2012 24 Hours of Le Mans

80th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race May 2021 July 2019 2011 2012 2013 thumbnail|right|Circuit de la Sarthe track thumb|The race winning No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro, driven by Marcel Fässler, Benoît Tréluyer and André Lotterer. thumb|Highcroft Racing No. 0 Nissan Deltawing, First Garage 56 entry of the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans The 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 80e 24 Heures du Mans) was a 24-hour automobile endurance race for teams of three drivers each entering Le Mans Prototype and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance cars held from 16 to 17 June 2012 at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le Mans, France before 240,000 spectators. It was the 80th running of the event, as organised by the automotive group, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) since 1923. The race was the third round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, with 30 of the race's 56 entries contesting the championship. A test day was held two weeks prior to the race on 3 June. A Audi R18 e-tron quattro driven by André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer started from pole position after Lotterer set the fastest overall lap time in the third qualifying session. The team were untroubled in the opening hours of the race until a Toyota TS030 Hybrid shared by Alexander Wurz, Kazuki Nakajima and Nicolas Lapierre took the lead. Toyota relinquished it during a safety car period for a major accident at the start of the sixth hour. Audi's other team of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello became their teammate's lead challengers until McNish crashed while lapping slower traffic in the 22nd hour and providing Lotterer, Fässler and Tréluyer with a lead they maintained to the end of the race. It was Lotterer, Fässler and Tréluyer's second Le Mans win, Audi's eleventh and the first for a hybrid electric vehicle. The second Audi finished one lap behind in second place and a R18 ultra of Oliver Jarvis, Marco Bonanomi and Mike Rockenfeller completed an Audi sweep of the podium positions in third. The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class was won by the Starworks Motorsport team of Enzo Potolicchio, Ryan Dalziel and Tom Kimber-Smith in a HPD ARX-03b after they led the final 215 laps of the event. The trio finished ahead of Thiriet by TDS Racing's Oreca 03 car shared by Pierre Thiriet, Mathias Beche and Christophe Tinseau and PeCom Racing's Luis Pérez Companc, Pierre Kaffer and Soheil Ayari. Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander in an AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 held a three-lap lead in Le Mans Grand Touring Professional (LMGTE Pro) over Luxury Racing's trio of Frédéric Makowiecki, Jaime Melo and Dominik Farnbacher. The Le Mans Grand Touring Amateur (LMGTE Am) category was won by Larbre Compétition's Chevrolet Corvette C6.R of Patrick Bornhauser, Pedro Lamy and Julien Canal after Lamy overtook Anthony Pons, Nicolas Armindo and Raymond Narac's IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 997 GT3-RSR in the final hour. Due to the result of the race, McNish, Kristensen and Capello were elevated to the lead of the Drivers' Championship, 6½ points over the race winners Lotterer, Fässler and Tréluyer in second position. The leaders entering the event, Romain Dumas and Loïc Duval fell to third. Marc Gené was in fourth place and the Rebellion trio of Nick Heidfeld, Neel Jani and Nico Prost completed the top five after finishing in fourth position. Audi continued to lead the non-scoring Toyota in the Manufacturers' Championship with five races left in the season. Background The 24 Hours of Le Mans was first held in 1923 after the automotive journalist Charles Faroux, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) general secretary Georges Durand and the industrialist Emile Coquile agreed to hold a test of vehicle reliability and durability. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is considered one of the world's most prestigious motor races and is part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport.O'Kane Philip https://archive.org/details/historyofmotorsp0000unse/ The History of Motor Sport: A Case Study Analysis Routledge 2012 978-0-415-67788-2 Hassan David Abingdon, Oxfordshire 105–109 A History of the 'Triple Crown' of Motor Racing: The Indianapolis 500, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix registration Open Library The ACO moved the 2012 Le Mans schedule forward by one week in order to avoid a date conflict with races in the 2012 Formula One World Championship and to allow teams to establish their facilities at the Circuit de la Sarthe close to Le Mans, France.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/94127 Le Mans 24 Hours to avoid clash with Formula 1 next year Beer Matt 29 August 2011 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20121011173336/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/94127 11 October 2012 live 18 July 201924 Hours of Le Mans Encyclopædia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/sports/24-Hours-of-Le-Mans 25 July 2021 Augustyn Adam 17 June 2019 C. Shepherd Melinda Chauhan Yamini Levy Michael Lotha Gloria Tikkanen Amy It was the 80th annual edition of the event, as well as the third of eight automobile endurance races of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jun/17/audi-le-mans-24-hours-race Audi is first manufacturer to take Le Mans 24 Hours race with hybrid Richards Giles 17 June 2012 The Guardian 18 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20131219075420/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jun/17/audi-le-mans-24-hours-race 19 December 2013 live After the preceding 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Audi drivers Romain Dumas and Loïc Duval led the Drivers' Championship with 43 points, two ahead of their teammates Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish in second place. Marc Gené was in third position with 25 points, the trio of Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer were in fourth place with 19 1 2 points and Timo Bernhard was fifth with 18 points.http://www.fiawec.com:80/courses/classification.html WEC Classification – 2012 LMP1 Manufacturers' World Championship FIA World Endurance Championship https://web.archive.org/web/20121119011917/http://www.fiawec.com/courses/classification.html 19 November 2012 dead 15 July 2017 Audi led the non-scoring Toyota in the Manufacturers' Championship by 52 points. Regulation changes With the introduction of hybrid electric vehicles for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2012, the ACO and the world governing body of motor racing, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), created seven zones on the Circuit de la Sarthe for those cars to recuperate electrical energy under braking. Each zone was situated 50 m ft on before the entry to a corner. The ACO and the FIA imposed a mandatory limit of 500 kJ Wh on to restrict the amount of energy capable of being harvested by an energy recovery system between two braking zones and to regulate the capital needed to develop such systems.https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a21881/le-mans-braking-zones-2012-le-mans-24-hours-35520/ Le Mans Braking Zones – 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours Adcock Ian 31 May 2012 Road & Track https://web.archive.org/web/20190719083351/https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a21881/le-mans-braking-zones-2012-le-mans-24-hours-35520/ 19 July 2019 live 19 July 2019 Entries Automatic entries Automatic entries were earned by teams which won their class in the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams who won Le Mans-based series and events such as the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), Le Mans Series (LMS), and the Petit Le Mans were also invited. Some second-place finishers were also granted automatic entries in certain series. Entries were also granted for the winners of the Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge in both the ALMS and the LMS. A final entry was granted to the champion in the LMS' Formula Le Mans category, and the winner received their invitation in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2). As automatic entries were granted to teams, teams were allowed to change their cars from the previous year to the next, but not their category. Automatic invitations in the two GTE categories could be swapped between the two based on the driver line-ups chosen by those teams. As the ALMS did not separate between the Pro and Am categories, only a single GTE invitation was granted for their class champion.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=D6F52546-1143-FDC9-3573A7317941F00A.html 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours – The Automatic Entries 24 November 2011 DailySportsCar 18 July 2019 12 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212161640/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=D6F52546-1143-FDC9-3573A7317941F00A.html live On 24 November 2011, the list of automatic entries was announced by the ACO. Peugeot Sport chose not to accept their automatic invitation as they withdrew from sports car racing in January 2012 due to financial difficulties.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-racing-lemans-peugeot/peugeot-quit-le-mans-for-cost-reasons-idUSTRE80H1M420120118 Peugeot quit Le Mans for cost reasons Frost Laurence 18 January 2012 18 July 2019 Reuters Baldwin Alan Sarkar Pritha 12 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212161640/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-racing-lemans-peugeot/peugeot-quit-le-mans-for-cost-reasons-idUSTRE80H1M420120118 live BMW Team RLL and Pegasus Racing were the other two teams who did not take up their entries because both teams elected to focus on their respective series during the 2012 season. +Automatic entries for the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans Reason Entered LMP1 LMP2 LMGTE Pro LMGTE Am 1st in the 24 Hours of Le Mans DEU Audi Sport Team Joest GBR Greaves Motorsport USA Corvette Racing FRA Larbre Compétition 1st in the Le Mans Series CHE Rebellion Racing GBR Greaves Motorsport ITA AF Corse FRA IMSA Performance Matmut 2nd in the Le Mans Series FRA Pescarolo Team GBR Strakka Racing GBR JMW Motorsport ITA AF Corse 1st in the American Le Mans Series USA Dyson Racing Team Not Awarded USA BMW Team RLL 2nd in the American Le Mans Series USA Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing Not Awarded USA Corvette Racing 1st in the Petit Le Mans FRA Peugeot Sport Total USA Level 5 Motorsports ITA AF Corse USA Krohn Racing 1st in Le Mans Series Energy Endurance Challenge FRA Pescarolo Team ITA AF Corse 1st in American Le Mans Series Energy Endurance Challenge USA Dyson Racing Team USA BMW Team RLL 1st in Le Mans Series FLM category FRA Pegasus RacingSource: Entry list 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship#EntriesIn conjunction with the announcement of entries for the 2012 FIA WEC, the ACO announced the full 56-car entry list and nine-vehicle reserve list at a press conference in Paris on 2 February.Wittemeier Roman 2 February 2012 Le Mans und WEC: Das sind die Starter Le Mans and WEC: These are the starters https://www.motorsport-total.com/24-stunden-von-le-mans/news/le-mans-und-wec-das-sind-die-starter-12020207 