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Autosport

Le Mans 24 Hours: Toyota back on top in FP2 after qualifying disaster

Toyota Porsche Sebastien Buemi BMW Cadillac Ford Ferdinand Habsburg Sebastien Bourdais Ferrari Lamborghini

Sebastien Buemi went quickest in the two-hour FP2 night session on Wednesday in the #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar with a time half a second up on his nearest rival.

He emulated team-mate Brendon Hartley, who topped the times in FP1 in #8 before both cars ended up outside the top eight fastest cars in first qualifying for the double-points round of the World Endurance Championship.

Kamui Kobayashi had been fourth at the end of the one-hour timed session early in the evening, but lost all his times when he went off at Virage Corvette (formerly known as Virage Karting) and caused a session-stopping red flag.

Buemi posted a 3m27.474s on his fourth lap in FP2, which compared with the 3m27.998s set by Robert Kubica in the AF Corse-run customer Ferrari 499P LMH.

Laurens Vanthoor was less than a tenth in arrears in third place courtesy of a 3m28.065s in the #6 factory Porsche 963 LMDh.

Callum Ilott jumped to fourth in the best of Jota customer Porsches with just over half an hour of the session remaining.

The Briton, following up on a performance that won him the final place in Hyperpole for the fastest eight cars in each class, demoted Sebastien Bourdais in the #3 Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh with a 3m28.352s.

Ilott subsequently went off at exit in the Esses, hitting the barriers and precipitating a red flag with little more than a minute of the session left.

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-SeriesR: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Alex Palou (Photo by: Alexander Trienitz)

Alpine and Cadillac battled over the minor top six placings through the session.

Ferdinand Habsburg was initially fourth in the French manufacturer’s #35 A424 LMDh before Sebastien Bourdais improved on team-mate Scott Dixon’s time with a 3m28.485s to move ahead.

In the closing minutes of the session Nicolas Lapierre got down to a 3m28.458s in the sister car to move Alpine back ahead and seal fifth position.

Bourdais ended up as the meat in an Alpine sandwich between Lapierre and Habsburg.

Habsburg’s 3m28.644s stood as the seventh fastest time of the session just ahead of Alessandro Pier Guidi in the #51 factory Ferrari on 3m28.853s

The second Toyota took ninth in the hands of Nyck de Vries while the second full-season WEC entry from the Porsche Penske Motorsport team rounded out the top 10 in Matt Campbell’s hands.

The WRT-run BMW M Hybrid V8 in which Dries Vanthoor went fastest in first qualifying ended up 13th in Marco Wittmann’s hands, while the top Peugeot 9X8 2024 LMH ended up 18th with Paul di Resta at the wheel.

Lamborghini took 20th with the best of its Iron Lynx-run SC63s LMDh in which Mirko Bortolotti set the time.

Malthe Jakobsen again led the way in LMP2 after taking top spot in the opening qualifying session in his Cool Racing ORECA-Gibson 07.

#37 COOL RACING Oreca 07 - Gibson of Lorenzo Fluxa, Malthe Jakobsen and Ritomo Miyata (Photo by: JEP)

The Dane’s 3m35.386s pushed United Autosports driver Oliver Jarvis, who led the times initially with a 3m36.551s, down to second by a margin of over a second.

Scott Huffaker was third for the TDS-run Panis Racing.

The Proton Competition Ford squad again topped the times in the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class after Ben Barker had led the way in the hour of qualifying.

Dennis Olsen ended up fastest in the German team’s #88 Ford Mustang GT3 with a time of 3m58.689s, which was just three hundredths up on Marco Sorensen’s 3m58.716s in the D’station Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

Maxime Martin was bumped down to third after going fastest at the start of the session in the best of WRT’s BMW M4 GT3s.

FP3 starts at 15:00 local time on Thursday with the half-hour Hyperpole session beginning at 20:00.

Le Mans 24 Hours FP2 Results:

