24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 as it happened - Toyota claim glory through Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa
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Updated 12/06/2022 at 15:03 GMT
The most famous automobile endurance race in the world returned with a bang. After being held behind closed doors in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and then with restricted attendance last year, 24 Hours of Le Mans returned to the Circuit de la Sarthe in France with fans packing out the stands again. Re-live our live updates here from the 90th running of the race, and its 99th year.
'Victory for Toyota' - Watch Hartley, Buemi, Hirakawa bring Toyota Gazoo glory at Le Mans
15:20 Goodbye
And that commences our coverage of the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tune in to Eurosport to watch the celebrations unfold. Thank you for sticking around and I hope you've enjoyed the 24 hours of racing.
15:10 Catch up on all the action
If you've missed the action, read our report here on all the events of the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans.
15:07 Let the celebrations commence
With all the winners now across the line, we can now see the true Le Mans celebrations.
15:06 TF Sport does it in the Pro Am
The TF Sport #33 is the victor in the Pro Am.
15:05 Porsche win GTE Pro
The Porsche #91 with Frederic Makowiecki cross the line to win GTE Pro.
15:03 Victory for JOTA
The JOTA #38 with Will Stevens at the wheel crosses the line to claim the LMP2 win.
15:03 Toyota #8 wins!!!
Brendan Hartley brings it across the line to claim the Hyper car and overall winner of Le Mans.
14:55 5 to go
The four teams on the verge of winning are patiently waiting for this race to end.
14:43 Prema Pit
The Prema Orlen #9 pops into the pit for a refuelling but still managed to keep second.
14:40 20 minutes left
We now go into the last 20 minutes. The grid has spread out but we could still have a last minute surprise.
14:35 Toyotas pit
It's the final pit stop for the two Toyotas. Fun fact - Lopez has just set the fastest lap of the day in the #7 car.
14:24 last pits
Majority of the LMP2's are coming in for what should be their final pit stops of the race.
14:20 Whos on top?
With 40 mins left, the Toyota #8 is on top in the Hypercar class. The Jota #38 is leadin LMP2 and the Porsche #91 is leading the GTE Pro. The GTE Am currently has TF Sport #33 on top.
14:15 last 45
Due to bad luck on in the last hour in previous Le Mans events, I feel as if I'm waiting for something bad to happen...
14:02 Hardpoint in a hardpoint
The GTE Am Hardpoint #99, with Andrew Haryanto at the wheel, has found itself falling down the order after going off track. It's slowly heading back to the pit.
14:00 Final hour
We're now in the final hours. It's still fairly quiet for the top runners but after last years last lap heartbreak for WRT in the LMP2 class, you can't call the winners till they cross the line.
Can you get an advantage off the track?
There was a cheeky bit of driving that the Eurosport commentators took exception to with hours remaining at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Ferrari 51, driven at the time by Alessandro Pier Guidi, zipped over the Dunlop chicane, cutting the corner completely to gain a clear advantage over the cars behind.
Read the full story here.
13:33 Final Toyota change
Brendon Hartley will be the man to take the Toyota #8 across the finish line.
13:31 Pit lane stoppage
Nico Muller's LMP2 Vector Sport #10 has come to a halt as it was leaving the pit. The Vector Sport team had a nice little jog down to push the car back to pit.
13:30 We're now in the last 90
Just 90 minutes remain in this 24 Hours of Le Mans. Not much has happened on the top of each class but there's still be action all along the grid.
13:20 JOTA double podium
It's looking as if JOTA will have two cars on the podium. The JOTA #28, with Jonathan Aberdein at the helm, is running in third. The fourth placed TDS racing #13 is 1m42s away and it doesn't look a threat.
13:15 Toyota in pit
Buemi pits the #8 from the lead. The gap to Conway in the #7 is just 51 seconds with both cars on 29 pit stops.
13:05 Out for final laps
The Dempsey - Proton #77 is back out for the final hours and looks to be rejoining down in 14th. Unfortunately, that's the podium lost for them.
13:00 two hours to go!
We're now in the final two hours of Le Mans. Will there be any late dramas? We've seen it a few times over the past couple of events.
