With the Circuit de la Sarthe now in full darkness, Kazuki Nakajima was looking quite comfortable in the lead at the wheel of the #7 Toyota, almost a full lap ahead of Marcel Fässler in the #2 Audi. A driver change to Alexander Wurz was completed without incident on lap 124, Wurz maintaining the lead but at a reduced margin of around 90 seconds. The #8 Toyota’s woes continued with another visit to the garage.
There was a moment for Mark Webber in the #20 Porsche when he went straight on at Arnage, but got going again. More serious was the situation for the #12 Rebellion, reported to be moving slowly around the track with a missing wheel, which had come off at Tertre Rouge just after Heidfeld’s pitstop. The German got the car back to the pits, and it was then brought into the garage for examination.
Jann Mardenborough’s highly impressive night stint continued in the #35 G-Drive Ligier, but the Signatech Alpine was keeping a watching brief six seconds behind, but with another stop still to make. Third was the #46 Thiriet by TDS Ligier of Tristan Gommendy, while the Race Performance Oreca was running just off the LMP2 podium positions in the hands of Franck Mailleux.
The situation in GTE Pro continued to be finely poised, with Oliver Gavin in the #74 Corvette and Stefan Mücke in the #97 Aston just a few seconds apart, and not far ahead of third-place Gianmaria Bruni in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari. The #52 RAM Racing Ferrari, the last-placed classified runner in the class, got back out of the pits after a stop of over 20 minutes’ duration.
GTE-Am continued to be an Aston Martin benefit at the front – Lamy’s #98 car heading Thiim’s #95 machine, comfortably ahead of Viktor Shaitar in third, driving the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari.
The final classified runner overall was the #48 Murphy Prototypes LMP2 machine – a team of mechanics had earlier been dispatched to rescue the stricken car, but it was later reported as being temporarily off track at Post 121.
Lee Penn, Team Manager, Murphy Prototypes: “We think it’s something in the suspension that’s given way, probably as a result of the earlier accident. In theory it might be possible to get the car back, and it’s less than two kilometres away, but Nathanaël’s only able to do six clicks, and through the middle of the Porsche Curves, that’s simply too dangerous. It’s not worth putting lives at risk just to get the car back to the garage.”
So the shutters came down on the Murphy Garage and it’s all over for Greg Murphy for this year – the famous luck of the Irish running out early this time.
The #12 Rebellion rejoined – team boss Bart Hayden reported a replaced nose and a full new set of tyres for the car. There was then another straight-on moment for an LMP1 Porsche at Arnage – Neel Jani in the #14 this time – before the slow-moving #62 Ferrari of Howard Blank brought out the yellows at Post 60.
Dempsey Racing was then hit with a three-minute stop-go penalty for spinning wheels in the pitlane – not often heard but the rule is on the books. Patrick Long believed to be the guilty party. The #1 Audi then pitted – Kristensen was ready to jump in for Gené, but according to Dr Ullrich the tyres were judged to be good enough for another stint and the Spaniard stayed in. A slight misjudgement at the first Mulsanne chicane followed, but no harm was done.
The #91 Porsche tumbled down the order having challenged for a GTE Pro podium position earlier – the issue was revealed to be a leaking fuel cell. Oliver Turvey – fifth in P2 for Jota Sport – clocked his best lap of the race yet just before midnight, while Mardenborough brought the class-leading car in for a regular stop. There was also a routine stop for the #2 Audi, still in the hands of Marcel Fässler.
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