1 - 2
Cla	Team	#	Drivers	Car	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	Toyota Racing HYPERCAR	8	S. Buemi B. Hartley R. Hirakawa	Toyota GR010 - Hybrid	32	3'27.474		236.432
2	AF Corse HYPERCAR	83	R. Kubica R. Shwartzman Y. Yifei	Ferrari 499P	33	+0.524 3'27.998	0.524	235.836
3	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR	6	K. Estre A. Lotterer L. Vanthoor	Porsche 963	32	+0.591 3'28.065	0.067	235.760
4	HERTZ TEAM JOTA HYPERCAR	12	W. Stevens N. Nato C. Ilott	Porsche 963	31	+0.878 3'28.352	0.287	235.436
5	Alpine Endurance Team HYPERCAR	36	N. Lapierre M. Schumacher M. Vaxiviere	Alpine A424	31	+0.984 3'28.458	0.106	235.316
6	CADILLAC RACING HYPERCAR	3	S. Bourdais R. van der Zande S. Dixon	Cadillac V-Series.R	29	+1.011 3'28.485	0.027	235.285
7	Alpine Endurance Team HYPERCAR	35	P. Chatin F. Habsburg C. Milesi	Alpine A424	30	+1.170 3'28.644	0.159	235.106
8	FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR	51	A. Pier Guidi J. Calado A. Giovinazzi	Ferrari 499P	31	+1.379 3'28.853	0.209	234.871
9	Toyota Racing HYPERCAR	7	J. Lopez K. Kobayashi N. de Vries	Toyota GR010 - Hybrid	24	+1.632 3'29.106	0.253	234.587
10	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR	5	M. Campbell M. Christensen F. Makowiecki	Porsche 963	26	+1.690 3'29.164	0.058	234.522
11	FERRARI AF CORSE HYPERCAR	50	A. Fuoco M. Molina N. Nielsen	Ferrari 499P	31	+1.912 3'29.386	0.222	234.273
12	CADILLAC RACING HYPERCAR	2	E. Bamber A. Lynn A. Palou	Cadillac V-Series.R	27	+1.986 3'29.460	0.074	234.190
13	Whelen Cadillac Racing HYPERCAR	311	P. Derani J. Aitken F. Drugovich	Cadillac V-Series.R	24	+1.996 3'29.470	0.010	234.179
14	Proton Competition HYPERCAR	99	N. Jani H. Tincknell J. Andlauer	Porsche 963	28	+2.053 3'29.527	0.057	234.115
15	BMW M Team WRT HYPERCAR	15	D. Vanthoor R. Marciello M. Wittmann	BMW M Hybrid V8	25	+2.090 3'29.564	0.037	234.074
16	PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES HYPERCAR	93	J. Vergne M. Jensen N. Müller	Peugeot 9X8 2024	29	+2.199 3'29.673	0.109	233.952
17	HERTZ TEAM JOTA HYPERCAR	38	O. Rasmussen P. Hanson J. Button	Porsche 963	32	+2.207 3'29.681	0.008	233.943
18	BMW M Team WRT HYPERCAR	20	S. Van Der Linde R. Frijns R. Rast	BMW M Hybrid V8	32	+2.340 3'29.814	0.133	233.795
19	PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES HYPERCAR	94	S. Vandoorne P. di Resta L. Duval	Peugeot 9X8 2024	31	+2.470 3'29.944	0.130	233.650
20	Lamborghini Iron Lynx HYPERCAR	63	M. Bortolotti D. Kvyat E. Mortara	Lamborghini SC63	25	+2.815 3'30.289	0.345	233.267
21	PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT HYPERCAR	4	M. Jaminet F. Nasr N. Tandy	Porsche 963	28	+4.085 3'31.559	1.270	231.867
22	Lamborghini Iron Lynx HYPERCAR	19	R. Grosjean A. Caldarelli M. Cairoli	Lamborghini SC63	19	+4.105 3'31.579	0.020	231.845
23	Isotta Fraschini HYPERCAR	11	C. Bennett J. Vernay A. Serravalle	Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 Competizione LMH	31	+6.520 3'33.994	2.415	229.228
24	Cool Racing LMP2	37	L. Fluxá M. Jakobsen R. Miyata	Oreca 07	27	+7.912 3'35.386	1.392	227.747
25	United Autosports LMP2	22	O. Jarvis B. Garg N. Siegel	Oreca 07	30	+9.077 3'36.551	1.165	226.522
26	PANIS RACING LMP2	65	R. Sales M. Beche S. Huffaker	Oreca 07	30	+9.126 3'36.600	0.049	226.470
27	DUQUEINE TEAM LMP2	30	J. Falb J. Allen J. Simmenauer	Oreca 07	30	+9.549 3'37.023	0.423	226.029
28	AF Corse LMP2	183	F. Perrodo B. Barnicoat N. Varrone	Oreca 07	26	+10.000 3'37.474	0.451	225.560
29	INTER EUROPOL COMPETITION LMP2	34	J. Smiechowski V. Lomko C. Novalak	Oreca 07	30	+10.020 3'37.494	0.020	225.540
30	Crowdstrike Racing by APR LMP2	45	G. Kurtz C. Braun N. Catsburg	Oreca 07	30	+10.046 3'37.520	0.026	225.513
