Halfway home: the fight for supremacy at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans has reached its midpoint, and the fight at the sharp end is nothing short of beautiful. At the 12-hour mark, Jack Aitken holds a 22-second lead for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, heading a one-two for the team. It has been a wild ride for the #8 Toyota, as Brendon Hartley saw his 13-second advantage evaporate at 01:20am after out-braking himself at Mulsanne Corner. Despite an intense battle back onto the lead lap and a brief fight for the lead, the Toyota is currently chasing the Cadillacs.
Elsewhere, the drama is relentless. The #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P saw its hopes fade after a pit stop to change a fire extinguisher cost the 2024 race-winner eight laps. Meanwhile, the LMGT3 class is an absolute masterclass in parity, with four different manufacturers—Aston Martin, Lexus, Corvette, and Mercedes—holding the top four spots. The #27 Heart of Racing Team Vantage currently leads the way, though the #33 TF Sport Corvette is looming large.
In LMP2, the lead has been trading hands throughout the night. As of 04:00am, Doriane Pin, Julien Andlauer, and Richard Verschoor hold the advantage in the #30 Duqueine Team Oreca-Gibson. It is, quite simply, the kind of endurance racing that keeps you glued to the screen until the sun comes up.