12:54 Glickenhaus gaining on JOTA
Glickenhaus' last lap was eight seconds faster than that of the JOTA #38 in front of them. It shouldn't be too long before it can get by for fourth on track, not just in the Hypercar class.
12:48 Class leaders
Sebastien Buemi is leading the way in the Toyota #8 with JOTA #38 leading LMP2. Porsche #91 is stilling top in GTE Pro with TF Sport #33 leading GTE Am.
12:44 Merrill off
Thomas Merrill goes off in the GTE Am Weathertech #79. He loses the back and sends it through the gravel. The car is sitting in second and will be glad there is a large gap between them and the third placed Hardpoint #99.
12:38 Drama in GTE Am
The Dempsey - Proton #77 is in the garage, with issues to one of the wheel arches. They were sitting in third but this time is seeing them slowly fall down the grid.
12:36 Battle for the win LMP2
JOTA #38 is still sitting comfortably on top of LMP2 but as the clock ticks down, the Prema Orlen #9 will be on the hunt. It's currently just over one minute away.
12:32 Change back
Now the #51 has pitted, putting Richard Lietz in the 91# back into prime position in GTE Pro.
12:23 hang on...
And as I say that, we have a change in the GTE Pro class. Bruni come sin to pit in the Porsche #91 allowing Daniel Serra in the AF Corse #51 to slip into first.
12:20 Quiet time
Now the Slow Zone is over, the rhythm of the race has continued. No changes in the leader of each class.
12:08 Penalty for Panis
A penalty has been given to the Panis Racing #65 for it's involvement in the Lynx Iron #60 crash
12:07 Glickenhaus still sixth
Despite gaining for a while on the Prema Olren #9, the Glickenhaus #708 has fallen to 21 seconds behind.
11:58 #7 pits
The Toyota #7 has pitted and swapped out Kobayashi for Mike Conway. The #7 is now 3m18s behind the #8.
11:55 Iron Lynx in the barriers
The Iron Lynx #60 has found itself in the barriers at the exit of Porsche Curves. Could be the end for Claudio Schiavoni and his team.
11:53 Retirement check
There's now been a total of seven confirmed retirements. The #777 D'Station has been in the pit for hours now and has only set 112 laps so we can only assume that they're out of the race.
11:47 Toyota pits
The leading Toyota #8 pits and comes back out with Sebastien Buemi at the helm. The #7 car is now 1m36s away.
11:44 Calm before the storm
It's calm on track right now, just a few teams opting to make some driver changes. We're now about to go into the final three hours where drivers will start pushing more for the 'sprint' to the end.
11:36 GTE Am clip
The #66 JMW Motorsport car has been clipped by Zacharie Robichon in the #93 Proton Competition and sent spinning into the gravel at Arnage.
11:29 Prema getting closer
With both teams pitting a total of 35 times, the Prema Orlen #9 is now sitting just 56 seconds away from the JOTA #38.
11:26 Gonzalez in
Roberto Gonzalez has taken over from Antonio Felix de Costa in the leading LMP2 Jota #38.
11:24 Change on top at GTE Pro
Bruni in the Porsche #91 comes in to pit and comes back out in second behind Pier Guidi in the AF Corse #51.
11:19 Glickenhaus climbing
Due to the JOTA #28 pitting, the Glickenhaus #708, driven by Romain Dumas, has been able to jump up a place to sixth overall. Next in sight, the Prema Orlen #9, which is currently five seconds away.
11:11 Pit stops
Kobayashi is now 2m48s away after a pit stop. When will Hirakawa go in?
11:04 Gap getting smaller on top
Kobayashi has got the gap down to 1m46s to Hirakawa. It was over three minutes at 8am this morning. It may be a tall order but can the #7 get close?
11:00 Four hours remain
We're down to the final four hours of this iconic race. Those sitting on top of their class are looking comfortable, but as we know, anything can happen in Le Mans.
10:56 Hypercar update
The Toyota #8 is nearly one lap ahead of its sister car. Kobayashi in the #7 has chipped the time down to just under three minutes.
10:54 Big gaps in LMP2
There's some big gaps forming in LMP2. JOTA #38 is leading the Prema Orlen #9 by just over two minutes. The #9 is 45 seconds ahead of JOTA#28 in third. The class that was giving us all the action has simmered down.
