The Audi #2 driven by Lotterer/Fassler/Treluyer wins the 79th Le Mans 24 Hours after a chaotic race and a very close finish.
The Audi were a bit faster than the Peugeot but the german cars had to stop more than the French prototypes during the race. The winning Audi had to stop two times more than the Peugeot. Both leading cars went in the pits at the same time in the last hour, and the Audi kept a 7-second advantage when both LMP1 left the pits. Lotterer was able to pull away in front of Pagenaud, to eventually take win, only 13 seconds ahead of the Peugeot after 24 hours.
Audi and Peugeot were still nose to tail, switching positions after the pit stops. But Audi lost two cars after two horrifying crashs from which Alan McNish and Mike Rockenfeller escaped miraculously unhurt. The #8 and #7 Peugeot take 3rd and 4th, and the ORECA’s Peugeot 908 HDI secure 5th place.
Rebellion Racing’s Lola-Toyota driven by Jani/Bleelemolen/Prost takes “fuel-powered cars” win after the Pescarolo-Judd crashed in the morning. In LMP2, the Greaves Motorsport’s Zytek-Nissan driven by Ojjeh, Kimber-Smith and Lombard takes win ahead of team Signatech’s ORECA-Nissan.
Corvette is back to victory lane at Le Mans with the work C6 Z driven by Beretta, Millner and Garcia taking win. Ferrari missed again the crown, and the AF Corse F458 driven by Fisichella, Bruni and Vilander takes second place ahead of the work BMW M3 of Priaulx, Muller and Hand. BMW dominated the early part of the race, but dropped down in order after mechanical issues.
Finally, the GTE Am category was won by Larbre Competition, who put its two cars in front, as the 2010-spec Corvette C6 Z driven by Bornhauser, Canal and Gardel ahead of the Porsche 997 RSR.
Final classification:
1. Lotterer/Fassler/Treluyer - Audi R18 (Audi Sport) (1st LMP1)
2. Bourdais/Pagenaud/Lamy – Peugeot 908 (Peugeot sport) + 13’’854
3. Minassian/Montagny/Sarrazin – Peugeot 908 (Peugeot Sport) + 2 laps
4. Davidson/Gene/Wurz – Peugeot 908 (Peugeot Sport) + 4 laps
5. Duval/Lapierre/Panis – Peugeot 908 HDI FAP (ORECA) + 16 laps
6. Jani/Prost/Bleekemolen – Lola-Toyota (Rebellion) + 17 laps
7. Ickx/Martin/Leinders – Lola-Aston Martin (Kronos) + 27 laps
8. Ojjeh/Kimber-Smith/Lombard – Zytek-Nissan (Greaves) (1st LMP2) + 29 laps
9. Mailleux/Ordonnez/Ayari – Oreca-Nissan (Signatech) + 35 laps
10. Tucker/Bouchut/Barbosa – Lola Coupé-HPD (Level 5) + 41 laps
11. Beretta/Milner/Garcia – Corvette C6 R (Corvette Racing) (1st GTE Pro) + 41 laps
(…)
20. Bornhauser/Canal/Gardel – Corvette C6 R (Larbre Competition) (1st GTE Am) + 53 laps
Etc.
The Audi were a bit faster than the Peugeot but the german cars had to stop more than the French prototypes during the race. The winning Audi had to stop two times more than the Peugeot. Both leading cars went in the pits at the same time in the last hour, and the Audi kept a 7-second advantage when both LMP1 left the pits. Lotterer was able to pull away in front of Pagenaud, to eventually take win, only 13 seconds ahead of the Peugeot after 24 hours.
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| Audi winner of the 79th Le Mans 24 Hours - Photo: WRi2 |
Audi and Peugeot were still nose to tail, switching positions after the pit stops. But Audi lost two cars after two horrifying crashs from which Alan McNish and Mike Rockenfeller escaped miraculously unhurt. The #8 and #7 Peugeot take 3rd and 4th, and the ORECA’s Peugeot 908 HDI secure 5th place.
Rebellion Racing’s Lola-Toyota driven by Jani/Bleelemolen/Prost takes “fuel-powered cars” win after the Pescarolo-Judd crashed in the morning. In LMP2, the Greaves Motorsport’s Zytek-Nissan driven by Ojjeh, Kimber-Smith and Lombard takes win ahead of team Signatech’s ORECA-Nissan.
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| Zytek-Nissan winner in LMP2 - Photo: WRi2 |
Corvette is back to victory lane at Le Mans with the work C6 Z driven by Beretta, Millner and Garcia taking win. Ferrari missed again the crown, and the AF Corse F458 driven by Fisichella, Bruni and Vilander takes second place ahead of the work BMW M3 of Priaulx, Muller and Hand. BMW dominated the early part of the race, but dropped down in order after mechanical issues.
Finally, the GTE Am category was won by Larbre Competition, who put its two cars in front, as the 2010-spec Corvette C6 Z driven by Bornhauser, Canal and Gardel ahead of the Porsche 997 RSR.
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| The Corvette C6 Z winner in GTE - Photo: WRi2 |
Final classification:
1. Lotterer/Fassler/Treluyer - Audi R18 (Audi Sport) (1st LMP1)
2. Bourdais/Pagenaud/Lamy – Peugeot 908 (Peugeot sport) + 13’’854
3. Minassian/Montagny/Sarrazin – Peugeot 908 (Peugeot Sport) + 2 laps
4. Davidson/Gene/Wurz – Peugeot 908 (Peugeot Sport) + 4 laps
5. Duval/Lapierre/Panis – Peugeot 908 HDI FAP (ORECA) + 16 laps
6. Jani/Prost/Bleekemolen – Lola-Toyota (Rebellion) + 17 laps
7. Ickx/Martin/Leinders – Lola-Aston Martin (Kronos) + 27 laps
8. Ojjeh/Kimber-Smith/Lombard – Zytek-Nissan (Greaves) (1st LMP2) + 29 laps
9. Mailleux/Ordonnez/Ayari – Oreca-Nissan (Signatech) + 35 laps
10. Tucker/Bouchut/Barbosa – Lola Coupé-HPD (Level 5) + 41 laps
11. Beretta/Milner/Garcia – Corvette C6 R (Corvette Racing) (1st GTE Pro) + 41 laps
(…)
20. Bornhauser/Canal/Gardel – Corvette C6 R (Larbre Competition) (1st GTE Am) + 53 laps
Etc.
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| Peugeot second of the 79th Le Mans 24 Hours - Photo: WRi2 |