out of the car.

22:16:00 The Oak Racing #35 Ligier has made its way to the garage.

22:11:00 The #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing guys take over the LMP2 lead. The #38 JOTA Sport entry also gets by the wounded the #35 and runs a few seconds back of our new class leader.

22:09:00 Our unchallenged GTE Am leader (#95 Aston) just stopped at the exit of pit lane but was able to quickly get the wheels back turning.

22:06:00 The #20 Porsche is being swarmed by crew members in the garage.

22:05:00 The #35 that leads LMP2 has been down on power for a bit and is rapidly losing ground now.

22:00:30 THE #20 PORSCHE SLOWS! We kind of saw this coming...Webber tries desperately to limp the Porsche back to pit lane.

Hour Twenty-Two Update The #2 Audi leads LMP1, the #35 Oak Racing Ligier-Nissan continues to dominate LMP2, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari maintains control of GTE Pro, and the #95 Aston Martin enjoys a comfortable advantage over all pursuers in GTE Am.

21:54:00 The #2 Audi pits but unlike the #20 Porsche, they do not take tires. Audi comes out with the lead in hand.

21:51:00 The #14 Porsche just caught and blew by the #20 sister car...that just shows how wounded the #20 car is right now.

21:48:00 The #2 Audi is destroying Webber in the #20 Porsche right now...pulling out another four to seven seconds every single lap.

21:38:00 Jan currently runs 3rd in the GTE Pro class...

21:36:00 The Porsche is back out as the #2 Audi takes the lead. The Audi still has to pit however.

21:33:00 They have suddenly scrambled in the Porsche pits...what's going on. Webber's frantic reaction shows that this is not planned. Possible puncture? They did no other work on the car when he came in. Webber will take the car to the finish.

21:32:00 Just 33 seconds between the Porsche & Audi!

21:27:00 The #8 Toyota currently runs 4th, six laps behind the race leader.

21:19:00 Krohn Racing Ferrari is having work done in the garage.

21:13:30 The #58 Ferrari is in the gravel, facing the wrong direction in the final corner.

21:12:00 52 seconds separate Bernhard (Porsche) and Lotterer (Audi).

Race Control The #88 Proton Porsche has been reported to the stewards for speeding.

Hour Twenty-One Update The #20 Porsche holds a one hour and three minute lead over the hard-charging #2 Audi. The #35 Oak Racing Ligier-Nissan is running strong out front of LMP2 after some issues earlier. The #51 Ferrari and #95 Aston Martin are still the leaders in GTE Pro and GTE Am.

20:53:00 A note to anyone who wants to finish this race...don't do this too much.

Story Goliath vs. Goliath: Audi vs. Porsche

20:50:00 The #67 Porsche has spun into the gravel.

20:35:00 The #1 Audi rejoins the race 3rd, three laps down.

20:31:00 Race leader Timo Bernhard in the #20 Porsche has one minute and 35 seconds on Andre Lotterer in the #2 Audi.

20:30:00 From Audi on what they're doing to the #1...

20:28:00 The #1 Audi has fallen two laps down and then some.

20:22:00 The #20 Porsche moves into the lead of this race! This is absolutely stunning.

20:17:00 Kristensen comes back to the pits for a second time...he is being wheeled into the garage. This is incredible.

20:13:00 Chris Dyson is limping back to the pits in the #42 Zytek machine.

20:09:00 The Audi team has clarified what's going on with the #1 Audi via their Twitter page, saying that it was a 'reset of the electronics.'

20:07:00 What! The leading #1 Audi stops on the track! Kristensen is back going again but how serious are these issues?

20:06:00 The #35 Oak Racing backed G-Drive Ligier-Nissan retakes the LMP2 lead.

20:01:00 The #46 LMP2 machine has a some LF suspension damage...he is leading that class! Gommendy is nursing his car back to the pits and he's giving up a ton of ground. He heads into the garage.

Hour Twenty Update The #1 Audi continues to command the race with its closest pursuer over a full lap back but we will have a battle for 2nd before the end of this thing if nothing changes. The #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing car has held station at the front of LMP2 as well. The #51 Ferrari has is just cruising away in GTE Pro as the #95 car carries the Aston flag in GTE Am.

15 of the original 54 starters have officially retired from the race.

Race Control The #43 Morand Morgan-Nissan has to serve a stop-and-go penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

19:51:00 The Dempsey Porsche spent some time in the garage to do a rotor change.

19:42:00 The #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing has a very slow stop; they currently lead LMP2.

19:30:00 So why did the dominate #35 Oak Racing Oreca-Nissan lose the LMP2 lead?

19:24:00 Andre Lotterer is ready to get after it!