Francois Perrodo says sorry
There was a very classy moment during the second day of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 as Francois Perrodo made a big point of apologising after causing a crash.
The unfortunate incident occurred at the famous race when Perrodo instinctively reacted to a slight move towards him from a car to his right. As he moved slightly to his left without thinking, he shunted the Corvette 64.
Read the full story here.
10:43 #45 has an off
The LMP2 car Algarve Pro #45 has an off but is able to get it back on track after getting into the gravel. James Allen kept the car under control.
10:40 GTE Pro lead
Bruni has now taken he lead in the GTE pro class and is 32 seconds ahead of Pier Guidi. The latter pitted due to a puncture to his rear-right tyre.
10:38 United gets going
The #22 regains power and is able to head back to the pits for a re-fueling.
10:32 United slowing
The #22 United Autosport is slowing on track and had grinded to a halt with Philip Hanson at the wheel. He gets out but jumps right back in.
10:30 Porsche is gaining
The split between Pier Guidi and Bruni is now down to 11 seconds. Bruni is catching up on those new tyres.
10:25 split strategy
The AF Corse pits but doesn't change tyres. However, the Porsche does and changes driver to Gianmaria Bruni. The gap has now extended to 14 seconds between the pair.
10:23 Both are pitting
So, who can pit the fastest and get out first?
10:20 Porsche still trying
It doesn't really matter because Makowiecki is straight back on his tail. The pair will have to pit soon so I'm sure Makowiecki will want to get the move done soon.
10:17 Lasting advantage
Pier Guidi cuts a corner and gets a bigger advantage. Should he be cutting down the space there?
10:13 GTE Pro Lead
Makowiecki hasn't been able to catch Pier Guidi. However, with no Slow Zone's left, the track is his to try and get that lead in the Porsche.
Missed the overnight action?
Catch up with what happened during the twilight hours of Le Mans here.
The night hasn't been kind to Fassbender
Watch the second of his incidents overnight.
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Watch as Fassbender suffers crash at night and gets stuck at Le Mans
10:05 GTE Pro battle
Pier Guidi is making his AF Corse #51 take up all the track to keep Makowiecki behind him. They've both hit the next Slow Zone, giving Pier Guidi some breathing room.
10:00 Safety car to come in this lap
The barrier is nearly fixed and the cars are ready to go racing again. Watch the GTE Pro class as the #51 and #91 battle for the class lead.
09:55 WRT Out
Vincent Vosse confirms the car has to retire. Bad way to end the event for WRT.
09:53 The pack is bunching up
This is going to bring all the groups together. All three safety cars are on track.
09:46 Safety car!
We have the first safety car of the event!
09:43 WRT hits the barrier
Robin Frijns in the WRT #31 hits a curb, sending his car spinning into a barrier on the exit of Indianapolis. He's out the car but will they be able to fix the car and continue?
09:41 Hypercar behind LMP2
The Glickenhaus #708 is sitting in sixth, behind two LMP2 cars. Romain Dumas is 14 seconds off of Deletraz in the #9 and isn't gaining.
09:30 Small off
Josh Pierson in the United Autosport #23 has a small off into Porsche Curves gravel. He's able to control it and avoid any crashes.
09:27 Full green
The Slow Zone is now clear after Sims crash and we now have full track racing.
09:24 Leader check
In Hypercar, the Toyota #8 is leading the way with Ryo Hirakawa behind the wheel. JOTA #38 is still in the lead of the LMP2 class, with Will Stevens driving. Alessandro Pier Guidi is leading GTE Pro in the AF Corse #51 and finally, Henrique Chaves leading GTE Am in TF Sport #33.
09:20 Saying sorry
Perrodo has headed to the Corvette garage to say sorry for his part in the retirement.
Weekend of drama for Fassbender
It was not a night to remember for Michael Fassbender as the famous actor suffered two crashes within the space of hours during the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The movie star, driving a Porsche 911 RSR for Proton Competition, is making his race debut at the iconic 2022 edition of the event and endured a tough few hours at the famous endurance race.
