G-Drive Racing operated by Algarve Pro Racing crept back into the top ten in the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans as the sun rose on Circuit de la Sarthe on Sunday morning (22 August).
Nyck de Vries, Franco Colapinto and Roman Rusinov appeared to be key contenders for a podium finish, at times holding the initiative in the super-competitive LMP2 field during the opening exchanges of the twice-around-the-clock enduro.
However, damage sustained in a collision required running repairs and left the #26 G-Drive Racing operated by APR trio with an unbridgeable four-lap deficit to the class leaders, and they have been on a recovery drive for more than 12 hours.
During the night, a replacement nose section was installed and a ten-second penalty served after making contact with an LMP2 opponent, but Rusinov, De Vries and Colapinto each made headway during their respective stints.
Newly crowned FIA Formula E World Champion De Vries was frequently the fastest driver on-track and recorded a new LMP2-best time of 3m42.148s after G-Drive Racing by APR’s 239th tour of the 13.6km Circuit de la Sarthe.
The Dutchman breached the top ten before dawn, and Colapinto picked up the baton and ran at a comparable pace in the 3m32s to go ninth and begin chasing down a top eight result during the 18th hour.
