H12: Audi on top at halfway stage
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Sunday, June 12th 2011, 01:02 GMT |
 Benoit Treluyer ensured Audi remained in the lead at the halfway stage of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In the sole remaining #2 Audi, Treluyer's lead of more than two minutes was gradually eroded by a flying Sebastien Bourdais in the #9 Peugeot - the Frenchman threatening to set a new fastest lap several times during his stint.
Treluyer and Audi were able to respond however, upping their pace to maintain a healthy lead of almost two minutes. Simon Pagenaud then took over from Bourdais, but was unable to make any further significant inroads into the Audi's lead.
Alex Wurz was third at the halfway stage in the #7 Peugeot, eight seconds behind Pagenaud, while the third #8 Peugeot of Stephane Sarrazin remained on the lead lap.
Loic Duval beached the #10 Matmut Peugeot in the gravel at the first chicane on the Mulsanne straight, causing long delays which dropped the car from fifth to eighth as it was recovered and then repaired.
Julien Jousse took over fifth in the #16 Pescarolo-Judd, which now leads the petrol standings by more than one lap from the #13 Rebellion Racing Lola.
In LMP2 the #41 Zytek-Nissan set about establishing a formidable lead, although their cause was aided by a recurring problem for Danny Watts in the #42 Strakka HPD, which dropped from second to ninth as a consequence.
Dominik Kraihamer took over the #48 ORECA-Nissan from Alexandre Premat, and currently lies second in the class, just over one minute down the road from the #41 Nissan.
In the GTE Pro class, Jan Magnussen in the #75 Corvette leads Toni Vilander in the #51 Ferrari 458 by more than two minutes, although Vilander has been slowly reducing the arrears.
The #50 Larbre Chevrolette Corvette leads the GTE Am class from the #81 Flying Lizard Porsche.
NOTES:
- Mike Rockenfeller was taken to hospital following a frightening accident that totally destroyed the #1 Audi in the seventh hour of the race. The German had been running third when he made contact with a GTE Ferrari at kink after Mulsanne. Audi confirmed that their driver climbed from the car before medical crews got to him.
- 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 McNish was taken to hospital for precautionary checks, but was later released with an all-clear.
- 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 12 HOURS
Pos Car Team Class Gap
1. #2 Audi Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP1)
2. #9 Peugeot Team Peugeot Total (LMP1) + 54.993
3. #7 Peugeot Peugeot Sport Total (LMP1) + 1:00.528
4. #8 Peugeot Peugeot Sport Total (LMP1) + 2:27.585
5. #16 Pescarolo Pescarolo Team (LMP1) + 5 Laps
6. #13 Lola Rebellion Racing (LMP1) + 6 Laps
7. #12 Lola Rebellion Racing (LMP1) + 6 Laps
8. #10 Peugeot Team Oreca-Matmut (LMP1) + 8 Laps
9. #22 Lola Kronos Racing (LMP1) + 10 Laps
10. #41 Zytek Greaves Motorsport (LMP2) + 11 Laps
11. #48 Oreca Team Oreca-Matmut (LMP2) + 11 Laps
12. #33 Lola Level 5 Motorsports (LMP2) + 13 Laps
13. #26 Oreca Signatech Nissan (LMP2) + 13 Laps
14. #49 OAK OAK Racing (LMP2) + 13 Laps
15. #74 Corvette Corvette Racing (GTEP) + 16 Laps
16. #35 OAK OAK Racing (LMP2) + 16 Laps
17. #51 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEP) + 16 Laps
18. #75 Porsche Prospeed Competition (GTEP) + 17 Laps
19. #73 Corvette Corvette Racing (GTEP) + 17 Laps
20. #59 Ferrari Luxury Racing (GTEP) + 17 Laps
21. #55 BMW BMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 18 Laps
22. #80 Porsche Flying Lizard Motorsports (GTEP) + 18 Laps
23. #76 Porsche IMSA Performance Matmut (GTEP) + 18 Laps
24. #56 BMW BMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 19 Laps
25. #77 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton (GTEP) + 19 Laps
26. #36 HPD RML (LMP2) + 21 Laps
27. #50 Corvette Larbre Competition (GTEA) + 21 Laps
28. #70 Porsche Larbre Competition (GTEA) + 21 Laps
29. #81 Porsche Flying Lizard Motorsports (GTEA) + 21 Laps
30. #40 Oreca Race Performance (LMP2) + 21 Laps
31. #61 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEA) + 21 Laps
32. #42 HPD Strakka Racing (LMP2) + 22 Laps
33. #71 Ferrari AF Corse (GTEP) + 23 Laps
34. #65 Lotus Lotus Jetalliance (GTEP) + 23 Laps
35. #63 Porsche Proton Competition (GTEA) + 26 Laps
36. #83 Ferrari JMB Racing (GTEA) + 27 Laps
37. #88 Porsche Team Felbermayr-Proton (GTEP) + 28 Laps
38. #68 Ford Robertson Racing (GTEA) + 32 Laps
39. #66 Ferrari JMW Motorsport (GTEP) + 33 Laps
40. #60 Aston Gulf AMR Middle East (GTEA) + 33 Laps
41. #44 Norma Extr (LMP2) + 36 Laps
42. #89 Ferrari Hankook Team Farnbacher (GTEP) + 47 Laps
43. #64 Lotus Lotus Jetalliance (GTEP) + 47 Laps
44. #58 Ferrari Luxury Racing (GTEP) + 58 Laps
45. #5 Oreca Hope Racing (LMP1) + 65 Laps
46. #39 Lola PeCom Racing (LMP2) + 27 Laps
47. #57 Ferrari Krohn Racing (GTEA) + 43 Laps
48. #24 OAK OAK Racing (LMP1) + 47 Laps
49. #1 Audi Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP1) Retired
50. #62 Ferrari CRS Racing (GTEA) Retired
51. #15 OAK OAK Racing (LMP1) + 86 Laps
52. #79 Aston Jota (GTEP) Retired
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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