Read the full story here.
09:10 #83 can continue
The AF Corse #83 can continue but we have a change of driver, with Perrodo, who looks gutted with his part to play in the Sims crash, leaving the car and Nicklas Nielsen taking the wheel.
08:50 Battle for the lead in GTE Pro leads to heartbreak
James Calado in the AF Corse #51 and Alexander Sims in the Corvette #64 are battling for first in the GTE Pro. However, Francois Perrodo in the LMP2 AF Corse #83 clips Sims, sending him crashing and now forcing the Corvette to retire. Heartbreak for Sims whose out of the car and has to go have a moment by himself.
The Corvette #63 has also been forced to retire due to earlier car issues.
08:48 Drive through
Josh Pierson in the United Autosports #23 has just taken a drive through penalty for overtaking in a slow zone.
08:41 Alpine back out
All of Alpine's issues have been fixed and it's now ready to get back out on track. There's been a driver change, now Andre Negrao is at the wheel.
08:40 Jones pits
And that battle is now over as Jones in the JOTA #28 pits, giving second to Deletraz.
08:30 Battle for second in LMP2
There's a tasty battle between Edward Jones in the JOTA #28 and Louis Deletraz in the Prema Orlen #9 for second. Deletraz sits just one second behind Jones.
08:20: Alpine gets going
The Alpine is able to get moving again but it'll need a lot of work done to it as Matthieu Vaxiviere trundles back to pit.
08:19 Overnight loses
Three cars retired overnight. The Team Project #46, Spirit of Race #71 and Inception Racing #59. The #777 D'Station is still saying its in pit but they've been there a while now.
08:15 Alpine in gravel
What has been a bad Le Mans for the Alpine #36 has just got worse as the Alpine finds itself in the gravel. There's a lot of damage to the front of the car.
08:10 Good morning
Good morning and welcome back to the live coverage of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We'll be with you now right until the final hours commences.
Toyota is still sitting on top but it's the #8 car after issues to the Toyota #7 saw the car come to a halt on track, allowing the #8 to slip past.
JOTA #38 is still in control of LMP2 and Corvette #64 is leading the GTE Pro. It's currently the TF Sport #33 on top of the GTE Am but it's now coming it pit.
22:00 Goodnight
And that concludes out coverage of Le Mans for today. You can still watch the twilight hours racing live on Eurosport.
For those that have missed the action so far, catch up with what's happened so far here.
We'll be back at 8am BST to bring you the live coverage as the last hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans start.
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Watch scary moment Iron Lynx Ferrari does not see fellow driver and spins off
21:52 JOTA change
Da Costa is now back in charge of the JOTA #38. It's currently sitting second in the LMP2 with the #9 Prema Orlen just ahead.
21:42 8 now on top
After the pit stops, the two Toyota's have swapped places, with the #8 now leading.
21:36 Conway in for Kobayashi
There's a driver swap in the #7 Toyota, Kobayashi in and Conway out. Buemi is getting ready to swap with Hirakawa in the #8.
21:24 Corvette in the garage
The third placed GTE Pro, the Corvette #64, is in the garage with an issue with the rear-right brake. Luckily, it was just for a short while and the car was able to get back out on track quickly.
21:15 Night is rolling in
The darkness is slowly creeping in at Le Mans. A lot of teams will be starting to switch out drivers for the first of the overnight stints.
21:07 Toyota's are getting closer
Kobayashi goes off onto one of the chicanes, allowing Hirakawa to get ever so slightly closer.
21:03 62, not out
As we get to six hours in, all 62 cars are still running. But as night creeps in, will the number be the same in the morning?
20:54 Slow Zone
A Slow Zone has been enforced for a large piece of debris on track near Mulsanne. It's unknown what cars its come from so keep an eye out on the pits.
20:47 Now a penalty
And a penalty has been given to Frederic Makowiecki in the Porsche #91 for constant abuse of track limits.
20:45 Track limits
Sims in the Corvette #64 is the next driver to get a track limits warning.
20:34 Settle down
Those front runners of each category are sitting quite comfortably. Toyota #7 is leading the Hypercars, JOTA #38 in LMP2, Corvette #63 in GTE Pro and Weathertech #79 in GTE Am.
