This segment of the live broadcast from the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans (around the 15‑hour mark) provides a play‑by‑play of the LMP1 duel between Porsche and Toyota, the impact of multiple safety‑car periods on pit‑stop strategy, and the ripple effects on the other classes. Commentators John Hindhaugh, Paul Truswell, Graham Goodwin and others discuss driver changes, fuel‑saving tactics, and a minor front‑end repair on Toyota #5 that was taken advantage of under a safety‑car window. The narrative also follows the GT Pro and GT Am battles, noting Porsche #77’s position, Ferrari #82’s pit work, and the high‑frequency pit stops of drivers like Dirk Muller and Tony Vilander. An LMP2 entry (Algarve Pro Racing #25) is highlighted for its pit‑lane activity and the potential benefit of the safety‑car period. Overall, the commentary blends excitement over on‑track overtakes (including a dramatic Porsche slingshot into the lead) with analytical insight into team strategy and race‑management decisions.
Chapters
number 1 Porsche. But I thought maybe we would be getting that car back out on track. I wouldn't say anytime soon though, John.
And that 69 Ford had been in 2nd place after a stop for the Risi Competizione number 82 Ferrari. Tony Vilander has now been placed behind the wheel of that car. Dirk Muller still leads the GT Pro category but is now off-kilter in terms of his pit stops. He's been down pit lane 8 times to the 9 visits of Tony Vilander. And Richard Westbrook has stayed in that 69 car after it's serviced. It's Porsche number 77 in 4th place in the Pro. In the Am, Pat Long leads Bill Swidler now by 2 minutes, and that again is down to the fact that Bill Swidler has taken an extra pit stop and Pat Long must have stayed out in that car. The 55 now up into 3rd position.
Graham, leader in the pits, and it's going to be a driver change for them.
Badly timed.
Well, it was, it was badly timed, but it was the schedule. It was 14 laps for Stéphane Sarrazin, and even though the last 3 laps were done under the safety car, I don't think they would have had enough, been able to save enough fuel in those 3 laps to give them a 15th lap.
So, and of course, the regular thinking about pitting under safety car here does not apply because you've got 3 safety cars. So they would have lost track position if they'd have pitted early.
Yes. Because what would have happened is that you'd have effectively been held until the next safety car had come through. Doing it this way, they'll be able to get out, the pit lane will be open when they get to the pit lane exit. So in fact, I would say make the best of a bad job. It's actually pretty good timing for that.
Well, having said that, you told me that their nearest rivals were behind the next safety car, so the very worst that they would have been is back on the end of the safety car line where their rivals were who had not yet stopped.
Yes. That's correct.
But I think I might have taken that, that deal.
Possibly.
Well, here's the number 2 Porsche coming through to cross the line now as the Toyota of Mike Conway is out ahead of him. It's going to be very close. I think they might have— Paul, I bow to you. I've always said don't second-guess the gate. Well, the guys down at Toyota have done that perfectly well because they are just holding on the lead, but only just under the Bridget Dunlop and down through the Forest S's.
And this is the battle for the lead. 15 hours and 5 minutes to go. And through towards Tour Rouge. There's nothing between 1st and 2nd. Mike Conway is holding the lead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Toyota by 2 cars' lengths as they're heading down to the first chicane. And this has come alight again. Brilliant stuff. Here comes Neil Janney. He drags to the right-hand side. He's in the perfect position for the braking zone for the first chicane. Who's leading? Last on the middle pedal. Just two big bright white lights of headlights coming towards the braking zone, neither of them wanting to give any kind of room whatsoever. There was almost a touch there, and through goes Jarni, squirrelly, trying to get that Porsche power down, and he's gone into the lead. And Porsche lead at Le Mans. Graham Goodwin, fantastic racing.
And although Conway has dropped to second, that's not the worst thing that could have happened. They're still in with a shout, and they've got a pit stop in their pocket.
That's why we love Formula Awesome, which is LMP1 hybrid. Brilliant, brilliant stuff by both drivers, both teams. Turned that car around very quickly by Toyota. Porsche spotted the opportunity, took it with both hands, and that was the trademark slingshot down the first part of the Mulsanne Straight into towards the first chicane. But absolutely, Mike Conway in fighting spirit did not want to give that place up, and it's not over yet. Even on this lap, Paul.
Absolutely, absolutely right. Yes, and there's something else I want to say about that, but I'll let John say what he's going to say.
I'm just going to update everybody on why the 5 car came in. This is from Alistair Moffat, who is the very approachable PR for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Uh, small bodywork damage caused the front end change for the 5. We took the chance of the safety car when we didn't lose too much time. Not a critical repair, but we thought we might as well do it because we could.
That actually perfectly answers the point I was going to make, because the reason that, uh, Sarrazin came in to hand over to Conway as soon as he had reached his 14 laps, which was kind of the logical thing to do, was because they had nothing else to do on the car. There was no extra work that needed to be done. The number 5 Toyota did have a bit of extra work that needed to be done, and if they do have extra work, it is worth coming into the pits under the safety car.
If you go—
all you have to do is routine, then you're going to waste time coming into the pits under the safety car. But if you've got something niggly that you want to have a look at, you basically get free time to look at it if you come in under the safety car. And that's what they did with the number 5 Toyota with Nakajima there handing the car over to Buemi. But I think the indication is that there's nothing wrong at all with the number 6 Toyota because otherwise that car would have fitted under the safety car as well.
One of the big checkpoints for me on a personal level is always getting to midnight. That's just a couple of minutes away. Here. Let's square the circle and finish a couple of storylines. The 25 Algarve Pro Racing LMP2 car came in from 11th position into the pits. Joe Bradley was watching them fiddling around the front end. Any redemption for that car, Joe? Yeah, well, the car's back out, and we were kind of half right when we assumed that it had taken advantage of the safety car situation. We were
