After suffereing significant damage following an incident in the final minutes of FP2, the #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 will be unable to take part in the Hyperpole qualifying session for the 2024 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Callum Ilott had an incident approaching Tertre Rouge as the second practice session, due to finish at midnight, was in its final minutes. After the hard impact, Ilott was taken to the Medical Centre for checks but was thankfully unharmed. The #12 chassis, which Hertz Team Jota acquired at the end of 2023 and which was tested extensively over the winter at the based in the Middle East, suffered damage that could not be repaired at the circuit and the team worked fast to acquire a spare chassis.
Speaking to Radio Le Mans, Hertz Team Jota co-owner Sam Hignett explained that it was unlikely the team would get the #12 car prepared in time to run in Hyperpole qualifying.
The #12 car had qualified 9th in the Hyperpole grid but a red flag caused by an incident involving the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010-Hybrid with Kamui Kobayashi at the wheel meant that all the times of the #7 car were disallowed and the #12 Porsche 963 was promoted to 8th and into the Hyperpole shoot-out.
Hertz Team Jota are now working hard to get the car ready to race by 4.00pm on Saturday June the 15th.
The 30-minute Hyperpole qualifying session gets underway at 8.00pm on Thursday June the 13th