20:27 Sun issues
With the sun setting, it's going to give drivers a headache and it glares right into their cars. Visibility out there is going to get a tad difficult.
20:15 Alpine's woes are getting worse
The Alpine has been off into the gravel and just to make it worse, they've been lapped again by both Toyota's. Alpine are now seven laps down on the leaders.
20:12 Kobayashi takes the lead
The Toyota's have swapped around again with Kobayashi in the #7 taking the lead.
20:10 Collision on track
The Iron Dames #85 and the Nielsen #24 collide on track! A brush of cars sends the cars off track but they've both been able to continue.
Big moment for Pierre Ehret at Porsche Curves
After a chaotic start to the race, a few hours later there was another crash that could have been much, much worse, but for some fast reactions.
There was a dramatic moment for Pierre Ehret in his #75 Iron Lynx Ferrari as he spun off at the Porsche Curves.
Read the full story here.
20:04 GTE Pro fight
The battle for second in GTE Pro leaves Alexander Sims on the better side in the Corvette #64, gliding past Vanthoor in the Porsche #92. It's now a Corvette one two.
19:58 Toyota still together
The two leading cars, the Toyota #8 and #7, are still close up top, with just under two seconds separating them.
19:56 Alpine falling back
Alpine have been back in the pits and they're slowly getting further and further away from the front four. They currently sit in 34th overall.
19:41 Action packed LMP2
The best on track action is certainly in LMP2. There's constantly mini battles going on. Currently, we have Inter Europol #43 and United Autosport #23 fighting for tenth.
19:35 JOTA change
The leading JOTA #38 gives Stevens a break and brings in Roberto Gonzalez.
Leutwiler has an off
Watch the moment Leutwiler glides through the gravel.
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'Deep in the gravel' - Leutwiler slides off track and has to be lifted back on
19:25 Hypercar driver change
The Toyota #7 has now fielded all three drivers, with Kamui Kobayashi doing his first stint. Toyota #8 also change Hartley and put Ryo Hirakawa in.
19:23 GTE Pro and Am update
The Corvette #63, now with Nicky Catsburg at the wheel, is still leading the way in GTE Pro. Weathertech #79 now has Thomas Merrill driving and is leading in the GTE Am.
19:15 LMP2 battle
While Stevens is flying in the JOTA #38, there's a battle for second behind him. Nasr get's around Vanthoor in the WRT #32 to take third.
19:08 Alpine back on track
The Alpine is back on track but it's not going well for Andre Negrao, whose in the seat for his first stint. He's down in 28th and four laps off the leader. A lot of work for him to do.
19:00 Glickenhaus change of driver
The Glickenhaus #709 is changing round its drivers. Out goes Westbrook, in goes Ryan Briscoe.
18:58 off at Porsche Curves
Christoph Ulrich in the GTE Am Af Corse #21 has an off at Porsche Curves and is in the gravel. he's another lucky man that's been able to save the car and avoid the wall.
18:57 JOTA on the charge
Alpine's problems means JOTA #38 takes fifth on track. That could be a hard battle for Alpine to get around later, if they return to the track.
18:54 Alpine has problems
The Alpine #36 heads in to pit but it can't get the car going. Into the garage it goes.
18:45 Hartley takes the lead!
We didn't see it but Lopez goes across the gravel in the Toyota #7, allowing Hartley to gain the lead. There's only half a second between the pair we currently have a battle for Hypercar lead.
18:36 Deletraz giving the best action
Louis Deletraz in the Prema Orlen #9 is giving us the most action on track as he battles for fourth with four other drivers. Deletraz overtook the Panis Racing #65 but it's still hot on his tail with a little train of cars forming.
18:33 Slow Zone
There's still a slow part on track, allowing some drivers to bunch together more.
18:26 In the barrier
The Vector Sport #10 car has found itself in the barrier. The damage doesn't look bad. Remember, we still have all 62 cars competing.
18:22 Hypercar update
Alpine are back up to fourth, a good ten seconds away from the #709 Glickenhaus but it's gaining quick and we could have another Alpine/Glickenhaus battle real soon.
