2024 marked the second 12 months of the merged Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh laws into the WEC’s Hypercar class, dominated by a Steadiness of Efficiency, however LMDh automobiles are but to seize their first win on the Le Mans 24 Hours after an especially aggressive race this 12 months.
Along with veteran Richard Westbrook, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn had achieved a third-place end of their Cadillac V-Collection.R within the 2023 contest, led by the #51 Ferrari and the #8 Toyota. However this time round, solely LMH equipment made it to the rostrum at Circuit de la Sarthe – the #50 Ferrari took the win from the #7 Toyota and the #51 Ferrari.
The polesitting #6 Porsche LMDh was only one second off the rostrum, with Andre Lotterer’s fears that team-mate Kevin Estre’s “distinctive” pole lap “possibly shouldn’t be 100% consultant of the efficiency” considerably justified.
In the meantime, the #2 Cadillac LMDh now shared by Bamber and Lynn with Alex Palou was in rivalry for a win for a very long time, main after 21 hours. Nevertheless, it suffered from higher-than-average tyre degradation in combined monitor circumstances and ended up seventh beneath the chequered flag.
“At one level, it was trying superb, however ultimately, I feel Ferrari and Toyota simply had somewhat bit extra tempo in all circumstances,” Alex Lynn informed Motorsport.com.
“That was in the end the distinction. At sure factors we might match them, however by no means have one thing additional. Additionally, they have been all the time very, very aggressive. I feel we have been trying okay for a P3, however ultimately we had a nasty final hour or so, and that was it.”
“The Hypercars are very robust with the four-wheel drive, that is why they’re all on the rostrum”, Earl Bamber added when chatting with Motorsport.com. “It is arduous to combat towards.”
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid: Jose Maria Lopez, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck De Vries
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
Toyota, Ferrari and Peugeot’s four-wheel-drive set-up is available in significantly helpful in moist circumstances, because of the additional traction this supplies in comparison with the rear-wheel-drive LMDhs. On this explicit occasion, though numerous showers spiced up the race, this was partly mitigated by the security automotive neutralising the race when the rain was at its worst, between 3:45am and eight:10am.
LMH automobiles have been quicker in all sectors within the race, with two Toyotas and two Ferraris main the way in which on the Mulsanne straight and its two chicanes – the main LMDh was the #2 Cadillac pushed by Palou [1m20.048s], practically three tenths off Sebastien Buemi’s #8 Toyota [1m19.786].
Within the third sector, comprised of many corners with varied velocity profiles, Alessandro Pier Guidi was quickest within the #51 Ferrari with a 1m35.364s time, however Porsche’s Laurens Vanthoor and Cadillac’s Palou have been simply 0.085s and 0.089s off respectively.
In fact, the quickest race occasions have been set in dry circumstances, and with no session being run absolutely in moist circumstances, analysing absolutely the benefit loved by LMH automobiles is hard.
Porsche’s Frederic Makowiecki admitted to Motorsport.com after the race that the German constructor was “missing somewhat bit to have the ability to compete with Toyota and Ferrari. Not a lot, however somewhat an excessive amount of.
“The distinction is [Ferrari] can overtake you, however you possibly can’t overtake them! That is getting sophisticated: we’re not fairly on an equal footing.”
The aforementioned sector 2 occasions on the Mulsanne straight are inclined to corroborate the French veteran’s evaluation. Alternatively, three automobiles recorded a 344.5km/h high velocity within the race – each Toyotas and… Felipe Nasr’s #4 Porsche. However it was the one occasion when one of many German automobiles went above 339.1km/h over the 24 hours, with the Brazilian driver almost certainly catching a giant tow.
Taking a look at every automotive’s common high 5 speed-trap entries, the image turns into clearer with each Toyotas on 342.6km/h and 342.1km/h and two Ferraris on 340.9km/h and 340.6km/h. The highest LMDh turns into the #36 Alpine on 339.1km/h, with the quickest Porsche reaching 338.9km/h because of Jota’s #12 buyer entry and no Cadillac doing any higher than 336km/h for the #2 automotive.
In the long run, there may be little remorse within the American camp. “In the end, I feel this race we maximised,” Lynn added. “I used to be actually happy with how we did. We had, I feel, a extremely robust race. It was simply Ferrari and Toyota specifically.
“Clearly I do know we bought crushed by two Porsches, however I do not really feel like they have been higher. We misplaced to them, however Ferrari and Toyota have been higher.”