Race Control The stewards are investigating an incident involving the #57 Krohn and #70 Taisan Ferraris.

19:15:00 'You can't pit this lap!' 'Why?' 'Um...because, we're busy....doing stuff.' - The Audi paddock right now.

19:12:00 Tom Kristensen takes the wheel of the leading #1 Audi as he races in pursuit of his record-extending 10th overall victory at Le Mans.

19:06:00 Bernhard has been able to up the pace of the #20 Porsche, but it's still not good enough to match the Audis.

19:02:02:00 The #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing team has taken over the LMP2 lead while the #35 Oak Racing Oreca sat in the garage. They are back in the race now, but one lap behind.

19:01:00 The #97 Aston returns to the track; it was in the garage for just under 25 minutes. It is now 4th, five laps adrift of the leading Ferrari.

Hour Nineteen Update The #1 Audi continues to command the race with its closest pursuer over a full lap back. The #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing has passed the Oak Racing team after they went to the garage for what we are led to believe was planned. The #51 Ferrari has seen both of their main rivals (#97 Aston & #74 Corvette encounter problems) and is running away with GTE Pro as GTE Am continues to belong to the #95 Aston.

18:56:00 The #35 Oak Racing entry that has dominated LMP2 is in the garage...seems to be routine service however.

18:51:00 The #73 Corvette has moved into 3rd place in GTE Pro, further dropping the #97 Aston down the order.

18:44:00 From Aston Martin Racing...

18:38:00 It's a power steering issue that has gutted the hopes of Aston Martin as they looked poised for a possible GTE Pro victory.

18:36:00 Horrible news for the GTE Pro leading Aston Martin that Senna is driving. They have pushed that car into the garage with smoke coming from out under the hood. The #51 AF Corse Ferrari sets sail...

18:33:00 How about this...and this is after 18 hours of racing and thousands of miles!

18:24:00 Senna takes the fight back to Bruni and has moved back into the GTE Pro lead. This is fantastic to watch!

18:18:00 Harmless spin by the #53 Ram Racing Ferrari.

18:08:00 Bruni is not getting away in GTE Pro. Senna in the Aston has been able to hang onto the tail of the Ferrari.

18:07:30 The 3rd place LMP2 car is in the garage for rotor change and there also seems to be something bent on the left front. It's the #36 Alpine Oreca-Nissan.

18:06:00 Crewing at Le Mans is a piece of cake! Right Ram Racing guys? Right? .....Hello?

18:00:30 There goes Bruni in the Ferrari...takes the GTE Pro lead.

Hour Eighteen Update The #1 Audi holds a full lap advantage over the #20 Porsche while the Oak Racing #35 Ligier-Nissan turns the LMP2 category into his own personal test session. The #51 AF Corse Ferrari has just taken over the GTE Pro lead as the #95 Aston continues to power along out front of the GTE Am field.

17:58:00 The Ferrari is attacking the Aston for the GTE Pro lead now.

17:50:00 Same cars, different drivers will now do battle in GTE Pro. It's Senna (Aston) and Bruni (Ferrari) at the helm of those cars now.

Race Control The #27 SMP Oreca-Nissan has been hit with a 20 second stop-and-go penalty.

17:36:00 Gene in the leading #1 Audi has just put the 2nd place #20 Porsche of Webber a lap down.

17:30:00 The #2 Audi is on a mission right now. Both the #2 and the #1 are lapping much quicker than the #20 Porsche.

17:14:00 Uh oh...the door fell off the ProSpeed Porsche in the pits and now, the wheel falls off on the track! That car is done now.

17:12:00 Mucke makes it look easy as the #97 Aston takes point in GTE Pro.

17:11:00 We got a battle for the GTE Pro lead! Mucke in the Aston is harassing Fisichella in the Ferrari for the spot.

17:07:00 Whoops...the door basically falls off during a driver change for ProSpeed. These cars are just falling to pieces after 17 hours!

Hour Seventeen Update After issues slowed the #2 Audi's charge, the sister #1 Audi has picked up the torch and taken control of the race. The#35 Oreca-Nissan continues to dominate LMP2 while the #51 Ferrari leads GTE Pro and the #95 Aston Martin holds a two lap advantage over the field in GTE Am.

16:49:00 Thought I saw a car driving through the grass and I did, but it's just a safety vehicle. Le Mans has some very interesting rules...

16:48:00 Watch a dejected Toyota team realize that their Le Mans dream is over.

16:46:00 The #1 Audi is extending its lead over the pursuing Porsche.

16:43:00 One minute and 44 seconds separate the leading Audi and the #20 Porsche.

