With long intervals between the tyre changes, strong driver performances and extraordinarily quick pit stops, the Porsche Team drove through the night. At six in the morning the Porsche 919 Hybrid of Earl Bamber/Nico Hülkenberg/Nick Tandy was still in the lead of what is an outstandingly competitive 24-hour race at Le Mans.
During the night all three Porsche 919 Hybrids did quadruple stints – they used four fuel fills before changing tyres and drivers. Car number 17 was in the hands of Timo Bernhard from the end of lap 136 (23:44 hrs) until the end of lap 188 at 02:47 hrs. Brendon Hartley took over with the car lying fourth. At 05:47 hrs Mark Webber took over again with the car still in fourth position.
For car number 18 the race continued to provide some difficulties. Brake stability continued to be tricky and, after Romain Dumas hit a barrier late in the evening, Neel Jani also found himself off the track and in the gravel. He was able to continue and handed over the car at 01:21 hrs on Sunday to Marc Lieb after 162 laps. The German kept driving until the end of lap 214 when, at 04:23 hrs, Romain Dumas jumped in again with the car in sixth position.
Meanwhile the Le Mans Rookie car, the car number 19 Porsche, continued leading the race. At 00:13 hrs Nick Tandy took over from Nico Hülkenberg, who had also done a quadruple stint. The Brit stayed at the wheel until the end of lap 197 and handed it over – still leading – at 03:16 hrs to Earl Bamber.
