They left ! This Saturday, after several hours of waiting for the hundreds of thousands of spectators who came to celebrate the centenary of the race, LeBron James released the 62 crews competing in the longest event of the world endurance championship.
On the sporting level, the question is whether victory can return for the 6th consecutive time to Team Toyota Gazoo Racing. At the top of the provisional classification after three races, the sports branch of the Japanese car manufacturer was dominated during qualifying by the two Ferrari 499Ps of the AF Corse team. Porsche and Cadillac also showed up in the hotly contested midweek qualifying session. The two Peugeot 9X8s missed the hyperpole and found themselves 10th and 11th.
The question now is whether the race will be able to continue normally until its end. A surprise guest will undoubtedly spice up the event. Météo France is indeed announcing strong disturbances (rain, thunderstorms) throughout the region in the middle of the afternoon. The official service has even placed Sarthe and six other departments on orange alert.
A rain that has already caused a chaotic start to the race. From the first lap, Jack Aitken’s Cadillac hit the rails at the exit of the Daytona chicane, which many drivers shorted. This incident forced the safety car to enter the track. Meanwhile, the #8 Toyota took the lead and one of the Peugeots moved up to 8th place.
In any case, the rain did not prevent the spectators from flocking. Early in the morning, long queues formed in the city’s public transport, on the roads, and at the entrances to the mythical circuit. A total of 300,000 people are expected from all over the world. The event has been sold out for months.
