2017 Le Mans 24 Hours - LMP2

LMP2 cars at Le Mans as night falls.

Many people thought that the LMP2 cars would have a chance of a podium at the 2017 Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance.  What surprised most of us was how close they came to a win!   With the increased speed from their new Gibson engines and with the unreliability of the LMP1 cars they were in the lead for much of Sunday.  However, eventually one of the Porsches came back up the field and took the win for LMP1.  The other two places on the overall podium fell to LMP2 cars.

The Jan Lammers/Rubens Barrichello car leading a group through the Esses.

There was controversy as well because one of the two original LMP2 podium sitters was eventually disqualified for a small modification to its body work.    All of the LMP2 cars from this exciting race at Le Mans are featured below:

1^st in class, 2^nd overall  - Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson – Ho-Pin Tung, Thomas Laurent, Oliver Jarvis. No.38. 366 laps.

The winning LMP2 car in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

Disqualified from 2^nd in class & 3rd overall – Vaillante Rebellion – Oreca 07-Gibson – Nelson Piquet Jnr, David Heinemeier Hannsson, Mathias Beche, No.13. 364 laps.

The No.13 Rebellion, that crossed the line second in class, heading down to Tertre Rouge after dark.

2^nd in class, 3^rd overall -  Jackie Chan DC Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson – David Cheng, Tristan Gommendy, Alex Brundle. No.37. 363 laps.

The Jackie Chan Oreca overtaking an Aston Martin into the Dunlop Chicane.

The second Jackie Chan car leads another LMP2 car through the Esses on Saturday night.

A Jackie Chan Oreca after overtaking a Ford GT in Tertre Rouge at dawn on Sunday.

On Saturday afternoon the No.37 car in third place in class in the Esses.

3^rd in class, 4^th overall – Signatech Alpine Matmut – Alpine A470-Gibson  - Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues, André Negrao. No.35. 362 laps.

The Signatech Alpine on Saturday afternoon at Tertre Rouge.

Alpine at dawn on Sunday.

4^th in class, 5^th overall – United Autosports – Ligier JSP217-Gibson – Will Owen, Hugo De Sadeleer, Filipe Albuqerque. No.32. 362 laps.

United Autosports Ligier leading an Aston Martin at the Esses on Saturday evening.

United Autosports Ligier speeding through the Esses.

5^th in class, 6^th overall – Graff – Oreca 07-Gibson – James Allen, Franck Matelli, Richard Bradley – No.40. 361 laps.

Graff Oreca heads onto the Maison Blanche straight.

Graff Oreca rounds Tertre Rouge onSaturday afternoon.

6^th in class, 7^th overall – CEFC Manor TRS Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson – Tor Graves, Jonathan Hirschi, Jean-Eric Vergne. No.24. 360 laps.

Manor Oreca in the Esses.  Ex-F1 driver Jean-Eric Vergne was in their line-up.

Manor leading an Alpine through the Esses on Saturday evening.

Manor Oreca in Tertre Rouge around dawn on Sunday.

7^th in class, 9^th overall – Cetilar Villorba Corse – Dallara P217-Gibson – Roberto Lacorte, Giorgio Senagiotto, Andrea Belicchi. No.47. 353 laps.

The Cetilar Dallara at the Ford Chicane.

The Cetilar Dallara did well to finish seventh despite getting beached in the Dunlop Chicane gravel after tangling with another car.  Here it is on he way to Tertre Rouge late on Saturday evening.

Cetilar Dallara leading an Alpine through the Esses.

8th in class, 10^th overall – Signatech Alpine Matmut – Alpine A470-Gibson  - Romain Dumas, Gustavo Menezes, Matthew Rao. No.36. 351 laps.

Signatech Alpine leaving the Esses during the Saturday morning warm up.

Much later, the Signatech Alpine heads down to Tertre Rouge.

The Signatech Alpine at speed through the Esses.

Signatech Alpine in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

9^th in class, 11^th overall – Tockwith Motorsports – Ligier JSP217-Gibson – Nigel Moore, Philip Hanson, Karun Chandhok. No.34. 351 laps.

The Tuckwith Ligier heading down to Tertre Rouge after dusk.

Ligier leads Alpine and Porsche through the Esses on Saturday evening.

Tuckwith Ligier in Tertre Rouge.

10^th in class, 12^th overall – Idec Sport Racing - Ligier JSP217-Gibson – Paul Lafargue, Patrice Lafargue, David Zollinger. No.17. 344 laps.

Idec Ligier leads another LMP2 car our of the Esses during the morning warm up.

