LM24: Proton Porsche team down to two drivers for Le Mans

The Proton Competition Porsche is set to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours with just two drivers after Cooper MacNeil was declared unfit to drive.

MacNeil was due to share the GTE Am-class 911 RSR with Leh Keen, who qualified the car 10th in class, and Marc Miller but fell ill overnight.

The team attempted to replace the silver-rated MacNeil with Gunnar Jeannette, who drove for Proton at the pre-event test but did not take part in practice or qualifying.

But MacNeil, who has a fever, tweeted claiming the medical team had ruled him out of driving and the officials then rejected the attempted substitution.

"FIA/ACO Doctor declared me unfit to drive," he wrote. "I guess it's more safe to run two drivers than put someone in the car that has done this race many times. Makes a lot of sense to me."

MacNeil could be deemed fit to take part later in the race if his fever subsides. He had to compete in the 2014 race alongside Jeroen Bleekemolen in a two-driver team, after teammate Bret Curtis crashed the Prospeed Porsche and was ruled out with concussion.

Jeannette, 34, contested this year's Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours with the Alex Job Racing GTD team in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The last of his eight Le Mans appearances came in 2012, while his best result was a fifth place in 2005 with the factory Panoz team.

Originally on Autosport.com