24h Le Mans
As part of their preparation for the pinnacle of endurance racing, the 62 cars entered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans engaged in a Pit Stop Challenge for the fifth year running. The mechanics of the #83 Ferrari 499P were the quickest team today.
The Pit Stop Challenge is an exercise in rapid execution. Teams of four perform a tyre change only. There is no refuelling or driver change-over. The referee announces the start and stops the clock when the last mechanic crosses the line that separates the garage from the intervention zone, having changed all four tyres. A loose nut, a dodgy wheel gun, or a misstep, spells game over. The record to beat, set last year by the crew of the Peugeot TotalEnergies #93 Peugeot 9X8, was 8.830 seconds.
The first time to beat this year was set by the #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R whose crew completed the operation in 8.910 seconds. Their technique is to send a mechanic to change the tyres on the lefthand side first – front, then rear. Another method is to send a pair of mechanics to operate on a diagonal: front right and rear left, then front left and rear right. TDS Racing changes both tyres simultaneously on the lefthand side first, followed by the right. Whatever the order, the golden rules remains the same: not a foot wrong! To triumph at Le Mans, you have to excel on all fronts, including in the pit lane.
This year, the best in the Hypercar and LMGT3 recorded exactly the same time, a few tenths off the record.
Winners in each class (94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, 5th Pit Stop Challenge:
