LM24, Hour 16: Ferrari retakes the lead after Toyota damage

There are eight hours to go, and so much is still to be decided in what has been an enthralling Le Mans 24 Hours.

If Hour 15 was about LMP2’s lead battle, Hour 16 was about Hypercar.

Alessandro Pier Guidi in the No. 51 Ferrari continued to reel in Ryo Hirakawa’s No. 8 Toyota in the opening laps of the hour. Hirakawa’s pace was no match for the Italian but when the pair pitted for their 19th stop of the race, they were nose to tail with the Toyota still ahead.

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LM24 Hour 22: Lead positions held as conclusion of the race nears

When Hirakawa pulled in for the stop, he it emerged that he was carrying splitter damage and a slow right-rear puncture. The team, rightly, opted to change the front end and the damaged tire before sending him on his way with another full tank of fuel.