LE MANS – Defending champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez led the Le Mans 24 Hour Race for Toyota as the classic endurance race headed into Sunday.
After 129 laps, they led Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley in the second Toyota by 1.749s.
Toyota had started in pole for the sixth successive race thanks to the efforts of that trio who won the race in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
In third place were Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Franck Mailleux in a Glickenhaus at two laps off the lead.
Earlier, Irish actor Michael Fassbender and eight-time world rally champion Sebastien Ogier were among the drivers of the 62 cars which set off at the start of the 90th edition of the classic feat of endurance.
About a quarter of the 186 drivers entered are competing in their first 24 Hours of Le Mans, including movie star Fassbender, driving a Porsche 911 RSR in the Proton competition.
Fassbender, who has twice been nominated for Oscars, crashed during his fourth lap in qualifying but did not suffer any injury.
“I was consistent,” he said after qualifying. “Consistently slow but at least consistent!”
Fassbender had a worrying moment as the clock ticked towards midnight when his Porsche ended in the wall after a collision.
His car had to be rebuilt for the second time this week as a result.
Meanwhile, Josh Pierson took to the track two hours into the race to become the youngest driver in event history at 16 years and 118 days.
The record had been expected since the American was named alongside experienced Britons Alexander Lynn and Oliver Jarvis as one of the three drivers for the United Autosports Oreca in the second-tier LMP2 class.
The car struggled with early technical issues and was 13th when Pierson took the wheel shortly after 18:00 local time (12am MYT).
As he drove onto the track, Pierson broke the record held by compatriot Matt McMurry who was 16 years and 202 days when he drove in 2014.
Pierson had been a focus of attention in the run-up to the race.
“It’s something special...to be a part of history at such a young age but I think I’m ready,” he told the race website.
At the other end of the scale, the oldest driver in the event, 65-year-old German Pierre Ehret, also took the wheel of his car, the Iron Lynx Ferrari, shortly before 6:00 pm.
He almost immediately went off the track following a collision but was able to restart quickly.
This is his tenth appearance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pierson was not even born when he made his debut in 2005.
Of the 186 drivers, only five are women, half as many as in 1935.
Young Frenchwoman Lilou Wadoux is in Sebastien Ogier’s team. German Sophia Floersch, who was five laps down after finishing in the gravel at the start, is in the Oreca of Algarve Pro Racing.
The other three women, Rahel Frey (Switzerland), Michelle Gatting (Denmark) and Sarah Bovy (Belgium) are driving the Iron Dames Ferrari. They were slowed by a puncture in the opening laps. – AFP, June 12, 2022