18 July 2019 motorsport-total.com de 12 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212161642/https://www.motorsport-total.com/24-stunden-von-le-mans/news/le-mans-und-wec-das-sind-die-starter-12020207 live In addition to the 30 guaranteed entries from the WEC, 5 came from the ALMS, 3 from the LMS, while the rest of the field was filled with one-off entries only competing at Le Mans.http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2012/24-heures-du-mans/entry_list_24_heures_du_mans_2012.pdf List of the Competitors, Cars (V) & Drivers and Callowed to Take Part in the Qualifying Sessions of 13th and 14th of June 2012 11 June 2012 Automobile Club de l'Ouest https://web.archive.org/web/20120916065029/http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2012/24-heures-du-mans/entry_list_24_heures_du_mans_2012.pdf 16 September 2012 dead 18 July 2019 Garage 56 For the 56th and final entry for the 2012 Le Mans race, the ACO promoted cars which featured advancements in technology, either for performance or ecological improvement. Three projects were submitted to the ACO, with the automatic entry being granted to an American group by the name of Project 56 who developed the DeltaWing concept originally proposed for the American IndyCar Series. The extremely lightweight car features a layout that is far removed from the style of Le Mans Prototypes. The project was backed by Highcroft Racing, All American Racers and the Panoz Group.http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-deltawing-to-build-lmp1-car-for-2012-24-hour-race/ Le Mans: DeltaWing To Build LMP1 Car For 2012 LM24 Race 9 June 2011 Speed https://web.archive.org/web/20120326073543/http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-deltawing-to-build-lmp1-car-for-2012-24-hour-race/ 26 March 2012 dead 8 August 2011 Two other entries had been granted reserve status if the DeltaWing team withdrew: the Swiss-developed GreenGT LMP-H2, which utilized a hydrogen fuel cell to run electric motors within a Le Mans Prototype style body,http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2011/24heures_du_mans/communique_presse/cp_greengt_gb.pdf GreenGT LMP H2 invited as experimental prototype by the ACO to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2012 GreenGT https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121212/http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2011/24heures_du_mans/communique_presse/cp_greengt_gb.pdf 4 March 2016 dead 8 August 2011 and the French Courage 0.12 used stored energy to drive electric motors.8 June 2011 Courage 0.12: Objectif Le Mans! Courage 0.12: Objective Le Mans! http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2011/24heures_du_mans/communique_presse/Communique_de_presse_courage_12.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173840/http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2011/24heures_du_mans/communique_presse/Communique_de_presse_courage_12.pdf 3 March 2016 8 August 2011 Courage Technology fr Reserves Nine reserves were initially nominated by the ACO, limited to the LMP2 (five) and both of the LMGTE (four) categories. The Dyson Racing teams withdrew both of their Lola B12/60-Mazda cars from the entry list on 16 April, citing a financial difficulty preventing the team from obtaining the necessary budget to compete at Le Mans and a desire to focus on the ALMS. This promoted the No. Car number 30 Status Grand Prix Lola B12/80 and the No. 48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca 03-Nissan cars to the race entry list.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98909 Dyson withdraws cars from Le Mans 24 Hours 16 April 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20120420040010/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98909 20 April 2012 dead 18 July 2019 That same day, the ACO released a revised entry list confirming the withdrawal of the Dyson entries as well as the Jetalliance, Hope Racing, Lotus Cars and Aston Martin Racing reserve entries. By the event's start, three reserved entries had not been promoted to the race entry.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=BB86FCEA-1143-FDC9-354A05849F580C8D.html Dyson Withdraws From Le Mans: Status And Murphy Join The LMP2 Ranks 16 April 2012 DailySportsCar 18 July 2019 12 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212161644/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=BB86FCEA-1143-FDC9-354A05849F580C8D.html live Testing and practice A test day was held on 3 June, two weeks prior to the race, and required all race entrants to participate in eight hours of track time divided into two sessions.http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2012/24-heures-du-mans/reglements/2012-24-heures-du-mans-supplementary-regulations.pdf 24 Heures du Mans 2012 Supplementary Regulations 19 December 2011 Automobile Club de l'Ouest 6, 9 & 21–22 https://web.archive.org/web/20120710213735/http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2012/24-heures-du-mans/reglements/2012-24-heures-du-mans-supplementary-regulations.pdf 10 July 2012 dead 18 July 2019 A second Level 5 Motorsports HPD ARX-03b for Scott Tucker, the No. 32 Lotus Lola B12/80 and IMSA Performance's Porsche 997 GT3-RSR reserve entries took part. Sébastien Loeb Racing and two DAMS-entered Le Mans Prototype Challenge Oreca FLM09s also participated.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=A6EE63B1-1143-FDC9-359CEEC268652EB6.html Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day – Entry Notes 2 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190718202001/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DA6EE63B1-1143-FDC9-359CEEC268652EB6.html 18 July 2019 live 18 July 2019 Toyota's Stéphane Sarrazin was unable to take part in testing after sustaining facial injuries from a bike accident on the afternoon of 2 June.http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-test-day-notebook Le Mans: Test Day Notebook Dagys John 2 June 2012 Speed 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20120705111301/http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-test-day-notebook 5 July 2012 dead 21 July 2019 Duval set the fastest lap in the first session at 3:27.738 in the No. 3 Audi R18 Ultra.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100097 Loic Duval's Audi sets early Le Mans test day pace Watkins Gary 3 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20120606010438/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100097 6 June 2012 dead 18 July 2019 McNish later improved to a 3:25.927 lap in the No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro though he crashed at Tertre Rouge corner with one hour remaining and was unable to continue.https://autoweek.com/article/alms/mcnish-tops-practice-charts-le-mans-deltawing-shows-its-stuff McNish tops practice charts at Le Mans; Deltawing shows its stuff Watkins Gary 4 June 2012 Autoweek https://web.archive.org/web/20190718202009/https://autoweek.com/article/alms/mcnish-tops-practice-charts-le-mans-deltawing-shows-its-stuff 18 July 2019 live 18 July 2019 He was followed by Lotterer's No. 1 Audi in second and Duval fell to third. The fastest Toyota TS030 Hybrid was fourth courtesy of a lap from Alexander Wurz and the fastest privateer LMP1 entry was Danny Watts' No. 21 Strakka Racing HPD ARX-03a car in sixth. At the end of the first session, Guillaume Moreau crashed the No. 15 OAK Racing Pescarolo car heavily against a concrete barrier in the Porsche Curves, sustaining a fracture to the T12 vertebrae on his spinal cord. He underwent an operation at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers to reduce the pressure on his spinal cord and was ruled out of the race.https://www.crash.net/le-mans/news/180500/1/moreau-ruled-out-after-testing-shunt Moreau out after testing shunt Salisbury Matt 5 June 2012 Crash https://web.archive.org/web/20190718201957/https://www.crash.net/le-mans/news/180500/1/moreau-ruled-out-after-testing-shunt 18 July 2019 live 18 July 2019 His place was taken by former Peugeot driver Franck Montagny.Lauraux Matthieu 8 June 2012 24h du Mans 2012 : Montagny remplace Moreau fr 24h of Le Mans 2012: Montagny replaces Moreau TF1 https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/auto-moto/news/24h-mans-2012-montagny-remplace-moreau-8303533.html live 18 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190718201959/https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/auto-moto/news/24h-mans-2012-montagny-remplace-moreau-8303533.html 18 July 2019 Olivier Pla's OAK Morgan LMP2 car led in LMP2 as Frédéric Makowiecki in the No. 59 Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 was the fastest driver in LMGTE Pro and Allan Simonsen helped Aston Martin to be fastest in LMGTE Am. Separate crashes from Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Rui Águas, Jordan Taylor, Pierre Thiriet and Gianmaria Bruni led to disruptions during the second session.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=B26916B4-1143-FDC9-35811E25B338D018.html Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day – Sunday Afternoon Session 3 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190718202002/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DB26916B4-1143-FDC9-35811E25B338D018.html 18 July 2019 live 18 July 2019 After the test several prototype teams, including all Audi, Toyota, Pescarolo and Starworks Motorsports cars participated in an unofficial test on the shorter Bugatti Circuit on 6 June to ensure car components were working efficiently before the race.http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-teams-complete-test-on-bugatti-circuit/ Le Mans: Teams Complete Test on Bugatti Circuit Dagys John 6 June 2012 Speed https://web.archive.org/web/20120609005416/http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-teams-complete-test-on-bugatti-circuit/ 9 June 2012 dead 18 July 2019 Official practice was held on 13 June with the full 56-car field on track for four hours. Audi led from the start once again, with Duval and later Tréluyer setting the early pace. Kristensen went faster before a lap of 3:25.163 from Lotterer at the end of the session made him quickest and Audi took the first four places. Kazuki Nakajima was the fastest Toyota driver in fifth and his teammate Anthony Davidson was sixth. A powertrain issue stopped the No. 8 Toyota on the Mulsanne Straight and it required an engine change. Watts was the fastest LMP1 privateer in seventh and Sébastien Bourdais's No. 17 Pescarolo Dome-Judd placed eighth. The No. 16 Pescarolo car of Jean-Christophe Boullion spun and crashed into a guardrail at 268 km/h mph on, damaging his ribs and leaving him unable to compete for the rest of the race meeting.http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h/update/only-two-drivers-will-race-for-the-no16-pescarolo_7708.html Only two drivers will race for the No.16 Pescarolo 15 June 2012 16 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120618054838/http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h/update/only-two-drivers-will-race-for-the-no16-pescarolo_7708.html 18 June 2012 dead Automobile Club de l'Ouest Tom Kimber-Smith in the No. 44 Starworks HPD ARX-03b vehicle led in LMP2 with a 3:39.669 lap, ahead of the No. 38 Jota Zytek Z11SN car of Sam Hancock and Warren Hughes' No. 48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca entry.