Toyota lead 24 Hours of Le Mans behind safety car after 8 hours

Toyota remains the one to beat as the Japanese manufacturer continues to lead the 24 Hours of Le Mans, despite the first safety car of the race. 

Feature image credit: Toyota

Over the four to eight hour mark, the iconic French circuit – home to the prestigious race – has now been shadowed in darkness as day made way for night, between the four and eight hour mark. 

However, Toyota remain as the race leaders, with their #8 entry, after 131 laps completed. But the session itself endured its first safety car after the #54 Ferrari AF Corse, in the LMGT3 class, went off track. 

The safety car intervention meant the teams and driver positions remained unchanged as the 24-hour race crossed over the eight-hour mark. However, this was not the only bit of drama to occur during the last four hours. 

Toyota continues to lead 24 Hours of Le Mans after 4 hours

With 18 hours left on the clock, Iron Lynx’s #61 Mercedes was found to be smoking on the rear-left tyre area. It was suspected that the problem would be a result of the chassis rather than a puncture. When the crew tried to brake to the right-hand corner, out of Indianapolis, the car swerved to the right and forced the driver to cut the corner and limp back to the pits. 

The polesitting #15 BMW, just as the click ticked town to less than 18 hours to go, was forced to also limp back to the pits after they made contact with a LMP2 car in the Porsche Curve section of the circuit. 

BMW’s pole-sitting car suffered a puncture as a result of the contact, and the rear-right tyre made a bid for freedom as the rubber carcass of the tyre became loose out on track, running towards the barrier. 

So, after eight hours, who leads whom at Le Mans?

Hypercar 

1. Toyota #8, 131 laps
2. BMW #20, +2 m 23.713s
3. Cadillac Hertaz Jota #12, +2m 25.839s

LMP2

1. Duqueine Team #30, 124 laps
2. Inter Europol #343 +3m 38.258s
3. Vector Sport #26 +3m 43.003s

LMGT3

1. Heart of Racing #27, 116 laps
2. Kessel Racing #74, +2.123s
3. Vista AF Corse #21, +2.598s

Read more World Endurance Championship content here:

• Toyota continues to lead 24 Hours of Le Mans after 4 hours
• Toyota heads opening hour of Le Mans 24 Hours
• Cadillac fastest after Le Mans 24 Hours free practice 1
• Weather forecast: the latest ahead of WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans
• Toyota take WEC win on Ferrari home turf at 6 Hours of Imola
• Toyota leads ahead of Ferrari at WEC 6 Hours of Imola

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.