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Inter Europol, Manthey 1st Phorm score LMP2 and LMGT3 Le Mans glory
Inter Europol Competition has done it again. The shock Centenary Le Mans LMP2 winner powered its way back to the top step of the podium for the second time in three years today at Le Mans after a highly dramatic finale for the secondary prototype division.
The proud Polish team's No. 43 ORECA of Nick Yelloly, Kuba Smiechowski and Tom Dillmann claimed victory by a comfortable margin of almost two minutes, but it was nip and tuck until the final 20 minutes of the race.
LMP2 this year was essentially a duel between two cars, the No. 43 from Inter Europol and the No. 48 from VDS Panis Racing, which led the vast majority of the 24 hours. And right up until the end, it wasn't clear which team would take the big prize.
The pendulum swung massively in the final hour, though, and defined what was an uncharacteristically flat LMP2 race. After a pit lane speeding penalty seemingly cost the No. 43 crew the lead and the win, Nick Yelloly made up for his error, retaking the lead and all the glory with just a handful of laps left.
The root cause of Esteban Masson, Oliver Gray and Franck Perera-steered ORECA's pace drop-off was a front-left suspension failure, which led to Masson hemorrhaging time, allowing Le Mans debutant Yelloly to breeze past at the Porsche Curves.
"It was a big rollercoaster, a big battle all race long for VDS Panis, then we lost a minute in the pits to a mistake, came back, and stayed close in the closing hours. Le Mans chooses its winners, and we saw that today," Dillmann said.
Third overall in LMP2 and first in LMP2 Pro/Am went to AO by TF's fan-favorite No. 199 ORECA driven by PJ Hyett, reigning IMSA GTP champion Dane Cameron, and Cadillac WTR driver Louis Deletraz.
The trio dominated the Pro/Am division and ran their own race in the second half, finishing off the lead lap in the class but a lap clear of the next challenger. It was a hugely impressive and well-earned performance, particularly from Hyett, who finally has an LMP2 victory to his name.
"We're very excited. I'm so happy for Louis and PJ, and for me, I was so happy to deliver a win for him and the team," Dane Cameron said.
Iron Lynx Proton produced a fine performance to take fourth in LMP2 with its No. 9 ORECA shared by Maceo Capietto, Jonas Ried and Reshad De Gerus, which benefited from both IDEC Sport ORECAs retiring from the race with eerily similar wheel nut failures.
The Genesis Magma Racing-operated car, which has been the star of the ELMS season, ran well and dropped out of the race overnight when Andre Lotterer had his right rear wheel detach while running in the top five. Then, with Sunday afternoon underway, Job van Uitert ended up in the gravel at the Dunlop Esses when the same wheel on his car gave way while sitting third.
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As for United Autosports' title defense, its No. 22 suffered a setback in the final third of the race and was eventually classified seventh, but in truth never looked like a threat for the victory.
LMGT3 saw Manthey 1st Phorm take a dominant win over Vista AF Corse's No. 21 Ferrari 296 LMGT3. Ryan Hardwick's performances in getting through his drive time as a Bronze before 6 am on Sunday made a huge difference, allowing Richard Lietz – who now has six Le Mans wins to his name – and Riccardo Pera to tag-team the run to the flag.
"First of all, you have to be very old to be able to win six times! I am lucky enough to be here for the 19th time with Porsche, always as a factory driver. And basically every year since 2007, it has been really good to me.
"Le Mans with six victories is incredible. And first time back-to-back. Manthey last year trusted me: I was kind of at the end of my driver career, towards the end, and I was thinking of stopping, and then they said, like, I have to come back. So now, two years later, two more Le Mans victories," Lietz said.
"I'm happy that they asked me and gave me the trust and chance. And together with my teammates now, Ryan and Ricky, we really had the luck on our side. There were not so many safety cars and quite a green race – basically, a bit like the Le Mans spirit from the past, I would say.
"We had a fast car, a car which was really amazing over the three stints with the tires. And at the end, this was the key, also that we have the lap times from Ryan, who did really amazing lap times, not canceled by safety cars.
"I think races like this are one of the reasons why you race in WEC. This was a great endurance race."
Vista AF Corse's contending Ferrari did well to keep the winning car under pressure until the flag, but ultimately, Alessio Rovera, Simon Mann and Francois Heriau couldn't find a way to make it a door-to-door thriller. The No. 81 TF Sport Corvette had an under-the-radar run to the podium, much to the delight of the General Motors higher-ups at the event after a tough race for Cadillac.
"A podium at Le Mans and my first podium this season with Corvette," driver Charlie Eastwood commented. "Not a bad place for it. As it has been for so many races last year and this year, not one thing went wrong. Every pit stop was perfect, not a single scratch on the car for 24 hours.
"We didn't have the pace, but we ended up on the podium because of that. Once we do have the pace of some of the other cars we're going to win some races pretty comfortably.
"Amazing result for the team and delighted to finish my first 24-hour event with Corvette on the podium."
Heart of Racing's Aston Martin fell to fourth from pole, and AKKODIS ASP, despite showing pace with its Lexus RC F LMGT3s all week, could only muster a best finish of fifth with its N. 87.
LMGT3 saw the highest rate of attrition in this year's running of the 24 Hours. Eight cars retired, including multiple contenders.
The No. 46 WRT BMW looked poised to lead the fight for the win to the end before an electrical fault sent Kelvin van der Linde off into the gravel at the Porsche Curves with no power steering. The car was eventually withdrawn after time in the garage.
AKKODS ASP's No. 78 Lexus didn't make the finish either. An off at the Porsche Curves with five hours to go damaged the car beyond repair.
Next up on the FIA WEC schedule is the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo on July 13.
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Stephen Kilbey
UK-based Stephen Kilbey is RACER.com's FIA World Endurance Championship correspondent, and is also Deputy Editor of Dailysportscar.com He has a first-class honours degree in Sports Journalism and is a previous winner of the UK Guild of Motoring Writers Sir William Lyons Award.
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