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=E5DF0F2B-1143-FDC9-354E723C81711BD0.html Le Mans 24 Hours, Free Practice – 16.00–20.00 13 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190718201959/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DE5DF0F2B-1143-FDC9-354E723C81711BD0.html 18 July 2019 live 18 July 2019http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100343 Lotterer puts #1 Audi e-tron on top by 1.3 seconds in Le Mans opening practice Beer Matt 13 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20150911224027/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100343 11 September 2015 dead 18 July 2019 The LMGTE Pro category was led by the No. 97 Aston Martin of Darren Turner with a time of 3:57.036 and Patrick Pilet in the No. 79 Flying Lizard Porsche was fastest in LMGTE Am and was within 1.2 seconds of Turner's pace. The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari caused a stoppage after Giancarlo Fisichella pirouetted and heavily damaged the car's rear-left corner in the Porsche Curves. The ACO and the FIA applied force majeure and allowed the car's chassis to be transported to AF Corse's factory in Piacenza for reconstruction.https://www.lemans.org/en/news/update-on-the-no-51-af-corse-ferrari-458-italia/7642 Update on the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia 14 June 2012 Automobile Club de l'Ouest https://web.archive.org/web/20190719083351/https://www.lemans.org/en/news/update-on-the-no-51-af-corse-ferrari-458-italia/7642 19 July 2019 live 19 July 2019 Qualifying The first of three two-hour qualifying sessions to determine the race's starting order through the quickest laps set by each team's fastest driver began late 13 June night under clear conditions.Le Mans 24 Hours, Qualifying 1 – 22.00–00.00 http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=E758A2DD-1143-FDC9-358D6BE651AD06BF.html DailySportsCar 14 June 2012 19 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190719131338/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DE758A2DD-1143-FDC9-358D6BE651AD06BF.html 19 July 2019 Audi led from the first minutes of the session with a flying lap from Oliver Jarvis in the No. 4 Audi, followed by Kristensen overtaking Jarvis soon after. He was followed by Lotterer whose final timed lap of 3:25.453 earned the No. 1 Audi team provisional pole position. Kristensen's time put the No. 2 car second and Duval's No. 3 entry finished the session third. The No. 7 Toyota of Nicolas Lapierre was 1.7 seconds adrift of the fastest Audi in fourth.Codling Stuart Last-gasp Lotterer heads Audi 1–2–3 in first qualifying at Le Mans http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100346 Autosport 13 June 2012 19 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20150911224219/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100346 11 September 2015 dead Mike Rockenfeller's No. 4 Audi took fifth and Davidson's No. 8 Toyota in sixth was the slowest of all the hybrid cars. Watts, driving the No. 21 Strakka HPD, was the top non-hybrid LMP1 vehicle in seventh. Mathias Beche drove the No. 46 Thiriet by TDS Oreca to provisional pole in LMP2 with a lap of 3:39.252 ahead of the Murphy Oreca car of Brendon Hartley and Kimber-Smith's Starworks HPD vehicle. Keiko Ihara crashed the No. 29 Gulf Racing Middle East Lola car at the Dunlop Curves and was extricated from a barrier by recovery vehicles. The Pro class of LMGTE had Chevrolet lead from the start with the fastest lap set by Oliver Gavin in the No. 74 C6.R at 3:55.910. Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche all had cars within two seconds of the Corvette. Pilet's Flying Lizard Porsche set the pace in LMGTE Am, followed by Sean Edwards' No. 75 Prospeed Competition car and Simonsen's Aston Martin. The experimental DeltaWing car driven by Michael Krumm suffered a heavy jolt on a kerb that activated its onboard fire extinguisher and the master electrical switch, disabling the engine.https://www.lemans.org/en/news/interviews-with-nissan-deltawings-michael-krumm-and-ben-bowlby/7644 Interview with Nissan DeltaWing's Michael Krumm and Ben Bowlby 14 June 2012 Automobile Club de l'Ouest https://web.archive.org/web/20190719181738/https://www.lemans.org/en/news/interviews-with-nissan-deltawings-michael-krumm-and-ben-bowlby/7644 19 July 2019 live 19 July 2019 thumb|The No. 59 Luxury Racing Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 that took pole position in LMGTE Pro The weather was clear for the second session on the evening of 14 June. Duval's Audi R18 Ultra was quickest in the session with a lap of 3:24.098 on 30 minutes to go and passed Lotterer's No. 1 Audi for provisional pole position. McNish's No. 2 car finished the session third at the conclusion of a final six-lap stint as Davidson prevented Audi from taking the first four positions in the No. 8 Toyota. The No. 4 Audi of Marco Bonanomi fell to fifth and Toyota's No. 7 entry driven by Nakajima dropped to sixth after Lapierre lost control of its rear and spun into some grass entering the Ford Chicane. Watts' Strakka HPD improved its best lap to ensure it remained the fastest non-hybrid LMP1 vehicle in seventh with Neel Jani's No. 12 Rebellion Lola-Toyota eighth.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100366 Loic Duval moves Audi's #3 Ultra onto provisional Le Mans pole 24 Hours Tremayne Sam 14 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151023144247/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100366 23 October 2015 live 19 July 2019 One second covered the first six vehicles in LMP2 as Pla gave OAK's Oreca car provisional pole in class at the session's conclusion with a time of 3:38.598 despite a driver error into a gravel trap at Indianapolis corner. Nelson Panciatici's No. 26 Signatech car was second. In LMGTE Pro, Makowiecki moved the No. 59 Luxury Ferrari to the provisional category pole position. Turner helped Aston Martin to finish the session second and Tommy Milner's No. 74 Corvette took third.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=ECABBA19-1143-FDC9-35E2E11A6B859502.html Le Mans 24 Hours – Qualifying 2 – 19.00–21.00 14 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190719181736/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DECABBA19-1143-FDC9-35E2E11A6B859502.html 19 July 2019 live 19 July 2019 The No. 58 Luxury Ferrari was the fastest LMGTE Am car of the session yet it was more than 1.2 seconds behind the Flying Lizard Porsche's pole lap. thumb|left|André Lotterer earned the seventh pole position for Audi at Le Mans In the third session, Lotterer in the No. 1 R18 e-tron quattro set a new fastest lap of 3:23.787 after 13 minutes and held the top of the time sheets to take pole position for Audi.Le Mans 24 Hours, Qualifying 3 – 22.00–00.00 http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=EC65AA6F-1143-FDC9-35946B895684C196.html DailySportsCar 14 June 2012 19 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190719195505/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DEC65AA6F-1143-FDC9-35946B895684C196.html 19 July 2019 Audi was the first manufacturer to earn pole position with a hybrid electric vehicle at Le Mans and took its seventh overall pole at the race.Schurig Marcus 15 June 2012 Audi holt erste Hybrid-Pole-Position Audi takes first hybrid pole position https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/news/1-qualifikation-24h-rennen-le-mans-2012-audi-dominiert-das-erste-zeittraining/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20190720070928/https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/news/1-qualifikation-24h-rennen-le-mans-2012-audi-dominiert-das-erste-zeittraining/ 20 July 2019 20 July 2012 Auto motor und sport de Duval improved the No. 3 Audi's lap to sit alongside the No. 1 car on the grid's front row.http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-audi-retains-pole-for-lm24 Le Mans: Audi Retains Pole For LM24 Dagys John 14 June 2012 Speed https://web.archive.org/web/20120619183342/http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-audi-retains-pole-for-lm24 19 June 2012 dead 19 July 2019 The No. 8 Toyota of Davidson closed to almost within a second of the pole sitting Audi with 15 minutes remaining to take third position.Strang Simon Andre Lotterer makes Le Mans history as first hybrid claims pole http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100369 Autosport 14 June 2012 19 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151023120333/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100369 23 October 2015 dead Kristensen separated the two Toyota entries in fourth place as Nakajima qualified the No. 7 TS030 Hybrid fifth. The final manufacturer vehicle was Jarvis' No. 4 Audi in sixth. Watts' Strakka won against the Rebellion car of Jani to be the fastest non-hybrid LMP1 car in seventh. Seiji Ara in the No. 17 Pescarolo Dome car made impact with a barrier at the Porsche Curves and brought out the sole stoppage of 10 minutes in all three sessions. In LMP2, John Martin's No. 26 ADR-Delta Oreca vehicle set a time of 3:38.181 in the first minutes of the session to move the team to pole position and its lap was unchallenged thereafter. Pla's OAK Oreca car fell to second and Panciatici's Signatech vehicle started from third after an error during the session. The No. 97 Aston Martin of Turner was unable to better the car's time to displace Makowiecki's No. 59 Luxury Racing Ferrari at the top of LMGTE Pro and Milner's No. 74 Corvette remained third in category. The lead in LMGTE Am remained with the Flying Lizard Porsche, 0.012 seconds ahead of the No. 77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Pro category car. Qualifying results Pole position winners in each class are indicated in bold. The fastest time set by each entry is denoted in gray. +Final qualifying classification Pos Position No. Car number Team Car Class Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3 Gap Gap to the fastest lap Grid Final grid position 1 1 Audi Sport Team JoestAudi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 3:25.453 3:24.997 3:23.787 — 01 1 2 3 Audi Sport Team JoestAudi R18 ultra LMP1 3:26.694 3:24.078 3:27.578 +0.291 02 2 3 8 Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 Hybrid LMP1 3:28.295 3:26.151 3:24.842 +1.055 03 3 4 2 Audi Sport Team JoestAudi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 3:26.536 3:26.038 3:25.433 +1.646 04 4 5 7 Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 Hybrid LMP1 3:27.191 3:26.502 3:25.488 +1.701 05 5 6 4 Audi Sport North AmericaAudi R18 ultra LMP1 3:27.554 3:26.420 3:26.600 +2.633 06 6 7 21 Strakka RacingHPD ARX-03a-Honda LMP1 3:32.750 3:29.622 3:37.253 +5.835 07 7 8 12 Rebellion RacingLola B12/60-Toyota LMP1 3:33.211 3:29.837 3:34.476 +6.050 08 8 9 13 Rebellion Racing Lola B12/60-Toyota LMP1 3:33.140 3:31.866 3:41.533 +8.079 09 9 10 17 Pescarolo Team Dome S102.5-Judd LMP1 3:34.716 3:34.925 3:33.066 +9.279 10 10 11 22 JRMHPD ARX-03a-Honda LMP1 3:37.088 No Time 3:35.421 +11.634 11 11 12 15 OAK Racing OAK Pescarolo 01-Judd LMP1 3:38.414 3:37.367 3:35.584 +11.797 12 12 13 16 Pescarolo Team Pescarolo 03-Judd LMP1 No Time 3:37.485 3:48.716 +13.698 56 —1 1 14 25 ADR-Delta Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 3:41.791 3:40.174 3:38.181 +14.394 13 13 15 24 OAK RacingMorgan LMP2-Judd LMP2 3:40.902 3:38.598 3:40.310 +14.811 14 14 16 26 Signatech-Nissan Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 3:42.157 3:39.152 3:44.622 +15.365 15 15 17 46 Thiriet by TDS Racing Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 3:39.252 3:41.975 