LMP2 @ 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021: Change of leader in last lap

The LMP2 class race has been very dramatic with the leading WRT #41 driven by Robert Kubica stopping in his last lap at Tertre Rouge due to a broken throttle sensor. After dominating the race for the last 18 hours, WRT could count on sister car #31 to win the race with 0.727s ahead of Tom Blomqvist on his JOTA #28 who was coming back like a rocket but just missed it for a meter!

📷 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021.

The WRT Oreca #31 co-driven by Robin Frijns, Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi won the LMP2 class after losing time whenever it changed tyres after the air-jacks failed, forcing the team to use of inflatable pillows to raise the car.

📷 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021.

Full attack by Tom Blomqvist as he brought a gap that stood at approximately four seconds at the start of the last lap down to just 0.727s at the chequered flag. With his teammates Stoffel Vandoornick and Sean Gelael they ended second in LMP2 class. Blomqvist claimed the final pitstop for the JOTA car when it became boxed in at its pit stall and had to be pulled back before being released (losing 15s) as well as two penalties Saturday evening for the delay.

📷 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021.

After scoring its first victory since its creation in Monza July 11th at the 4th ELMS race of this season, Panis Racing managed another podium finish at Le Mans.

Will Stevens did set the 3rd fastest time of LMP2 during the hyperpole session which enabled the Team to start on the 4th row. 

At midnight the trio Stevens-Canal-Allen was in P4 of its class until the last for the leading WRT who had to stop definitively at Tertre Rouge, putting Panis Racing back on the podium.

📷 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021.

Only one car out of 3 United Autosport entries in top 10 LMP2 class.

Paul di Resta, A. Lynn, W. Boyd driving United Autosport #23 ended 4th in LMP2 class after surviving an assault from sister #32 after 5 hours of racing. 

At 9 :15 pm, the rain started again which caused a series of accidents like #32 going straight at Dunlop chicane, crossing the gravels to come back on track up hill to slam into sister #23. #32 stayed in the box for the night : abandon. 

After pointing in P1 depending on pit stops for more than 10 hours,United Autosport #22 had to stay in box for more than one hour due to alternator problem losing any chance to mark points in the championship being last LMP2 to cross checkered flag.

📷 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021.

For its fourth race in the WEC and the third participation in the 24 Hours race, the Inter Europol Competition #34 finished fifth in LMP2 class and 10th overall. Kuba Smiechowski staying out on slicks when it started raining at the beginning of the night was the base for this result, as he and teammates Alex Brundle and Renger van der Zande got P5 ending hour 6 and stayed between P5 and P6 during the rest of the race.

📷 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021.

After losing #17 before the start as Dwight Merriman decided not to start after his 2 exits during Wednesday and Thursday sessions, the 24 Hours started wrong for IDEC racing team as Patrick Pilet, driving #48, was surprised by the lack of grip and made a mistake. The LMP2 class IDEC SPORT was stuck in a gravel pit. If the mechanics were not affected, the team immediately lost one lap on all the others entered while the marshals took the car out and put it back on its wheels. During the night, Pilet, Chatin and Lafargue gained positions to reach P7. With the late retirement of the then class leading #41, the IDEC sport #48 finished 6th of LMP2 class.

📷  24 Hours of Le Mans 2021.

Difficult for Vincent Vosse, WRT Team principal, to fully enjoy the success of the #31 ELMS WRT Oreca co-driven by Robin Frijns, Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi winning the LMP2 class as Ye and co-drivers Louis Deletraz and Robert Kubica stopped on the final lap of the race with a broken throttle sensor after entering their last lap for a historic win.