LM24, Hour 17: Ferrari and Toyota continue lead fight, Cadillacs behind

With seven hours remaining in the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours, the Ferrari vs Toyota battle for the overall lead is still on and it’s fierce.

Currently, the gap is 28 seconds, the No. 51 499P, now driven by Antonio Giovanazzi after a short stint from James Calado. During the hour the No. 8 closed the gap a little, Ryo Hirakawa getting it down to 19 seconds while Calado wrestled with tyre degradation issues on his rears. Since Buemi climbed in, the gap has grown again, however.

“The stint was pretty decent, it’s been a great fight with the Toyotas. We have been nose to tail, it’s a magic place to be and I’m so proud of the guys,” Calado said after his stint. “The car has never gone this far before in terms of hours.”

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

LM24 Hour 21: No. 51 Ferrari once again pulling away

Third and continuing to lurk, ready to take advantage of any mistakes is the No. 2 Cadillac, with Richard Westbrook now in, two and a half minutes off.