3:41.990 +15.465 16 16 18 49 PeCom Racing Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 3:41.916 3:39.711 3:40.292 +15.924 17 17 19 48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 3:39.877 3:40.652 3:42.057 +16.090 18 18 20 35 OAK Racing Morgan LMP2-Nissan LMP2 3:41.721 3:39.899 3:41.707 +16.112 19 19 21 30 Status Grand PrixLola B12/80-Judd LMP2 3:41.451 3:42.518 3:40.280 +16.493 20 20 22 44 Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX-03b-Honda LMP2 3:40.639 3:41.863 3:40.471 +16.684 21 21 23 45 Boutsen Ginion Racing Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 3:40.727 3:43.763 3:42.949 +16.940 22 22 24 42 Greaves MotorsportZytek Z11SN-Nissan LMP2 3:42.125 3:40.738 3:43.230 +16.951 23 23 25 38JotaZytek Z11SN- Nissan LMP2 3:41.287 3:41.428 No Time +17.500 24 24 26 23 Signatech-Nissan Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 3:44.495 3:42.581 3:41.982 +18.195 25 25 27 33 Level 5 Motorsports HPD ARX-03b-Honda LMP2 3:42.224 No Time 3:42.696 +18.437 26 26 28 41 Greaves MotorsportZytek Z11SN-Nissan LMP2 3:47.408 3:43.406 3:42.292 +18.505 27 27 29 0 Highcroft Racing DeltaWing-NissanCDNT 3:42.612 3:48.142 3:50.903 +18.825 28 28 30 40 Race Performance Oreca 03-Judd LMP2 3:48.124 3:43.619 3:46.200 +19.832 29 29 31 31 LotusLola B12/80-Lotus LMP2 3:48.067 No Time 3:45.664 +21.877 30 30 32 28 Gulf Racing Middle EastLola B12/80-Nissan LMP2 3:50.526 3:47.244 4:15.649 +23.457 31 31 33 43 Extrême Limite ARICNorma MP200P-Judd LMP2 3:51.012 3:53.560 3:48.025 +24.238 32 32 34 59 Luxury RacingFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Pro 3:56.076 3:55.393 3:58.647 +31.606 33 33 35 97 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE LMGTE Pro 3:57.466 3:55.870 3:56.036 +32.083 34 34 36 74Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6.R LMGTE Pro 3:55.910 3:58.214 3:57.981 +32.123 35 35 37 71 AF CorseFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Pro 3:57.509 3:58.960 3:56.484 +32.697 36 36 38 73Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6.R LMGTE Pro 3:57.181 3:59.433 3:59.471 +33.394 37 37 39 79 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 997 GT3-RSR LMGTE Am 3:57.594 4:09.762 4:03.420 +33.807 38 38 40 77 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 997 GT3-RSR LMGTE Pro 3:57.648 3:57.606 4:19.147 +33.819 39 39 41 75 Prospeed Competition Porsche 997 GT3-RSR LMGTE Am 3:58.035 9:51.593 3:59.739 +34.248 40 40 42 80 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 997 GT3-RSR LMGTE Pro 3:58.717 4:00.011 3:59.372 +34.930 41 41 43 99 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE LMGTE Am 3:58.725 4:00.958 No Time +34.938 42 42 44 58 Luxury RacingFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Am 4:00.849 3:58.800 No Time +35.013 43 43 45 29 Gulf Racing Middle EastLola B12/80-Nissan LMP2 4:14.086 No Time 3:58.895 +35.108 44 44 46 88 Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 997 GT3-RSR LMGTE Am 3:59.529 3:59.181 3:59.971 +35.394 45 45 47 50 Larbre Compétition Chevrolet Corvette C6.R LMGTE Am 3:59.192 4:05.426 4:13.459 +35.405 46 46 48 66 JMW MotorsportFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Pro 4:00.883 3:59.638 4:10.192 +35.851 47 47 49 51 AF CorseFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Pro No Time No Time 4:00.025 +36.238 48 48 50 81 AF CorseFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Am 4:04.493 4:00.288 4:00.924 +36.501 49 49 51 67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 997 GT3-RSR LMGTE Am 4:00.332 4:00.829 4:07.180 +36.545 50 50 52 61 AF Corse-WaltripFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Am 4:04.861 4:00.691 4:08.217 +36.904 51 51 53 57 Krohn RacingFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Am 4:04.698 4:04.075 4:02.323 +38.536 52 52 54 83 JMB RacingFerrari 458 Italia GT2 LMGTE Am 4:04.416 4:02.461 4:20.082 +38.674 53 53 55 70 Larbre Compétition Chevrolet Corvette C6.R LMGTE Am 4:03.021 4:02.969 4:09.709 +39.182 54 54 56 55 JWA-Avila Porsche 997 GT3-RSR LMGTE Am 4:08.170 4:03.661 4:03.705 +39.874 55 55Source:FIA WEC: 80º Edition des 24 Heures du Mans: Qualifying Practice: Provisional Classification http://www.dailysportscar.com/Uploads/LEMANS/2012/LM_Qualifying_Combined.pdf Automobile Club de l'Ouest 15 June 2012 20 July 2019 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20190720073454/http://www.dailysportscar.com/Uploads/LEMANS/2012/LM_Qualifying_Combined.pdf 20 July 2019 live Notes: 1 1—The No. 16 Pescarolo 03-Judd started from the pit lane after a change of engine overran into the race.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F5A0808F-1143-FDC9-35D2F8FEB00DB298.html Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 1 16 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190720202136/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF5A0808F-1143-FDC9-35D2F8FEB00DB298.html 20 July 2019 live 20 July 2019 Warm-up The cars took to the circuit on the morning of 16 June for a 45-minute warm-up session on a waterlogged track. The No. 3 Audi driven by Duval set the fastest lap of 4:03.933 with the sister No. 2 car of Capello second and the pole sitting No. 1 of Lotterer third.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F4185143-1143-FDC9-3588BBC24E9830CC.html Le Mans 24 Hours, Warm Up – 09.00–09.45 16 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190720101709/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF4185143-1143-FDC9-3588BBC24E9830CC.html 20 July 2019 live 20 July 2019 Jarvis' No. 4 Audi was fourth and the quickest Toyota was fifth after a lap from Wurz. The fastest LMP2 lap was recorded by the No. 42 Greaves Motorsport Zytek Nissan car of Lucas Ordóñez. AF Corse's No. 51 Ferrari driven by Toni Vilander was the fastest car in LMGTE Pro while Joël Camathias of JWA-Avila helped Porsche to lead in LMGTE Am.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100408 Duval fastest in rain-hit Le Mans warm up Tremayne Sam 16 July 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151023144226/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100408 23 October 2015 dead 20 July 2019Wittemeier Roman 16 June 2012 Regen im Warmup: Viele Abflüge Rain in the warm-up: many departures https://www.motorsport-total.com/24-stunden-von-le-mans/news/regen-im-warmup-viele-abfluege-12061601 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190720101710/https://www.motorsport-total.com/24-stunden-von-le-mans/news/regen-im-warmup-viele-abfluege-12061601 20 July 2019 20 July 2019 motorsport-total.com de During the session, where several cars aquaplaned on the track, Marc Rostan spun the No. 29 Gulf Racing Middle East Lola car on the start/finish straight and Jan Charouz beached the No. 25 ADR-Delta Oreca vehicle in a gravel trap at Dunlop Curve leading to the session being stopped for ten minutes. Race Start The weather was dry and sunny before the race with an air temperature between 10.5 to 21 C F and the track temperature from 15.5 to 26 C F.80º Edition des 24 Heures du Mans – FIA WEC – Race – Weather Report http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/Results/02_2012/03_LE%20MANS/14_FIA%20WEC%20(%2080%20ED.%20DES%2024%20HEURES%20DU%20MANS)/201206161500_Race/Hour%2024/26_Meteo_Race.PDF Automobile Club de l'Ouest 17 June 2012 20 July 2019 1 12 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212161643/http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/Results/02_2012/03_LE%20MANS/14_FIA%20WEC%20%28%2080%20ED.%20DES%2024%20HEURES%20DU%20MANS%29/201206161500_Race/Hour%2024/26_Meteo_Race.PDF live Approximately 240,000 spectators attended the race. The French tricolour was waved at 15:00 Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00), by Takeshi Uchiyamada, the vice president and director of Toyota, to start the race,Baime A. J. Le Mans: Electrifying Victory for Audi's Hybrid https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303703004577472811933287318 The Wall Street Journal 18 June 2012 20 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190720105327/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303703004577472811933287318 20 July 2019 led by the starting pole sitter Lotterer.Le Mans 24 Hours – Starting Drivers – In Grid Order http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F5178D82-1143-FDC9-35708F8E76A6198D.html DailySportsCar 16 June 2012 20 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190720105327/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF5178D82-1143-FDC9-35708F8E76A6198D.html 20 July 2019 A total of 56 cars planned to take the start but the No. 16 Pescarolo 03-Judd car underwent an engine change in the pit lane after it failed during the warm-up session and the No. 21 Strakka HPD vehicle had a gearbox oil leak caused by a seal connecting the driveshaft and the gearbox failing, joining the race 22 minutes after it started. Lotterer maintained his lead on the opening lap and he pulled away from the rest of the field.Watkins Gary Tremayne Sam 21 June 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/lib/magazines/autosport/2012/6/AS2012.06.21.pdf Autosport 208 12 52–63 31 March 2026 McNish's No. 2 Audi overtook Sarrazin's No. 8 Toyota for third and he held off a counter-challenge from Sarrazin to keep the position. Light rain that fell on the north section of the track did not affect the race. In LMP2, John Martin led the first nine laps until Pla's OAK car passed him during pit stop rotation. The No. 59 Luxury Racing Ferrari of Jaime Melo fell to fifth in the opening laps as LMGTE Am began as a multi-car battle between representatives of Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin with the lead of the class changing multiple times during the first hour.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100421 LM24 H1: Andre Lotterer leads Le Mans in the first hour for Audi Codling Stuart 16 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151030032300/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100421 30 October 2015 live 20 July 2019 The LMGTE classes continued to be closely contested in the second hour with the No. 97 Aston Martin of Stefan Mücke, AF Corse's No. 51 Ferrari of Bruni and Gavin's No. 74 Corvette duelling for the head of the Pro category. Kimber-Smith was lapping faster than Soheil Ayari's No. 49 PeCom vehicle in the LMP2 category at the time and he moved the Starworks team to second in class. The hour had the first retirement with Rostan's No. 29 Gulf Racing Middle East Lola car sustaining a broken front-left wheel alignment from an accident leaving the Porsche Curves. Pilet and later Spencer Pumpelly's No. 79 Flying Lizard car took a clear lead in LMGTE Am after the No. 99 Aston Martin of Simonsen developed a misfire caused by a sensor at the bottom of the engine failing.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F5DF289A-1143-FDC9-35F9AB746383CF8C.html Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 2 16 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190721152932/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF5DF289A-1143-FDC9-35F9AB746383CF8C.html 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019https://www.crash.net/le-mans/race-report/180898/1/audi-leads-but-toyota-strong Audi leads, but Toyota strong in 2nd and 3rd Lewin Andrew 16 June 2012 Crash https://web.archive.org/web/20190721152934/https://www.crash.net/le-mans/race-report/180898/1/audi-leads-but-toyota-strong 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 LMGTE Pro continued to be a close battle between Milner's No. 74 Corvette, Turner's No. 97 Aston Martin and Bruni's No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari with the three cars nose-to-tail on the circuit and the lead changed frequently. The Ferrari was subsequently able to remain on track for longer than its competitors during a sequence of pit stops.