18:12 Team Project are off
Nicolas Leutwiler finds his GTE Am Team Project #46 in the gravel in what looks like a driver mistake. Luckily, there's no damage to the car so it should be able to continue after some time in the garage but it might be out of the fight.
18:10 Glickenhaus gets Alpine
On the straight, the Glickenhaus just has more power and can get by the Alpine.
18:08 Alpine and Glickenhaus battle
The Alpine #36 and the Glickenhaus #709 are in a tasty battle for fourth. The #709 gets the Alpine but the #36 battles back to reclaim fourth. This is one to watch.
18:04 LMP2 Update
Colombo has been on Cameron's tail for second but finds himself down in fourth after a charging Yifei Ye fly's past him. Work to do for Colombo.
Stevens is still comfortable in front with a gap of 35 seconds from Cameron.
17:57 Kessel off
The Kessel Racing #57 goes off but does well to save the car. That was a close one.
17:49 JOTA is flying
Stevens is having a great time in the #38. He's over half a second away from Cameron in the Penske #5 and doesn't seem to be slowing down.
Iron Lynx in risky move.
Watch the moment the Iron Lynx #75 gets itself in trouble.
Watch scary moment Iron Lynx Ferrari does not see fellow driver and spins off
17:43 Dumas goes fastest
3:28:110 is now the fastest lap, but it's not from one of the Toyota's. Currently, Dumas in the Glickenhaus #708 is the fastest man on track.
17:37 Le Mans is in its rhythm
Now we reach the two and a half hour point, the racing has calmed down, with the leaders of each category being largely uncontested. However, there still plenty of mini battles all along the track.
17:23 GTE Pro update
Jordan Taylor is sitting comfortably out front in the Corvette #63, followed by Tommy Milner in the Corvette #64. However, Gianmaria Bruni is breathing down his neck in third, half a second away, despite Milner recently passing him.
17:18 Glickenhaus change
The Glickenhaus #708 has made its first driver change. Pla comes in with Romain Dumas now in the hot seat.
17:13 Da Costa given a break
After a two hour stint, Da Costa has been swapped to William Stevens. The JOTA #38 is still top of LMP2.
17:12 Second Toyota change
The Toyota #8 also changes driver. Buemi is overtaken by Brendon Hartley, coming back out on the track in second with Lopez in the #7 now leading.
17:10 Toyota change
Conway has been subbed out, with Jose Maria Lopez taking his first sting. The Toyota #7 has now lost the race lead and is down in third.
17:06 Glickenhaus sensor issue
Glickenhaus #709 confirm it was in the garage for a bad sensor. It's sitting fifth but has a few LMP2's in front of it.
17:02 Driver change in Hypercar
The Alpine comes in. Out goes Lapierre and incoming is Matthieu Vaxiviere for his first stint.
17:00 LMP2 Update
Coombo in the Prema Orlen has climbed back up to third and is creeping up on the WRT #32 with Mirko Bortolotti in the driving seat. Colombo is just under a second behind him.
16:54 Iron Lynx in trouble
Piere Ehret does well to control his GTE Am Iron Lynx #75 from going into the wall after taking a spin.
16:52 Pierson getting a go
Josh Pierson gets his first stint, taking over from Lynn in the United Autosport #23.
16:51 Glickenhaus in
The Glickenhaus #709 is in the garage, having a spot of work done. Richard Westbrook steps into the hot seat, giving Mailleux a break.
16:46 JOTA 1 and 3
JOTA now occupy first and third in LMP2, with a WRT sandwiched in between.
16:44 Kubica subbed out
Kubica has been swapped for Lorenzo Colombo in the Prema Orlen #9.
16:38 LMP2 pits
The top seven pit in LMP2. There's a few changes of drivers which will be updated once they've been confirmed.
16:36 New lead in GTE Am
Julien Andlauer in the Weathertech #79 sends his car flying past Picariello in the Hardpoint #99 to claim the lead in the GTE Am series.
16:33 Spin in Le Man
Claudio Schiavoni gets into trouble in his GTE Am Iron Lynx #60, giving it a spin and coming to a halt. He manages to get it going again but finds himself one of the bottom.
