LMP @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
Four major car manufacturers were present in both LMP classes at the 81st edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Toyota, VAG (with Audi), Renault-Nissan Group with 17 cars in LM P2 powered by Nissan, and Honda through Honda Performance Development. Experienced prototype constructors were completing the plateau: Oreca, Lola and Zytek. 📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
Audi qualified all three of its R18 e-tron quattros at the top of the grid, the Toyota TS030s starting fourth and fifth.
LMP1: 6 cars out of the 8 participants finished the race in the top 6 overall ranking.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Loïc Duval won the 2013 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi R18 Etron Quatro #2, after a fierce battle with Toyota TS 030 Hybrid #8. The Audi #2 had a perfect race spending no time off the track or in the garage, apart from one puncture.
It was Kristensen's ninth Le Mans win, McNish's third time and Audi’s 12th victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2.000.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
The # 8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing TS 030-Hybrid driven by Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin finished second, just a lap behind the race winners.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
The No. 3 Audi Sport Team Joest piloted by Marc Gene, Luca di Grassi and Oliver Jarvis rounded out the top three after losing 2nd place, when Oliver Jarvis also ran into problems and lost several minutes after a puncture.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
#7 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing TS 030-Hybrid driven by Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima finished fourth, seven laps behind the race winners. In the 22nd hour, Audi #3 overtook # 7 Toyota of Nicolas Lapierre to claim the third spot. A bit later, Lapierre hit a wall but managed to return to the pits for some quick repairs.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler didn’t renew their 2012 victory at Le Mans, despite dominating the race until a crank sensor problem in the 7th hour forced them to take a 45 minutes pit stop. With their Audi R18 Etron Quatro, they ended 5th, 10 laps behind the winning sister car.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
The third manufacturer to be represented in LMP1 was Honda; HPD ARX 03c – Honda #21 from Strakka Racing driven by LEVENTIS / WATTS / KANE finished 6th.
LMP2 podium
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
7th overall and 1st LPM2 – Bertrand Baguette / Ricardo Gonzales and Martin Plowman with OAK Racing Morgan – Nissan #35
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
OAK Racing made the double in LMP2 with Morgan - Nissan #24 driven by Olivier Pla, David Heinemeir Hansson and Alex Brundle 8th overall and 2nd LPM2.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
Ninth overall and third in LMP2, the trio Mardenborough/Ordonez/Krumm driving #42 Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan
The notorious abandons
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013
Lotus, Rebellion and Alpine were among the popular teams who did not finish the 2013 24 Hours race.