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100427 LM24 H3: Benoit Treluyer resumes lead of Le Mans 24 Hours as #2 Audi hits trouble Tremayne Sam 16 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151024152800/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100427 24 October 2015 dead 21 July 2019 Nearly four hours into the race, Kristensen's No. 2 Audi returned to the garage so that the team's mechanics could remove a large amount of rubber debris lodged in its right-rear suspension arm and created a vibration. Kristensen returned to the race in fifth position and a routine pit stop for Duval's No. 3 car promoted the Toyota cars of Lapierre and Buemi to second and third.https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/stories-of-the-race-so-far/421801/?v=2&s=1&i=26 Stories of the race so far Errity Stephen 16 June 2012 motorsport.com https://web.archive.org/web/20190721070437/https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/stories-of-the-race-so-far/421801/?v=2&s=1&i=26 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F60BD3EB-1143-FDC9-352FE4817A0E321A.html Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 3 16 June 2015 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190721152932/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF60BD3EB-1143-FDC9-352FE4817A0E321A.html 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 Although Toyota had less fuel economy than Audi, Buemi and later his teammate Lapierre were able to attack in the fourth hour and lowered Tréluyer's lead to twenty seconds. Jody Firth in the No. 48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca-Nissan vehicle passed Ryan Dalziel's Starworks HPD car for third in LMP2 and he pulled away from Dalziel to lead him by twenty seconds. Lapierre sustained damage to the No. 7 Toyota's right rear wing endplate which later detached and he continued in second position.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F640579F-1143-FDC9-35E919E5BA4B0588.html Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 4 16 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190721152924/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF640579F-1143-FDC9-35E919E5BA4B0588.html 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 Not long after Dumas was lapping the LMGTE-Am leading No. 79 Flying Lizard Porsche of Seth Neiman at the first Mulsanne Straight chicane and he understeered heavily into a tyre barrier with the No. 3 Audi's front-right corner at low speed.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100429 H5: Davidson suffers huge crash at le Mans, shortly after Dumas hits barriers Strang Simon 16 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151024152947/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100429 24 October 2015 dead 21 July 2019 He extricated the Audi out of the tyre wall.18 June 2012 Driver breaks back in Le Mans accident https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-gleaner-driver-breaks-back-in-le-m/194036650/ 23 March 2026 The Daily Gleaner B2 Newspapers.com Reuters The car sustained heavy damage to its front bodywork, and required a 26-minute and 34-second pit stop to replace it and dropping the car down the race order.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F6AC763D-1143-FDC9-35168EA79899A43B.html Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 6 16 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190721152923/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF6AC763D-1143-FDC9-35168EA79899A43B.html 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 The fifth hour ended with Lapierre prevailing against Tréluyer in a duel for the lead that ended in the Porsche Curves. Evening to night thumb|right|The No. 8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid was involved in a major accident with LMGTE Am Ferrari that forced its retirement in the sixth hour. At the start of the sixth hour Davidson in third was lapping Perazzini's LMGTE Am-class No. 81 AF Corse Ferrari when the left-rear of the No. 8 Toyota made contact with the front-right of the Ferrari at the end of the Mulsanne Straight at Mulsanne corner.https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/toyota-feels-joy-to-pain-in-seconds/421804/?v=2&s=1&i=24 Toyota feels joy to pain in seconds Errity Stephen 16 June 2012 motorsport.com https://web.archive.org/web/20190721130510/https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/toyota-feels-joy-to-pain-in-seconds/421804/?v=2&s=1&i=24 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 The Toyota rotated through 360 degrees,https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/driving/article/spectacular-le-mans-crash-leaves-british-driver-anthony-davidson-with-broken-back-f2rc9rf50xd Spectacular Le Mans crash leaves British driver Anthony Davidson with broken back Eason Kevin 17 June 2012 The Sunday Times 21 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190721152929/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/spectacular-le-mans-crash-leaves-british-driver-anthony-davidson-with-broken-back-f2rc9rf50xd 21 July 2019 live lifted into the air after its right-rear wheel detached in the collision with the Ferrari and allowed air to penetrate its floor, It struck the tarmac with its front-left corner and hurtled upright at high speed towards a tyre wall at Mulsanne corner. Perrazzini's Ferrari made heavy side contact with an armco metal barrier that deformed it and the vehicle was turned onto its roof. The safety cars were deployed to slow the race as marshals worked for 70 minutes to replace and repair the damaged barriers, clean the circuit and extricate the two cars from the track.17 June 2012 Audi wins 24 Hours of Le Mans https://www.espn.in/racing/story/_/id/8062747/audi-captures-24-hours-le-mans-11th-title 23 March 2026 ESPN India Associated Press Both Davidson and Perrazzini vacated their vehicles without external assistance; Davidson was transported to a local hospital from the circuit's medical centre complaining of shock and back pain. Davidson fractured his T11 and T12 vertebrae while Perrazzini was unhurt.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/9337241/Anthony-Davidson-happy-to-be-alive-after-breaking-his-back-in-Le-Mans-24-Hours-sportscar-race.html Anthony Davidson 'happy to be alive' after breaking his back in Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race 17 June 2012 The Daily Telegraph 16 February 2020 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20200216184450/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/9337241/Anthony-Davidson-happy-to-be-alive-after-breaking-his-back-in-Le-Mans-24-Hours-sportscar-race.html 16 February 2020 Half a minute after racing resumed the overall leading No. 1 Audi of Fässler was delayed by slower traffic, causing Nakajima's No. 7 Toyota to collide with the left-hand corner of the No. 0 DeltaWing car of Satoshi Motoyama and sent the latter hard into a concrete barrier beside the circuit.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100435 Le Mans 24 Hours seventh hour: Audi tightens grip as Toyota clashes with DeltaWing Tremayne Sam 16 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20150912044051/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100435 12 September 2015 live 21 July 2019 The DeltaWing sustained damage to its steering arm, powertrain and rear bodywork; track marshals pushed it behind the wall to allow mechanics from Highcroft Racing to advise Motoyama on how to repair the car. He spent 90 minutes repairing the car with garage equipment though he was unable to make it mobile and retired.https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a21935/an-end-to-the-deltawings-debut-2012-24-hours-of-le-mans-36128/ An End to the DeltaWing's Debut – 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans Pruett Marshall 16 June 2012 Road & Track https://web.archive.org/web/20190721152931/https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a21935/an-end-to-the-deltawings-debut-2012-24-hours-of-le-mans-36128/ 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019https://www.automobilemag.com/news/nissan-deltawing-race-car-fails-to-complete-le-mans-after-accident-148783/ Nissan DeltaWing Race Car Fails to Complete Le Mans After Accident Holmes Jake 18 June 2012 Automobile https://web.archive.org/web/20190721154425/https://www.automobilemag.com/news/nissan-deltawing-race-car-fails-to-complete-le-mans-after-accident-148783/ 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 Hartley was the fastest LMP2 driver at the time and he brought the No. 48 Greaves Oreca to the lead of the category. The No. 7 Toyota was driven into the pit lane for repairs to its rear and the crash promoted Audi to the first three positions. Pedro Lamy in the No. 50 Larbre Compétition got involved in a battle with Nicolas Armindo's No. 67 IMSA Performance Porsche for the lead of LMGTE Am. Maxime Martin returned OAK's No. 24 Oreca car to the lead in LMP2 until a puncture during his first lap out of the pit lane after a routine stop allowed the No. 48 Murphy Oreca-Nissan vehicle of Hughes back to the front of the category.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100436 Le Mans 24 Hours eighth hour: Audi holds on as track action calms Codling Stuart 16 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151024150633/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100436 24 October 2015 dead 21 July 2019 Lotterer had an anxious moment when he made a driver error during the first third of a lap in the No. 1 Audi; he returned to the track without losing the overall lead. Further down the field the fuel efficiency of the Ferrari 458 Italia allowed the No. 51 AF Corse of Bruni to remain in contention with the LMGTE Pro leading Corvette of Milner.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100439 Le Mans 24 Hours ninth hour: Lotterer leads despite slip Codling Stuart 16 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151024153132/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100439 24 October 2015 live 21 July 2019 As it turned 17 June, the No. 48 Murphy Oreca-Nissan relinquished the lead of LMP2 when driver Hughes entered the pit lane with a right-rear puncture that sent the car into a spin at the exit to Arnage corner and caused damage to its rear wheel arch and deck.