Closing stages to the end

Well, we’re pleased to report that all is going still… There’s no sign of the rain that’s been promised yet, although distant skies do look grey.

The #83 Ferrari 430 has also retired – images of the white car were shown of it travelling slowly. Three down; two remaining…

Midday: #76 (24 pit stops), #99 (25), #93 (21), #78 (23), #82 (21).

At 12:50hrs, it seems the rain we were promised is arriving. TV footage shows rain falling down the Mulsanne straight. This will liven the final two hours up…!

Sure enough… Newey in the #93 Porsche comes into the pits for full wet tyres, but Dean comes in and hands over to Bell in a scheduled pit stop for fuel and tyres. However, intermediates go on rather than full wets. It’s not too bad down the pit straight, and could be just a shower. We would then have an advantage being on intermediates.

Unfortunately not. Bell has to pit for full wet tyres with two hours of the race remaining.

On the TV screen, the #93 Porsche (from third place) goes straight on at the 1st chicane on the Mulsanne straight into a wall of tyres damaging the body and removing the rear wing.

There’s hope yet for a podium for Team LNT – if we can catch the Ferrari; #93 is quite badly damaged…

#76 (301 laps), #99 (294), #93 (293), #78 (289), #82 (288)

Another unfortunately – Simonsen gets back out in the Porsche – his lead was such he still has a two lap advantage. However, the Red Bull #78 can be caught: Bell is lapping an average of 30 seconds a lap faster than him in the rain.

And another unfortunately… The safety car has come out. Reports say that some team managers have requested the car be brought out because of the weather conditions…

It looks like the safety car will be out for the remainder of the race and thus the positions will remain unchanged…