Cadillac remained on course for a breakthrough victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours after taking command of the race entering its final quarter on Sunday, with Swiss driver Louis Deletraz leading the field aboard the No. 12 Jota-run Cadillac V-Series.R.
Deletraz, sharing driving duties with Britain’s Will Stevens and France’s Norman Nato, held a comfortable advantage after 18 hours of racing around the Circuit de la Sarthe. The trio positioned Cadillac in its strongest challenge yet for overall victory in the world’s most prestigious endurance race.
BMW remained the closest challenger, although the No. 20 Hypercar, driven by South Africa’s Sheldon van der Linde, Germany’s Rene Rast and Dutchman Robin Frijns, trailed by just over one minute as the race entered its decisive stages.
Toyota continued to apply pressure with its experienced lineup. The Japanese manufacturer occupied third and fourth positions through the No. 7 and No. 8 cars driven by Kamui Kobayashi and Ryo Hirakawa, while Ferrari’s No. 51 entry rounded out the top five.
Ferrari arrived at this year’s race seeking a fourth consecutive Le Mans triumph after winning each of the previous three editions, including last year’s victory by the yellow-liveried AF Corse customer team. That winning No. 83 crew of Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson remained in contention but was running seventh after 18 hours.
Cadillac’s challenge had looked even stronger earlier in the race when the American manufacturer occupied the top two positions. However, its hopes of a dominant finish suffered a major setback when the No. 38 Cadillac encountered a power steering failure during the 14th hour.
The mechanical problem forced two lengthy pit stops before ultimately ending the car’s race, dealing a heartbreaking blow to French driver Sebastien Bourdais, who once again saw his hopes of winning his home event disappear. New Zealand’s Earl Bamber and Britain’s Jack Aitken also saw their challenge come to an early end.
BMW’s pole-winning No. 15 entry endured a difficult race after starting from the front of the grid. The car, driven by former Formula One racer Kevin Magnussen alongside Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor, was classified only 16th entering the closing hours.
In the LMP2 category, the No. 30 Duqueine team held the class lead with French driver Doriane Pin behind the wheel. Pin is one of only two women competing in this year’s edition of the endurance classic and continued to deliver a composed performance as the race progressed.
The 94th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours began on Saturday with a field of 62 cars and 186 drivers. Cycling legend Mark Cavendish, renowned for his Tour de France sprint victories, served as the official starter by waving the French tricolor to launch the race.
Toyota initially controlled the opening stages after taking the lead during the first hour following an unexpected sequence of early pit stops. As the race moved into its final six hours, however, Cadillac had established itself as the team to beat, although BMW, Toyota and Ferrari remained within striking distance in one of the most unpredictable editions of the endurance classic in recent years.