Idec Ligier in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

11^th in class, 13^th overall – Racing Team Netherland – Dallara P217-Gibson – Jan Lammers, Frits Van Eerd, Rubens Barrichello. No.29. 344 laps.

The Dutch Dallara included ex-F1 drivers Jan Lammers and Rubens Barrichello as its drivers.

Early on Sunday morning in Tertre Rouge.

Racng Team Netherlands Dallara exiting the Esses.

12^th in class, 14^th overall – Dragonspeed 10 star – Oreca 07-Gibson – Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley, Felix Rosenqvist. No.21. 343 laps.

Dragonspeed Orace leading an Alpine through the Esses.

13^th in class, 15^th overall – Eurasia Motorsport – Ligier JSP217-Gibson - Pierre Nicolet, Jacques Nicolet, Erik Maris. No.33. 341 laps.

Eurasia Ligier exiting the Esses.

14^th in class, 16^th overall – Vaillante Rebellion – Oreca 07-Gibson – Nicolas Prost, Julien Canal, Bruno Senna. No.31. 340 laps.

Rebellion Oreca on the Maison Blanche straight.

Rebellion Oreca during the Saturday warm-up descending the straight towards Tertre Rouge.

Rebellion Oreca leading A ferrari through the Esses late Saturday evening.

On early Sunday morning the No.31 Rebellion Oreca was in third place in class.

15^th in class, 32^nd overall – Algarve Pro Racing – Ligier JSP217-Gibson – Mark Patterson, Matthew McMurry, Vincent Capillaire. No.45. 330 laps.

Algarve Pro Ligier in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

16^th in class, 33^rd overall – SMP Racing – Dallara P217-Gibson – Mikhail Aleshin, Sergey Sirotkin, Victor Shaitar. No.27. 330 laps.

SMP Dallara on the Maison Blanche straight.

SMP Dallara in Tertre Rouge just after dawn.

17^th in class, 39^th overall – G-Drive Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson – Memo Rojas, Ryo Hirakawa, Jose Gutierrez. No.22. 327 laps.

The No.22 G-Drive Oreca exiting the Esses on Saturday afternoon.

G-Drive Oreca leads another LMP2 car and the winning Porsche through the Esses early Saturday evening. 

18^th in class, 43^rd overall – Graff – Oreca 07-Gibson – Enzo Guibbert, Eric Trouillet, James Winslow. No.39. 318 laps.

The Graff Oreca leading other LMP2 cars through the Esses on Saturday at dusk.

The Graff Oreca exiting the Esses on Saturday afternoon.

19^th in class, 45^th overall – Arc Bratislava – Ligier JSP217-Gibson – Miroslav Konopka, Konstantin Calko, Rik Breukers. No.49. 314 laps.

The Arc Bratislava Ligier heading down to Tertre Rouge late Saturday evening.

The Arc Bratislava in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

20^th in class, 47^th overall – Keating Motorsports – Riley Mk30-Gibson – Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Ricky Taylor. No.43. 312 laps.

Riley vs Alpine in the Esses as it begins to get dark on Saturday evening.

Lots of people on the banking above the Esses late on Saturday afternoon.

Riley at speed through Tertre Rouge.  It was eventually the final finisher in its class.

DNF – Panis Barthez Competition – Ligier JSP217-Gibson – Fabien Barthez, Timothé Buret, Nathanael Berthon. No.23.  296 laps.

Sadly this French entered Ligier was destined to retire.

The Panis Barthez Ligier in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

DNF – TDS Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson – Francois Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Emmanuel Collard. No.28. 213 laps.

TDS Oreca in the Ford Chicane.  It would eventually retire.

TDS Oreca speeds past the huge crowds as it enters Tertre Rouge early in the race..

DNF – CEFC Manor TRS Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson – Roberto Gonzales, Simon Trummer, Vitaly Petrov. No.25. 152 laps.

Manor Oreca on the Maison Blanche straight on Saturday afternoon>

Tis Manor Oreca did at least last until night fall before retiring.

Heading a Ford GT through the Esses on Saturday evening.

DNF – G-Drive Racing – Oreca 07-Gibson – Roman Rusinov,  Pierre Thiriet, Alex Lynn.  No.26. 20 laps.

This G-Drive Oreca didn't last long, but here it is early in the race entering Tertre Rouge.

For the LMP1 cars at the 2017 Le Mans, click here.

For LMGTE Pro cars at the 2017 Le Mans, click here.

For the LMGTE Am cars at the 2017 Le Mans, click here.

LMP2 cars and the other classes ciculating under the safety car just after dawn.

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John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

LMP2 car heading along the pit straight.