24 Hours of Le Mans 2020 as it happened
ByEurosport
Updated 20/09/2020 at 13:21 GMT
Relive the action from the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2020 - one of the most exciting events in the motorsport calendar.
The rescheduled Le Mans 24 Hours took place behind closed doors and finished at 1:30pm BST on Sunday. Watch the reaction on Eurosport and the Eurosport Player.
Toyota takes the Le Mans crown
13:43 - A fantastic race from Toyota
13:34 - Toyota win Le Mans 2020!
24 hours have passed and Le Mans 2020 has reached its conclusion.
Toyota win LMP1! The #8 Toyota TS050 - Hybrid driven by Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley seal it!
It's a third consecutive win for Toyota, a third for Buemi and Nakajima and a second win for Hartley.
Phil Hanson brings United Autosports over the line with #22 in LMP2, meaning they have won six consecutive races. Nobody has ever done that in LMP2.
Aston Martin came here with a point to prove as Alex Lynn in the #97 Vantage takes the spoils for them in GTE Pro!
Charlie Eastwood gives Aston Martin a superb double in GTE AM for TF Sport - a clean sweep for the manufacturer.
13:15 - Safety car gone
The safety car came out after Allen went into the wall at the Porsche curves. We are back up and running with just 15 minutes left.
As it stands Toyota #8 is leading LMP1 with the final fuel stops done. The race is well and truly on in the LMP2 field as Davidson is just 50s away from Hanson.
In the GTE Pro, Lynn can thank the reshuffle caused by the safety car. He is comfortably ahead. In GTE AM, Eastwood has a 1-minute advantage ahead of Campbell, with third-placed Nielsen two seconds behind.
12:30 - One hour left!
Issues for Rebellion as Deletraz (brakes) and Nato (fuel) are forced into the pits. The #7 Toyota is now up into third.
Here are the class leaders with just ONE hour left of this great race!
12:05 - Calado steps in
Both Rebellions have made pit-stops in LMP1 as Nakijima in the #8 motors on.
In LMP2, Yamanaka in the #32 forces Van Uitert onto the gravel with a Toyota sandwiched amid the chaos.
In GTE Pro, Calado takes the #51 car from Serra for the finish and is trying to close a seemingly insurmountable 1m10s gap on Lynn. In GTE AM Cairoli is back in the mix just ahead of Campbell in the battle for second.
11:30 - Two hours left!
Nakajima is now in the #8 driver's seat and looks set to lead Toyota to victory with just two hours to go of this epic race. Nato is in for Menezes in the second-placed Rebellion #1.
Lapierre is in the COOL Racing Oreca in LMP2. Davidson is in for Da Costa in the second-placed #38 Jota car to see it home.
In the GTE Prothe gap stays at the 1m15s mark between Tincknell and Serra for top spot.
In the GTE AM, second-placed Ten Voorde has struggled to make further progress as he is still just under three minutes behind Eastwood.
10:48 - GTE AM Race hotting up
Ten Voorde in his #56 Porsche, on fresher tyres, has overtaken Vera on the Tertre Rouge and is now trying to close the 3m20s gap Yoluc currently holds.
In LMP1 Kobayashi hands the #7 to Jose Maria Lopez. Negrao passes the Signatech Alpine baton to Laurent in LMP2.
In the GTE PRO, Westbrook gives the #95 Aston back to Nicki Thiim.
10:32 - Class leaders
09:50 - The current standings
09:20 - A quick recap
The sun rose over Le Mans with Toyota heading for a third successive 24 Hours title with the number eight car shared by Japan's Kazuki Nakajima, New Zealander Brendon Hartley and Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi.
Hopes of a one-two finish receded in the early hours when the team's number seven car lost half an hour in the garage with a turbo problem just after the halfway mark.
That was a blow for World Endurance Championship (WEC) leaders Kamui Kobayashi of Japan, Britain's Mike Conway and Argentine Jose Maria Lopez, who had started on pole position seeking their first Le Mans win.
The trio have been runners up for the past two years.
Nakajima and Buemi won in 2018 and 2019 alongside Spain's double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso, who is absent this year.
The problems dropped the number seven Toyota to fourth overall, with the numbers one and three Rebellion Racing cars running second and third at the 18-hour mark but three and four laps off the pace respectively.
Toyota had led one-two into the night.
The 88th edition of the race at the Sarthe circuit is being held without spectators for the first time because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year's event attracted 250,000 spectators, many of them British motor racing fans, to the circuit in northwest France.
Le Mans is the world's oldest sportscar race, first run in 1923, but Toyota are now the only major manufacturer in the top LMP1 category in the last year before the new Hypercar era.
Only four LMP1 cars remained in the race - the Toyotas and two Rebellion R13 Gibsons - after the ByKolles Racing entry retired on Saturday evening.
09:00 - 'Really strange spin'
If you're easing yourself back in with a coffee, catch up on the overnight action with this bizarre spin.
Thomas Laurent recovers after this bizarre incident at Porsche Curves.
08:00 - Good morning!
A very good morning to all you motorsport fans as we wake up to what is known as the 'Golden Hour' in Le Mans racing with the gorgeous light coming through.
This is where things currently stand:
22:50 - Final update of the night: current standings
We'll be back to take you through the climax from tomorrow morning until the last laps. For now, here is how things stand.
22:10 - Almost all change
Obviously the Toyota of Conway, Kobayashi and Lopez still lead in LMP1.
But in LMP2 it's the Oreca 07 - Gibson of Owen, Brundle and Van Uitert.
In the GTE Pro is Pier Guidi, Calado and Serra in their Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, and in the GTE Am with their Aston Martin Vantage AMR it's Yoluc, Eastwood and Adam.
