24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual mid-race report: Rebellion Williams Esport leads the way
Following the first 12 hours of racing at a drama-filled 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, it’s Rebellion Williams Esport that leads the LMP crews locking out the top two positions.
Meanwhile, in the 20-strong GTE class, Porsche Esports Team currently occupy three out of the top five spots as the Porsche 911 RSR entries continue to dominate the field.
Below are the main headlines at the race’s mid-way point.
LMP
No. 1 Rebellion Williams Esport car (driven by Deletraz/Marciello/Wisniewski/Brzezinski) leads #LeMans24Virtual
Sister No. 13 Rebellion Williams Esport LMP car is second, 30 seconds ahead of race pole-sitters ByKolles – Burst Esport
The No. 4 ByKolles entry did a remarkable job of climbing back up the leaderboard following a drive-through-penalty in the race’s opening hour, as well as suffering time loss due to a wheel failure
No. 33 2 Seas Motorsport entry is currently in fourth position after a solid 12 hours of racing
Elsewhere, the No. 20 Redline entry fronted by Formula 1 drivers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris retired in the 11th hour after leading the race. Verstappen was at the wheel when the car spun at the Porsche Curves and was forced back to the pits. The team also suffered some technical problems, eventually leading to their retirement
The No. 16 Veloce Esports 2 entry was looking strong during the race’s opening hours but a collision with a GTE car in the ninth hour dropped them down the leaderboard. They are now placed 16th
Jenson Button is currently at the wheel of the No. 23 Team Rocket Zansho entry and is sitting ninth overall
GTE
Porsche dominates the highly-competitive GTE field with the pole-sitting No. 93 Porsche 911 RSR heading the 20-strong field with 12 hours still remaining
Second place is occupied by R8G Esports Team with the Corvette C7.R, just 8 seconds ahead of the No. 92 Porsche Esports Team entry
Fourth in GTE is Aston Martin Racing No. 95 car with Nicki Thiim at the virtual wheel, one spot ahead of another Porsche Esports Entry (No. 91)
Three manufacturers – Porsche, Aston Martin and Corvette - currently make up the top six positions in the GTE class
Elsewhere, the No. 52 AF Corse Ferrari entry with Charles Leclerc in the team suffered a serious setback just after the race’s quarter-way mark with a lengthy stint in the pits followed by some server issues
If you’re a fan of stats, read on! We have compiled some more facts and figures for you from the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans won by the AF Corse #83 Ferrari 499P.
Porsche Penske Motorsport came within a whisker of victory at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans, eventually settling for a hard-won runner-up spot. Despite a solid strategy and the absence of technical hitches, the #6 Porsche 963 was eclipsed by the #83 Ferrari 499P of AF Corse.
On 18 June 2000, Audi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. Twenty-five years later, this win by the R8 bearing the number 8 and driven by Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro is considered the key moment that paved the way to establishing the Audi legend at Le Mans.
Manthey Racing won the LMGT3 class for the second year in a row as the Manthey 1st Phorm #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 followed up on the Manthey EMA #91 car’s 2024 success. Austrian Richard Lietz was driver on both occasions – this time sharing the wheel with Ryan Hardwick and Riccardo Pera.
