The LMP2 class-winning No. 26 G-Drive Racing ORECA 07 Gibson has been disqualified from the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a post-race inspection found an additional part had been inserted into the ‘dead man’s handle’ element of the fueling rig which inspectors concluded had been designed to defeat the purpose of the mandated fuel fill restrictor.

That led to the TDS Racing team being able to fuel the No. 26 car (and the No. 28 ORECA, which has also been excluded), faster than the other cars in the heavily regulated LMP2 class.

The team’s defense did not deny the inclusion of the additional component. Instead it fielded an argument that there was no specific exclusion of additional parts, a view rejected by the race stewards who excluded the cars from the results under both Technical and Sporting Regulations

First-time winners Roman Rusinov, Andrea Pizzitola and Jean-Eric Vergne therefore lose their win to the No. 36 Signatech Alpine A470 Gibson of Nicholas Lapierre, Andre Negrao and Pierre Thiriet
(pictured below).

Image by Sam Bloxham/LAT

Moving up to a provisional second place is the Np. 39 Graff/SO24 ORECA 07 Gibson of Vincent Capillaire, Jonathan Hirschi and Tristan Gommendy and inheriting third is the No. 32 United Autosports Ligier JS P217 of Will Owen, Hugo de Sadeleer and Juan Pablo Montoya.