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F7927DC0-1143-FDC9-3587A20B468569E8.html Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 10 17 June 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190721192345/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF7927DC0-1143-FDC9-3587A20B468569E8.html 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100442 Le Mans 24 Hours tenth hour: Lotterer and Audi still on top Codling Stuart 16 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151024085709/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100442 24 October 2015 dead 21 July 2019 Pla retook the class lead in the No. 24 OAK Oreca until he too was forced to slow and enter the pit lane with a sudden loss of oil pressure that was unable to be rectified and forced the car's retirement,https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/oak-racing-s-pace-and-potential-go-unrealised/322 OAK Racing's pace and potential go unrealised 23 June 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship https://web.archive.org/web/20190721192354/https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/oak-racing-s-pace-and-potential-go-unrealised/322 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 returning the No. 44 Starworks HPD car of Kimber-Smith and later Dalziel to the category lead. In the eleventh hour, Westbrook had just relieved Milner in the No. 74 Corvette when its left-rear tyre detached in the Dunlop Esses close to the Dunlop Bridge and slowing him for the rest of the lap en route to the pit lane for repairs to the car's bodywork and underwent a change of brake discs.https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/into-the-night-and-the-gremlins-appear-with-vigour/421815/?nrt=102 Into the night – and the gremlins appear with vigour Fahey Ed 17 June 2012 motorsport.com https://web.archive.org/web/20190721182252/https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/into-the-night-and-the-gremlins-appear-with-vigour/421815/?nrt=102 21 July 2019 live 21 July 2019 The car relinquished the lead of LMGTE Pro it had held for 66 consecutive laps to the No. 51 AF Corse.http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/Results/02_2012/03_LE%20MANS/14_FIA%20WEC%20(%2080%20ED.%20DES%2024%20HEURES%20DU%20MANS)/201206161500_Race/Hour%2024/15_LeaderSequence_Race.PDF FIA WEC – 80º Edition des 24 Heures du Mans – Race – Leader Sequence 17 June 2012 Automobile Club de l'Ouest 1–3 21 July 2019 12 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212161643/http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/Results/02_2012/03_LE%20MANS/14_FIA%20WEC%20%28%2080%20ED.%20DES%2024%20HEURES%20DU%20MANS%29/201206161500_Race/Hour%2024/15_LeaderSequence_Race.PDF live Toyota lost its one remaining entry when the No. 7 car retired after 10½ hours with an engine failure. The No. 74 Corvette emerged on the track soon after though it was once again involved in an incident when Westbrook crashed at the first Mulsanne Straight chicane and necessitating repairs to its bodywork and a change of differential and halfshaft. A major accident for Frankie Montecalvo's No. 58 Luxury Racing Ferrari caused the car to retire with heavy left-hand side damage and its front wing removed. As the race approached half distance, the No. 1 Audi of Fässler led Kristensen's No. 2 car by 40 seconds before a driver change, Bonamoni's No. 3 entry was in third position and the recovering No. 4 driven by Dumas was fourth after contact with the No. 70 Larbre Corvette at the Ford Chicane. Makowiecki lost ground to the LMGTE Pro leading AF Corse Ferrari of Fisichella in the No. 59 Luxury Racing car after a driver error put him into a gravel trap at Indianapolis corner.Strang Simon Le Mans 24 Hours twelfth hour: Fassler still leads in #1 Audi, although Kristensen closes http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100447 Autosport 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151024095829/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100447 24 October 2015 dead McNish took over the No. 2 Audi and lapped in the 3 minutes and 30 seconds range to which Fässler's No. 1 entry responded to stabilise a gap to 1 minute and 20 seconds at the conclusion of the 13th hour.Tremayne Sam LM24 H13: Fassler responds to McNish pressure in battle for lead between Audis http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100448 Autosport 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151024095838/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100448 24 October 2015 dead Morning to early afternoon thumb|left|AF Corse won for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the No. 51 Ferrari. In the early morning the No. 1 Audi of Fässler spun in the Porsche Curves and made contact with the rear of the car against a barrier, relinquishing first place to McNish's No. 2 car.Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 14 http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F879F6F4-1143-FDC9-3586511364BA7FDD.html DailySportsCar 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722085028/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF879F6F4-1143-FDC9-3586511364BA7FDD.html 22 July 2019 During this period a broken left-rear transmission on Hartley's No. 48 Murphy Oreca-Nissan failed and caused one of the car's rear wheels to lock before track marshals pushed it towards the pit lane for it to be retired from the event.Le Mans 24 Hours – Murphy Prototypes Race Report – The Luck of the Irish http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=2E3BEBAC-CEBF-AE1B-B80CF15EC34B19A5.html DailySportsCar 21 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722085027/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3D2E3BEBAC-CEBF-AE1B-B80CF15EC34B19A5.html 22 July 2019 Abdulaziz Al Faisal spun and crashed backwards against a concrete barrier in the Porsche Curves causing enough damage to retire the vehicle and required the deployment of the safety cars for the second time in the race. When racing resumed Harold Primat's No. 13 Rebellion Lola car spun on cold tyres exiting the Porsche Curves; he avoided contact with a circuit barrier. The car lost a large amount of time while it was recovered by track marshals and Primat continued in sixth overall. The safety cars allowed Lotterer's No. 1 Audi to return to the lead after McNish entered the pit lane for a routine pit stop.Truser Michael 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans: Hour 15 Update https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2012/06/2012-24-hours-of-le-mans-hour-15-update/ The Checkered Flag 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722133312/https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2012/06/2012-24-hours-of-le-mans-hour-15-update/ 22 July 2019 Mücke, holding second place in LMGTE Pro, lost control of the No. 97 Aston Martin, went straight on and made contact with the car's right-hand side against a tyre wall to the right of the track.Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 16 http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=F9FDB6F7-1143-FDC9-357C2B5C35A52135.html DailySportsCar 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722133304/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DF9FDB6F7-1143-FDC9-357C2B5C35A52135.html 22 July 2019 The car sustained minor damage and after repairs which dropped it four laps, returned to the track third in class.Beer Matt Le Mans 24 Hours 16th hour: Lotterer's Audi e-tron storms away in lead http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100452 Autosport 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151024152534/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100452 24 October 2015 live AF Corse had their lead in LMGTE Pro further strengthened when Makowiecki's Luxury Racing Ferrari picked up a right-rear puncture and required the team's mechanics to replace it. Duval in the No. 3 Audi became the lead challenger to the No. 12 Rebellion Lola car, twice resetting the race's fastest lap and passing the Rebellion for fourth overall.Beer Matt Le Mans 24 Hours 17th hour: Audi moves into 1–2–3–4 order http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100453 Autosport 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151024133303/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100453 24 October 2015 dead Brian Vickers made minor contact against a wall at Tetre Rouge corner and the No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari sustained a left-front puncture. As he entered the pit lane, the front-left wheel caught fire, which fire marshals extinguished. The car was transported into the garage for repairs to its bodywork.Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 17 http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=FA00B12C-1143-FDC9-35D9CDE10DB241F7.html DailySportsCar 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722170044/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DFA00B12C-1143-FDC9-35D9CDE10DB241F7.html 22 July 2019 Over three hours after reclaiming the race lead, Fässler encountered the No. 74 Corvette, which spun at Mulsanne corner. He damaged the No. 1 Audi's rear bodywork and diffuser against a barrier in avoidance. Audi told Fässler to remain on the circuit until his next scheduled stop to replace the damaged component. Repairs took more than two minutes to complete and allowed Kristensen's No. 2 car to reclaim the lead following a pit stop for fuel. Kristensen overhauled Fässler in a duel for the lead on the Mulsanne Straight after a driver error sent the latter into a gravel trap without major delay and into the pit lane to repairs to the rear bodywork.Beer Matt Le Mans 24 Hours 18th hour: #2 Audi takes lead in dramatic hour http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100454 Autosport 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151024153151/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100454 24 October 2015 dead Separate pit stop strategies for the No. 1 and 2 Audi cars saw the lead exchange several times, while the No. 13 Rebellion car was forced into the pit lane for a clutch change and forfeiting sixth place to the No. 22 JRM HPD vehicle.Errity Stephen Positions continue to change as race enters final hours https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/positions-continue-to-change-as-race-enters-final-hours/421831/?nrt=102 motorsport.com 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190721183105/https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/positions-continue-to-change-as-race-enters-final-hours/421831/?nrt=102 21 July 2019 live Ayari, driving the No. 49 PeCom Oreca, held second place in LMP2 until he ran wide at Indianapolis corner and beached the car in a gravel trap. The car dropped to fourth after recovery vehicles extricated it from the gravel and Ayari made a pit stop to remove debris from it.Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 19 http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=FA09DCE3-1143-FDC9-35D60C02EFE84520.html DailySportsCar 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722170042/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DFA09DCE3-1143-FDC9-35D60C02EFE84520.html 22 July 2019 thumb|right|Larbre Compétition took its fifth class victory in Le Mans in the final 20 minutes of the race. Bonanomi's No. 4 Audi twice stopped on the circuit with a transmission fault that he rectified by resetting the ignition system and kept the car in third position.Audi R18 e-Tron Quattro first hybrid car to win at 24 Hours of Le Mans https://www.topgear.com.ph/news/audi-r18-e-tron-quattro-first-hybrid-car-to-win-at-24-hours-of-le-mans Top Gear 18 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722170044/https://www.topgear.com.ph/news/audi-r18-e-tron-quattro-first-hybrid-car-to-win-at-24-hours-of-le-mans 22 July 2019Le Mans 24 Hours – Race Report – Hour 20 http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=FA0E1332-1143-FDC9-35B477527B81D533.html DailySportsCar 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722170038/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DFA0E1332-1143-FDC9-35B477527B81D533.html 22 July 2019 Not long after an accident for Simon Dolan's No. 38 Jota Zytek in the Porsche Curves caused its retirement in the garage due to extensive damage to its rear. The race-leading No. 1 Audi of Tréluyer spun at the entry to the pit lane as he slowed to comply with the pit lane speed limit. He lost the lead to McNish's No. 2 car who extended it to 47 seconds.Strang Simon Le Mans Hour 21: McNish assumes lead in tense battle with Benoit Treluyer http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100458 Autosport 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151024152523/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100458 24 October 2015 dead Audi suffered two accidents in the 22nd hour that warranted the third deployment of the safety cars. Gené in the No. 3 Audi repeated his co-driver Dumas' accident from the fifth hour, understeering into a wall at the exit to the first Mulsanne Straight chicane and damaged the car's front bodywork and front-right suspension, this time without contact with another car. McNish's No. 2 car had rear oversteer while lapping the No. 59 Luxury Racing Ferrari and punctured a hole on an armco metal barrier in the Porsche Curves. Repairs to the No. 2 Audi dropped McNish one lap behind Lotterer and Gené fell behind the No. 13 Rebellion car in fourth place.Salisbury Matt McNish crashes out of Le Mans lead http://www.crash.net/le+mans/news/180927/1/mcnish_crashes_out_of_le_mans_lead.html Crash 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20121006202612/http://www.crash.net/le+mans/news/180927/1/mcnish_crashes_out_of_le_mans_lead.html 6 October 2012 deadMallett Tom Le Mans Hour 22: McNish suffers crash, handing Treluyer the race lead http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100460 Autosport 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20151024153254/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100460 24 October 2015 dead After racing resumed, Anthony Pons' No. 76 IMSA Performance Porsche ceded the lead of LMGTE Am to Lamy's No. 50 Larbre Corvette which it maintained to the finish to earn the team's fifth victory in the class after Pons sustained a left-rear puncture on the final lap.Broomhead James 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans: Hour 24 Update https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2012/06/2012-24-hours-of-le-mans-hour-24-update/ The Checkered Flag 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722194916/https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2012/06/2012-24-hours-of-le-mans-hour-24-update/ 22 July 2019Larbre Competition seals third successive Le Mans 24 Hours victory https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/larbre-competition-seals-third-successive-le-mans-24-hours-victory/323 FIA World Endurance Championship 24 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722194921/https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/larbre-competition-seals-third-successive-le-mans-24-hours-victory/323 22 July 2019 Finish The No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Fässler, Lotterer and Tréluyer maintained the race lead without trouble for the final two hours of the race, taking the trio's second consecutive win and Audi's eleventh overall in a distance of 5151.8 km mi on and 378 laps.Hergault Julien The 80th 24 hours of Le Mans in numbers http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h/update/the-80th-24-hours-of-le-mans-in-numbers_7944.html Automobile Club de l'Ouest 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20120619190252/http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h/update/the-80th-24-hours-of-le-mans-in-numbers_7944.html 19 June 2012 dead Audi completed a sweep of the podium positions with the No. 2 and No. 4 cars in second and third. The Audi R18 e-tron quattro was the first hybrid electric and non-permanent four-wheel drivetrain vehicle to win the 24 Hour race. The Starworks Motorsport team was undaunted in LMP2 and maintained the first-place position it had held for 215 consecutive laps to win, earning Kimber-Smith his third victory in the class and Dalziel and Pottolicchio's first.Le Mans 24 Hours – Significant Happenings http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=FA90603E-1143-FDC9-3519F2CCFA29C733.html DailySportsCar 18 June 2012 22 July 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190722194921/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DFA90603E-1143-FDC9-3519F2CCFA29C733.html 22 July 2019 The Thiriet by TDS Racing following a loose nut in the throttle linkage that led Beche drive straight across a Mulsanne Straight chicane was second in LMP2. PeCom Racing completed the class podium in third. AF Corse held their three-lap lead over Luxury Racing in LMGTE Pro and took their first class win after completing 336 laps. It gave Bruni his second category win, and Fisichella and Vilander's first. Aston Martin came third in the category. The IMSA Performance team were able to secure a second-place finish in LMGTE Am after the team's late event puncture and the Krohn Racing squad followed in third.Dagys John Le Mans: Audi Sweeps LM24, Claims First Hybrid Victory http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-audi-sweeps-lm24-claims-first-hybrid-victory/ Speed 17 June 2012 22 July 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20120618114719/http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-audi-sweeps-lm24-claims-first-hybrid-victory/ 18 June 2012 dead There were eighteen outright lead changes amongst three cars during the race. The No. 1 Audi's 326 laps led was more than any other car. A total of 35 out of 56 starting vehicles finished the race. Post-race The top three teams in each of the four classes appeared on the podium to collect their trophies and spoke to the media in the later press conferences. Lotterer said Audi's victory over Peugeot in the 2011 edition provided him with the confidence to challenge Toyota, "For me, I'm more new in Le Mans so to be in that situation was amazing, so this year we had a bit more confidence within the team. We know we can trust each other even more and this gave us good potential. But you come to Le Mans and you can't expect to win, you just do your best and hope that it will work."http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100472 Andre Lotterer: Two Le Mans victories very different Beer Matt 17 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20120622232757/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100472 22 June 2012 dead 22 July 2019 McNish apologised for the accident that caused the crew of the No. 2 Audi to lose a chance at victory, "I'm sorry for our team: Dindo, Tom, the engineers and the mechanics. They did a perfect job throughout the race. Despite a few problems we were in contention for victory up to my accident."http://www.crash.net/le+mans/news/180959/1/mcnish_devastated_by_late_crash.html McNish devastated by late crash Salisbury Matt 18 June 2012 Crash https://web.archive.org/web/20120622042929/http://www.crash.net/le+mans/news/180959/1/mcnish_devastated_by_late_crash.html 22 June 2012 dead 22 July 2019 Capello revealed that he said to McNish that the crash could have occurred to any driver, "For sure I felt disappointed when I saw the car in the wall, but as a driver immediately my thoughts went to Allan because I know he was giving 100% to try to close the gap as much as possible to the #1 car."http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100483 Capello: No hard feelings towards McNish despite Le Mans 24 Hours crash Strang Simon 18 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20120714050506/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100483 14 July 2012 dead 22 July 2019 Davidson was flown back to his home in Oxford on 20 June to begin a three-month recovery period.https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2012/06/20/davidson-vows-to-win-le-mans-after-crash/#fIZ1ZlHZipaXpAMj.99 Davidson vows to win Le Mans after crash Baldwin Alan 20 June 2012 The Star 22 July 2019 Reuters Woodward Robert 12 December 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201212161648/https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2012/06/20/davidson-vows-to-win-le-mans-after-crash/#fIZ1ZlHZipaXpAMj.99 live He attributed the design of his race seat and head rest to saving him from paralysis, "It held me, supported me and arguably was the thing that saved me from further compression and maybe the worst case scenario of being paralysed now instead. When you look at everything involved, I think I got away with it the lightest I was ever going to."http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100619 Davidson: Seat saved me from paralysis in Le Mans crash 23 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20151026162751/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100619 26 October 2015 dead 22 July 2019 Members of the Toyota team went to the Nissan garage to apologise for the collision that resulted in the retirement of the DeltaWing.http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=FA7F3C2F-1143-FDC9-354DDF9EBC9EC533.html Nice Touch 17 July 2012 DailySportsCar https://web.archive.org/web/20190723053848/http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID%3DFA7F3C2F-1143-FDC9-354DDF9EBC9EC533.html 23 July 2019 live 23 July 2019 The team principal, Pascal Vasselon, stated Toyota's pace in the first half of the race was a realistic of what it could achieve, "We were not looking for an aggressive start and leading for 10 minutes. I know some people were expecting us to try to do that at the start, but no. The drivers knew they had to be safe at the start, then at the beginning the balance was not perfect. It was changing, the track was changing. We started on a very green track [because of the rain overnight] and it's important to be balanced for when the grip builds up, that was our target."http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100481 Toyota says pace during early part of the Le Mans 24 Hours was genuine Beer Matt 18 June 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20130119143157/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100481 19 January 2013 dead 23 July 2019 Nakajima expressed disappointment to retire early and said it was Toyota's objective to finish the race. Due to the result of the event, McNish, Kristensen and Capello moved to the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 77 points, 6½ ahead of the race winners Lotterer, Fässler and Tréluyer in second place. Dumas and Duval fell from first to third with 67 points, Gené stood in fourth position with 49 points and the Rebellion trio of Nick Heidfeld, Jani and Nico Prost rounded out the top five with 42½. Audi continued to maintain their lead over the non-scoring Toyota in the Manufacturers' Championship with five races left in the season. Official results Class winners are marked in bold. Cars failing to complete 70 per cent of winner's distance (264 laps) are marked as Not Classified (NC).http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2012/24-heures-du-mans/classification/race/24-heures-du-mans-2012-classifcation-after-24h.pdf FIA WEC 80° Edition des 24 Heures du Mans Race Final Classification Automobile Club de l'Ouest 17 June 2012 7 March 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130328040207/http://www.lemans.org/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2012/24-heures-du-mans/classification/race/24-heures-du-mans-2012-classifcation-after-24h.pdf 28 March 2013 +Final race classification Pos Position Class No. Car number Team Drivers Chassis Tyre Laps Laps