16:37:00 The #70 Taisan Ferrari is stuck in the gravel; that's never fun.

16:36:00 We''re back racing at Le Mans! There is still a Slow Zone at the Porsche Curves.

16:30:00 We believe this safety car has separated the leading #1 Audi and the #20 Porsche but haven't confirmed it.

16:22:30 The #74 Corvette's issues are persisting and now they've gone to the garage with a reported oil leakage.

16:22:00 This is the 4th time the safety car has been needed in this race & the first time in nearly 10 hours!

16:20:00 - SAFETY CAR Local yellows, slow zones, an intervention car, and now, we finally have a full-course yellow! There needs to be work done on the barriers that the Ferrari struck.

16:19:00 The #2 Audi is back in the race! They've gone from three laps ahead to two laps down.

16:13:00 Intervention, not safety car, has been deployed

16:09:00 And there it is...the #1 Audi takes command after their horrible week leading up to this race as the #20 Porsche moves into 2nd.

16:08:00 We have a Slow Zone at the Porsche Curves. This will help that #2 Audi out some, but not enough. We're about to have a lead change...

16:06:00 Radio Le Mans reports that the #2 Audi is having its turbo charged.

16:02:00 The #72 SMP Racing Ferrari has crashed backwards in the Porsche Curves. Possible safety car?

Hour Sixteen Update The #2 Audi's lead is being eroded by the second as they sit in the garage while the #35 Oreca-Nissan continues to dominate LMP2. The #51 Ferrari continues to lead GTE Pro as the #95 Aston Martin holds court out front in GTE Am.

15:59:00 They dropped the #2 car and suddenly, they jack him back up and pull him back in again. His lead is vanishing!

15:57:00 WHOA! The leading #2 Audi has suddenly been wheeled into the garage stall. There have a three laps lead to play with, so there is time. But what is wrong with the Audi?

15:52:00 The #62 Ferrari, another one of those cars just hanging on, has been pushed back into its garage stall

Race Control The 4th place LMP2 runner (#34 Race Performance Oreca-Nissan) has been reported to the stewards for speeding on the pit lane.

15:45:00 Look at this focus...incredible.

15:43:00 We've had a period of no drama here...the calm before the storm perhaps?

15:34:00 The #52 Ferrari heads back to a familiar place...the garage. That car is last among cars still running.

15:28:00 Some new photos have showed up in our gallery and as you can see below, the sun has certainly been shining on the #2 Audi this morning.

#2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer
#2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer

Photo by: James Holland

15:25:00 The battle for 2nd overall has neutralized between the #1 Audi and the #20 Porsche. It's a 35 second separation now. The #2 Audi is three laps clear of them both.

15:24:00 I like the analogy, comparing Sunday morning at Le Mans to Spring. The place slowly comes back to life and the intensity of the race multiplies by ten-fold. When you survive the night, then teams really start thinking that they may actually have a shot at Le Mans glory.

15:14:00 Fassler takes over the leading Audi.

15:10:00 It's an Audi 1-2 at Le Mans at the moment with the #20 Porsche making a pit stop.

15:05:00 Corvette Racing on the #74's issues...

15:02:00 The #14 Porsche is back going again.

Hour Fifteen Update Things have finally changed at the front of the field after the #7 Toyota was forced to exit the event with electrical issues. The #2 Audi is now in command by three laps over the #20 Porsche. LMP2 has not changed however, with the #35 Oak Racing Ligier-Nissan still running strong. The #51 AF Corse Ferrari has taken control of GTE Pro after the #97 went to the garage for a brake change. The #95 Aston is continuing its strong run in GTE Am as the leader.

14 of the original 54 starters have retired from the race.

14:59:00 The #14 Porsche is off and into the gravel at Indianapolis.

14:52:00 Issues with the #74 Corvette. Crew is scrambling around it on the pit lane.

14:48:00 One AF Corse takes the GTE Am lead as another pulls into the garage. I guess that's liable to happen when you are involved with ten of the cars in the race!

14:46:00 This is what heartbreak at Le Mans looks like...

14:45:00 GTE Pro leading Aston Martin just went into the garage for a brake change and is back out. Nice work by the AMR team.

14:42:00 Slow Zone implemented for debris at the Porsche Curves

14:38:00 The 3rd place GTE Pro car limped back to the pits and may lose the position...it's the #92 Porsche.

14:35:00 Alex Wurz echoes the sentiments of his entire Toyota team...

Story Audi Rises With the Sun - CLICK HERE

14:31:00 The #7 Toyota has officially been retired from the race...wow. The team is unsure what went wrong, but did say that it was electrically related.

14:27:00 This is devastating...the No. 7 Toyota team is about to sign the form, confirming their withdrawal from the race.