16:30 LMP2 update
Da Costa is sitting comfortably in front in his JOTA #38 followed by Kubica in the Prema Orlen #9. Team Penske are sitting third with Nasr in the #5.
16:28 Buemi in and back on top
Buemi is the next hypercar to pit with a time much better than that of Conway's, taking back the lead as he comes out.
First lap drama
The 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 did not get off to a quiet start on Saturday afternoon as a near-immediate crash brought sudden drama.
Within moments of the start of the race, there was a notable incident as LMP2 racer, the #22 United Autosport Oreca, flew off into the gravel before the Dunlop Chicane and even one turn.
Read the full story on the Le Mans start here.
16:24 Conway pits
Conway pits, given Buemi back the lead of the race. Mailleux also pits.
16:17 Alpine falling back again
Despite being close to Mailleux, Lapierre has started to drop off the Glickenhaus #709 again. Conway's lead upfront is now 13 seconds in front of Buemi in the Toyota #8.
16:14 Tyre off
Chatin confirms that his tyre came off on track. Worrying times for the #48 car, which now has Patrick Pilet inside it.
16:11 Lynn on Kubica
Lynn is breathing down Kubica's neck in LMP2. Kubica, sitting in second, has Lynn all over the back of him. However, Lynn pits, ending that little battle.
16:08 Buemi warned, Lapierre closing the gap
Buemi has become the next driver to be warned about track limits. Lapierre now has Mailleux in his sight, just under two seconds away.
16:06 GTE Am update
Picariello in the Hardpoint #99 has now taken the lead over Cairoli in the Team Project 1 #46.
16:03 Issues in LMP2
Chatin, who was running eighth in the IDEC #48, has found himself falling down the order due to tyre issues. In the pits he goes.
16:00 Track limits
Da Costa has been warned for exceeding track limits, just one hour in to this long, long race. However, he's having a good time, currently leading the LMP2, 5.6 seconds away from Kubica.
15:57 More Penalties
Lahaye in the LMP2 Ultimate #35 has been given a drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flags and pushing a car off track.
15:55 Estre in
And as I speak, Estre pits and hands the lead back to Tandy.
15:52 LM GTE Pro update
Tandy has pitted in the Corvette #64, losing the lead. However, most of the pack came in to leaving Tandy coming out in second. Estre in the Porsche #92 now leading.
15:47 Change of driver
Campbell in the LM GTE Am Proton #93 will be making way soon for Fassbender. Af Corsa #52 has subbed Molina for Fuoco.
15:44 All Hypercars have pitted
Buemi comes in with Pla in the Glickenhaus #708 also pitting. However, Buemi's pit is slower than Conway's previous on, handing Conway the lead.
15:43 LMP2 third battle
There's currently a battle between Nasr in the Penske #5 and Aberdein in JOTA #28 for third. Nasr is just clinging on to it.
15:40 Frontrunners are pitting
Conway, Mailleux in the Glickenhaus #709 and Lapierre have all pitted.
15:39 Lynn in the pits again
Lynn in the United Autosport #23 has pitted again for a tyre change due to a front right tyre delaminating.
15:36 Gap has closed
The gape between Buemi and Conway in the two Toyota's has closed now to just 0.3 of a second now. They need to be careful as the two Glickenhaus's are getting closer.
15:35 Rast is in
Rast is in the pits to take the WRT #31's one minute stop go penalty.
15:32 Pit stop time
The grid is now a little jumbled with a lot of the drivers coming in for their first pit.
15:30 31 with a penalty
The WRT #31 has been given a one minute stop go penalty for its involvement with car #22's first lap collision.
Fanfare Helicopter opening
A jaw-dropping helicopter dive stunned 24 Hours of Le Mans fans in what was a truly amazing pre-race show at the famous event.
The 90th edition of the world’s most famous endurance race certainly got the welcome it deserved minutes before the cars let rip at the start of the race on Saturday afternoon.
Read the full story here.
15:27 Hypercar leader
Buemi has increased the gap to 3.5 seconds from Conway up front.
15:25 GTE Am update
Ticknell in the Dempsey-Proton #77 has fallen down from first to third with Team Project 1 #46 climbing to first with Cairoli and Barker in second in the GR Racing #86.
