P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The race so far has been a battle between Ferrari and Porsche. Both possess the crucial highest top speeds amongst the eight Hypercar manufacturers. This is key at Le Mans because of the long straights. Will Stevens led from pole in the #12 JOTA Cadillac, but Julien Andlauer, onboard the #5 Porsche, had other ideas. […]
The battle in the race has been mainly between Ferrari and Porsche, both having the highest top speeds among the Hypercar manufacturers. This speed is crucial at Le Mans due to the long straights. Will Stevens led from pole in the #12 JOTA Cadillac, but Julien Andlauer in the #5 Porsche quickly took the lead. As the race progressed, Ferrari cars moved towards the front, with three Italian cars leading by the fifth hour.
Porsche had the advantage on long stints, with Ferrari later adjusting their strategy. Darkness and falling temperatures favored Porsche, with the race dynamics changing. The first safety car was deployed after a crash, reshuffling the positions of the leading cars. The order saw Porsche leading, followed by Toyota, Ferrari, and BMW.
In the LMP2 class, Ollie Gray led in the #48 VDS Pabis Oreca, followed closely by the #9 Iron Lynx-Proton Oreca. The race dynamics shifted as darkness fell, with Porsche gaining an edge over Ferrari, leading to a reshuffling of positions in the overall standings.
