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24 Hours of Le Mans
The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours
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Lap 90 is complete for the leader and Villeneuve sets a 3:24.9, with Capello second setting 3:27.8, but Montagny does it yet again - 3:21.1!
The gap continues to close and the Montagny No.9 Peugeot is now within three seconds of Capello's Audi.
The gap continues to close and the Montagny No.9 Peugeot is now within three seconds of Capello's Audi.
Montagny is through. Franck Montagny makes it a Peugeot one-two and has overtaken the Audi No.2 car.
It's a French one-two at La Sarthe and Franck Montagny in the No.9 machine is now chasing after the leading No.7 car.
Montagny is already over six seconds ahead of the Audi and leaving it behind.
Montagny is already over six seconds ahead of the Audi and leaving it behind.
Pitstops are due again for the leaders in the next few laps, and the order may change again.
Montagny continues to close on Villeneuve and the gap is down to 21.2 seconds at the end of lap 92.
Villeneuve - 3:25
Montagny - 3:24
Capello - 3:28.
Montagny continues to close on Villeneuve and the gap is down to 21.2 seconds at the end of lap 92.
Villeneuve - 3:25
Montagny - 3:24
Capello - 3:28.
The No.3 Audi has pitted, with Mike Rockenfeller taking over at the wheel.
At the end of the 93rd lap the gap at the front is down to 16.3 seconds.
Villeneuve - 3:26
Montagny - 3:21
Capello - 3:28.
Rinaldo Capello in the first of the Audis is now beginning to drop back.
Villeneuve - 3:26
Montagny - 3:21
Capello - 3:28.
Rinaldo Capello in the first of the Audis is now beginning to drop back.
The leader hits pitroad and Jacques Villeneuve takes on fuel only. No driver change and he's heading back out onto the racetrack.
The No.9 Peugeot with Franck Montagny takes over the lead of the race, with the Caello No.2 Audi moving into second position.
Both are due to stop in the next couple of laps.
Both are due to stop in the next couple of laps.
Franck Montagny brings the leading car into the pits for its routine service. No driver change, Franck continuing on for another stint.
Rinaldo Capello comes into the pits as Montagny rolls out.
Rinaldo Capello comes into the pits as Montagny rolls out.
The battle is on for the lead of the LMGT1 class, with Aston Martin and Corvette, as expected, in a close scrap for class honours.
The top four cars are all on the same lap, with the 009 Aston driven by David Brabham currently leading from the 63 and 64 Corvettes and the 007 Aston. All four cars are within 90 seconds.
The top four cars are all on the same lap, with the 009 Aston driven by David Brabham currently leading from the 63 and 64 Corvettes and the 007 Aston. All four cars are within 90 seconds.
It's a driver change for the Audi No.2 as Capello hops out and seven-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen climbs aboard. The Dane rolls down the pitlane and rejoins the race.
The No.26 Radical has got underway again after roadside repairs. He'll likely head back to the pits for some more comprehensive service.
This will be Kristensen's first stint in the car. He is joining a big battle up front, and Audi need his experience right now.
The stops have shaken out and the No.7 Peugeot maintains its lead, but the gap is now reduced.
Villeneuve now has 9.6 seconds over Montagny in the No.9 Peugeot in second place.
Villeneuve now has 9.6 seconds over Montagny in the No.9 Peugeot in second place.
The No.8 Peugeot continues to fight up the order and is now tenth with Pedro Lamy still at the wheel. He is chasing down the No.6 Courage driven by Olivier Panis.
After 97 laps The No.7 Peugeot has a 12.805 second lead over the sister car - the No.9.
Tom Kristensen runs third in the first of the Audis. The No.2 machine is now 55.0 seconds off the lead - that despite running in P1 a short time ago.
Tom Kristensen runs third in the first of the Audis. The No.2 machine is now 55.0 seconds off the lead - that despite running in P1 a short time ago.
The gap is down to 10.3 seconds between the front pair as Montagny laps the 8.48 mile circuit with another 3:21.
Tom Kristensen continues to drop back and is now over a minute behind the leaders.
Tom Kristensen continues to drop back and is now over a minute behind the leaders.
Pedro Lamy pits the No.8 car and hands it over to Stephane Sarrazin, the pole-winning driver in that car.
Franck Montagny continues to charge with another 3:21, bringing the gap down further to 8.9 seconds.
99 laps completed.
99 laps completed.
At the completion of the 100th lap the race at the front tightens further.
Jacques Villeneuve continues to lead in the No.7 908 HDI, but a 3:28 lap has cost him badly, with Montagny setting another scorching 3:22.
The gap is now 3.6 seconds and is now a visual gap on the monitors.
Jacques Villeneuve continues to lead in the No.7 908 HDI, but a 3:28 lap has cost him badly, with Montagny setting another scorching 3:22.
The gap is now 3.6 seconds and is now a visual gap on the monitors.
Through the traffic the gap closes and the pair are together on the circuit as we approach the six hour mark.
It's nose to tail on the Mulsanne straight as Montagny is right on Villeneuve ...
Franck Montagny slips past Jacques Villeneuve on the Mulsanne straight and the No.9 Peugeot takes the lead of the 24 Heures du Mans!
The No.64 Corvette is in the garage with a problem. The very latest from the autosport.com news team at the circuit is that a change of alternator is needed.
