Robert Kubica continued to hold the lead in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race after eight hours of running, despite causing an incident in his #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P that resulted in a prolonged Safety Car period. Kubica collided with BMW’s Dries Vanthoor during the seventh hour of the race, leading to the deployment of the Safety Car, which remained on the track until the end of the eighth hour. The incident occurred due to mixed weather conditions, with teams having to make strategic decisions regarding tire choices. While most of the Hypercar field opted for wet weather tires, the Ferrari team chose to stay out on slick tires. This decision initially cost them time, but as the rain subsided, they were able to regain their momentum. Sebastien Bourdais in the #3 Cadillac was the first to switch back to slick tires, followed by Frederic Makowiecki in the #5 Porsche and race leader Kubica. Eventually, the track dried up, and the Hypercar field returned to slicks. Kubica managed to maintain his lead, with Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari rising to second place and Makowiecki in third. Ryo Hirakawa in the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid was in fourth place, followed by Alex Palou in the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R in fifth place. However, Kubica’s lead was short-lived, as he collided with Vanthoor’s #15 WRT BMW M Hybrid V8, resulting in the first Safety Car period of the race. Vanthoor’s car was severely damaged, forcing him to retire from the race. The Safety Car period allowed the field to regroup, and during this time, the #70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo encountered mechanical issues and had to be repaired in the pit garage. The LMGT3 class also saw changes in the top positions, with Maxime Martin in the #46 WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 taking the lead, followed by Joel Sturm in the #92 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 and Ian James in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin AMR LMGT3. In the LMP2 class, Stephane Richelmi in the #10 Vector Sport Oreca 07 – Gibson pitted under the Safety Car, allowing Malthe Jakobsen in the #37 Cool Racing entry to take the lead. The race continued with Kubica still leading the field, followed by Makoweicki, Hirakawa, Nielsen, and Vanthoor. In LMP2, Garg led Heinemeirer Hansson, Jakobsen, Pilet, and Deletraz, while Sturm led the way in LMGT3, followed by Al Harthy, Hawksworth, Gatting, and Olsen.
Laguna Seca, known for its breathtaking scenery, was the setting for a challenging qualifying session. The high temperatures caught many drivers off guard, especially with the use of...
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