Nyck de Vries collided with the #87 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F LMGT3 driven by Kelvin van der Linde during the morning warm-up session before the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The driver from Toyota GAZOO Racing was adjusting the settings on his steering wheel when he failed to notice that van der Linde suddenly braked at the exit of the Porsche Curves.
A representative from Toyota has confirmed that the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid only suffered damage to its bodywork and nothing related to the mechanics or suspension.
Considering the low speed of the collision and the increasingly wet conditions, it is expected that the #7 car will be ready for the race start in less than four hours.
A replay of the collision between Nyck de Vries and the #78 Lexus during the warm-up session has been shown. The #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing car is currently in the garage for repairs.
Despite van der Linde’s Le Mans debut, he has previously participated in various endurance events such as the Nurburgring 24 Hours. This incident also marks Lexus’ first time at La Sarthe. Unfortunately, de Vries lost valuable track time during the 15-minute warm-up session.
Last year, the Dutch driver notably started the race with minimal track time, as the warm-up session was his only opportunity to familiarize himself with the track before the race began.
Following Kobayashi’s critical error during qualifying practice, which resulted in a red flag, the #7 team will start at the back of the 23 Hypercar field. Jose Maria Lopez will be returning to the team after Mike Conway sustained injuries in a cycling accident.