Aiello has Le Mans on his mind

Vauxhall's Yvan Muller planned to race for Audi at Le Mans, but finally decided that the dual commitment was too much to ask.

'I was planning to race for the Joest squad, in the open-topped car - I would have partnered Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro,' explained Muller.

'But unfortunately I didn't feel able to do it. Le Mans requires a serious commitment, and I decided to concentrate on the touring cars.

'I just didn't have the time to be involved in the project, and I'm so busy at the moment - that was one of the main reasons I decided against it.'

Jean-Christophe Boullion was scheduled to race a Ferrari 333SP at La Sarthe, but had to withdraw.

'We've got a BTCC test session for the Renault Laguna at Croft on Tuesday and Wednesday before the race, and I would have to miss the first qualifying session on Wednesday night.

'We tried to find a way around it, but it wasn't possible. It's a shame, Le Mans is a 'dream' race for a lot of drivers. I've taken part three times; my target is to compete in a factory car.

'Maybe Frank Williams can find me a seat in the works BMW!'

Last year, Laurent Aiello won at Le Mans at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT1. The Nissan Primera driver is returning to defend his title - but, with the withdrawal of Porsche, he will be racing an open-topped Audi.

'I'm really looking forward to the race; Audi have made some real improvements to the car since pre-qualifying,' Aiello explained.

'I haven't been able to be involved in testing, because the BTCC is my main commitment - but everyone knew that was the situation from the start.

'I'm not too concerned that we weren't the quickest at pre-qualifying - when you get to the race, anything can happen. Look at Mercedes - last year they seemed to have done everything to prepare for the race, yet within two hours, they were out.

'Last year, winning the race was unbelievable; being up on the podium, and seeing those huge crowds. Part of it is the way the atmosphere builds up over the week - and then, being a French driver winning Le Mans, was just fantastic.'