
The #8 Toyota had been at the head of the field as dawn broke at the Circuit de la Sarthe, but Ryo Hirakawa started to lose time with a damaged front splitter and a slow right-rear puncture to his hybrid-powered LMH contender.
This brought the #51 Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi into play, with the Italian rapidly closing an 11s gap with a series of rapid laps.