Pescarolo appeals against exclusion

The team, consisting of Jean-Christophe Boullion, Laurent Redon and Boris Derichebourg, was disqualified hours after the race when stewards decreed that Derichebourg had caused an accident in which the leading car, Stefan Johansson's Gulf Audi, was punted off with just an hour of the six-hour event to go.

However, Pescarolo has launched an appeal against the disqualification on the grounds that while he accepts Derichebourg drove into the back of the Audi R8 - which was being driven by Tom Coronel at the time - he also contends that race officials did not follow the correct procedures in excluding the Pescarolo car from the results and that marshals incorrectly waved blue flags at his car.

"I was not listened to as director of my team by the group of stewards before the decision to disqualify was taken," said Pescarolo. "That would have perhaps have allowed me to reveal some facts for the stewards' consideration. I should have been consulted before the decision was taken, not after, as has been the case.

"Derichebourg and Coronel were separated by 1m31s after four and half hours of the race. It is necessary to know that this gap corresponds to a refuelling, and that at this moment in the race, both cars still had the chance of winning," he added. "It was therefore logical that the two drivers started a duel of which there was obviously not good ground to wave blue flags and no case to request a driver let another pass.

"If Derichebourg has done something foolish," concluded Pescarolo, "it is the driver who should be punished and not his team."

The Portuguese governing body is expected to announce the date of Pescarolo's appeal next week.