Larbre Competition have quickly climbed the order at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours after completing a clean opening four hours of running at the iconic endurance race this afternoon.
Taking the start at 3pm local time, the team’s pair of Corvette C6.R cars have settled into a solid pace at the La Sarthe circuit and continue to run without problems.
The #50 car began the race in the hands of Pedro Lamy and has advanced up the field at an impressive rate, moving from eighth at the start to run third in the highly competitive GTE Am class.
Patrick Bornhauser took the controls from Lamy and enjoyed a trouble-free two hours on-track before handing over to Julien Canal, who continues to circulate near the sharp end of the category.
Meanwhile the #70 Corvette has also made progress. Despite slipping back at the start it now finds itself 10th in class, with Jean-Philippe Belloc completing a double stint to open the race. Pascal Gibon took the wheel next before Christophe Bourret climbed aboard at the four-hour mark.
The Val de Vienne-based outfit, who are seeking to secure a hat-trick of Le Mans 24 Hours triumphs having taken GTE Am honours in both 2010 and 2011, will now be aiming for more of the same as they continue to advance towards the front. With the crucial night hours fast approaching the team is entering a critical phase of the twice-around-the-clock race, making its experience of success at the event all the more valuable.
Patrick Bornhauser, #50 Corvette C6.R: “I was behind the wheel for about two hours and the car is going very well, especially the tyres which improved lap after lap. We’re progressing but it’s still early in the race so we need to remain focussed and stick to our own programme, not worry about what those around us are doing.”
Pedro Lamy, #50 Corvette C6.R: “My opening stint was not ideal as I did not have the right tyre pressures, but after correcting this during my first stop things got a lot better. The most important things is that we’re near the front and have good pace.”
Jean-Philippe Belloc, #70 Corvette C6.R: “The car is going well and definitely feels better than in practice, especially regarding our worries over the tyres. In trying to fix this problem we changed the set-up and the car is definitely more stable. I’m happy with how the race has gone thus far.”
Pascal Gibon, #70 Corvette C6.R: “The car is going nicely, allowing me to gain confidence with every lap and set a good pace. We need to continue in this manner if we are to keep moving forward.”
The chequered flag is set to fall on this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours at 3pm local time tomorrow (Sunday June 17).
Source : Larbre Compétition