H8: Audi leads behind safety car
Audi continues to lead the Le Mans 24 Hours, but the race is again behind the safety car after another serious accident for an R18
Mike Rockenfeller had just taken the #1 Audi into second place when a GT Ferrari moved over on him at the high-speed kink between Mulsanne and Indianapolis. The R18 veered left, crashed into the barriers and bounced back across the road, hitting the barriers on the right.
The race was immediately paused behind the safety car, but initial reports suggest Rockenfeller got out of the car himself. His condition is unknown at present.
The accident means that Peugeots are now second, third and fourth, behind the #2 Audi currently driven by Andre Lotterer.
After the older ORECA-run Peugeot, Christoph Tinsea leads the petrol runners in the #16 Pescarolo ahead of the two Rebellion Lola-Toyotas.
The #48 ORECA-Nissan, currently driven by Alexandre Premat, continues to lead LMP2 from Tom Kimber-Smith in the Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan.
The #74 Chevrolet Corvette now looks comfortable in the lead of GTE Pro after its closest challenger, the #56 BMW, lost nine minutes solving a misfire. The #59 Luxury Ferrari 458 is therefore currently second.
Larbre is still one-two in GTE Am. The team's Porsche, currently driven by Christophe Bourret, heads the Corvette.
NOTES:
- The #3 Audi of Allan McNish crashed out of the race in the first hour having just taken second position. The Scot collected the #58 Luxury Racing Ferrari in the right-hander after the Dunlop Bridge. The heavy impact destroyed the car and the Scot was taken to hospital for precautionary checks, but appears to be unhurt.
- Both Aston Martin AMR Ones ran into trouble on the first lap of the race. Darren Turner spinning with mechanical trouble and Adrian Fernandez stopping out on the Mulsanne. The #007 car of Turner was recovered to the pits where it was discovered an alternator belt tensioner was to blame.
POSITIONS AFTER EIGHT HOURS Pos Car Team Class Gap 1. #2 Audi Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP1) 2. #7 Peugeot Peugeot Sport Total (LMP1) + 1 Lap 3. #9 Peugeot Team Peugeot Total (LMP1) + 1 Lap 4. #8 Peugeot Peugeot Sport Total (LMP1) + 1 Lap 5. #10 Peugeot Team Oreca-Matmut (LMP1) + 2 Laps 6. #1 Audi Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP1) + 4 Laps 7. #16 Pescarolo Pescarolo Team (LMP1) + 4 Laps 8. #12 Lola Rebellion Racing (LMP1) + 4 Laps 9. #13 Lola Rebellion Racing (LMP1) + 5 Laps 10. #48 Oreca Team Oreca-Matmut (LMP2) + 8 Laps 11. #22 Lola Kronos Racing (LMP1) + 9 Laps 12. #41 Zytek Greaves Motorsport (LMP2) + 9 Laps 13. #39 Lola PeCom Racing (LMP2) + 9 Laps 14. #42 HPD Strakka Racing (LMP2) + 9 Laps 15. #24 OAK OAK Racing (LMP1) + 10 Laps 16. #33 Lola Level 5 Motorsports (LMP2) + 11 Laps 17. #49 OAK OAK Racing (LMP2) + 11 Laps 18. #26 Oreca Signatech Nissan (LMP2) + 11 Laps 19. #35 OAK OAK Racing (LMP2) + 13 Laps 20. #74 Corvette Corvette Racing (GTEP) + 13 Laps 21. #59 Ferrari Luxury Racing (GTEP) + 14 Laps 22. #75 Porsche Prospeed Competition (GTEP) + 14 Laps 23. #51 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEP) + 14 Laps 24. #73 Corvette Corvette Racing (GTEP) + 14 Laps 25. #80 Porsche Flying Lizard Motorsports (GTEP) + 14 Laps 26. #55 BMW BMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 14 Laps 27. #36 HPD RML (LMP2) + 14 Laps 28. #76 Porsche IMSA Performance Matmut (GTEP) + 15 Laps 29. #56 BMW BMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 15 Laps 30. #77 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton (GTEP) + 15 Laps 31. #44 Norma Extr (LMP2) + 16 Laps 32. #70 Porsche Larbre Competition (GTEA) + 17 Laps 33. #50 Corvette Larbre Competition (GTEA) + 17 Laps 34. #57 Ferrari Krohn Racing (GTEA) + 17 Laps 35. #81 Porsche Flying Lizard Motorsports (GTEA) + 17 Laps 36. #61 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEA) + 17 Laps 37. #40 Oreca Race Performance (LMP2) + 18 Laps 38. #65 Lotus Lotus Jetalliance (GTEP) + 19 Laps 39. #71 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEP) + 19 Laps 40. #88 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton (GTEP) + 21 Laps 41. #63 Porsche Proton Competition (GTEA) + 22 Laps 42. #83 Ferrari JMB Racing (GTEA) + 22 Laps 43. #66 Ferrari JMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 23 Laps 44. #68 Ford Robertson Racing (GTEA) + 25 Laps 45. #60 Aston Gulf AMR Middle East (GTEA) + 26 Laps 46. #89 Ferrari Hankook Team Farnbacher (GTEP) + 28 Laps 47. #62 Ferrari CRS Racing (GTEA) + 36 Laps 48. #64 Lotus Lotus Jetalliance (GTEP) + 41 Laps 49. #58 Ferrari Luxury Racing (GTEP) + 50 Laps 50. #5 Oreca Hope Racing (LMP1) + 53 Laps 51. #15 OAK OAK Racing (LMP1) + 56 Laps 52. #79 Aston Jota (GTEP) + 46 Laps 53. #20 Zytek Quifel-ASM Team (LMP1) Retired 54. #3 Audi Audi Sport North America (LMP1) Retired 55. #007 AMR-One Aston Martin Racing (LMP1) Retired 56. #009 AMR-One Aston Martin Racing (LMP1) Retired
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