Racing Team Turkey by TF has lost its place at the top of the LMGT3 order after its Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R failed post-qualifying scrutineering at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Peter Dempsey had originally delivered the fastest LMGT3 lap in first qualifying, setting a 3:55.744 in the No. 34 Corvette. His effort placed the car two-tenths clear of the field and looked set to secure a strong starting position for Saturday’s race.
However, the result no longer stands. Officials disqualified the No. 34 entry after they found that the car’s rear diffuser strake height breached the regulations following excessive wear. As a result, the Corvette will start the race from the back of the LMGT3 grid.
Corvette Racing responds after scrutineering failure
The disqualification marked a difficult turn for Racing Team Turkey by TF after its strong qualifying performance. Although Dempsey had put the No. 34 Corvette at the head of the class, the post-session checks removed the car from the results.
Corvette Racing has since confirmed that its engineers are checking the remaining cars to prevent further issues across the brand’s Le Mans entries.
A Corvette Racing spokesperson said: “Corvette Racing engineers are evaluating the other three Corvette entries in order to mitigate and keep all four cars in compliance for the event.”
The issue centred on the rear diffuser strake height, with excessive wear leaving the car outside the permitted limits. Consequently, the No. 34 entry has lost its qualifying advantage and will now face a much tougher race from 25th in class.
Tough day deepens for Corvette crews
The penalty also added to an already challenging day for the Corvette runners at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
While the No. 34 car initially gave the marque a major boost by topping the LMGT3 times, the other three Corvette entries all missed out on progression to Hyperpole 1. Therefore, the disqualification removed Corvette’s strongest qualifying result and left the manufacturer without a car inside the leading LMGT3 positions.
The best-placed Corvette on the starting grid will now be the No. 33 TF Sport entry, which is set to start 17th in class.
That outcome leaves the Corvette contingent with significant ground to recover once the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway on Saturday.
Team Qatar by Iron Lynx gains unexpected Hyperpole place
The disqualification also changed the make-up of Thursday’s Hyperpole 1 session.
With the No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette removed from the qualifying order, the No. 62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo has gained an unexpected place in the next stage.
The Mercedes had originally finished 16th in LMGT3 qualifying, leaving it outside the Hyperpole places. However, the Corvette’s exclusion promoted the No. 62 entry into the session and handed Team Qatar by Iron Lynx a surprise opportunity to fight for a stronger starting position.
LMGT3 grid reshuffled before the race
The ruling has created a notable shift in the LMGT3 order before the final grid-setting sessions at Le Mans.
Racing Team Turkey by TF must now prepare for a recovery drive from the rear of the class, despite showing front-running pace in qualifying. Meanwhile, Team Qatar by Iron Lynx has gained fresh momentum after receiving an unexpected route into Hyperpole 1.
For Corvette, the priority now turns to compliance, reliability and damage limitation across its four entries as the build-up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans continues.
See the updated results from the LMP2 and LMGT3 Qualifying session.
