The car of the French team TDS Racing had to make a change at the last minute. Photo: Instagram.
The race marshals of the 24 Hours of Le Mans excluded a 62-year-old driver, the French Filippo Cimadomoafter a succession of accidents during practice, the organizers announced this Friday, on the eve of the start of the race.
Cimadomo, member of TDS Racing x Vaillante number 13, had a spectacular exit from the track, caused an accident and came close to causing another.
His guide “does not meet the criteria required to participate safely for the remainder of the competition,” the commissioners estimated to explain their unusual decision.
The TDS Racing team, with Phillippe Cimadomo on the right of the image. Photo: Instagram.
“He is an excellent driver, but he has to keep working”esteemed for his part in the words to AFP Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club of the West (ACO), organizer of the race.
“There is no age limit to race at Le Mans, but obviously you have to be in a physical condition compatible with the race. It is an extremely demanding and difficult test,” he added.
The team has confirmed that Cimadomo’s replacement will be the Dutchman Nyck de Vries27, who was on the circuit as a reserve for the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, which previously worked with TDS Racing in 2020.
The Dutch Nyck de Vries, Philippe Cimadomo’s replacement in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Photo: Instagram.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans kicks off on Saturday at 11 am, Argentine time.
Toyota, leading the grid
The two Toyota GR010 Hybrids were the best this Thursday in the hypepole and on Saturday they will take the place of the front row of the starting lineup of the 90th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans of endurance motorsport.
On pole the Toyota number 8 shared by the Swiss Sebastien Buemi, the New Zealander Brendon Hartley and the Japanese Ryo Hirakawa. With second behind the wheel, he set a winning time of 3: 24.408.
Brendon Hartley in the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, dominating Le Mans. Photo: JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP.
At 420 thousandths the number 7 qualified, with the English Mike Conway, the Japanese Kamui Kobayashi and the Argentine José María ‘Pechito’ López at the wheel.
Just 22 thousandths behind the number 7 Toyota, the Alpine A480 Gibson of the Brazilian André Negrao qualified third and the French Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxviere. Two Spaniards compete in Le Mans, both in the LMGTE Pro category, Antonio García and Miguel Molina, second. and fifth in category with their respective teams.
Antonio García shares a Chevrolet Corvette with American Jordan Taylor and Dutch Nicky Catsburg, and Molina alternates at the controls of a Ferrari 488 GTE with Italian Antonio Fuoco.
With information from Agencies
Source: Clarin