14:20:00 The #74 Corvette gets a door change.

14:17:00 A replay from an onboard shows the Toyota on the left side of the track, stopped before the approach to the Porsche Curves. We are waiting to hear what is wrong with the Toyota that is still stricken on the race track.

14:15:00 We haven't see any footage of the car since it stopped...the sun is now rising. Team talking to him on the radio.

14:11:00 One of the Czech stewards apparently told the Czech Eurosport that the #7 Toyota has stopped near Arnage and that there was also fire on the car.

14:06:00 Reports are trickling in that the Toyota has indeed stopped and was on fire at one point. Looking for confirmation on the fire, but the car has indeed stopped.

14:03:00 Where is the Toyota? Some are saying it's pulled behind one of the walls on the track as the crew stands shocked in the garage.

14:01:00 THE LEADER HAS SLOWED! THE #7 TOYOTA is crawling around the track! The #2 Audi takes the lead! Yes, the #2 Audi has taken the lead!

Hour Fourteen Update Nothing has changed in terms of leaders in the last hour. It's still the #7 Toyota in LMP1, the #35 Oak Racing machine in LMP2, and of course, the Aston Martins that are hogging the headlines with the #97 out front of GTE Pro and the #95 on top in GTE Am.

Race Report #29 Pegasus Morgan-Nissan handed a 45 second stop-and-go penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

13:45:00 The margin between the top two is down to one minute and 30 seconds.

13:41:00 Nakajima has taken the wheel of the race-leading Toyota.

13:33:00 Night scenes at Le Mans...

13:22:00 GTE Pro contender #73 Corvette in for a brake change & then quickly back out. Those guys are fast! They have fallen to 4th in class however.

13:17:00 So what was wrong with the #14 Porsche this time?

13:10:00 The #67 Porsche has gone for an off-road excursion in Indianapolis.

13:01:00 Photo time! Check out this awesome message from the Audi Sport team to Loic Duval on the grid before the race started on Saturday...

Get well message for Loic Duval
Get well message for Loic Duval

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

Hour Thirteen Update: Yep, the #7 Toyota is still in control, but the #2 Audi has bit into the lead slightly. The #20 Porsche is back in 3rd after mechanical dramas plagued the #1 Audi. The #35 Oak Racing Ligier-Nissan seems to have been leading LMP2 for months now, as the Aston duo (#97 and #95) continue to command the GTE classes.

We haven't seen the safety car in over six hours and 30 minutes!

12:51:00 Treluyer takes the wheel of the #2 Audi from Lotterer. Can he ship into the #7 Toyota's lead?

12:49:00 The #14 Porsche has been pushed back into it's garage as the team removes the front and rear bodywork.

12:44:00 There's an issue with the #14 Porsche...it's moving at a snails pace.

12:41:00 Di Grassi comes to pit lane in the #1 Audi with a puncture.

12:34:00 Sarrazin responds to the #1 Audi and extends his lead by a little bit.

12:30:00 So I just did some number-crunching and it seems that the #2 Audi has taken about 30 seconds out of the #7 Toyota's lead in the last hour.

12:26:00 Our Eric Gilbert has just filed some more photos from Le Mans, including this one documenting the unfortunate situation the #41 Greaves Motorsport entry found itself in. MORE PHOTOS

#41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek Z11SN - Nissan: Rudolf Nunemann, Alessandro Latif, James Winslow in the pits with damage
#41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek Z11SN - Nissan: Rudolf Nunemann, Alessandro Latif, James Winslow in the pits with damage

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

12:24:00 We haven't seen this yet...the #2 Audi is consistently running laps faster than the #7 Toyota, the car it's chasing for the lead. Have they found something or is Sarrazin just taking it easy in the Toyota?

12:22:00 Here's some clips from that great battle in GTE Pro I was talking about earlier...

12:21:00 The Audi team changed a fuel-injector on the #1 car during that extended stop.

12:15:00 The #14 Porsche has come in for a pit stop and, um, a door replacement. Every part is vital at Le Mans!

12:10:00 The #1 Audi has rejoined the race with Di Grassi at the helm, but not after losing around 10 minutes of precious time and that coveted 3rd position.

12:07:00 The #1 Audi crew is scrambling as their chances for a double podium slip away with every second lost.

12:03:00 Di Grassi hops into the #1 Audi as the team works frantically around him.

12:01:00 Kristensen is limping back to the pits and pulls straight into the garage. Wow. The #20 Porsche is now 3rd.

To see the minute-by-minute updates from hour six to hour twelve,CLICK HERE

To see the minute-by-minute updates before the sixth hour, CLICK HERE

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