24 Hours of Le Mans, situation after nine hours

Nine hours after the starting lights got the race underway, the Ferrari crews involved are now firmly occupying podium positions in the LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am classes. Rain, which had been expected, made a brief appearance along the 13-kilometre track which led the Chief Steward to declare the track wet, even if, in reality, the asphalt remained dry. In the premier class, Pier Guidi, after taking over from Serra, occupies the second position in front of team-mate Molina, while further behind one lap follow Bourdais, aboard the Risi Competizione 488 GTE and Toni Vilander, fifth and sixth respectively. Elsewhere, in Am class, Iron Lynx’s Ferrari with Andrea Piccini at the wheel was firmly in command until, just before the Safety Car’s entrance on track, the Italian driver had been forced back into the garage with a steering issue. The episode and the tyre changes allowed Nielsen in the #83 car to take the lead, even if, on the stroke of nine hours, the official Competizioni GT driver finds himself holding third place. Interesting progress from the JMW Motorsport car, flirting with the top five, followed by Oswaldo Negri in the Luzich Racing livery. The two AF Corse Ferraris in LMGTE Pro class will shortly make the driver swap and tyre change, due to take place after the ninth hour of racing, and at this phase of the race are holding second and third positions, with Pier Guidi four seconds behind the race leader Maxime Martin.