LM24 Hour 20: Privateer Ferrari to the lead after No. 51 spin

Just when the drama at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans seemed scarce, there's been a major flashpoint with four hours and 50 minutes to go involving the leading No. 51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P.

Alessandro Pier Guidi had just taken emergency service under a Full Course Yellow for debris, but needed to come back down for its full-service stop after the FCY was withdrawn. Entering the pit lane, Pier Guidi clipped the grass and spun out.

Not only did Pier Guidi lose precious time from the spin, but he also faced an investigation for crossing the pit entry line as he spun around. It was an offense that gave Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 38 JOTA Cadillac a drive-through penalty when he had a 'false start' coming down to the pits (he responded by resetting the fastest lap of the race at 3m 26.063s).

That elevated Ye Yifei in the privately entered No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari into the overall lead with just four hours to go. The factory No. 50 of Nicklas Nielsen is now second, ahead of the No. 51 now driven by James Calado. The Stewards ultimately deemed no further investigation was needed into Pier Guidi's spin.

Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 is now within reach of the overall podium as it stands, but still in fourth.

Toyota Gazoo Racing supporters' hearts have been broken just a few minutes ago: On his out lap, Ryo Hirakawa suffered a left-wheel nut failure, skipped through the gravel, nearly collected the No. 94 Peugeot 9X8 - and after all that, the No. 8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID could only crawl, agonisingly slowly, for over ten kilometres around the Circuit de la Sarthe until it got back to the pits.

The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R has now moved up to fifth place in Toyota's absence.

Nick Yelloly in the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA 07-Gibson is starting to fight back in the LMP2 lead battle, putting a bit more distance between himself and Esteban Masson in the second-placed No. 48 VDS Panis Racing car.

Behind them it's still the No. 28 IDEC Sport car in third, and the No. 199 AO by TF car leading LMP2 Pro/Am comfortably.

It's still business as usual at the very sharp end of LMGT3, led by the No. 92 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 LMGT3 R - but there's been another big development in the race for the podium spots.

The No. 78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F suffered a left-rear suspension failure in the third sector. Finn Gehrsitz limped the car back to the garage, and the No. 78 crew, which had been running solidly in the top five all day long, is now out of the race – the 11th official retirement so far, and the seventh in LMGT3.

Riccardo Pera in the Porsche is still keeping the No. 21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 of Alessio Rovera out of reach; Rovera is second ahead of the No. 81 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette, No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage , and the No. 87 Akkodis ASP Lexus, rotating throughout the top five.

HOUR 20 STANDINGS