15:18 Lynn takes fifth
Lynn in the United Autosport #23 overtakes the Richard Mille #1 to get fifth in LMP2.
15:15 Dames in pit
The all-women team Iron Dames are currently in pit for what is believed to be a puncture. They're back on track.
15:10 LMP2 update
Currenty, Kubica is leading the way in the Prema Orlen #9, Rast in the WRT #31 in second and De Costa is in third in the JOTA #38
15:09 Alpine back in fifth
Lapieere has managed to get his Alpine back past Kubica to claim back fifth on track.
15:08 22 could make a comeback
The United Autosport #22 is in the pits, with the crew optimistic they can get it fixed and send the car back out.
15:06 Florsch to pits
Florsch is in trouble in the Algarve Pro #47 and is trundling to the pits.
15:03 22 in the gravel
The United Autosports #22 is in the gravel and it looks to be the end for them already.
15:00 - And we're off
Buemi leads the pack over the start line and we already have cars off. Kubica in the leading LMP2 Prema Orlen #9 manages to get past the Alpine to take fifth.
Front five
The Hypercar first runners are Buemi in the Toyota #8, Conway in the Toyota #7, Lapierre in the Alpine, Mailleux in Glickenhaus #709 and Pla in Glickenhaus #708.
Drivers are out on track
All 62 cars are out on track, with the formation lap starting. We're getting closer to the action!
Movie star on the grid
Michael Fassbender is adding Hollywood glitz and glamour to Le Mans this year. The actor will be competing in the LMGTE Am category, driving a Porsche 911 RSR for Proton Competition.
His time hasn't come without issues after Fassbender crashed during qualifying. Luckily, he's able to continue with the weekend and even had a laugh about his lap times.
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Fassbender at Le Mans: 'I was consistent - consistently slow but at least consistent!'
Tom Kristensen - "You need to take a lot of risks"
Tom Kristensen, the most decorated man in Le Mans history with nine wins, talks on the risks the drivers have to take in the iconic race.
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'Take a lot of risk' - Tom Kristensen explains what you need to win 'iconic' race
Josh Pierson on being Le Mans youngest ever entry
When the race starts, Josh Pierson will be 16 years and 117 days old, making him the youngest ever entry in Le Mans. He reflects on how much it means to him.
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‘It means a lot to me’ - Pierson, 16, relishing being a part of the history of Le Mans
Philippe Cimadomo has been replaced by Nyck de Vries
Philippe Cimadomo has been replaced by Nyck de Vries at 24 hours of Le Mans due to multiple safety concerns.
TDS Racing has taken the decision following the dangerous actions of Cimadomo by creating multiple crashes, including a heavy collision in free practice 3 on Thursday.
Read the full story here.
Hello and Welcome
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is back. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez are all back in the Toyota GR010 Hybrid as defending champions. Live coverage is rolling on Eurosport now, with the racing kicking off at 3pm.
HYPERPOLE REPORT: Hartley secures pole position for No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid at Le Mans Hyperpole
The No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Brendon Hartley secured pole position for the start of the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans on Saturday.
In LMP2, JOTA’s Antonio Felix da Costa led the way initially under pressure from Norman Nato’s Realteam by WRT Oreca. However a late dash from Robin Frijns of WRT in the No. 31 Oreca 07-Gibson secured the top spot for the class.
In the LMGTE, pole went to Antonio Garcia in his C8.R, and in the LMGTE Am, VIncent Abril was quickest in his Ferrari 488 GTE Evo.
HOW CAN I WATCH 24 HOURS OF LE MANS?
You can watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans across Eurosport, the Eurosport app and discovery+.
Enjoy the action ad-free on the Eurosport app and via eurosport.co.uk. Download the Eurosport app now for iOS and Android. You can sign up for discovery+ for just £6.99 per month or £59.99 annually.
We will also have rolling coverage on the Eurosport.co.uk website and our social channels.
Live coverage started on Wednesday afternoon with practice sessions and qualifying for Hyperpole. There was more live action on Thursday evening followed by continuous coverage of the main race, which starts at 2pm BST on Saturday, June 11.
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