Robert Kubica’s No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P was hit with a 30-second stop-and-hold penalty for colliding with Dries Vanthoor’s BMW M Hybrid V8 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Seven hours into the 92nd annual 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dries Vanthoor’s #15 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 and Robert Kubica’s leading #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P collided, resulting in the first Safety Car intervention.
Vanthoor was already one lap down when Kubica moved over to clear the lapped BMW and a slower class car on the approach to Mulsanne Corner and the two cars made contact. This forced Vanthoor’s car to crash into the armco barriers and eventually rolled to rest near the inside of the corner.
Fortunately, Vanthoor did not suffer any serious injuries but he was clearly furious as he exited his car knowing he had been pushed . The car was severely damaged to resume the race and the Team WRT BMW M mechanics shook hands as they accepted the #15’s fate.
The crash would later cause problems for Kubica after the race resumed, and things were already starting to go haywire for the Hypercar class leaders. Twenty minutes after the race’s quarter mark, Kubica radioed his crew to inform that the gearbox alarm in the cockpit had gone off.
Meanwhile, the stewards were investigating the crash incident as the Polish driver voiced his frustration with Vanthoor’s driving over the radio, which would also affect his bid for victory.
Kubica was leading Frederic Makowiecki, who was running in second place in the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, and Ryo Hirakawa, who was running in third place in the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid.
Later Kubica was ordered into the pits after it was deemed that he was responsible for the collision, with the #83 Ferrari 499P he shares with factory drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman being handed a 30-second stop/go penalty.
The penalty dropped the car from the lead of the race, as the safety car had bunched up the field and wiped out its entire lead – which stood at the best part of a minute at one point. The #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID of Ryo Hirakawa took the lead.
