H4: Kristensen still in command

The leaderboard was unchanged through all four classes at the end of hour four. Miguel Amaral has taken over the wheel of the LMP2 class-leading Quifel Lola from Warren Hughes; Hughes having run close to the four-hour limit imposed on drivers for a single stint.

Darren Turner is still looking comfortable in the No. 009 Aston Martin in GT1, and Lars Erik Nielsen has replaced Allan Simonsen in the GT2 class-leading Autorlando Ferrari.

Most of the drama has been elsewhere in the field. The No. 19 Chamberlain-Synergy Lola LMP1 spent time in the garage with engine problems, having already suffered from a puncture and refuelling difficulties.

There were fuelling problems of another sort for the Charouz Lola LMP1, which was engulfed in a brief fuel fire in pitlane while Stefan Mucke was in the car. Luckily, neither driver nor car came to any harm, and the Lola is back out on the track.

Andy Wallace left the road at the Porsche Curves in the No. 25 RML Lola just before 7:00 pm, and while he has dropped a lot of time, it appears that he has managed to rejoin.

The news is less good for the No. 3 Joest Audi and No. 64 Corvette Racing, both of which confirmed to have retired from the race.