Rain Halts Historic Race at Le Mans In an unprecedented turn of events, torrential rainfall has brought a premature end to the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race after just 16 hours. The decision to suspend the race came shortly before 10 pm local time on Saturday, June 11th, as visibility and track conditions deteriorated rapidly. The heavy rain had saturated the 13.6-kilometer circuit, making it impossible to race safely. This marks the first time in the 90-year history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans that the race has been suspended due to weather. The announcement was met with disappointment from drivers, teams, and spectators alike. At the time of the suspension, the No. 36 Alpine A480 Gibson, driven by Nicolas Lapierre, André Negrão, and Matthieu Vaxiviere, held the overall lead. However, with the race being declared a no-result, no official winners will be announced. The decision to suspend the race was made by the race organizers, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), in consultation with the race director and safety personnel. The safety of drivers and spectators was paramount, and the ACO deemed it impossible to continue the race under the current conditions. The rain is expected to continue throughout the night, and there is no immediate plan to resume the race. Fans and teams are now waiting to learn if and when the race might be rescheduled. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious and challenging endurance races in the world, and its suspension is a major disappointment for everyone involved. However, the safety of the participants must always come first.Racing Interrupted by Safety CarsRacing Interrupted by Safety Cars At 3:45am, Race Control announced the deployment of safety cars due to torrential rain flooding the track. The race was suspended for many hours, leaving teams anxiously waiting for the restart signal. As the heavy downpour persisted, the race lead shifted among the Porsche 963, Toyota Gazoo Racing, and Toyota GR010-Hybrids as they pitted and un-pitted. LMP2 Status Quo During the caution, AF Corse’s Oreca 07-Gibson held the lead in the LMP2 class, followed by COOL Racing and Inter Europol Competition. Porsche Dominance in LMGT3 Manthey PureRxcing, the FIA Endurance Trophy leader in LMGT3, maintained first place with its Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 behind the safety cars. They were followed by the Porsche of Manthey EMA and the Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 of Corazón de Carreras Team. Unfortunately, the BMW M4 LMGT3 of the WRT team, driven by MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, had to retire due to an earlier accident. Top Five After 16 Hours 1. #8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid (Toyota Gazoo Racing) – 196 laps 2. #6 Porsche 963 (Porsche Penske Motorsport) – 1,053 laps 3. #50 Ferrari 499P (Ferrari AF Corse) – 2,300 laps 4. #7 Toyota GR010-Hybrid (Toyota Gazoo Racing) – 3,895 laps 5. #83 Ferrari 499P (AF Corse) – 13,780 laps Other Class Leaders * LM GTE Pro: #91 Porsche 911 RSR-19 (Porsche GT Team) * LMP2 Pro/Am: #51 AF Corse Oreca 07-Gibson (Sorensen/Lacorte/Girardi) * LM GTE Am: #33 TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 (Gunn/Blomqvist/Plowman) Retirements * #54 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 (AF Corse View) – Accident damage * #35 Alpine A424 (Alpine resistance equipment) – Engine failure * #9 Oreca 07-Gibson (Proton competition) – To be confirmed * #36 Alpine A424 (Alpine resistance equipment) – Engine failure * #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 (BMW M WRT Team) – Accident damage * #30 Oreca 07-Gibson (Duqueine Team) – Engine failure (LMP2 Pro/Am) * #46 BMW M4 LMGT3 (WRT Team) – Accident Damage * #45 Oreca 07-Gibson (Crowdstrike Racing by APR) – To be confirmed (LMP2 Pro/Am) Fastest Lap * Antonio Fuoco, Ferrari 499P #50 – 3:29.208 (lap 46)Rain Suspends 24 Hours of Le Mans After 16 Hours Le Mans, France – Heavy rain has forced the suspension of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after 16 hours of racing. The race was halted at 11:15 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 8, due to severe weather conditions. The decision to suspend the race was made by the race director, Eduardo Freitas, in consultation with the safety commission. The heavy rain and standing water on the track made it too dangerous to continue racing. The race will resume at 8:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 9, if conditions permit. The race will continue for the remaining eight hours, with the clock restarting from the point of suspension. The race had been running under safety car conditions for over an hour before it was suspended. The Toyota Gazoo Racing No. 8 car was leading the race at the time of the suspension, followed by the Toyota Gazoo Racing No. 7 car and the Glickenhaus Racing No. 708 car. The suspension of the race is a major setback for the teams involved. Many had been hoping to make up ground during the night hours. However, the safety of the drivers and spectators must come first. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious races in motorsports. It is a grueling test of endurance and skill. The race is held annually on the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France.