24 uur van Le Mans 2019

Despite the disappointment of the previous edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I was there again this year. This year, due to the Indy 500 , I kept it short and only stayed for the weekend. On Friday, I briefly visited the pit walk, where I also got to peek inside the garage at Larbre Competition. The pit lane was bustling as usual, with crazy-dressed fans, model shoots, pit stop exercises, and even newly unveiled LMP3 cars. But of course, I was there to photograph and experience the race. As expected, Toyota took the honors in LMP1. However, the other teams did somewhat better than last year. It's a real shame that Audi and Porsche are no longer in the top class.

As a Dutchman, there was plenty to cheer about. I'd seen many fans decked out in the Jumbo colors for Racing Team Netherlands. But this year, Jeroen Bleekemolen was competing in a bright purple Ford GT for Keating Motorsport, the very first time such a car had competed in the GTE AM class. On test day and practice, they weren't high on the leaderboards, but on race day, everything clicked. The team had the speed and quickly moved to the front. Both Bleekemolen and teammates Felipe Fraga and Ben Keating put in good stints and kept the car at the front. Even when a number of strange penalties were imposed at the end of the race, they remained at the front. First, they were required to have a damaged nose, a penalty that was imposed late in the morning, even though I already have a photo from 9:28 PM with the damage visible. It's strange that nothing was mentioned earlier. Even stranger, that penalty was followed by a penalty for driving away from that pit stop with wheelspin. Something that wasn't allowed, but the entire pit lane was covered in black tire marks, and only they received a penalty. Bleekemolen was able to hold on to the lead and bring the car to the finish. After the race, I was under the podium to watch the winning teams receive their trophies. A fitting end to another great event. After the race, I went to the city center to see how my photo, which won me a prize in the photo contest about the race two years ago, was now displayed in a square in the heart of the city.

Satisfied, I was able to return home on Monday. However, late that evening, news broke that the Keating Ford had been disqualified due to a fuel tank that was 0.1 liter over capacity, according to the regulations. These rules were amended just before the race, and the discrepancy could possibly be explained by the tank expanding as the fuel was pumped in under pressure. So, this edition still has a bitter aftertaste. Fortunately, we still have the photos...