completedTime Engine 1 LMP1 1 DEU Audi Sport Team Joest DEU André LottererCHE Marcel FässlerFRA Benoît TréluyerAudi R18 e-tron quattro Michelin 378 24:01'16.128 Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6(Hybrid Diesel) 2 LMP1 2 DEU Audi Sport Team Joest GBR Allan McNishITA Rinaldo CapelloDNK Tom KristensenAudi R18 e-tron quattro Michelin 377 +1 Lap Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6(Hybrid Diesel) 3 LMP1 4 DEU Audi Sport North America GBR Oliver JarvisITA Marco BonanomiDEU Mike RockenfellerAudi R18 ultra Michelin 375 +3 Laps Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6(Diesel) 4 LMP1 12 CHE Rebellion Racing FRA Nico ProstDEU Nick HeidfeldCHE Neel JaniLola B12/60 Michelin 367 +11 Laps Toyota RV8KLM 3.4 L V8 5 LMP1 3 DEU Audi Sport Team Joest ESP Marc GenéFRA Romain DumasFRA Loïc DuvalAudi R18 ultra Michelin 366 +12 Laps Audi TDI 3.7 L Turbo V6(Diesel) 6 LMP1 22 GBR JRM AUS David BrabhamGBR Peter DumbreckIND Karun ChandhokHPD ARX-03a Michelin 357 +21 Laps Honda LM-V8 3.4 L V8 7 LMP2 44 USA Starworks Motorsport VEN Enzo PotolicchioGBR Ryan DalzielGBR Tom Kimber-SmithHPD ARX-03b Dunlop 354 +24 Laps Honda HR28TT 2.8 L Turbo V6 8 LMP2 46 FRA Thiriet by TDS Racing FRA Pierre ThirietCHE Mathias BecheFRA Christophe Tinseau Oreca 03 Dunlop 353 +25 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 9 LMP2 49 ARG PeCom Racing ARG Luis Pérez CompancDEU Pierre KafferFRA Soheil Ayari Oreca 03 Dunlop 352 +26 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 10 LMP2 26 FRA Signatech-Nissan FRA Pierre RaguesFRA Nelson PanciaticiRUS Roman Rusinov Oreca 03 Dunlop 351 +27 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 11 LMP1 13 CHE Rebellion Racing ITA Andrea BelicchiNLD Jeroen BleekemolenCHE Harold PrimatLola B12/60 Michelin 350 +28 Laps Toyota RV8KLM 3.4 L V8 12 LMP2 41 GBR Greaves Motorsport DEU Christian ZugelECU Elton JulianMEX Ricardo GonzálezZytek Z11SN Dunlop 348 +30 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 13 LMP2 25 GBR ADR-Delta AUS John MartinTHA Tor GravesCZE Jan Charouz Oreca 03 Dunlop 346 +32 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 14 LMP2 35 FRA OAK Racing DNK David Heinemeier HanssonBEL Bas LeindersBEL Maxime MartinMorgan LMP2 Dunlop 341 +37 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 15 LMP2 42 GBR Greaves Motorsport GBR Alex BrundleGBR Martin BrundleESP Lucas OrdóñezZytek Z11SN Dunlop 340 +38 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 16 LMP2 23 FRA Signatech-Nissan FRA Jordan TressonFRA Franck MailleuxFRA Olivier Lombard Oreca 03 Dunlop 340 +38 LapsNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 17 LMGTEPro 51 ITA AF Corse ITA Giancarlo FisichellaITA Gianmaria BruniFIN Toni VilanderFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Michelin 336 +42 Laps Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 18 LMGTEPro 59 FRA Luxury Racing FRA Frédéric MakowieckiBRA Jaime MeloDEU Dominik FarnbacherFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Michelin 333 +45 Laps Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 19 LMGTEPro 97 GBR Aston Martin Racing DEU Stefan MückeMEX Adrián FernándezGBR Darren TurnerAston Martin Vantage GTE Michelin 332 +46 Laps Aston Martin AM05 4.5 L V8 20 LMGTEAm 50 FRA Larbre Compétition FRA Patrick BornhauserFRA Julien CanalPRT Pedro Lamy Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Michelin 329 +49 Laps Chevrolet LS5.5R 5.5 L V8 21 LMGTEAm 67 FRA IMSA Performance Matmut FRA Anthony PonsFRA Nicolas ArmindoFRA Raymond Narac Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 328 +50 Laps Porsche M97/74 4.0 L Flat-6 22 LMGTEPro 71 ITA AF Corse ITA Andrea BertoliniMCO Olivier BerettaITA Marco CiociFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Michelin 326 +52 Laps Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 23 LMGTEPro 73 USA Corvette Racing ESP Antonio GarcíaDNK Jan MagnussenUSA Jordan Taylor Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Michelin 326 +52 Laps Chevrolet LS5.5R 5.5 L V8 24 LMP2 45 BEL Boutsen Ginion Racing FRA Bastien BrièreJPN Shinji NakanoDEU Jens Petersen Oreca 03 Dunlop 325 +53 Laps Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 25 LMGTEAm 57 USA Krohn Racing USA Tracy KrohnSWE Niclas JönssonITA Michele RugoloFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Dunlop 323 +55 Laps Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 26 LMP2 40 CHE Race Performance CHE Michel FreyCHE Jonathan HirschiCHE Ralph Meichtry Oreca 03 Dunlop 320 +58 Laps Judd HK 3.6 L V8 27 LMGTEAm 79 USA Flying Lizard Motorsports USA Seth NeimanUSA Spencer PumpellyFRA Patrick Pilet Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 313 +65 Laps Porsche M97/74 4.0 L Flat-6 28 LMGTEAm 70 FRA Larbre Compétition FRA Christophe BourretFRA Pascal GibonFRA Jean-Philippe Belloc Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Michelin 309 +69 Laps Chevrolet LS5.5R 5.5 L V8 29 LMP2 43 FRA Extrême Limite ARIC FRA Fabien RosierFRA Philippe HaezebrouckFRA Philippe ThirionNorma MP200P Dunlop 308 +70 Laps Judd HK 3.6 L V8 30 LMP1 21 GBR Strakka Racing GBR Nick LeventisGBR Jonny KaneGBR Danny WattsHPD ARX-03a Michelin 303 +75 Laps Honda LM-V8 3.4 L V8 31 LMGTEAm 61 ITA AF Corse-Waltrip USA Robert KauffmanUSA Brian VickersPRT Rui ÁguasFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Michelin 294 +84 Laps Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 32 LMGTEAm 83 MCO JMB Racing PRT Manuel RodriguesFRA Philippe IllianoFRA Alain FertéFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Michelin 292 +86 Laps Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 33 LMGTEAm 55 GBR JWA-Avila GBR Paul DanielsCHE Joël CamathiasFIN Markus Palttala Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Pirelli 290 +88 Laps Porsche M97/74 4.0 L Flat-6 NC Not classified LMGTEPro 74 USA Corvette Racing GBR Oliver GavinGBR Richard WestbrookUSA Tommy Milner Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Michelin 215 Insufficient distance Chevrolet LS5.5R 5.5 L V8 NC Not classified LMP1 17 FRA Pescarolo Team FRA Nicolas MinassianFRA Sébastien BourdaisJPN Seiji Ara Dome S102.5 Michelin 203 Insufficient distance Judd DB 3.4 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP2 38 GBR Jota GBR Sam HancockGBR Simon DolanJPN Haruki KurosawaZytek Z11SN Dunlop 271 AccidentNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP2 33 USA Level 5 Motorsports USA Scott TuckerFRA Christophe BouchutMEX Luis DíazHPD ARX-03b Dunlop 240 Fuel Honda HR28TT 2.8 L Turbo V6 DNF Did not finish LMP2 30 IRL Status Grand Prix GBR Alexander SimsNLD Yelmer BuurmanFRA Romain IannettaLola B12/80 Dunlop 239 Retired Judd HK 3.6 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMGTEAm 88 DEU Team Felbermayr-Proton DEU Christian RiedITA Gianluca RodaITA Paolo Ruberti Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 222 Retired Porsche M97/74 4.0 L Flat-6 DNF Did not finish LMP1 15 FRA OAK Racing FRA Franck MontagnyAUT Dominik KraihamerBEL Bertrand Baguette OAK Pescarolo 01 Dunlop 219 Engine Judd DB 3.4 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMGTEPro 66 GBR JMW Motorsport GBR Jonny CockerGBR James WalkerNZL Roger WillsFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Dunlop 204 Retired Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP2 48 IRL Murphy Prototypes GBR Jody FirthGBR Warren HughesNZL Brendon Hartley Oreca 03 Dunlop 196 Suspension/AccidentNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMGTEPro 77 DEU Team Felbermayr-Proton AUT Richard LietzDEU Marc LiebDEU Wolf Henzler Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 185 Retired Porsche M97/74 4.0 L Flat-6 DNF Did not finish LMGTEAm 75 BEL Prospeed Competition SAU Abdulaziz Al-FaisalUSA Bret CurtisGBR Sean Edwards Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 180 Accident Porsche M97/74 4.0 L Flat-6 DNF Did not finish LMP2 31 DEU Lotus DEU Thomas HolzerDEU Mirco SchultisITA Luca MoroLola B12/80 Dunlop 155 Gearbox Lotus HK 3.6 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMGTEAm 58 FRA Luxury Racing DEU Pierre EhretUSA Gunnar JeannetteUSA Frankie MontecalvoFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Michelin 146 Accident damage Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP2 24 FRA OAK Racing FRA Jacques NicoletFRA Matthieu LahayeFRA Olivier PlaMorgan LMP2 Dunlop 139 Oil pump Judd HK 3.6 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP1 7 JPN Toyota Racing AUT Alexander WurzJPN Kazuki NakajimaFRA Nicolas Lapierre Toyota TS030 Hybrid Michelin 134 Engine Toyota RV8KLM 3.4 L V8(Hybrid) DNF Did not finish LMGTEPro 80 USA Flying Lizard Motorsports DEU Jörg BergmeisterDEU Marco HolzerUSA Patrick Long Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 114 Accident damage Porsche M97/74 4.0 L Flat-6 DNF Did not finish LMP2 28 ARE Gulf Racing Middle East FRA Fabien GiroixFRA Ludovic BadeySWE Stefan JohanssonLola B12/80 Dunlop 92 AccidentNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP1 8 JPN Toyota Racing GBR Anthony DavidsonCHE Sébastien BuemiFRA Stéphane Sarrazin Toyota TS030 Hybrid Michelin 82 Accident Toyota RV8KLM 3.4 L V8(Hybrid) DNF Did not finishCDNT 0 USA Highcroft Racing GBR Marino FranchittiDEU Michael KrummJPN Satoshi Motoyama DeltaWing Michelin 75 AccidentNissan 1.6 L Turbo I4 DNF Did not finish LMGTEAm 81 ITA AF Corse ITA Piergiuseppe PerazziniITA Niki CadeiIRL Matt GriffinFerrari 458 Italia GT2 Michelin 70 Accident Ferrari F136 4.5 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMGTEAm 99 GBR Aston Martin Racing DNK Christoffer NygaardDNK Kristian PoulsenDNK Allan SimonsenAston Martin Vantage GTE Michelin 31 Accident damage Aston Martin AM05 4.5 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP1 16 FRA Pescarolo Team FRA Emmanuel CollardGBR Stuart Hall Pescarolo 03 Michelin 20 Power steering Judd DB 3.4 L V8 DNF Did not finish LMP2 29 ARE Gulf Racing Middle East JPN Keiko IharaCHE Jean-Denis DelétrazFRA Marc RostanLola B12/80 Dunlop 17 AccidentNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8Source:2012 24 Hours of Le Mans https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2012-09/X Racing-Reference 9 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20170706032220/http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2012-09/X 6 July 2017 live Le Mans 24 Hours 2012 https://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-2012-06-17.html?sort=Results Racing Sports Cars 9 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200109205112/https://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-2012-06-17.html?sort=Results 9 January 2020 live+ Tyre manufacturers Key Symbol Tyre manufacturerDunlop DunlopMichelin MichelinPirelli Pirelli Championship standings after the race +World Endurance Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position +/– Driver Points 1 10px 1 GBR Allan McNishDEN Tom KristensenITA Rinaldo Capello 77 2 10px 2 DEU André LottererFRA Benoît TréluyerCHE Marcel Fässler 70.5 3 10px 2 FRA Romain DumasFRA Loïc Duval 67 4 10px 1 ESP Marc Gené 49 5 10px 3 DEU Nick HeidfeldCHE Neel JaniFRA Nico Prost 42.5 +World Endurance Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos. Position +/– Constructor Points 1 10px DEU Audi 103 2 10px JPN Toyota 0 Note: Only the top five positions are included for the Drivers' Championship standings. References 30em External links http://www.24h-lemans.com/ no no no no no no no 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours of Silverstone Category:24 Hours of Le Mans races Le Mans 24 Hours of Le Mans Le Mans