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 GR010 HYBRID contender.
This brought the #51 Ferrari 499P of Alessandro Pier Guidi into play, with the Italian closing a 11s gap with a series of rapid laps.