21:45 - LMP2 leader
The Russian Aurus 01 - Gibson, driven by the Rusinov/Vergne/Jensen trio currently leads the way in the LMP2 division.
21:40 - GTE Pro leaders
The Aston Martin Vantage ARM of Martin/Lynn/Tincknell is the current leader in the class which has seen relentless competition throughout the day so far.
21:20 - How to change a tire at Le Mans
The number seven Toyota is still leading the LMP1 event.
21:00 - A look at just how tough this course is at night
20:40 - Hour 7 classification
20:10 - ByKOLLES goes off
And now things appear to be getting tougher on the track as the gloaming gives way to darkness.
20:00 - Stormy weather ahead
As night draws in the storm could be about to arrive. With the mix of experience in the pack here, it could be rather frisky soon.
19:42 - GTE Am standings
19:41 - GTE Pro standings
19:40 - LMP2 standings
19:39 - LMP1 standings
19:25 - Safety car out
19:10 - Marshal intervention
19:00 - New GTE Pro leaders
Pier Guidi/Calado/Serra are in pole now in the GTE Pro in their Ferrari 488 GTE.
In the GTE Am, the Aston Martin Vantage AMR of Dalla Lana/Gunn/Farfus are back in charge.
18:30 - Another new leader in the GTE Am
GTE Am is now led by the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo Chen / Blomqvist / Gomes while the rest of the classes have fallen into something of a rhythm.
18:10 - Tyre info
17:50 - GTE Am changes
One change in the leadership as Perrodo/Collard/Nielsen take pole in the GTE AM
17:20 - Two updates
The Oreca 07 - Gibson of Tung/Aubry/Stevens are ahead in the LMP2 as new leaders, and the GTE Pro is headed up by the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo of Rigon/Molina/Bird.
17:00 - State of play
The leaders right now
LMP1: Toyota TS050 - Hybrid - Conway / Kobayashi / Lopez
LMP2: Aurus 01 - Gibson - Rusinov / Vergne / Jensen
GTE Pro: Aston Martin Vantage AMR - Martin / Lynn / Tincknell
GTE Am: Porsche 911 RSR - Perfetti / Ten Voorde / Cairoli
16:30 More leader changes
In GTE AM Yoluc is now in the lead, taking it from Ten Voorde in his Porsche. Dalla Lana is still suffering from his stop and is 20 seconds behind the lead with Blomqvist closing in on him.
In the LMP2 division Da Costa and Van Uitert both pit, with Gonzalez coming in for Da Costa.
That allows Capillaire and Hanson to challenge for the lead with Rusinov not far behind.
16:15 - Tight in LMP2
In the LMP2 Stevens comes in for a pitstop but does not exit the car, with 2 hours 40 minutes to his name already. Da Costa moves up into the lead as a result but Van Uitert is only four seconds behind him.
16:00 - Rebellion driver swaps
Rebellion make some changes. Senna swaps over for Gustavo Menezes, and Roman Dumas replaces Berthon in number thrree.
15:45 - New leaders
Plenty of action. First up, LMP2, where Allen is well ahead, but Van Uitert and Da Costa are going to battle for second.
In the GTE AM, Dalla Lana has dropped into third, with Ten Voorde passing both him and Yoluc into pole.
In the GTE Pro, Martin usurps Molina to go back in front.
15:37 - GTE AM update
In the GTE AM, Dalla Lana retains hold of the lead, with 17 seconds between him and Yoluc. Behind Yoluc is Ten Voorde, closing in with a gap of seven seconds.
They are the clear leaders for now with a minute before number 55, Aaron Scott in his Ferrari.
15:35 - Door drama
In P2 there are problems for number 28. His door won't close, leaving it flapping up and down as he scoots around the track.
15:20 - Some action
Here's a clip of a crash between a Ferrari and a Porsche a moment ago.
14:45 - The latest
In LMP1 Conway has a 56-second lead over Senna so it's looking comfortable for Toyota at the moment. Rebellion have brought their #3 car in.
LMP2 and second and third stops are happening. Stevens in the Oreca 07 leads having made an earlier stop.
Albuquerque has just been overtaken by Allen who moves into second. Albuquerque says on his radio: "How the hell can he be so quick?" Vergne and Sernagiotto all in the front pack. Formula E champ Antonio Felix da Costa is in the race as Davidson jumps out of the Jota.
GTE Pro and Lynn holds the lead for Aston Martin in a great battle Ferrari's Molina, who is ten seconds ahead of third-placed teammate Calado. In the GTE AM, Gunn continues to lead after the first stops.
14:35 - Hour 1 overall classification
14:00 - First spin-off
13:45 - We are underway!
The 88th Le Mans 24 Hours has begun!
Conway keeps the #7 ahead in LMP1 with Senna putting the #1 into second. Buemi in the second Toyota is right on Senna's tail though.
In LMP2 Van der Garde, Brundle, Vergne and Stevens are all battling for second with Alburquerque in the United Autosports car in front.
In GTE Pro Ferrari 488 GTE Evo racer Calado is just in front with Lynn in the Aston Martin Vantage AMR right behind.
In GTE AM Gunn in the Aston Martin Vantage AMR takes top spot.
13:15 - Le Mans is back!
13:05 - Memorable past races with Tom Kristensen
13:00 - Welcome!
The 24 Hours of Le Mans 2020 is here and it gets underway very shortly! We begin at 13:30 UK time on Saturday, 19 September with the finish at 13:30 on Sunday - what with it being 24 hours and all...
You can catch all the action live on Eurosport, right here where we will have rolling updates and/or our social channels.
You can enjoy the action on TV through the weekend with Eurosport. And of course, you can also watch the entire tournament on the Eurosport Player.
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