31	Proton Competition LMP2	9	J. Ried M. Capietto B. Viscaal	Oreca 07	28	+10.315 3'37.789	0.269	225.234
32	Algarve Pro Racing Team LMP2	25	M. Kaiser O. Caldwell R. De Angelis	Oreca 07	28	+10.575 3'38.049	0.260	224.965
33	IDEC SPORT LMP2	28	P. Lafargue J. Van Uitert R. de Gerus	Oreca 07	26	+10.799 3'38.273	0.224	224.735
34	UNITED AUTOSPORTS USA LMP2	23	B. Keating F. Albuquerque B. Hanley	Oreca 07	28	+11.140 3'38.614	0.341	224.384
35	VECTOR SPORT LMP2	10	R. Cullen P. Pilet S. Richelmi	Oreca 07	22	+11.419 3'38.893	0.279	224.098
36	Cool Racing LMP2	47	N. Rao M. Bell F. Vesti	Oreca 07	28	+11.961 3'39.435	0.542	223.545
37	AO by TF LMP2	14	P. Hyett L. Deletraz A. Quinn	Oreca 07	21	+12.016 3'39.490	0.055	223.488
38	DKR Engineering LMP2	33	A. Mattschull R. Binder L. Hörr	Oreca 07	26	+12.255 3'39.729	0.239	223.245
39	NIELSEN RACING LMP2	24	F. Scherer D. Heinemeier Hansson K. Simpson	Oreca 07	19	+12.344 3'39.818	0.089	223.155
40	Proton Competition LMGT3	88	G. Roda M. Pedersen D. Olsen	Ford Mustang GT3	25	+31.215 3'58.689	18.871	205.512
41	D'Station Racing LMGT3	777	S. Hoshino E. Bastard M. Sorensen	Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3	27	+31.242 3'58.716	0.027	205.489
42	TEAM WRT LMGT3	31	D. Leung S. Gelael A. Farfus	BMW M4 GT3	25	+31.243 3'58.717	0.001	205.488
43	TF Sport LMGT3	82	H. Koizumi S. Baud D. Juncadella	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	27	+31.279 3'58.753	0.036	205.457
44	TEAM WRT LMGT3	46	A. Al Harthy V. Rossi M. Martin	BMW M4 GT3	27	+31.630 3'59.104	0.351	205.155
45	IRON LYNX LMGT3	60	C. Schiavoni M. Cressoni F. Perera	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2	22	+31.726 3'59.200	0.096	205.073
46	INCEPTION RACING LMGT3	70	B. Iribe O. Millroy F. Schandorff	McLaren 720S GT3 Evo	21	+31.738 3'59.212	0.012	205.063
47	Proton Competition LMGT3	77	R. Hardwick Z. Robichon B. Barker	Ford Mustang GT3	21	+31.839 3'59.313	0.101	204.976
48	Manthey EMA LMGT3	91	Y. Shahin M. Schuring R. Lietz	Porsche 911 GT3 R	26	+32.236 3'59.710	0.397	204.637
49	IRON DAMES LMGT3	85	S. Bovy M. Gatting R. Frey	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2	23	+32.271 3'59.745	0.035	204.607
50	Spirit of Race LMGT3	155	J. Laursen C. Laursen J. Taylor	Ferrari 296 GT3	22	+32.389 3'59.863	0.118	204.506
51	Manthey PureRxcing LMGT3	92	A. Malykhin J. Sturm K. Bachler	Porsche 911 GT3 R	27	+32.465 3'59.939	0.076	204.441
52	Vista AF Corse LMGT3	54	T. Flohr F. Castellacci D. Rigon	Ferrari 296 GT3	28	+32.481 3'59.955	0.016	204.428
53	AKKODIS ASP Team LMGT3	87	T. Kimura E. Masson J. Hawksworth	Lexus RC F GT3	25	+32.485 3'59.959	0.004	204.424
54	Heart of Racing Team LMGT3	27	I. James D. Mancinelli A. Riberas	Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3	27	+32.654 4'00.128	0.169	204.281
55	Vista AF Corse LMGT3	55	F. Heriau S. Mann A. Rovera	Ferrari 296 GT3	29	+32.659 4'00.133	0.005	204.276
56	Proton Competition LMGT3	44	J. Hartshorne B. Tuck C. Mies	Ford Mustang GT3	23	+32.660 4'00.134	0.001	204.275
57	AKKODIS ASP Team LMGT3	78	A. Robin T. Boguslavskiy K. van der Linde	Lexus RC F GT3	22	+33.003 4'00.477	0.343	203.984
58	JMW Motorsport LMGT3	66	G. Petrobelli L. ten Voorde S. Yoluc	Ferrari 296 GT3	23	+33.251 4'00.725	0.248	203.774
59	United Autosports LMGT3	59	J. Cottingham N. Costa G. Saucy	McLaren 720S GT3 Evo	24	+33.958 4'01.432	0.707	203.177
60	United Autosports LMGT3	95	H. Hamaguchi N. Pino M. Sato	McLaren 720S GT3 Evo	11	+34.451 4'01.925	0.493	202.763
61	TF Sport LMGT3	81	T. Van Rompuy R. Andrade C. Eastwood	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	22	+34.669 4'02.143	0.218	202.581
62	GR RACING LMGT3	86	M. Wainwright D. Serra R. Pera	Ferrari 296 GT3	2
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