At the head of the field Franck Montagny begins to pull away in the No.9 Peugeot. The gap to the No.7 is at three seconds and is likely to increase over the coming laps.
Tom Kristensen is holding the gap to the front two at around one minute, in the Audi No.2.
Behind these three and a lap down, Mike Rockenfeller in the No.3, and Frank Biela in the No.1 entry are running in tandem as the daylight begins to fade at the circuit.
Tom Kristensen is holding the gap to the front two at around one minute, in the Audi No.2.
Behind these three and a lap down, Mike Rockenfeller in the No.3, and Frank Biela in the No.1 entry are running in tandem as the daylight begins to fade at the circuit.
The No.64 Corvette is back underway after quick service by the team. Oliver Gavin has taken over at the wheel from Max Papis.
The No.3 Audi is the latest car to pit. Mike Rockenfeller stays aboard and takes fuel only. The car was running very close with the sister No.1 machine before that stop.
The No.7 Peugeot pits from second and Jacques Villeneuve, having lost the lead on this stint, hops out to be replaced by Marc Gene.
The Autosport.com news team onsite have alerted us to the rain that we mentioned at the start of the commentary arriving sooner than expected.
The latest rainfall radar backs this up, with rain moving into north-west France this evening. The green shaded area is part of a large area of showers and general rain that is out west in the Atlantic ocean.
The first of the light rain could reach the circuit within the next couple of hours, giving all the teams and drivers something extra to think about.
The latest rainfall radar backs this up, with rain moving into north-west France this evening. The green shaded area is part of a large area of showers and general rain that is out west in the Atlantic ocean.
The first of the light rain could reach the circuit within the next couple of hours, giving all the teams and drivers something extra to think about.
Franck Montagny pits the No.9 Peugeot from the lead. Having taken over at the top spot after a sensational string of laps, he hands over to Christian Klien and the car is away.
Tom Kristensen leads for Audi, setting good pace in the 3:24s while the Peugeots pit, but the No.2 will be due to stop shortly.
Kristensen pits the No.2 Audi, putting Klien back in the lead for Peugeot.
As the clouds slowly begin to roll in and the light fades, air and track temperatures will clearly become cooler, changing the track conditions as we move from light towards dark.
The lowest temperature expected overnight is 11 degrees Celsius.
The lowest temperature expected overnight is 11 degrees Celsius.
Down the field, the No.8 Peugeot in the hands of Stephane Sarrazin is continuing to set front-running pace.
Sarrazin comes across the line and breaks the 200 second barrier with a stunning lap - 3:19.394.
The No.8 still lies in tenth position, and its next target is the ninth-placed Courage-Oreca Judd which is currently being driven by Olivier Panis, making his debut in the great race.
Sarrazin comes across the line and breaks the 200 second barrier with a stunning lap - 3:19.394.
The No.8 still lies in tenth position, and its next target is the ninth-placed Courage-Oreca Judd which is currently being driven by Olivier Panis, making his debut in the great race.
In LMP2, the battle continues between Team Essex and the Van Merksteijn car. Jos Verstappen is now at the wheel of the latter and is setting quick times.
The gap to Team Essex is currently 48 seconds, with Jos taking over four out of that on the last lap.
The gap to Team Essex is currently 48 seconds, with Jos taking over four out of that on the last lap.
The Team Essex RS Spyder is in trouble with a left rear puncture. He has made it to the pits with the team fortunate that the problem occurred late in the lap.
John Nielsen climbs aboard and takes the Porsche out with new tyres all round.
Jos Verstappen now leads LMP2.
John Nielsen climbs aboard and takes the Porsche out with new tyres all round.
Jos Verstappen now leads LMP2.
The GT1 battle rages down the order, with Corvette fighting against the Aston Martin DBR9s.
In recent laps the closeness has faded, but the top three cars in class are still covered by a time difference of 85 seconds.
The 009 Aston with David Brabham at the wheel leads (20th overall) is 24 seconds ahead of Jan Magnussen in the No.63 Corvette.
Third in class is the other Aston, the 007 car. Karl Wendlinger is circulating in that car and lies 1 minute 25 seconds behind Brabham.
The No.64 Corvette of course has now dropped away from this lead battle after the alternator change that we mentioned earlier.
In recent laps the closeness has faded, but the top three cars in class are still covered by a time difference of 85 seconds.
The 009 Aston with David Brabham at the wheel leads (20th overall) is 24 seconds ahead of Jan Magnussen in the No.63 Corvette.
Third in class is the other Aston, the 007 car. Karl Wendlinger is circulating in that car and lies 1 minute 25 seconds behind Brabham.
The No.64 Corvette of course has now dropped away from this lead battle after the alternator change that we mentioned earlier.
Up front the two Peugeots continue their demonstration. Marc Gene was a couple of seconds quicker than Christian Klien on the last timed lap and the gap between them is now 3.9 seconds.
Tom Kristensen lies third in the first of the Audi R10s, 1 minute 21 seconds off the lead.
The No.1 and No.3 Audis remain in fourth and fifth positions.
The No.1 and No.3 Audis remain in fourth and fifth positions.
The No.19 Chamberlain Synergy car is about to get going again after a lengthy period in the garage for repairs. Bob Berridge is now taking to the controls.
By: Geoff Creighton, Emlyn Hughes
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